As I mentioned in last week’s exercise of the week, the Squat is a great exercise for the legs. This week I have decided to talk about a varation of the squat, and that being the split squat. It is a mix of a squat and a lunge, so it’s pretty effective.
Now I have chosen to demonstrate teh split squat on a stability ball, but if you are trying out the exercise for the first time I recommend that you do it on a bench first, before progressing to the stability ball (which is more challenging).
So here’s how it goes:
Place your back foot on the stability ball and bring out your front leg in front of you. Keep in mind that when you are coming down you will want to have the knee come over your foot, so that should serve as an indicator of how far out you want to bring your foot. As with every stability exercise, engage your abdominals before beginning the movement.
Put your weight over your lead leg and lower your body as low as you can. With the back leg keep the ball from moving around too much. Hold at the bottom and stand up by pushing through the heel.
If you want to make the exercise more challenging you can hold a barbell over your shoulders or dumbbells by your side.
At first this exercise will prove challenging, but with some practice you will get the hang of it. It’s a great way to target your core and your legs. In my opinion it is tougher than squats and lunges because of the stability ball element. Give it a try and feel your legs getting stronger!
