First, let’s talk about affirmative touches. We perform this type of correction to (1) to affirm clients and encourage them to get the most out of their workout and (2) to bring awareness to a specific part of the body. It’s another way to touch clients for hands on corrections.

Examples:

• “Squeeze heels together” – Take your thumb and pointer finger and squeeze the heels together to encourage clients to press their heels together more tightly, challenging their body
  • You would use this in power diamond.
• “Thigh Hold”- Place your pointer finger and thumb on top of thigh and lightly squeeze to encourage clients to sink lower and fire their quad
  • You might use this in power four or chair.
• “Kickstand” – Place one hand on their shoulder to stabilize them and lift their heels up using your toe
  • You might use this in a power posture where their heels are too close to the floor.
• “Heel Press”  Press down on heels to encourage clients to press their heels to the floor
  • You might use this in a plank to help them extend through the heels, or in a heel press glute bridge to make sure they are digging down into the mat to maximize the effects of the posture. You can also press on their heel in all fours bent knee presses to strengthen the movement.

Lateral Hip Flexors

Let’s now discuss your lateral hip abductors, which are most activated during side seat work. They are made up of your Tensor fascia latae, Gluteus medius, and Gluteus minimus pg. 131 

Function

• Tensor fascia latae: abducts, flexes, medially rotates hip
  • Makes up the IT band with the gluteus maximus and fascia 
• Gluteus medius: abducts, flexes, extends hip
  • Stabilizes low back by holding hips level when one leg is lifted
• Gluteus minimus: abducts, inwardly rotates, flexes hip

Postures used in class

• Outward or upward movement of Glute Dives
• Upward movement of Side Diamond
• Side leg lift in Box Squat
• Hip Abductors
• Standing Pretzel

Stretches used in class

• Butterfly, IT band strap stretch, piriformis stretch (deep hip rotator stretch that hits all three glutes)

Cues / “True40 Truths” 

• “Lower back pain can be attributed to weak medius/minimus muscles!”
• “Stronger abductors keep the hips level while you walk/move.”
• “These muscles are crucial for strengthening the knees and important for posture.”
• “Strengthening these muscles, especially your tensor fascia latae, will prevent IT band injury and also will reduce saddle bags.”

Anterior Hip Flexors

The Pelvis & Hip

The pelvic girdle is the line between the trunk and lower extremities. This region assists with motion, stability, and shock absorption, and helps distribute body weight evenly to the lower extremities. The muscles on the front of the thigh flex the hip, the outside muscles abduct, the back thigh muscles extend, and the inside adduct. Most muscles also perform inward or outward rotation.

Rectus femoris, Sartorius, Iliopsoas (anterior hip flexors) pg. 124

Function

• Rectus femoris: Hip flexion
• Sartorius: flexes, laterally rotates, and abducts hip
  • Longest muscle, help turns out our leg to flex it
• Iliopsoas: hip flexor (covered prior)

Postures used in class

• Leg lifts, Corkscrews, Warrior Poses (sartorius), V-Ups, Boat pose, Squats, Full/Half roll ups (Iliopsoas)

Stretches used in class

• Quad stretch (sartorius), Runner’s lunge, Crescent lunge, Any hip opener
• 

Cues / “True40 Truths”

• “Part of your hip flexor muscle group is called the rectus femoris, and is a powerful running muscle.”
• “Tight hip flexors lead to anterior pelvic tilt, make sure to engage the abdominals to work the core and not the hip flexors.”
• “Straight legs are more challenging since they engage the hips more, soften or bend knees for modification.”
• “The Psoas helps align the body.”
• “A stronger Psoas helps to counteract sway back and improve posture.”
• “Sitting all day makes our Psoas shorten and weaken, so these stretches are so important to balance the body.”

Flexion and Extension

As a reminder, flexion is a movement resulting in a decrease of the joint angle, usually moving anteriorly in the sagittal plane (lowering into a squat, bicep curl). Extension is a movement resulting in an increase of the joint angle, usually posteriorly in the sagittal plane (lifting from a squat, tricep extension).

During class it’s important that we balance extension with flexion. Many of our movements are flexion-driven (anytime we bend at the hips, like a squat), and can contribute to tight hip flexors. Being intentional about extension is so important to balancing out the body! Here are a couple of good/bad examples to think about when programming:

• Bad Warmup Pairing: Running man, sumo box squat, running man, skaters
  • You are hinging forward (FLEXING) at the hips in all four of these postures, which tightens the hips and can contribute to low back pain.
  • How to Fix: Running man, sumo squat rotation (getting extension through opening up through the back heel and hip), running man, plie reaches (still getting a spinal rotation, but in a plie, which opens the hips in a neutral spine)
• Bad Leg Pairing: incline chair squat, reverse power diamond with leg lifts, incline sumo squat
  • You’re hinging (flexing) at the hips in chair and sumo, and the leg lift add on is also flexion
  • How to Fix: incline chair, power diamond skier (pulling off barre or TRX will extend through the hips instead of bending/flexing), reverse sumo (less flexion with chest lifted in neutral spine)

If warmup and/or legs included heavy flexion, consider programming for combo to include postures that are upright or incorporate extension to balance it out. Remember to talk through breath during class – always pairing an exhale with flexion, and inhales with extension.

Cueing in Glutes

I have been noticing that a lot of us have the tendency to forget about True Cueing during Glute Work (this mostly applies to Glute Work outside of Glute bridges). I’ve noticed that often we will call out the posture, set it up, hold, then immediately start moving. We are missing the kinetic cueing portion of True Cueing, which is so important for body awareness! I have listed out two examples below. Remember to slow down and move through the kinetic chain before you start moving. 🙂 

Side Diamond

• Call It: We’re headed into Side Diamond starting on our right side (directional cues are so helpful! for quick transitions). 
• Set Up: Grab your ball and tuck it under your right ribcage. Glue your legs together, lift your feet off the floor, open your knees, and…
• Hold: HOLD.
• Kinetic Cue (what a lot of us are missing): Your feet are pressed together. Knees and hips are stacked on top of each other. Use your core to lift off the ball, and make sure your right elbow is under your shoulder. 
• Movement: Let’s start with a slow large range movement. Close your knees for two, open for two…do 2ish times then speed it up to tempo.
• Modify: If you need more stability through the hips, bring your feet to the mat and lift and lower from here. If you have a shoulder or neck injury, tuck the ball under your head like a pillow (good to add personal anecdotes here: “This is my favorite modification because it takes out the distraction of the upper body and helps me lift my feet higher.”)
• Don’t forget to walk around the room to correct and also re-cue based on what you see. Don’t stay in Glute Work with them the whole time. Examples: “I like to hold onto my top hip to ensure my hips aren’t rocking forward and back as I lower and lift.” “The higher your feet, the more resistance you’re putting into your side seat.” “Glute work can feel monotonous, but glutes can be hard to activate, so repetition is key.” 

Head to Barre

• Call It: We’re going into Head to Barre. 
• Set Up: Turn to face your barre, standing a few inches away. Hinge at your hips, place your forearms and forehead on the barre, lift your right leg, and..
• Hold: HOLD. 
• Kinetic Cue (what a lot of us are missing): Your left foot is directly under your hip, toes pointed toward your base board. Soften your leg knee and square your right hip to the floor. Spine is long, and core is engaged. 
• Movement: Let’s start with a small bend and reach. 
• Modify: If you need to take some weight out of your low back, work with your right leg closer to the floor. For even more stability, you can work in standing glutes, walking all the way into the barre (good to add personal anecdotes here: “This is a great option if you’re expecting.”)
• Don’t forget to walk around the room to correct and also re-cue based on what you see. Don’t stay in Glute Work with them the whole time. Examples: “There should be a long line from your toes to your head.” “Check in with your hip alignment, hips shoulder remain level like you’re wearing a seatbelt.” “This is a tiny movement – relax the muscles in your glute max to create the soft bend, then contract the muscles to lengthen your leg.” “Pair your breath with your movement to get the most out of this exercise – inhale as soften the knee, exhale as you extend.”