This week we are focusing on Head To Barre glute work, why we teach it, its benefits and common corrections.

HOW WE TRUE CUE (note, you don’t have to speak this word for word, just a guide for those who need it):

• Call It: We’re going into Head-to-Barre Glutes
• Set Up: Turn to face the barre, forearms to the barre, hinge forward, Sweep your (R or L) leg up, and…
• Hold: Hold
• Kinetic Cue: Your (R or L) foot is right under your hip and rooting into the floor. Standing knee is soft, hips are squared to the floor. Your lifted leg is in line with your hips, your core is engaged and your upper body is relaxed.
• Move: Let’s start to move, soften and reach that lifted leg…
• Modify: Discomfort in the back you can lower the leg and lift your chest. Or Make sure you are engaging your core to support your back.

WHY WE TEACH IT:

• Head to Barre Glutes encourages maximum hip extension on the lifted leg, which is produced by contracting the gluteus maximus. The hamstrings also aid in hip extension and are contracted more with add-ons, such as hamstring curls and heel presses.
• It is a unilateral exercise, which means it works one side of the body at a time. This is a great way to build Glute stabilization and core strength since you are working to stay square to the floor. 
• This can also help identify and improve imbalances you have between the two sides of the body, creating more body awareness.
• Working a single-leg stance allows us to fatigue the glutes more efficiently and effectively

BENEFITS

• Stronger glutes and hamstrings improve the functionality of your legs and maintain a healthy pelvis and torso orientation. They also prevent injury and improve low back pain.
• Stronger feet and ankles from working to balance on a single leg improve your overall balance, coordination and stability
• Better Body awareness = healthier living!

COMMON CORRECTIONS

• Clients with weak glutes might arch their back to lift their leg (you may notice this if the foot is higher than their seat). Give verbal cues to engage their core or place a hand on their back and tell them to relax and lower the leg.
• Clients with weak glutes may also be working with their leg too low, they may complain about too much tension in their working hip flexor. Lift their leg to hip height, or if they are unable to encourage them to lift their chest and lower their leg. The same long line from the shoulders to the foot should be maintained in whatever chest position they are in.
• Clients with poor posture might shrug into their shoulders or round their upper back. To correct, verbally cue to relax the upper body or hands-on correct by pushing down on their shoulder or “shark biting” their shoulder blades back. 

**Check out our Instructor Instagram account on how to cue this with extended arms, this will self-correct a lot of misalignments you might see!