What is one of the most important lower body exercises you are NOT doing?
The most important lower body exercise you AREN’T doing!
Following Gray Cook’s joint by joint approach, one knows that the lumbar spine is supposed to be a stable segment of the spine not a mobile one.
When performing a single legged deadlift (SLDL), use a mirror and take note of what happens to your pelvis. It often turns having the sacrum facing the weight-bearing limb. This frequently involves one side being worse than the other.
The torsion is felt in the lumbar spine because the hips and pelvis are not doing their job.
To remedy the problem, assume the bent over “see-saw” position, and physically try and correct the problem by dropping the elevated hip and rotating it towards the floor so that your lower back or sacrum ends up flat (as if to hold a glass of water on it without spilling). You will surely feel crooked (but the mirror will show that you are in a proper position) and you will feel a noticeable stretch in the hamstrings of the weight bearing leg…PERFECT!
Doing this exercise for a set of 10-12 reps 1-2x per day will eventually help you to correct pelvic instabilities. When, and ONLY when, you have mastered the movement should you load the exercise with weights in your hands.
The SLDL is a KEY exercise, especially with runners who experience pelvic imbalances as well as underuse of their (should be) powerful hip extensors.
