Crossover hip extension. Pulling the leg back in a block exercise machine (crossover)

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

Place in : out of competition ()
Date of: 2012-05-29 Views: 355 176 Grade: 5.0

Why medals are given to articles:

Core muscles -
Additional -
Difficulty of execution- average

Hip extension in crossover from the lower block - video

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions (each leg) 10 - 20 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.
For women: 10 - 15 repetitions (each leg) 5 - 10 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.

Load by muscle group

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

Description of the exercise

The exercise is best performed while bending over. This will allow you to stretch your buttocks more and increase the range of motion. This means it will increase the efficiency of the exercise.

Main features

1. I recommend leaning forward when doing this exercise. Moreover, the lower, the better. It can even be almost parallel to the floor. After all, the more you bend, the more the buttock and the lower point of the movement will stretch and the greater the amplitude. That is, the efficiency of the exercise will increase. 2. The leg should be slightly bent at the knee. At the bottom you can bend it a little more, and at the top point you can either straighten it completely or leave it slightly bent. Slightly bent leg at the bottom point will allow you to stretch your butt even more. 3. For convenience, you can stand with your supporting foot on a small stand. Let's say you can put a disk from a barbell. 4. When bending, your back should be arched at the lower back. 5. Set the weight so that you can do 10–12 repetitions. 6. At the top point, try to pause for a second. 7. Make sure that the swing is strictly back and the leg does not move to the side.

Training your hips is an exclusively female activity. This is what most visitors to the hall will exclaim. Now let's try to remember the Men's classic or Olympia champion form. Apart from the protruding bellies, all the other groups are designed perfectly. And all because they do not disdain such things as hip extension.

When, to whom, why?

Perhaps we should start with the fact that hip extension – isolated single-joint exercise. And that means it:

• not suitable for development muscle mass;
• does not help improve strength performance;
• executed after basic exercises(Romanian deadlift);
• not performed by male athletes in the first year of training;
• has a relatively simple range of motion and technique;
• develops muscle relief.

It is precisely because of these qualities that women especially love him, because using hip extensions, whether in simulators or in a crossover, they dry out and tighten exclusively the target muscle group of the leg, which allows you to get perfect figure. Does it have any contraindications? If you do not have problems with joints or acute necrosis of bone tissue, then you can safely perform hip extensions. This exercise does not place stress on the spine, abdominal muscles or other target groups that require insurance.

When and who should do hip extensions in the machine. When - after complete mastery of the circular basic program(15-30 workouts). During this time, the body adapts to the stress, everything muscle groups come into good shape and stock up required amount glycogen for exercise. For anyone who wants to tighten the back of their legs. For women, the priority is to work with light weights in exercise machines. For men - hard work, after the basic lifts!

In the simulator

First on the list is an exercise for the hips using a special machine.

What muscles work during hip extension?

1. Muscles back surface hips.
2. Anterior bundle of leg muscles.
3. Muscles of the lumbar region.

In this case, all movement occurs exclusively in the gluteal joint. Strange as it may sound, it is not the hamstrings that receive the greatest load, but the muscles of the gluteal region. The simulator itself is designed in such a way that it can be performed with only one leg at a time. This creates a risk of imbalance between processing different legs. Therefore, when performing a number of repetitions, set the weight in such a way that the lagging (most often left) leg can handle it.

How to do it correctly?

1. Set the block to a suitable weight.
2. Stand up.
3. Rest your body against a special roller to avoid engaging your abdominal muscles.
4. Raise the block with the load with one leg, abducting the leg.
5. At the top point, linger for 1-2 seconds.

It is important not to bend it at the knee joint. Although this shifts the load on the hamstrings, it increases the load on the joints, which in turn can result in traumatic consequences.

In the crossover

The work in the crossover is almost completely identical. But the crossover has a number of advantages over block simulator:

• the ability to make the range of motion more natural for the body. This in turn significantly reduces the load on the joints and increases the useful load on the muscles;
• the ability to determine weight more flexibly;
• the ability to bend the leg at the knee joint, carrying out movements in both weights.
• no restrictions on range of motion.

But at the same time, when using a crossover, in particular hip flexion, you need to remember that, unlike a simulator, you need to properly hold your back, posture, and monitor the movement, which somewhat toughens the technique of execution and makes it not suitable for beginners.

1. Install the crossover on the lower blocks.
2. Choose a single-sided handle with a loop for legs/arms.
3. Insert your foot into the handle.
4. Place both hands on the crossover pillar.
5. Bend your lower back.
6. Tilt your neck as far back as possible.
7. Pull the projectile back with your straight leg.
8. Additionally, at peak loads, you can slightly bend the knee to change the emphasis of the load.

Important points:

1. Work with the knee must be done very carefully, as the handle can simply fly out of the leg, which will guarantee a guaranteed injury.
2. Don’t forget to wipe the crossover handles after yourself, as many people use them to bring their hands from the sides to the center.

Unlike the simulator, the multi-joint nature of the exercise allows you to perform it as a basic one. And for some crossover designs, it is possible to tie both legs to the handles, which will allow you to do hip extension in the crossover with each leg in turn.

Free weights

Working at home, like training in the absence of a gym, is a separate issue. It should be noted right away that the work in this case will not be as effective. However, to maintain muscle tone, or in cases where it is not possible to exercise in a fitness club, this becomes the only alternative.

There are two main exercises. This is hip extension while lying on the floor and a similar hip extension at the counter (option for ballerinas). In the latter case, hip extension uses the muscles much more intensely, but requires special sports training and inhuman stretching. Therefore, consider the option of lying hip extension.

What muscles does it use?

Absolutely the same groups as working in a simulator or crossover.

How to do it?

Option 1. Classic.

1. Lie on the floor on your stomach.
2. Slowly pull your leg up.
3. Fix it at peak voltage for 3-4 seconds.
4. Lower your leg.
5. Carry out the same operation with the second one.

Option 2. Basic basket.

Yes, many have been familiar with this exercise since childhood. It was not for nothing that it was included in basic complex exercises for elementary schoolchildren. Its most important difference is that it:

• Allows you to adjust the load using your hand grip strength.
• Allows for static loading.
• Shifts the focus to the lower back muscles.

At the same time, if you do it incorrectly, then in fact the result is not hip flexion, but extension. Therefore, carefully monitor the technique and features of execution.

1. Lie on the floor on your stomach.
2. Extend your legs, making a constant angle in your toes.
3. Slowly pull your leg up.
4. Bend your leg at the knee.
5. Reach it to your hands.
6. He will grab his leg with his hands.
7. The arms should be as relaxed as possible, the main load should be carried out by bending the body and holding the hips in correct position.
8. Shift the focus to your hands (grab tightly and pull your legs towards you).
9. Carry out a compensatory movement, trying to straighten your legs despite the movement of your arms.
10. Relax the muscles of your legs and arms.

The machine leg kickback or hip extension is a great exercise to work on gluteal muscles without using the quadriceps. It is more often performed by girls, since most ladies are not interested in increasing the volume of their legs. Men usually work on bottom body with basic exercises, but can use leg abductions or machine swings to improve muscle quality.

Working muscles

As already mentioned, moving the leg back maximizes the impact on the buttocks, while removing the stress from the quadriceps.

• The gluteus maximus muscles are targeted, and the hamstrings are additionally included.
• Some exercise machines allow you to fix the position of your body by resting your stomach and chest on a special shelf. With this option, the load is maximally isolated. If you simply hold onto a support, standing on one leg, and swing with the other leg, the stabilizer muscles come into play.
• The working leg in the simulator follows a clearly defined trajectory. Some people like it, but for others, on the contrary, it may cause inconvenience.

The target muscles are the gluteus maximus.

Exercise technique

Pulling your leg back can be done in a crossover - in this case, you pull the cable of the lower block with your foot, and place your hands on the support. But hip extension in a crossover is described in a separate article, so here we will look at the mechanics of performing the exercise on other machines.

There are machines where you rest the back of your shin against a special roller and move your leg back, overcoming resistance. There are also machines where you push a platform or roller directly with your foot. The target muscle groups in both cases are the same, it’s just that the emphasis of the load shifts.

The position of the body during abduction may also differ. Starting from completely vertical position and ending with a lying position on your stomach or resting on your elbows. The amplitude of movement in the body depends on the tilt of the body. hip joint. The closer the body position is to the horizontal, the greater this amplitude (the swings of the legs are wider) and, accordingly, the exercise is more effective.

Hip extension is done as follows:

• Accept initial position. Stand on your supporting leg, fixing your body and arms in the desired position. Depending on the machine, you will either stand upright, holding the supports with your hands, or lie on your stomach on a special shelf. There remains a natural arch in the lower back (there is no need to arch your back too much). Bend your working leg slightly at the knee joint.
• Next, you need to move your working leg back solely through the force of the gluteal muscles. This is very important point, which you should concentrate on.
• If you push the slab back, press it with your heel without lifting your toes. If you push the roller with the back of your shin, contract your foot, meaning your foot moves backward with your heel.
• The leg remains slightly bent at the knee, only at the final point can you straighten it to take the weight even further.
• Hold at the top for 1-2 seconds and return to the starting position.

Also, backward leg swings can be performed without special equipment. In particular, you can stand with your supporting knee on a horizontal bench (it is available in any gym), placing your hands in front of you. The working leg should be lowered from the bench and bent at the knee to comfortable position. The technique of performing the exercise remains the same. To increase the load, you can use weights.


An option for performing abductions on a bench is emphasis on the arms and knee.

Features of application

A few words should also be said about the use of this exercise in training programs.

The weight should be one with which you can correctly do 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions on each side. When performing hip extensions or swings in the machine, it is important to remember that in this exercise technique and the number of repetitions are of greater importance. The working weight should be such that you can completely control it. IN otherwise all your efforts can be ruined.

Girls can use leg abduction as the main exercise if there is no goal to pump up the quadriceps, or if the level physical training still low.

If you have some physical training and comprehensive training of the muscles of the lower body, the exercise is best done at the end of the workout. This will allow you to “finish off” the gluteus maximus muscles after performing basic exercises.

Exercises → Legs→ Posterior thigh

Core muscles - semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris Additional - gastrocnemius Difficulty of execution- light

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions 15 - 20 kg. 2 - 3 approaches. For women: 10 - 15 reps 10 - 15 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.

Description of the exercise

Main features

1. You need to lie down so that your knees do not rest against the stand, but hang down a little. It's safer for them this way.

2. We install the roller so that it rests on the ankle, closer to the heel. The longer the lever, the better.

3. It is advisable to bend your legs all the way. So that the roller touches the buttocks. You can extend it either to the end or by leaving a small angle in the knee.

4. If at the top phase of the movement you lift your knees slightly from the back, you will slightly increase the effectiveness of the exercise. This way the buttocks will be involved in the work, and the back surface of the thigh will contract more strongly.

5. This exercise is not basic. Therefore, do it after deadlifts, bent overs, or hyperextensions. To “finish off” the back of the thigh.

6. Alternatively, you can do this exercise with one leg at a time. This will allow you to better focus on one leg.

Hip extension in crossover from the lower block

Exercises → Buttocks

Core muscles - gluteus maximus Additional - posterior thigh Difficulty of execution- average

Hip extension in crossover from the lower block

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions (each leg) 10 - 20 kg. 2 - 3 approaches. For women:

Description of the exercise

The exercise is best performed while bending over. This will allow you to stretch your buttocks more and increase the range of motion. This means it will increase the efficiency of the exercise. Don't hit your leg in the knee.

Main features

1. I recommend leaning forward when performing this exercise. Moreover, the lower, the better. It can even be almost parallel to the floor. After all, the more you bend, the more the buttock and the lower point of the movement will stretch and the greater the amplitude. That is, the efficiency of the exercise will increase.

2. The leg should be slightly bent at the knee. At the bottom you can bend it a little more, and at the top point you can either straighten it completely or leave it slightly bent. A slightly bent leg at the bottom will allow you to stretch your butt even further.

3. For convenience, you can stand with your supporting foot on a small stand. Let's say you can put a disk from a barbell.

4. When bending, your back should be arched at the lower back.

5. Set the weight so that you can do 10–12 repetitions.

6. At the top point, try to pause for a second.

7. Make sure that the swing is strictly back and the leg does not move to the side.

Hip extension in the simulator

Exercises → Buttocks

Core muscles - gluteus maximus Additional - posterior thigh Difficulty of execution- average

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions (each leg) 10 - 15 kg. 2 - 3 approaches. For women: 10 - 15 repetitions (each leg) 5 - 10 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.

Or scientifically, hip extension is performed by contracting the muscles of the buttocks and the back of the thigh. Swings in a crossover allow you to work out as efficiently as possible gluteal region, choosing a weight appropriate to your level of training.

Muscles involved

Some of the benefits of performing backswings in a crossover include the following:

• The exercise is aimed at working the gluteus maximus muscles. Additionally, the muscles of the back of the thigh are involved.
• The crossover does not fix the trajectory of the leg movement and the position of the body, so in addition to the target muscles, stabilizer muscles work.
• You can adjust the level of load on the gluteal muscles not only by changing the weight in the simulator, but by changing the position of the body, bending/extending the working leg.

The main load when performing the exercise falls on the buttocks.

This exercise is isolated, ideally, movement occurs only in the hip joint.

Leg kicks can be performed as an alternative to squats for knee injuries because knee joints it does not involve or involves minimally (when bending the working leg).

The hip abduction is a fairly simple exercise that even beginners can do.

Execution technique

Backward leg swings in a crossover can be performed while standing or with emphasis on your hands and knees. Let's first consider the first, most popular option:

• Stand facing the support of the block machine.
• Attach a cuff to the cable of the lower block, which will allow you to secure the cable to your foot or ankle. Place your leg through the cuff.
• Comfortably grasp the support of the simulator with your hands and secure the body. The pelvis should be strictly above the foot supporting leg.
• Bend your working leg slightly and swing back. Remember that the gluteal muscles are able to move the straight leg back 10-15 degrees from the vertical line. Then the back muscles come into play. Therefore, if you keep your body straight, do not move your leg too far and do not bend.
• Do not turn your hip outward; the movement is performed strictly backward.
• At the top of the movement, pause briefly and lower your leg to the starting position.

If you keep your body straight, you don’t need to move your leg far.

Due to this, you can adjust the amplitude of the swings. Accordingly, the lower you bend, the greater the amplitude of leg movement will be. Accordingly, the gluteal muscle will stretch more and work more efficiently. Do not forget to control your back - a natural arch in the lower back is allowed, but nothing more. There is no need to arch your back.

Tilt of the body allows you to increase the amplitude of movement.

If you place a small support under your supporting leg, for example, a weight plate, you will be able to swing with a relatively straight leg, practically without bending it at the knee.

Hip extension from a position on hands and knees looks like this:

• Secure the end of the cable to the foot of your working leg using a cuff or any handle that is comfortable for you.
• Facing the support of the machine, lower yourself into a squat and move to a standing position on all fours with a straight back and emphasis on your palms and knees. You can stand on the floor, placing a towel or mat folded several times under the knee of your supporting leg, or use a horizontal bench. This is the starting position.
• Extend your working leg and lift your heel up. Hold for a second, concentrating on tightening your glutes.
• Return to the starting position.

Variation of the exercise using horizontal bench.

Incorporating exercise into the training process

The legs should be pulled back at the end complex training on the thighs and buttocks. It is well suited for finishing off the gluteal muscles.

Choose light or medium weight. You should be able to do 2-3 sets on each leg for 12-15 repetitions.

Combine back kicks with glute medius exercises for maximum benefit. In particular, the gluteus medius involves lateral hip abduction, which you can do at the same time, which is called “without leaving the cash register.”