The #1 Exercise You Aren’t Doing For Your Squat and Deadlift

Introduction

I’m not one to judge often, but perform this exercise at your own risk – you will get stares. This exercise was based on me trying to find an opposing movement pattern to the exercises I like to do often, Squats and Deadlifts. Basically it effectively helps me balance all the “UP” work I do, with some “Down” work.

What I mean is that Squats and Deadlifts are effectively a “Pushing” movement with your legs. You push your body away from the ground with heavy ass weights, that’s about it.

On the other hand, this exercise is based on “Pulling” your body down with your legs and torso. Those that squat and deadlift, do plenty of variety work still involving squatting and deadlifting, but not really any movements completely opposite of the squat and deadlift, till now.

Getting into the nitty gritty

To better understand how I came up with this exercise let’s talk about the primary motions of the squat/deadlift.

Going Up These Are the Motions that Push the Weight:

Ankle Plantar Flexion

Knee Extension

Hip Extension

Lumbar Extension

 

Going Down These Are the Motions That Stop the Weight:

Ankle Dorsi Flexion

Knee Flexion

Hip Flexion

Lumbar Flexion

These primary motions give us a working template of where to go from there – and how to better find ways to balance out our body.

Here’s How

We then take these primary motions, and reverse them. In general, the best contraspecific exercises are almost an extra mirror of your wants.

Ie: Going back to the squat, the contra-specific movement will look almost exactly like a squat, but instead of you feeling the weight as you stand up, you feel the weight as you go down.

So this is how it’ll look.

1.) The Cable Reverse Squat

This is one kick ass move that feels like you are a bungee rope. Too bad you don’t get the frill’s of actually jumping down a 100ft cliff, but hey it boosts your squat and deadlift, so at least it has some benefits.

The way I do this move is based on using an Ironmind belt wrapped around my body and using my torso and legs to pull my body down – thus working more of the abdominals and hammies at the same time – a double whammy if I say so myself.

You can also hold onto the cables if you don’t have an Ironmind belt, but again it’s just something I prefer.

Free Motion Machines and Bands are the best ways to do this; as free weights, since they work against gravity, will always work more “Pushing” for your legs, unless you are upside down. I hate being upside down and I’m only a buck forty one, I’m sure if you weighed a lot more than I do – you’d hate it quite a bit more .

Try this one out, it sure it a doozy in a new way. You can choose to go all the way up, but I preferred to work a specific Range of Motion during that training session. I do prefer to use the Cable Free Motion machine because

To Getting Stronger,

Darryl

Incoming search terms:

• reverse squats
• opposite of a squat
• opposite of squat
• opposite of deadlift
• opposite exercise of squats
• girl doing squats
• squat opposite movement
• opposite of squat exercise
• what exercise is the opposite of deadlifts
• what exercise works opposite squats?

Tags: Easier Strength Training, Gym Movement, PREveryday