Front Foot Elevated Split Squat – Dumbbell

The front foot elevated split squat is a combination of strength and mobility. By lunging deep you will build ankle mobility and knee strength as well as lengthen the hip flexors of the trailing leg. The addition of dumbbells adds weight to pull you into a deeper and more intense stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Cues:

Use dumbbells that allow you to move with the same quality as the unloaded version of this movement
Lunge until the hamstring covers the calf and squeeze into this position actively at the bottom of each rep
Keep the back knee off the floor in the bottom
It can help to drive the heel backwards to encourage straightening of the trailing knee in the deepest portions of the lunge
Maintain a perfectly upright torso
Straighten the front knee at the top and keep the back knee bent

Mistakes:

Using a weight that makes you unable to perform ALL of the positive cues associated with this movement
Leaning forward or shifting the hips to stand
Resting the back knee on the ground
Straightening the back leg at the top

Cues:

Keep the elbows level with your shoulders and rotate the hands down and back up with control
The elbows should stay directly to the sides of the shoulders
Maintain strong retraction and rotate the hands as low as possible without causing the shoulders to translate forward