Why are S&C Coaches so in love with this Movement?

[wes]

Oh, and what do you call a dog that can do magic tricks?

A Labracadabrador

Good one !! 

[Hulkotron]

my latest annoying as fuck thing is the slam ball or medicine ball bounce shit....  then strut around like you just killed a bear with your hands...  damn...

Haha yes, complement it afterwards with some shadow-boxing and triceps shoots with 13" arms in the mirror

[ThisisOverload]

Everything old is new again after a few decades in the strength world. They'll fall out of love with it again in a few months, and search the books for another old decent exercise to promote.

These go back to a guy named Angel Spassov. Spassov was a Bulgarian strength coach that came over in 80's, and got in with Joe Weider for a while. His big thing was the combination of split squats and heavy step ups. To help popularize his program, he and Terry Todd wrote some stories on Bulgarian and Russian training where Spassov insinuated that they were moving away from squats to more single leg training. He never outright said they were dropping back squats, front squats, etc...., but he gave you enough to get you thinking in that direction.

Fast fwd a few years, and more Eastern Bloc coaches and lifters are coming over and being asked about this, and the answers ranged from "Nope, we don't know what this is" to "Yeah, we do stuff like that when we're burnt out or as a secondary exercise."

The Bulgarian thing fizzled out back then, and Spassov went on to be a pretty wanted coach in the States -

http://www.overspeedtraining.com/spassov.html .


For what it's worth, the original Spassov Bulgarian Squat only had your back leg a little off the floor like in the below picture -

.

This is correct.

It's just a new version of something old in order to look like you are on the cutting edge of training methodology.

We did these when i played baseball in high school.

They do help with balance quite a bit to be honest.

Try them and tell me you don't almost fall over the first few reps.

[ProudVirgin69]

I like em, I get a good pump from them. Couple sets of high reps after squats works for me.  I like them more than lunges because you're in a fixed position so you can just focus on the contraction and not worry about balance or form as much. 

I don't think there's anything special about this exercise but it's good to include some type of single leg movement to your programming.  I don't think that's controversial.

[Spike]

not loading the axial skeleton


it used to be bread and butter but it’s not necessary for every athlete, recent studies suggest

[Bevo]

not loading the axial skeleton


it used to be bread and butter but it’s not necessary for every athlete, recent studies suggest

Wtf?? You still post?

[Thin Lizzy]

This is correct.

It's just a new version of something old in order to look like you are on the cutting edge of training methodology.

We did these when i played baseball in high school.

They do help with balance quite a bit to be honest.

Try them and tell me you don't almost fall over the first few reps.

This speaks to Hulkotron’s post. If you’re always worried about falling over it’s compromising your ability to establish a mind muscle link with the muscles that you’re trying to use to move the load.

If you want to work on balance just stand on one leg for a while and then stand on the other one.

[Body-Buildah]

Face Pulls are my prime mass building movement for Pects

LOL

[Humble Narcissist]

Strength coaches just follow the leader.  Not very many thinkers in that occupation.

[Spike]

Wtf?? You still post?

i’m in vegas now


figured i’d get back in the mix on a limited basis

[Van_Bilderass]

I think it's a very good quad and glute exercise. I don't do them alot but I will start. Can you really make the argument that something like regular squats is obviously better? You can go pretty hard on these, fire up that ass. Romanian deads, split squat, leg press might be a good combo for hitting quads, hams and glutes optimally.

[Thin Lizzy]

Any exercise that has you bending and extending at the knees is gonna work the quads.  I just don’t see anything particularly special about this one, yet strength and conditioning coaches act as though it’s essential for athletic performance.

[Grape Ape]

I think it's a very good quad and glute exercise. I don't do them alot but I will start. Can you really make the argument that something like regular squats is obviously better? You can go pretty hard on these, fire up that ass. Romanian deads, split squat, leg press might be a good combo for hitting quads, hams and glutes optimally.

They are great.

Difficult for sure, but have helped me a lot.

My right side is traditionally weaker than my left, and doing these requires real focus.

[Kwon]

[ThisisOverload]

Excellent!

But she didn't build that ass and legs with split squats.

That's some God given prime booty right there.

Would love to have her squat on my face.

[Thin Lizzy]

Excellent!

But she didn't build that ass and legs with split squats.

That's some God given prime booty right there.

Would love to have her squat on my face.

Yeah, I was tired of the host after about 30 seconds but I watched the whole thing for the big assed woman.😂

I don’t really think it’s much of a Glute exercise either. You’re not getting the full extension that you would get with say a kickback movement.

Squats are better as well as you can follow through at the top to get the glutes more involved.

[Coach is Back!]

So the question was “why do S&C coaches love this exercise”?

 while it doesn’t have to be this one specifically, it’s still a great unilateral variation that serves several purposes. The main being correcting any asymmetries in the hips, knees (valgus), hip mobility, posterior chain, ankle strength/stability. In addition, athletes don’t run two legs at a time, they (or anyone) run one leg at a time. Put all of that together and it reduces the risk on injuries and helps to increase speed especially first step get offs and deceleration

[Coach is Back!]

This was another one of our variations


https://www.instagram.com/p/BeGkXl6BUEB/?utm_medium=copy_link

[Thin Lizzy]

So the question was “why do S&C coaches love this exercise”?

 while it doesn’t have to be this one specifically, it’s still a great unilateral variation that serves several purposes. The main being correcting any asymmetries in the hips, knees (valgus), hip mobility, posterior chain, ankle strength/stability. In addition, athletes don’t run two legs at a time, they (or anyone) run one leg at a time. Put all of that together and it reduces the risk on injuries and helps to increase speed especially first step get offs and deceleration

So why would this be better than walking lunges which more closely mimic the running movement vis a vis hip extension?

[Bevo]

It’s like when I read the comments about Jay cutler and his training style

“Jays a master at mind muscle connection, it takes years to decades to master” 

These days people just make up so much useless BS, just lift and put the weight down

[Coach is Back!]

So why would this be better than walking lunges which more closely mimic the running movement vis a vis hip extension?

Personally, (off season) I would use walking lunges as a progression going into a phase two coming out of one after a reassessment of an asymmetry, injury, etc. as far as hip lifts, single leg is a staple in my program simply for activation