By WKRG Staff
Published: Fri, May 04, 2007 - 5:05 am
Traditionally, the squat is known as the best exercise for the glutes. It's that big muscle group known as your behind. There's a catch.
Fabio Comana is an exercise physiologist. "As wonderful of an exercise as it is, sometimes the concern is whether people can actually do the squat correctly and whether there was a risk of injury in performing the squat.
Now a study by the American Council on Exercise reveals four other movements that are easier and just as effective. Comana says, "What they looked at is how those particular muscles were targeted during the squat movement and they used that as a comparison against these other movements."
The first of these is the quadruped his extension. Comana talks about how it works. "You're simply going to extend one of the legs out behind you keeping the knee bent and as you take yourself to that position, you're really isolating into those muscles right there."
Next is the "step up." You can do it with or without holding dumbbells by "simply stepping up onto that riser. Full extension and then stepping back off of it. And that lifting motion or that extending motion, really."
The front lunge is a little more difficult. "I would probably progress towards that exercise," says Comana. "And the other exercise they did they actually looked at why they call a four way hip extension exercise." It requires equipment with a pulley system or you can use ankle weights or resistence bands. Experts say all four exercises improve both form and function.
If you only have time for one of the exercises, the findings suggest the quadruped hip extension is the best.
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