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esides the various death threats resulting from yesterday's squat post there were actually some valid questions and comments at least from those who were in their right minds. Several of those questions were in regards to variations or cues that could be used to help incorporate proper hip hinge mechanics in order to produce a correct 90 degree/parallel squat motion. Although there are a number of various pointers and teaching cues I use, the basic landmine squat with the eccentric isometric protocol is one of the most simple yet effective variations for teaching sound squatting mechanics. And yes this represents more or less the same mechanics and depth that should be used on other squat variations (minus some subtle differences).

Here’s one of my awesome clients Graham Chrietzberg showing how it’s done. The eccentric isometric protocol is also one of the most critical factors when it comes to reinforcing proper mechanics as the slow and emphasized eccentric optimizes proprioceptive feedback thereby allowing the lifter to hone in other optimal position. Hoping to have my eccentric isometric book out in several months so stay tuned for that.

On a side note, notice how I have Graham switch his hand placement half way through the set. When performing the land-mine squat, one hand will typically have to go in front of the other. To ensure equal activation and symmetrical recruitment on both sides I recommend alternating hands either at mid set or every other set.

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Here's one of my NFL athletes Jake Banta performing a unique version of the single leg swap with a land-mine or t-bar apparatus. This variation is particular difficult as the land-mine station produces greater rotational forces making even more difficult on the lifter as they're forced to resist these forces particularly throughout the feet, ankles, hips, and core. If you suffer from pronation, supination, flat feet, fallen arches, poor toe splay, and general weakness in the feet and ankles this is a must.

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Want to add a unique rotational offset component to your ab rollouts? Try performing them on a landmine station as demonstrated by my awesome client Charlene Harrison. Not only do these crush your rectus abdominals and transverse abs but you’ll feel your obliques and other smaller stabilizers in the lumbopelvic hip complex getting targeted due to the anti-rotation and anti-lateral flexion components.

In addition, you’ll need to perform equal sets on both sides of the landmine. That’s because the offset rotational position emphasizes one side of the core and upper body more so than just a traditional rollout. As a result the landmine rollout doesn’t just tax each side of the core and abdominals but it helps expose and eliminate a number of imbalances and asymmetries that might exist. Whether you’re trying to build your six pack, improve your core strength, or simply eliminate low back pain, this is an incredibly effective movement that should be periodically employed in your training routine.

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Here's a great exercise for grip strength while also working postural muscles of your posterior chain.

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Stability ball pushups are a somewhat underrated exercise in terms of their effectiveness for targeting the core, chest, and triceps. The instability provided from the swiss ball forces the lifter to stay tight and contract all of their prime movers as well as stabilizers.

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Here's a great movement preparation drill that not only grooves the proper hip hinge pattern but emphasizes core stability as the single arm loading forces the lifter to resist rotational forces and lateral flexion. This is a great drill to perform as a warmup or as a high rep finisher.

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I’m going to highlight a quick and incredibly effective method for cleaning up your lunge and split squat mechanics literally within seconds. Here are two of my NFL athletes Jarius Wynn and Jake Banta performing an anti-sliding goblet lunge on the slide-board. There are 5 reasons why this anti-sliding lunge is so effective. There are 5 reasons why this anti-sliding lunge is so effective.

1. It forces the lifter to maintain a forward torso lean rather than an upright position (a very common lunge mistake). Anything less during this specific variation and your back foot will start to slide backward and out of control on the slide board. This forces the lifter to lean onto the front hip and lean over slightly which is ideal as the force vector produced from your back leg is perfectly vertical into the ground (rather than horizontal which causes it to slide). Most people think a lunge or split squat is an upright movement with the torso perpendicular (or close to perpendicular) to the ground throughout. However this represents flawed mechanics. Maintaining a forward torso lean onto the heel of the front leg is essential for proper lunge technique. In fact if I had to recommend just one cue for the lunge this may be the most critical as it ensures the hips are pushed back posteriorly and actively engaged throughout the movement.

   Simply put, a proper lunge involves solid hip hinge mechanics. An overly upright torso position places greater stress on the knees and low back while minimizing stress to the glutes and upper thighs. Achieving a hip hinge position necessitates a slight forward lean in the torso similar to the beginning phase of a Romanian deadlift or proper squat. Start the lunge with a solid torso lean and keep that same position throughout. If you have trouble feeling your glutes on lunges or tend to experience knee pain while performing them, you’ll want to emphasize this cue. The beauty of using the slide board is that it begins to immediately correct this.

2. The anti-sliding lunge also helps optimize weight distribution between the front and back leg. Although it will vary slightly from individual to individual as well as from variation to variation, a significant portion of the weight during a lunge will be placed on the front leg. After doing some basic pilot investigation on a force platform I found that the common weight distribution was approximately a “70-75/25-30” split with 70-75% of the weight on the front/plant leg and 25-30% on the rear/support leg. Faulty lunge and hip mechanics will alter these numbers significantly often times placing too little or too much stress on one extremity. However the most common error is placing too much weight on the back leg as a result of staying overly upright. Using the slide-board while trying to resist the sliding effect forces the lifter to use optimal weight distribution with a majority of the weight on the front leg. Simply put, too much weight on the back leg will cause the back foot to slide backward.

3. Performing anti-sliding lunges on a slideboard teaches the lifter to avoid the all-too-common mistake of trying to squeeze the glutes. If you want to work the glutes during the lunge the single worst thing you can do when lunging is to squeeze the glutes. Yes that sounds completely contradictory but it isn’t. Here’s why. As previously mentioned a proper lunge requires strong hip hinge mechanics particularly during the eccentric phase of the movement. In order to tax the glute muscles they must be eccentrically elongated during the negative phase of the movement. That means the hips have to sit back posteriorly rather than allowing them to drift forward.

   Squeezing the glutes during a lunge facilitates an overly-upright body position that eliminates the all important hip hinge. In addition it minimizes the degree of eccentric elongation of the glute muscles. As a result squeezing the glutes during a lunge not only degrades optimal body mechanics and destroys the knees but eliminates the ability to fully tax the posterior chain. You’ll also find yourself sliding backward on the slide board due to faulty force vectors created by dysfunctional positions.

   A proper lunges is one of the single most effective exercises you can do to tax the glutes but it requires the technique adjustments presented in this article. In essence, when performing a lunge, think about sticking your butt out (without letting the chest drop). Just be prepared for extreme muscle soreness in your glutes. On a side note many lifters believe that it’s necessary to squeeze the glutes as they drive up away from the floor on the concentric phase of the lunge. This is unnecessary and oftentimes counterproductive as proper eccentric positioning will result in optimal muscle recruitment on the subsequent concentric phase of the lift. Squeezing the glutes on any portion of the lunge including the concentric phase will pull the body out of it’s ideal alignment.

4. The anti-sliding lunge on the slide board forces the lifter to move in a perfectly vertical motion. When performing a stationary lunge or split squat, the torso should move straight up and down while maintaining a continuous forward lean. Any horizontal displacement of the torso indicates faulty hip mechanics and lack of spinal rigidity. In other words if you were to take a snap shot of the top of a lunge and the bottom, the torso should remain at the same angle (constant forward lean) with the only difference being the movement in the lower extremities. Another way to think of this is once you set your starting position, the hips should move straight up and down not forward or back. This also helps to reinforce optimal balance and stability as your center of mass is positioned ideally relative to the rest of your body. For athletes this can have tremendous transfer to quality of movement on the playing field particularly when it comes acceleration, deceleration, and agility.

5. This variation teaches the lifter to maintain constant tension on the legs by avoiding an overly upright finishing position at the top of the movement. In essence if you become overly upright, the back leg will slide out. One of the most effective cues I use with my athletes on lunges is telling them to only come up ¾’s of the way and pause at the top before the front leg fully straightens. Besides placing constant tension on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings which produces incredible functional strength and hypertrophy, this also reinforces proper forward lean and hip hinge mechanics. That’s because the lifter can simply maintain the same amount of lean without ever having to re-set throughout the entire set. Moving to an overly upright position at the top of the lunge forces the lifter to have to reset their hips each rep not to mention it can place undue stress on the low back due to excessive lumbar extension. Simply put, come up to the highest point on a lunge (during the concentric phase) until it feels like your forward torso lean begins to diminish.

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The Knee Tuck Lat Pulldown is a great way to minimize low back extension during lat pulldowns as it helps ensure maximal core tightness.

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Here's one of my athletes performing the overhead military press with eyes closed. This increases proprioception and enhances feedback from muscle spindles as a means of improving and perfecting movement mechanics and muscle function