What to look for:

• Whole foot always in contact with the floor
• Stance width around hip width
• Foot/knee/hip alignment
• Neutral spine/tall posture
• Hips travel back
• Unlocked knees (very slight bend)
• Vertical shins
• Finish tall – NOT extended
• Dowel kept in contact with the body
• No rounding of shoulders

Coaching cues:

• “Stay tall, chest up”
• “Push your hips back as far as possible”
• “Find the stretch in your hamstrings”
• “Keep the bar close”
• “Imagine peering over a cliff edge”
• “Bend at the hips”

When to:

• Regress: N/A
• Progress: Once client can comfortably demonstrate this movement for a set of 10-15 reps.

Coaching considerations:

• Slow this movement down/add pauses to help increase movement awareness.
• Video/photos can be useful to show the clients their positioning if they are struggling to find the correct position.
• Range of movement (ROM) will vary depending on client’s hamstring flexibility.