Wide squats instead as a hip extension exercise?

[BeginnerGainz]

So my wife is my training partner, but she is dramatically short of patience, so trying to learn something especially in a public place is frustrating as she gives up easily.

Currently we do similar lifts as it’s easier to gauge her progress and it makes her more comfortable working out in public.

So after our goblet squats, I had her try the hammer strength lunge machine to do RDLs. No go. So I tried it with the short 30 lbs barbell. She kept trying to row it (bless her heart). The cue of only using the arms to keep the bar in contact with her legs just wasn’t clicking.

So anyway, she really likes sumo squats with a dumbbell held between her legs. We did these for a while almost a year ago. Toes out, really wide stance, back straight. Would these be a suitable replacement for RDLs? I’ve noticed a intense stretch for the hamstrings similar to RDLs. The only other thing she was ok with was band good mornings but obviously those won’t work long term.

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read and respond.

[Junsuiakai]

Sure why not but also the best cue for rdl is sit back as much as possible while slowly lowering barbell over legs.

[WolfRose7]

banded good mornings would be fine long term, they are great.
Good mornings in general were my first thought, a band assisted nordic curl might do as well.

How is she with conventional deadlifts?

[BeginnerGainz]

banded good mornings would be fine long term, they are great.
Good mornings in general were my first thought, a band assisted nordic curl might do as well.

How is she with conventional deadlifts?

She is barely 5’ y’all with short legs and arms. So conventional was a challenge. We used the trap bar for a while and she was pretty good with that.

Currently we are doing 2 warm up sets of 10-12 and a work set of 8-10 on goblet squats. Then I was thinking a rep goal of band good mornings (band around back of the neck) maybe 30-40 reps total) or the wide stance squats.

I plan on keeping leg curls in our program as well. Probably gonna add another quad dominant exercise as well.

[WolfRose7]

She is barely 5’ y’all with short legs and arms. So conventional was a challenge. We used the trap bar for a while and she was pretty good with that.

Currently we are doing 2 warm up sets of 10-12 and a work set of 8-10 on goblet squats. Then I was thinking a rep goal of band good mornings (band around back of the neck) maybe 30-40 reps total) or the wide stance squats.

I plan on keeping leg curls in our program as well. Probably gonna add another quad dominant exercise as well.

honestly I would keep the wide squats and the band good mornings and just play with sets and exertion if fatigue balance needs tweaking down or up.

[BeginnerGainz]

honestly I would keep the wide squats and the band good mornings and just play with sets and exertion if fatigue balance needs tweaking down or up.

Thanks for the feedback

I was thinking this
-goblet squats
2 warm up sets, 1 work set
-wide sumo squats
2 warm up sets, 1 work set
-single leg press
2 sets of 15
-band good mornings
30 reps total
-standing calf raises paused
-2 sets of 12

[WolfRose7]

Thanks for the feedback

I was thinking this
-goblet squats
2 warm up sets, 1 work set
-wide sumo squats
2 warm up sets, 1 work set
-single leg press
2 sets of 15
-band good mornings
30 reps total
-standing calf raises paused
-2 sets of 12

Looks pretty reasonable.

[BeginnerGainz]

Sure why not but also the best cue for rdl is sit back as much as possible while slowly lowering barbell over legs.

The cue using the arms to only keep the bar against the legs just doesn’t click with her. She wants to row the bar instinctively.

[BeginnerGainz]

Looks pretty reasonable.

Thank you sir

[Junsuiakai]

The cue using the arms to only keep the bar against the legs just doesn’t click with her. She wants to row the bar instinctively.

Put her arms in casts lol

[BeginnerGainz]

Put her arms in casts lol

I tried holding her elbows from behind and walking her through it, still a no go lol

[Camarija]

Hip extension really only clicked with me after watching Brett Contreras explain some of the concepts in his exercise tutorial videos.

Maybe it would help if your wife watched something like this?



Alternatively, full range of motion glute bridges, full ROM hip thrusts, and even 45 Back Extensions can all work well in the role of a hip extension exercise. Form on those exercises may be easier to activate hip extension if Romanian deadlifts are still an issue.





Cheers and good luck mate!


**EDIT**

Put her arms in casts lol

LMFAO

[BeginnerGainz]

Hip extension really only clicked with me after watching Brett Contreras explain some of the concepts in his exercise tutorial videos.

Maybe it would help if your wife watched something like this?



Alternatively, full range of motion glute bridges, full ROM hip thrusts, and even 45 Back Extensions can all work well in the role of a hip extension exercise. Form on those exercises may be easier to activate hip extension if Romanian deadlifts are still an issue.





Cheers and good luck mate!


**EDIT**




LMFAO

The fact she has over 30 lbs sitting on her chest (double Gs) is a factor. With back extensions, she had a tendency to hyperextend her lower back just to get her chest up. So I thought a more controlled exercise to be in order.

We do a calisthenics/band upper/lower in the week because we can’t get to the gym, so she does glute bridges for reps along with deep squats, both of which are done for a rep goal.

I’ve also showed her a million vids on RDLs, and no luck. With the band good mornings she is better, but I still have to sort of keep her knees in place, just as a reminder to her that it is not a knee bend exercise. But, she IS improving in the form department and I hope to graduate her to other exercises at some point.

[Garage Rat]

You need to teach her to hinge the hips.
Stand about a foot away with your back towards a wall,break at the hips and try to reach your butt back to touch the wall behind you.
You may and probably should have a slight knee bend also.
Keep the spine straight without any bend.
Arms may come out straight in front for this drill like superman.
Once the butt touches move a few more inches forward.
Break at the hips first and let the knees follow.
You can use this movement with a kettle bell sumo DL a dumbbell will work but i like a KB because of the handle.
Once she gets hinging all movements with a hinge will be easier to understand.
Good luck.

[Heisman2]

I bring this up in all of these threads, but I've never found an exercise to hit my glutes nearly as hard as bulgarian split squats with my front leg far in front of me (so much so that when standing up my front leg is slightly bent) and bending froward while doing it. Completely fries my glutes and if I haven't done them in awhile I feel it tremendously the next day with any type of hip extension. If she hasn't tried these I'd consider them. I can make a quick video demonstrating if needed.

[MyEgoProblem]

I agree with wolf, if you need an easy hinge, banded (or sandbag) good mornings seem to be the best option outside of learning to actually coach/cue her properly to do other stuff.

But good luck with coaching your SO. ������ Without professional detachment, it often ends up a **** show with emotions bleeding over. And a lot of short temper situations and rage quitting..

Now the other point to cover, does she even NEED a hip hinge? If she wide goblet squats to any decent depth that will cover the quad, ass, adductors and give the bonus of some axial loading (and trunk benefits of the anterior loading too) . It may be more than enough for her to just smash out a lot of hamstring curls or booty thot cable kickbacks in all honesty, providing you work her upto some comparatively heavy weights.

A lot depends on goals too really.. Health benefits et all.. Totally covered. Booty building. Covered.
Specific sports adaptations, likely all gonna be subpar until she learns the more appropriate lifts

[BeginnerGainz]

I agree with wolf, if you need an easy hinge, banded (or sandbag) good mornings seem to be the best option outside of learning to actually coach/cue her properly to do other stuff.

She does well with band good mornings, with the band under her feet and draped around her neck. I told her it’s ok if you can’t go really low yet, it will come in time.

But good luck with coaching your SO. ������ Without professional detachment, it often ends up a **** show with emotions bleeding over. And a lot of short temper situations and rage quitting..

Preaching to the choir lmao

Now the other point to cover, does she even NEED a hip hinge? If she wide goblet squats to any decent depth that will cover the quad, ass, adductors and give the bonus of some axial loading (and trunk benefits of the anterior loading too) . It may be more than enough for her to just smash out a lot of hamstring curls or booty thot cable kickbacks in all honesty, providing you work her upto some comparatively heavy weights.

Originally that was the plan, squats, then leg curls. But I felt it would be better to add some volume and similar secondary movements in there. Otherwise she feels like she is wasting her time and she CAN handle the volume, judging by how much muscle she has gained while losing BF and inches off her waist.

But on gym days, as stated will be:
Goblet squats
2 warm up sets 8-10, 1 work set 6-8
Wide sumo squats
1 warm set 8-10, 1 work set 6-8
Single leg presses
1 warm up set 10-12, 1 work set 8-10
Band good mornings
30 total reps
Standing calf raises
1warm up set 10-12, 1 work set 8-10

On our at home workouts it will be:
Deep squats 30-40 total reps
Glute bridges 30-40 reps
Peterson step ups 20 reps per leg
Band leg curls 30 total reps

(Band leg curls will be eventually replaced by Nordic curls but I have to build her up to those)

A lot depends on goals too really.. Health benefits et all.. Totally covered. Booty building. Covered.
Specific sports adaptations, likely all gonna be subpar until she learns the more appropriate lifts

Health, weight loss, muscle building.

She has come a long way in less that a year total training, and her schedule has been spotty to say the least between virtual learning and going to college herself and her hospital externship.

I bring this up in all of these threads, but I've never found an exercise to hit my glutes nearly as hard as bulgarian split squats with my front leg far in front of me (so much so that when standing up my front leg is slightly bent) and bending froward while doing it. Completely fries my glutes and if I haven't done them in awhile I feel it tremendously the next day with any type of hip extension. If she hasn't tried these I'd consider them. I can make a quick video demonstrating if needed.

I’ll have to give them a try, her balance needs work lol. Step ups seem to hit her glutes hard, she says they make her ass sore so that is a good sign lol

Hence why I added Peterson step ups, which are deceptively hard.

You need to teach her to hinge the hips.
Stand about a foot away with your back towards a wall,break at the hips and try to reach your butt back to touch the wall behind you.
You may and probably should have a slight knee bend also.
Keep the spine straight without any bend.
Arms may come out straight in front for this drill like superman.
Once the butt touches move a few more inches forward.
Break at the hips first and let the knees follow.
You can use this movement with a kettle bell sumo DL a dumbbell will work but i like a KB because of the handle.
Once she gets hinging all movements with a hinge will be easier to understand.
Good luck.

As stated above, using the band for good mornings has been incredibly helpful.

And the wide stance squats I mentioned (which are easier with a kettlebell except my gym doesn’t have many heavy ones, but our dumbbells go up to 150) ARE basically sumo deadlifts except they start at the top and don’t touch the ground between reps. I’ll probably have a short bench behind her as well to give her the goal of “sitting back” onto the bench. That helped a lot when I was teaching her to squat regularly.

[MyEgoProblem]

Sounds good man.

Honestly, and won't need to go super deep on the band gm's anyway to get almost maximum benefit!

Taken my mrs from lazy to UK national level powerlifter xD there have been my little falling outs along the way.. Who knew that would happen..? Hah

[BeginnerGainz]

Did our gym lower workout today

3 sets of goblet squats
3 sets of wide sumo dB squats to a box for her and a low bench for me, to break up the eccentric and concentric and use the hips
2 sets of high rep leg extensions
2 sets of moderate rep seated leg curls
2 sets of moderate rep paused standing calf raises

Wife says to me when we are done:

“My ass hurts”

Mission accomplished I’d say

[NomadNA]

If you want to keep it simple: Wide elastic band around the knees during squats is supposed to help with glute activation. Not sure if it might make sumo squats harder.

Girls seem way more comfortable than guys with hip thrusts (rest dumbbell on hips), one legged hip thrusts, and cable kickbacks. I do these anyways because I'm awesome. High step ups with dumbbells as well.

I thought good mornings were more lower back focused, but I defer.