Active Lunge Rocks with a Block

Intermediate
Written By Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Flexopedia > Quads & Hip Flexors

Active Lunge Rocks with a Block

Muscle Group Stretched: Quads, Hip Flexors

Muscle Group Strengthened: Hamstrings

Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic

Difficulty: Intermediate

Suggested Prerequisites: Can pull your foot close to your butt in a lunge with no knee discomfort

This is very much a “feel the burn” (in a productive / good way!) type drill. By adding a block squeeze, we encourage our hamstrings to engage and hip flexors and quads to relax while we rock our hips forwards and backwards in our lunge. I like to pair this drill with lunge rocks with a band as a compliment to hit the muscles on the other side of the joint as well.

How To

Step 1

Start in a kneeling lunge with your hips square, and torso lifted. Kick your back foot toward your butt and squeeze a yoga block (the long way) between your heel/ankle and butt. (If that placement feels awkward you can try squeezing the block between your lower calf and upper thigh - really we just want to be able to consistently kick the back leg into the block to keep it smooshed into our upper leg). This should feel like a solid contraction in our hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh).

Step 2

Keeping your torso lifted, keeping the back leg squishing the block into your butt, rock your hips forwards and backwards. You should be feeling a stretch in both your hip flexors (front of the back leg hip) and quads (front of the back leg thigh).

Continue rocking your hips for 10-30 seconds.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Lose the block. Just actively squeeze your heel towards your butt the whole time as much as you can (but no using your hands!)

Want to make it harder?

Rotate the block to a narrower width. This will keep your heel closer to your butt, increasing the quad stretch.

 
 
Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Dani is a Minneapolis-based flexibility coach and professional contortionist who loves sharing her enthusiasm for flexibility training with the world.

https://www.daniwinksflexibility.com
Previous

Active Lunge Rocks with a Band
Next

Quad-Focused Lunge Rocks