Straddle Leg Lifts

All-Levels
Written By Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Flexopedia > Hamstrings & Adductors

Straddle Leg Lifts

Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings, Adductors

Muscle Group Strengthened: Hip Flexors, Quads

Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic

Difficulty: All Levels

Suggested Prerequisites: none

This is a great exercise for hamstring flexibility that focuses on working on the “helper” muscles of our quads and hip flexors. By doing this exercise in a straddle, we strengthen these muscles in the same hip position we use for our straddle pancake, preparing us for a deeper (and stronger!) forward fold.

How To

Step 1

Start in a comfortable seated straddle - something where you’re not feeling a huge stretch in your inner thighs, and can easily sit up with a flat back. That might mean modifying your straddle by:

  • slightly bending your knees

  • sitting on a yoga block or two (or a chair)

  • narrowing your straddle

Step 2

Rotate your torso to face onr of your legs. Keeping a flat back, brace your hands on the floor: planting hands behind you and leaning back slightly (easier) or placing hands on the floor in front of your hips, framing your leg in a slight forward fold (harder). I suggest starting with the hands-behind version, and then you can bring them in front if the drill is too easy.

Step 3

Keeping your back flat (don’t let it round/slouch), lift the straight leg off the floor, keeping the leg as straight as you can as you lift. It should be challenging to lift, so hard you can barely lift it an inch or two off the floor. If you can’t lift the leg, lean back more. If you can lift the leg more than a couple of inches, lean forwards more

Repeat for 8-12 reps, then switch sides.

OPTIONAL bonus challenge: face your torso forwards and lift both legs at the same time!

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Lean back more. The more you lean back, the easier it is to lift the leg off the ground

Want to make it harder?

Start in a wider straddle.

Lean forwards more. The more you lean forwards, the more challenging it will be to lift the leg off the floor.

 
 
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
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