Three Legged Down Dog Banded Leg Extensions

Intermediate
Written By Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Flexopedia > Hamstrings & Hip Flexors

Three Legged Down Dog Banded Leg Extensions

Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings, Calves, Hip Flexors

Muscle Group Strengthened: Quads

Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic

Difficulty: Intermediate

Suggested Prerequisites: Comfortable holding a three-legged downward dog with the lifted leg higher than hip height.

Ready to get some quake-y quads? These banded knee straightens in your down dog is a challenging quad strengthener that can help deepen your standing splits and train your quads to engage to avoid microbending the knee.

How To

You will need some kind of long stretchy resistance band for this exercise. A looped superband works great because it’s easy to “lasso” around your ankle, but a Theraband works too if you tie a little loop in the and for your foot.

Step 1

Loop a long resistance band around one ankle (you’ll want it to be “tight” on the ankle so it doesn’t wiggle around as you move, so you may have to tie a small loop in the end). Holding on to the strap in one hand (using the same-side hand as the foot that’s lasso’d usually works better), press up into your downward dog.

Extend your lasso’d leg in the air, bending the knee and pulling the strap over your shoulder so it’s helping pull your lifted leg in the air and the strap is over your back/shoulder and firmly planted on the floor under your hand.

Square your hips towards the floor (don’t let them tilt to the side).

Step 2

Keeping your lifted knee nice and high, and keeping your hip bones pointing down at the floor (“square” hips!), kick your foot high, pushing your ankle into the resistance band to straighten the leg - this should feel challenging against the resistance of the strap! Straighten the leg all the way (if you can’t quite get it completely straight, try a lighter resistance band, or lose the band and just use your bodyweight). Hold the squeeze in your quads holding that leg straight for a moment. Then relax and bend the knee, letting the strap pull your foot back towards the back of your head.

Repeat for 8-12 leg straightens, then switch legs.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Elevate the heel of the base leg, either balancing on the ball of your foot, or throwing a yoga block or folded blanket/mat under the heel for support.

Bend the base knee a bit more.

Lose the resistance band and work on these leg straightens without the strap.

Want to make it harder?

Narrow your stance by taking your hands to your feet to turn this drill into Standing Split Kicks.

 
 
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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