We’ve all heard the phrase “Lift with your legs!”
But, what does that really mean?
How can we be sure our legs (and hips/glutes) are doing the literal “heavy lifting” and not our precious little low back muscles?
This tip will help you lift that flower pot… kettlebell… grandchild… boat anchor… barbell… storage bin… sandbag… and laundry basket with strength, power and effectiveness (hey! That’s what the word “Valeo” means!).
The tip is to ==> Line the object up with the arch of the foot.
That’s right. It’s a little positioning that can mean the difference between ouch! and success.
Placing the object in line with the arch or midfoot just plays on the laws of biomechanics. We know the farther a weight is away from the center of mass (aka your low back and core), the more stress you feel in that area.
Keep the weight close to the center of mass as possible – shortening that distance between the core and the object – and you’ll feel ashift in the what muscles are recruited. Put those glutes, quads and hammies to work and let the low back do what it’s suppose to (stablize the core)!
Here’s this tip in real life:
So, get those objects lined up with arch of your foot as much as possible and “lift with your legs!” (well, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core…you know, all the things. Just not the low back).
Have strength…have power…be effective,
~ Jessica + Team Valeo