The lateral squat with counterbalance mobility drill can improve your efficiency in the squat, single leg squat, single leg deadlift, lunge, and deadlift.
However, like all exercises, you must perform the drill properly to reap the benefits.
It’s best to start this drill without any weight until you own the pattern. Once you understand the basics, it’s a perfect time to add in a light kettlebell as a counterbalance. The counterbalance will allow you to sit deeper into your hips and will also provide some extra stability.
Essentially, the lateral squat with counterbalance is a loaded mobility drill, especially excellent for improving single leg strength.
How to perform the lateral squat with counterbalance:
1. You’ll likely want to start with your feet approximately 1.5 to 2 times your hip width.
Externally rotate at the hip as needed. You don’t need to be jamming up your hips by keeping your feet straight at this width!
2. If you start to the left, slightly bend your left knee, keep your right leg straight and shift your weight into your heels.
This drill begins as a hinge pattern (minimal knee flexion and maximal hip flexion).
3. As you sit back into your heels, slowly press the kettlebell away from your body and use it as a counterbalance.
The goal is to sit back as far as possible and add as much knee flexion as necessary to sit into the squat. Once you develop good mobility, and you understand how to use the counterbalance, you can develop this into a lateral squat (maximal hip and knee flexion).
4. Once you find the bottom position, you’ve got two different options.
Option #1 – Return to the start position.
This is the “easier”of the two options. With this option, you will drive yourself up back to the start position. You can use both legs to perform the drill this way.
Option #2 – Add a foot drag.
This is definitely the more advanced way to perform this mobility drill. The lateral squat with counterbalance is pretty much a single leg squat at this point. Once in the bottom position (left side), you will drive up through the left leg and slowly drag your right foot up to the tall position. Perform this portion of the drill very slow and controlled. I like to drag the right foot lightly on the ground as it gives an extra little bit of balance as you drive up.
Takeaways
With either option, start with 2 sets of 5 reps on each side as a prep drill.
If you prefer to use this as a strength drill, I would perform 4-5 sets of five reps.
Give this a try and let us know how it goes!
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