The Knee Hug to Forward Lunge Elbow to Instep Exercise is generally regarded as the world’s greatest stretch. It’s a fantastic way to stretch your groin, hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings and lower legs as part of your warm-up routine.
The Knee Hug to Forward Lunge Elbow to Instep Exercise forms part of the Golf Movement Preparation series of innovative and dynamic exercises that will increase your core temperature, prepare your nervous system for performing the golf swing, and strengthen your body.
Figure 1. Knee Hug to Forward Lunge Elbow to Instep Exercise Video.
Steps
- Start by standing tall with your feet slightly apart, engage your abdominal muscles to stabilise your spine.
- Squat slightly as you lift your right knee, grabbing below the knee with your hands, then stand tall and and pull your knee to your chest while contracting your left glutes.
- Release and step forwards into a lunge with your right foot, keeping your left leg as straight as you can, keeping your left knee off the ground, and activating your left glutes.
- Place your left hand on the ground for stability, keeping your back straight so that you your body forms a straight line from your head to your heel.
- Push your right elbow deep down to the instep of your right foot as you exhale. Feel the stretch through your groin, lower back and left leg, hold for one deep breath, in and out.
- Place your right hand on the ground, outside of your right foot, and push your hips to the sky, keeping your back and your left leg straight, and pulling the toes of your right foot up towards your shin. Feel the stretch through your hamstrings, and hold for one deep breath, in and out.
- Drop your hips back down, raise your torso into good posture, as tall as you can, and push back up with your left glutes to a standing position.
- Repeat with your left leg and arm.
- Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
This is a complex movement, but it’s well worth the practice to get it perfect.
You should feel it stretching the glutes and hamstrings of your front leg, the hip flexors in your back leg, and both groins.
Variation
There are a number of other lunge exercises in the Golf Loopy Train like a Champion System that offer a variety of challenges, you can see them all by clicking here.
Target Muscles
The exercise involves mainly your gluteus maximus, quadriceps, gluteus medius, psoas major, and hamstrings.
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There are a number of other golf-specific movement preparation exercises in the Golf Loopy Train like a Champion System.
The Golf Loopy Perfect Warm Up, an exercise routine that has been scientifically designed to prepare your mind and body for playing golf to the best of your ability in just 7 minutes.
Introduction to the Swing like a Champion System.
Golf Anatomy and Kinesiology, a collection of articles describing the roles of the muscles involved in the golf swing.
