Plane of Motion
Russian Squats
Plane of Motion
Sagittal
Spring Setting
Medium
1 – 2 Medium Springs
Muscle Focus
Hip Extensors
Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings
Keep the hips from flexing and collapsing against gravity.
Support the body weight with the knee extensors.
Shift weight into heels to turn on more to pull pressure off the knee joint.
Knee Extensors
Quadriceps Femoris: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius, Vastus Lateralis
Keep the knees from collapsing and bending all the way against gravity.
Help support the body weight with the hip extensors.
Elbow Flexors
Brachialis, Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis
Bend the elbows.
Resist the spring load with control as the arms straighten.
Other Muscles at Play
Anterior and posterior spinal stabilizers provide lumbo-pelvic and spinal stabilization.
Hip flexors assist the spinal stabilizers and hip extensors to keep the torso upright.
Shoulder flexors keep the arms lifted at shoulder height.
Shoulder adductors keep the arms narrow in front of the chest.
Scapular depressors keep the shoulders down away from the ears.
Scapular adductors (retraction) keep the shoulders from rounding forward.
Objectives
Using the hip flexors & knee flexors in coordination with the hip extensors to squat with precision and stability.
Depress the scapulae to stabilize the shoulders while the elbow flexors are strengthened in the biceps curl.
Enhance stabilization of the lumbo-pelvic and scapular regions.
Enhance abdominal control and strength while standing on the moving carriage.
Challenges balance and stability while standing on the moving carriage.
Emphasize breathing to coordinate the movement.