Guest Post By Mike Grafstein B.Ph.Ed, CAT(C), YCS, RMT
Courtesy http://www.EliteSoccerPower.com
Next let’s compare these two exercises and decide which one has a better value for athletic performance on the soccer field. Let’s look at the lying face down hamstring curl and the on your back hip raise. Many high schools and gyms have some form of the universal leg curl for the hamstring muscle group. I know because I’ve seen them and used them in the past in both high school and at the gym. It is easy for some one to lie on their stomach, hold handles at the side and bend the leg at the knee joint (flexion).
Before I move on to the hip raise, ask your self at what point in a soccer game does a player lie on the ground and bend their legs at the knee joint? Perhaps if they are upset with missed opportunity and they are pounding the ground as well kicking themselves in the … (???)
Let’s talk about the on your back hip raise. Let’s take a close at the action of the hip raise. We start on our backs with our knee bent and feet flat. Next we raise the hip by contracting (tightening) the buttocks muscles and “bracing” the deeper stomach muscles until we’ve reached the point where there is a straight line from the knee joint to the shoulder blades. Does this action or a form of it occur during a soccer game? I think the answer is maybe.
So let’s look at the positives of both exercises. The lying leg curl allows you to lie on your stomach so that your “core” is relaxed. The lying hip raise forces you to “brace” the deeper stomach muscles (core) and contract the glutes which are the major lower body muscles for soccer strength, soccer power and soccer speed. This particular exercise is for beginners. Note how much more than muscle group must act together to perform this exercise effectively.
So there you have it, part three of a three part series. This concludes our discussion of why using machines for your strength and conditioning program for soccer is outdated and ineffective. To further serve your needs for proper exercise selection I suggest you head over to Elite Soccer Power.
Stay fit and play hard!
By Mike Grafstein
Author Elite Soccer Power Unleashed
www.elitesoccerpower.com © 2010