Introduction
At the back of the thigh are the leg flexor muscles. Among the most important flexors of the thigh are the two-headed thigh muscle and the semi-tendon muscle. Bending the leg with the expander causes flexion in the knee joint.
However, since strength training usually focuses on training the front thigh muscles, there is often an imbalance between leg flexors and leg extenders. Therefore, training of the thigh extensors should always be done alternating with the thigh flexors. Leg bending is one of the best known forms of exercise to prevent these deficits. During a strength training in the gym, this movement is performed in a sitting or lying position. When exercising with the expander, it makes more sense to do it lying down.
Safety during expander training
Even though the expander is not a dead weight, this form of strength training is not without danger. Many exercises lead to high pulling resistances at which the expander can tear. Therefore, always check that the expander is in perfect condition before training. Frequent training will also cause wear and tear on the expander, which will show itself in the form of small cracks. If the expander is no longer in perfect condition, it should always be replaced.
Muscles used in abduction
Info`s about abduction
- Biceps femoris muscle (M. biceps femoris)
- Semitendinosus muscle (M. semitendinosus)
- Flat tendon muscle (M. semimembranosus)
- Tailor muscle (M. sartorius)
- Popliteus muscle (M. popliteus)
- Twin calf muscle (M. gastrocnemius)
In this exercise, the expander is tied into a loop and fastened near the ground. The other end of the loop is attached to the ankle joints. In the starting position the athlete is in prone position.
The legs are already slightly bent and the expander is pre-stretched. In the movement execution, the ankles are guided towards the buttocks. The movement should be carried out very slowly, especially in the yielding phase. Since the leg muscles can produce greater performance, the resistance should be increased.
Fields of application
Health sports The resistance should not be too strong during a health-oriented training. Between 15 and 20 repetitions should be possible. Taking the starting position is problematic in this exercise.
After a few training units, however, even such coordinative requirements should not pose any problems. Fitness In fitness sports, the resistance can be chosen higher, as only about 12-15 repetitions are used. The pauses between the individual sets should not be longer than 30 – 60 seconds at most. This allows many additional exercises in the training plan.
