By Carrie Lane, Director of Sport Performance
In addition to being historic Eastern European colonialists, Cossacks are also a deceptively difficult general strength exercise. They are a 3-in-1 exercise that can add balance and posture skills to your training plan.
3 benefits of the Cossack are:
1. Hip flexor strength: The raising and lowering of the leg clearly works the hip flexor, which is nice.
2. Posture training: By pinching your shoulder blades back and down, you get an added bonus of firing those scapular muscles isometrically. Any work on those scaps is great for posture.
3. Balance! If you perform these Cossacks repeatedly on the same leg (instead of alternating legs, marching style), you will allow those small muscles in your foot and lower leg to work hard to maintain balance on the grounded leg. You will find that your hamstrings and adductors will fire as well to keep that leg from wobbling.
2. Posture training: By pinching your shoulder blades back and down, you get an added bonus of firing those scapular muscles isometrically. Any work on those scaps is great for posture.
3. Balance! If you perform these Cossacks repeatedly on the same leg (instead of alternating legs, marching style), you will allow those small muscles in your foot and lower leg to work hard to maintain balance on the grounded leg. You will find that your hamstrings and adductors will fire as well to keep that leg from wobbling.
Here is a slightly easier version of the same exercise:
Do you need some guidance setting up your training plan? Consider a performance coaching consult with Carrie Lane.
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