Hip Propulsion
Hip Thrust
Place an Olympic bar or kettlebell over your hips and lay on your back with head and shoulders rested on the floor.
Place your feet flat on the ground and keep your knees bent.
Push your hips straight up while maintaining a neutral spine (don’t go past neutral to avoid irritating your low back).
Romanian Deadlift
Single leg deadlift
(“tippy bird”) with dowel
This is a critical foundational movement to master before trying to move onto weighted deadlifts. Using the dowel helps to reinforce proper technique and form.
Stand on one leg, holding a dowel vertically along your back.
Bend forward, making sure that you hold the dowel firmly against your head, mid back, and tailbone, to force yourself to move from the hip and not the spine. Extend your free leg behind you to help counterbalance your body.
Push the pelvis forward to help activate the glute as you return to a standing position.
Maintain equal pressure across the ball of your foot to improve your stance control.
Ensure that the low back does not round (which will cause you to pull away from the dowel) or that the back does not arch (which will cause the midback to pull away from the tailbone) as you move.
Single-Leg Deadlift (“Tippy bird”) - with landmine
Position one end of an Olympic bar on the floor in the corner to anchor it. With the free end of the bar perpendicular to your body, stand on your outside leg and hold the bar in the opposite hand; let your arm hang down straight. Stand upright keeping the back neutral (avoid arching and extending). Engage your core to maintain a neutral position of the pelvis and prevent it from tilting forward. Perform a single leg hip hinge by reaching back with the opposite leg and creating a straight line from the ankle to the ear while maintaining plantarflexion of the foot at the end range (imagine trying to push something away with the back foot while keeping it as straight as possible). Raise your free arm out to the side for balance if needed. Maintain a neutral spine while engaging your lats as you drive the static foot into the ground and the knee maintains a slight bend. Drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
Single-Leg Deadlift (“Tippy Bird”) - with resistance band
Anchor a resistance tube to a secure point at about chest height. Stand upright keeping the back neutral (avoid arching and extending). Engage your core to maintain a neutral position of the pelvis and prevent it from tilting forward. With the resistance tube perpendicular to your body, stand on your outside leg and hold the tube in the opposite hand. While bringing the resistance tube towards your body, perform a single leg hip hinge by reaching back with the opposite leg and creating a straight line from the ankle to the ear while maintaining plantarflexion of the foot at the end range (imagine trying to push something away with the back foot while keeping it as straight as possible). Raise your free arm out to the side for balance if needed. Maintain a neutral spine while engaging your lats as you drive the static foot into the ground and the knee maintains a slight bend. Drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
MOBO single-leg deadlift “tippy bird”
with resistance tube
Goal: Combine hip and foot stability for controlled steering and propulsion
Anchor a resistance tube to a steady object such as a squat rack at about chest height.
Stand upright keeping the back neutral (avoid arching and extending)
Engage your core to maintain a neutral position of the pelvis and prevent it from tilting forward.
With the resistance tube perpendicular to your body, stand on the MOBO board with your outside leg and hold the tube in the opposite hand.
While bringing the resistance tube towards your body, perform a single leg hip hinge by reaching back with the opposite leg and creating a straight line from the ankle to the ear while maintaining plantarflexion at the end range. (Imagine trying to push something away with the back foot while keeping it as straight as possible.) Raise your free arm out to the side for balance if needed.
Maintain a neutral spine while engaging your lats as you drive the static foot into the ground and the knee maintains a slight bend.
Drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
MOBO airplane split squat
Step onto the MOBO board with the slats on 2 and 4. Rest the top of one foot behind you on a bench in a split stance. Drop down into a single-leg squat. Keep a slight forward trunk lean without tilting the pelvis as you slowly lower down. Ensure that your knee does not cross the plane at the front of your toes. Keep your big toe grounded and drive up from the glute to return to the start position. Try to keep the MOBO board as stable as possible throughout the exercise. You can also use an app like “Bubble level” on your phone and place it on the MOBO board for proprioceptive feedback.
MOBO split squat with rip trainer (posterior chain)
Goal: Combine rotational core stability, knee loading, and foot stability for controlled steering and propulsion
Step onto the MOBO board with the slats on 2 and 4. Anchor a rip trainer directly behind you. Rest the top of one foot behind you on a bench in a split stance. Hold the rip trainer with the free end on the same side as the MOBO board using an alternating hand grip (palm down on the free end / palm up on the bungee end). Drop down into a single-leg squat while simultaneously bringing the rip trainer across your body. Keep a slight forward trunk lean without tilting the pelvis as you slowly lower down. Ensure that your knee does not cross the plane at the front of your toes. Keep your big toe grounded and drive up from the glute to return to the start position. Try to keep the MOBO board as stable as possible throughout the exercise. You can also use an app like “Bubble level” on your phone and place it on the MOBO board for proprioceptive feedback.
*If you don’t have a rip trainer available, then you can anchor a resistance tube to a secure point to the side opposite your stance leg to create a counter-rotation force. Grasp the handle in both hands and hold it in front of your chest with the tube taught and parallel to the ground. While lowering into a single-leg squat, engage your core and press the handle out with both hands extended in front of your chest. Hold for 1 second while resisting the pull of the tube and not letting your torso rotate towards anchor point. Drive up to return to the starting position while bringing the handle back to your chest.