If there have been a contest for “awkward yet effective exercises,” the frog pump train would in all probability take residence the first-place trophy. Heck, even the identify of the motion sounds just a little bizarre.
But regardless of the curious appears to be like the train might entice, frog pumps aren’t about searching for consideration. They’re about strengthening the glute muscular tissues.
Here’s how one can carry out this butt-builder and why it has a leg up on different conventional glute workout routines.
Frog Pump Exercise: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Lie in your again, arms by your sides, palms going through down. Alternatively, you can also make fists together with your palms, relaxation your elbows on the ground, and carry your fists up in order that your forearms are perpendicular to the ground.
- Bend your knees and press the soles of your ft collectively in order that your legs create a “frog legs” or “butterfly” form.
- Pressing the outer edges of your ft towards the ground, interact your core and use your glutes to carry your hips. Make certain your shoulders and higher again stay anchored to the ground.
- Pause, then slowly decrease the hips to the ground. Repeat.
Benefits of the Frog Pump Exercise
The main advantage of the frog pump train is that it strengthens the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius, much like that of a conventional glute bridge or hip thrust. Strong glutes are essential to total stability, on a regular basis useful motion, athletic efficiency, and harm prevention.
But the sole-to-sole positioning of the ft in frog pumps gives a singular problem, explains Michael Julom, CPT, founding father of ThisIsWhyImFit.com.
“By putting the feet together and pressing with the outsides of the feet, there’s less temptation to push with the feet rather than squeezing the glute muscles,” he says.
In different phrases, it’s tougher to cheat.
Tips for Doing the Frog Pump Exercise
It can take a while and experimentation to grasp the frog pump train. Julom has a number of suggestions for making this motion be just right for you.
1. Try utilizing a band
“The key is to assure that the glute muscles are doing the work and not the legs,” Julom says. “If you lose the tension in the glutes, your groin will tend to naturally compensate for it, causing some discomfort in that area later. In that situation, I suggest using a band around the knees to maintain tension in the glutes.”
2. Experiment with the gap between your heels and butt
“The farther away they are, the more you will feel the hamstrings,” Julom says. “The closer they are, the more you will feel the quads. The ideal distance will provide optimal glute activation and minimal hamstring and quad involvement.”
3. Keep your backbone impartial
“Anchoring the upper body with the arms is also important to avoid putting all the pressure on the back of the neck and head,” Julom says. “The back shouldn’t sag toward the floor, nor should the back bow at the top of the bridge so that the abdomen extends upward.”
Frog Pump Exercise Alternatives
While frog pumps are a superb choice for glute activation, they’re not ultimate for everyone.
“You have to be careful with neck injuries on any exercise that uses the top of the back and potentially the head as the fulcrum,” Julom says. “Anyone who’s had a cervical spine injury or surgery would be better off seeking another glute exercise.”
The similar goes for these with a foot or ankle harm, because the ankles and outsides of the ft make floor contact and bear the load with every rise.
If for one motive or one other the frog pump train doesn’t be just right for you, there are many different glute-strengthening alternate options.
1. Glute bridge
- Lie in your again, arms down by your sides. Bend your knees and plant your ft flat on the ground, ensuring your knees are consistent with your ankles.
- Pull in by your navel to brace your core muscular tissues after which squeeze your glutes to press your hips up so your physique varieties a straight line — no arching — from knees to shoulders.
- Keep your head on the ground and eyes targeted on the ceiling.
- Hold the place for a beat, after which decrease your hips. Repeat.
2. Clamshell
- Lie in your proper facet together with your ft and hips stacked, your knees bent 90 levels, and your head resting in your proper arm.
- Draw your knees in towards your physique till your ft are consistent with your butt. Place your left hand in your left hip to make sure it doesn’t tilt backward. This is your beginning place.
- Keeping your abs engaged and your heels collectively, elevate your left knee so far as you’ll be able to with out rotating your hip or lifting your proper knee off the ground.
- Hold for a second, squeezing your glutes on the high of the transfer, earlier than slowly decreasing your left knee to the beginning place.
- Complete all reps, then repeat on the opposite facet.
3. Hip thrust
- Sit on the ground together with your again towards the lengthy fringe of a fitness center bench and your ft flat on the ground (if utilizing weights, place a barbell or dumbbell throughout your waist). The bench’s pad ought to be positioned slightly below your shoulder blades.
- Engage your core and push by your heels to carry your hips towards the ceiling, retaining your chin tucked to stop your again from arching excessively.
- At the highest of the motion, squeeze your glutes, after which slowly decrease your butt again to inside a number of inches of the ground earlier than repeating.
4. Reverse lunge
- Stand together with your ft hip-width aside together with your toes pointing ahead and your palms at your sides. If you’re including resistance, maintain a pair of dumbbells at arms’ size by your sides.
- Keeping your chest up, again flat, shoulders again, and core engaged, take a big step again together with your proper leg.
- Lower your physique till your left thigh is parallel with the ground. Your knees ought to be bent about 90 levels, with the fitting knee hovering a few inches above the bottom.
- Pause, after which push off your again foot to return to the beginning place.
- Perform equal reps on each side.
5. Step-up
- Place your left foot on a field or bench. Your hip, knee, and ankle ought to all be in line. Option to carry dumbbells to progress the transfer.
- Keeping your chest up and shoulders again, push your physique up together with your left leg till it’s straight (maintain your proper foot elevated).
- Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion, after which decrease your physique, touchdown softly again to the beginning place.
- Perform equal reps on each legs.
6. Squat
- Stand together with your ft hip-width aside with toes pointing ahead and your arms by your sides.
- Keeping your again flat, bend your knees and push your hips again (think about you’re closing a door together with your butt) to “sit back” into the motion as you elevate your arms in entrance of you.
- Lower your physique till your thighs are not less than parallel to the ground.
- Pause, after which push by your heels to face again up, contracting your glutes forcefully as you come to the beginning place.