Test and training movement

Easy movement. See if you can spot the vertical side and the horizontal side.

Here’s a cleaner coaching version of what you’re describing, with the contrast between left and right side made easier to demonstrate:

Start with the angled squat hold using both hands on the platform. From there, straighten the legs, squat down again, and straighten again.

Now change the setup. Instead of both hands on the platform, go to one hand only. The hand on the same side as the stance leg comes off the platform, because that free arm is what we’re going to use to work the shoulder.

So if we’re standing on the right leg, the right hand comes off.

What we’re looking for is this: when the person goes down and up, we do not want to see them trying to go forward by sending the tibia forward. We want to show that they actually cannot go forward that way. What usually happens instead is the tibia pulls back and rotates back, instead of the femur moving forward the way we want.

So the cue is:

Stand on the right leg.
Take the right hand off the platform.
Now swing the right arm.

That arm swing is not random. We’re watching the shoulder. The goal is to see what happens at the shoulder and whether that shoulder can help organize the leg action.

You can even start with the arm already moving, then go into the squat pattern and watch what changes. We’re trying to combine the shoulder action with the stance leg. When it works, you see the shoulder and leg connect, and that is what we’re after.

You can also coach it through a pushing action. Tell them:

“Don’t try to push with the arm. Push the shoulder through.”
“Go get that shoulder.”
“Drive the shoulder through.”

With two hands on the platform, same idea:
don’t think about pushing with the hands, think about pushing the shoulder through.

So the progression is:

• two-hand support

• one-hand support

• free same-side arm

• arm swing or reach

• drive the shoulder

• watch whether the shoulder helps the femur go forward instead of the tibia pulling back

Then compare left side versus right side. The point of the demo is to show which side can coordinate the shoulder and stance leg better, and which side defaults to the tibia backing up and rotating back instead.

Here’s a tighter spoken version you could use while teaching:

“Start in the angled squat hold with both hands on the platform. Straighten the legs, squat down, then straighten again. Now switch to one hand. If you’re standing on the right leg, take the right hand off. That arm is free because now we’re working the shoulder. As you go down and up, don’t think about reaching forward with the knee or tibia. I want you to drive the shoulder. Swing the arm and let me see the shoulder organize the leg. Don’t push with the hand—push the shoulder through. That’s what we’re looking for. Then compare left side to right side and watch which side lets the femur come forward and which side makes the tibia pull back and rotate backward.”

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