Why Kneeling can Help you when Lifting Weights

There are so many variations of various exercises performed in gyms globally. The dynamics of a shoulder press can simply be changed by switching from machine to dumbbell or seated to standing. There are two base positions that I rank highly which are very underused. They are the single leg kneeling position and the double leg kneeling position.

The single leg kneeling position simply involves the participant lunging down onto one knee whilst keeping the foot of the opposite leg situated on the floor in front of the body. This position provides a stretch for the hip flexors and enforces more stabilising property's of your mid section muscles to initiate. This position is also useful for those wishing to perform unilateral (single arm) exercises as your mid section will be challenged to stay stable as oppose to rotate. Therefore this base position is very good for people who struggle to hold a good posture and for those who have poor abdominal, oblique and lower back strength.

The double leg kneeling position simply involves the participant to go down into a two knee standing position. When this is practiced correctly you will find that the glutes need to activate quite powerfully. This provides a practical base position for people who have inactive glutes. Take a look at many people with participants with an anterior pelvic tilt, office workers or people who often gain a hamstring injury. They can all benefit from practicing their weight training exercises with a double leg kneeling position as it could very well correct their problems.

A big positive aspect of these two variations is that they provide a good foundation for participants with poor posture. These kneeling positions allow people to work around the hip joint without worrying about the range of motion around the knees and ankles. As posture improves it becomes important to progress to a standing position so that good knee and ankle alignment can be practiced. However that does not mean that you must neglect kneeling when your posture has improved. Go back to a kneeling position now and again because it will re-enforce your improved technique.