Slide Board Exercise Benefits: Mastering your body mechanics, improving muscle function, and getting rid of dysfunctional activation patterns. However, it’s vital to mention that slide board exercises pose a great challenge to fitness novices. Slide board exercises work extremely well if you are serious about getting in tip-top shape.
The following exercises are used to have a well-rounded workout: bottoms up training, eccentric isometric offset training, hanging band technique, and eyes closed movements. These methods have helped users with their form and body mechanics.
BIG WARNING!!!!
It cannot be stressed enough about how important it is to take careful measures while using these fitness movements. They can be extremely dangerous if you take a reckless approach.
If you are careless with these movements, there’s a strong possibility that you could injure yourself. These movements should be used with a systematic approach. Start slow, and work your way up to a moderate load once you begin to get the hang of things.
If these movements seem too dangerous for you, there’s a chance that the mechanics must be corrected. There’s a possibility that your brain is telling your body that these movements are too advanced for you at this time.
Slide board exercise benefits are immense, but starting with novice movements is your best option. This is the best way to see positive results and avoid potential injury. Care, caution, and common sense should be used.
Squats
To be honest, the slide board is probably the best tool that has helped athletes develop better squat mechanics.
It typically takes less than one minute to see better improvements with the technique because it helps them remove movement aberrations. When this happens, they are able to do the movements without sliding.
Now let’s take a close look at eight reasons why you should do squats on the slide board.
REASON #1.
Trains your body to have a neutral spine – If you don’t have a neutral spine while doing squats on the slide board, your hips will not be in a good position. When this happens, you will experience constant slipping and sliding.
REASON #2.
Get of valgus collapse – Any sign of valgus collapse in the ankles or knees will be visible while you are on the slide board.
REASON #3.
Eliminates excessive toe flare and promotes good foot activation – It’s not unusual to see people over-flare their toes while squatting. In many cases, poor foot and ankle activation are the culprits. You must keep your feet straight while squatting. Only a small degree of the flare (two to five degrees) should take place during each squat.
Most lifters typically lose their shoes as artificial support when they screw their feet into the floor. In some instances, their feet will slowly rotate outwards.
You must make an earnest effort to screw your feet into the floor by gripping in with your feet. It will always be a big mistake for you to depend on rubber sticking to rubber.
This may seem like a difficult technique to master, but it’s actually easier than you believe. With steady practice, you will eventually get the hang of it.
REASON #4.
Supports a proper 90 degree parallel squat – I am not fond of squatting below parallel. The slide board makes it almost impossible to do squats beyond the 90-degree position, as the feet will continuously side out until the lifter will feel like they are doing a full split.
You must use proper hinge mechanics and depth while doing a squat on the slide board. If you do this correctly, there will be no waste of diagonal or lateral vectors. This seems like it’s complicated, but you will be able to master this technique in no time.
REASON #5.
Teaches rigid body mechanics and acceptable core activation – The squat board will be your savior if you have difficulty learning how to brace your abs while doing squats. The squat board will also help you learn how to maintain full body tension.
REASON #6.
Helps reduce knee spreading – It’s okay to overspread your knees and hips while squatting on the slide board. Many lifters do this so that their knees and hips will not cave in. However, some of them take this technique too far.
When they do this, faulty mechanics begin to come into play. This will lead to decreased force production and lower-back problems. Maintaining proper form will help you get the slide board exercise benefits.
REASON #7.
Teaches proper weight distribution throughout your entire foot – Some lifters make the huge mistake of putting too much weight on their front foot while squatting. Your front foot needs to be loaded so that you will have proper weight distribution. Over time, the slide board will teach you how to do this.
REASON #8.
Get rid of momentum and bouncing out the bottom with ease – You will be putting yourself in a very sticky situation if you use too much momentum and bounce out of the bottom of the squat. There’s a chance of you losing control of the load. At the end of the day, you will probably injure yourself and damage the equipment.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are easy to learn and simple to execute. Almost anyone can do a push-up. Unfortunately, so many people fail to keep proper form while doing them. Please keep in mind that doing push-ups on the slide board require you to maintain proper mechanics during each rep.
Here are three simple reasons why anti-sliding push-ups are effective:
REASON #1.
Proper elbow tuck and lat activation – The following things will make your hands slide out laterally: elevated shoulders, protracted shoulders, excessive elbow flare, cervical flexion, and lack of lat activation.
You cannot afford to waste precious energy while doing push-ups. It really boils down to you producing solid vertical force vectors.
REASON #2.
Instructs tall hips and activation of hip flexors. You should not contract your glutes while doing push-ups. If you do this, your body will resist hip extension.
If the proper hip extension is not present, you should focus on firing the hip flexors and lumbar flexors. It really comes down to basic physics and anatomy.
REASON #3.
Teaches tall foot positioning – Your feet (particularly your heels) should not sag towards the ground while doing push-ups. I see so many people making this mistake. If you do this, you will not get the full benefit of doing push-ups.
What is proper foot positioning? You need to stay tall on your toes. It will take some effort, but you can do this if you stay focused.
Luckily, the slide board will help you do this. If you fail to stay tall on your feet, your feet will slide backward.
Having your upper and lower extremities on the slide board at the same time may be too challenging for you. If so, you can slow down the exercise by concentrating on one body part at a time.
You can start with your upper body and finish with your lower body. Please remember to keep proper form, and make sure your hands stay in contact with the surface while your feet are on the slide board.
Lunges and Bulgarian Split Squats
We cannot talk about slide board exercise benefits without covering lunges and split squats. Both exercises are legendary when it comes to developing the legs. Let’s look at five reasons why the anti-lunging rule works extremely well with lunges and split squats.
REASON #1.
It will force you to maintain a forward torso lean. Many lifters make the mistake of being in an upright position while doing this exercise. If you fail to keep your form, your back foot will begin to move backward. In short, you will lose your balance on the slide board.
Many people are under the impression that a lunge or split squat is an upright movement that requires the torso to be perpendicular to the ground. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Maintaining a forward torso lean onto the heel of the front is mandatory for executing the right proper lunge technique. Let’s break this down.
A proper lunge requires you to have solid hip hinge mechanics. If you fail to maintain the proper upright torso position, you will put too much stress on your knees and hips.
You will also be putting too much stress on your glutes and upper thighs. Start the lunge with a good torso lean and maintain that position. The slide board will help you learn how to maintain proper form.
REASON #2.
The anti-sliding lunge will help you keep proper weight distribution between your front and back leg. Some of your weight will place on your front leg during each lunge. However, it really depends on how well you are able to maintain proper weight distribution.
After doing some research, the common weight distribution is close to a “70-75/25-30” split with most of the weight placed on the front leg. It’s important to note that poor lunge and hip mechanics will change these numbers. Using the slide board will help you avoid putting too much weight on the back leg.
REASON #3.
Performing anti-sliding lunges on a slide board will help you avoid falling into the trap of squeezing your glutes while doing lunges. Your hips must sit back while dropping forward. When this happens, the glutes will be stimulated.
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for you to avoid squeezing your glutes while doing lunges. This is an easy way of degrading optimal body mechanics, and you will eventually destroy your knees.
You will not be able to tax the posterior chain, and you will slide backward. This type of action will lead to epic failure!
Lunges executed in proper form are one of the easiest exercises you can do for your glutes. Let’s remember that you need to apply the technique adjustments listed in this article for the best results.
Execute Lunges Properly and Safely
Executing proper lunges is probably the best way to target your glutes, but you must use the techniques in this article if you want positive results. In short, just think about sticking your butt out while doing your lunges.
Keep your chest in and you will be set. Please keep in mind that you must be ready to deal with the soreness that comes from doing this exercise.
Some lifters believe that they must squeeze their glutes as they rise from the floor. This is not necessary, and it is also counterproductive. Squeezing your glutes during any stage of the lunge will push your body out of its proper alignment.
REASON #4.
The anti-sliding lunge on the slide board prompts the lifter to move vertically with ease. Your torso should move straight up and down while doing a split squat or stationary lunge.
It is also important to point out that you should be leaning forward. Faulty hip mechanics come into play when your torso is horizontally displaced.
In layman terms, your torso should stay positioned in the same angle if a snapshot was taken of the top of a lunge and the bottom. Let’s take another perspective at this point.
Once you get into your starting position, make sure that your hips move straight up and down. They should not move forward or backward.
It will help you stay balanced and keep your stability. This form helps athletes with their agility, acceleration, and deceleration during games.
REASON #5.
This variation shows the lifter that they must do their best to keep constant tension on their legs by staying out of an upright position once they are at the end of the rep.
If you become overly upright at the end of the rep, there’s a strong chance that your back leg will slide out. Come up 3/4 of the way and pause for a brief moment before your front leg is fully extended.
Glute Bridges and Hip Thrusters
Glute bridges and hip thrusters are simple exercises. It’s hard to believe that anyone can run into difficulty while doing them.
As life would have it, some people can’t seem to do them correctly. Fortunately, the slide board is one of the best tools that anyone can use to help them do glute thrusters and hip thrusters correctly.
Here are four reasons why doing hip thrusters and glute bridges work well:
REASON #1.
Slide board exercise benefits are attainable if you do hip thrusters and glute bridges. You need strong ankle, foot, and shin muscle activation to keep your feet from sliding while using the slide board.
If you take the time to look at other lifters, you will see that some of them have terrible foot and ankle alignment. They also depend on their shoes for support.
In some instances, you will see one or both feet moving with limited motor control of their lower body. You will be forced to use the muscles around your ankles, feet, and shins when you use the anti-sliding glute bride and hip thruster variations.
This will help keep your body in proper form while doing these exercises. Single leg variations are helpful when it comes to foot and ankle mechanics.
REASON #2.
Significant extension forces will be placed on your knee when you use the slide board for glute bridges. You must resist so that your feet will not slide out. This variation will target your glutes and hamstrings.
REASON #3.
Besides giving your hamstrings a full workout, this variation is well-known for getting rid of unnecessary momentum while doing glute bridges. Some people don’t realize that too much momentum on glute bridges makes it very hard for them to get good results from this exercise. Your contractions should be smooth and crisp.
REASON #4.
Extending too high to the point where there is too much posterior pelvic tilt or lumbar extension is another big mistake that many lifters make while working out. As you can see, the form is everything when it comes to using the slide board for the best exercise benefits. Luckily, the slide board will force you to eliminate hip extension so that you will not have too much extension.
Planks
Just like pushups, you need tall hips, maximum core activation, and hip flexor recruitment. Doing planks on the slide board can be viewed as a quick fix for teaching someone how to do planks correctly.
If the proper position is not maintained during each rep, doing this exercise will be in vain. You will not be in a position to see the slide board exercise benefits.
Two indicators will surface if you are not doing planks correctly. You will lose your balance, and you will be unable to hold the position for several seconds. Planks are also great for working out the shoulders.
Side and Lateral Lunges
Many world-class athletes know that slide board exercise benefits can help them excel in their prospective sport. Lateral and side lunges work the legs and hips.
Some coaches erroneously believe that side and lateral lunges make their players faster. They don’t understand that these exercises can restrict your mobility.
If you want to have full control over the lateral lunge, you must use crisp mechanics with a suitable range of motion. Take your time while doing lateral lunges. You could injure yourself if you are reckless.
Side Planks and Side Windmill Planks
These two exercises have a solid reputation for improving full body coordination. They are also well-known for solidifying spinal rigidity and intramuscular tension.
Some lifters don’t have full body tightness or tension. This allows their hips to drop and sag while doing these exercises.
Eccentric Chest Flys to Floor Press
Slide boards excel when it comes to highlighting the compound isolation bio-mechanical drop method when chest presses and chest flyes are used in combination.
For example, a lifter was doing an eccentric overload chest fly with weight. He used the slide board to slide his arms close to his upper body so that he could do the concentric phase in a strong floor press position.
Slide board exercise benefits should not be ignored. The slide board can help you get into top shape in no time. If you take heed to the tips listed above, you will be on your way to reaching your physical fitness goals.
A helpful article by WebMD: Don’t Get Caught Off Balance
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