Free Standing Squat With Knee Raise

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Equipment Needed
Flat surface, preferably without carpet.
Raiser such as a weight bench or Step Bench is a lightweight, adjustable platform with a slip-proof, durable mat on top, and non-marking rubber floor pads on the bottom of the platform and the blocks. It has a generous 14 x 40 inches stepping surface that adjust to 4, 6, and 8 inches.

Muscles Worked
Quadriceps
The quadricep includes the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius. The largest muscle is the rectus femoris that connects to the pelvis and below the kneecap. It sits in the center of the thigh, crossing the knee and hip joints. The vastus lateralis and vastus medialis on either side of the knee and the vastus intermedius, underlying the rectus femoris, run from the top of the thighbone to the knee and work to straighten or extend the knee.

Obliques
The external oblique muscles, which are located on each side of the rectus abdominus, allow the trunk to twist to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. The internal oblique muscles are located just inside the hip-bones and operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left hand side internal oblique and the right hand side external oblique to contract together.

Gluteus
The gluteal muscles include the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. As one of the most powerful muscles in the body, the gluteus maximus is also the largest of the three gluteal muscles. The maximus, which originates at the outer edge of the pelvis and attaches at the base of the spine, moves the leg backward and is responsible for the outward rotation of the thighbone. The gluteus medius, also referred to as the upper hip, partially accounts for the shape of the butt and hip. It attaches at the top of the pelvis and the upper edge of the thighbone. The minimus rests underneath the medius. Both muscles are used to lift the leg out and away from the body as well as to rotate the hip.

Hip Flexor
The hip flexors include three muscles, the psoas major, psoas minor and the iliacus. These muscles work together whenever the hips are flexed, as in when the knee is raised or in bending forward. While all muscles attach at the front thighbone, the psoas major attaches at the lumbar vertebrae, the psoas minor attaches at T12 and the iliacus attaches at the inner part of the upper pelvis.

Place your feet hip-distance apart.
Engage your abdomen and focus your gaze slightly down.
Bend your knees until they are parallel with the floor while bending your torso slightly forward.
Come up to a standing position using the strength of your thighs and end this part of the movement by pushing your hips slightly forward.
Shift your weight to your left leg and raise the right leg using the strength of that leg’s hip flexor.
Curl your torso the right and hold with the power of your oblique.
Lower your leg.
Repeat the squat.
Shift your weight to your right leg and raise the left leg using the strength of that leg’s hip flexor.
Curl your torso to the left and hold with the power of your oblique.
Lower your leg.
Repeat.

Protect your front knee by making sure it does not move over your front toe or beyond.
Engage your abdomen throughout the exercise to help protect your lower back.
Make sure you use your full range of motion by trying to lower quadriceps so they are parallel to the ground.
Do not bear any pain in knee or ankle.

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