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Back leg
Your hip extensors extend your hip
while your hip exors stretch, and the
quadriceps extend your knee. All your
dorsiexors engage to come onto the
toes. If you sink your weight back, you’ll
feel a stretch in your calf muscles and
in the muscles and fascia on the soles
of your feet. If you need more stability, try
pressing into the ball of your foot.
Torso
Your spinal extensors and
transversus abdominis
engage to extend and stabilize
your spine. Your rhomboids
and trapezius engage to retract
your scapulae. Soften your upper
trapezius as you ex your
shoulders to release tension.
Your latissimus dorsi stretches
with your shoulders in exion.
Front leg
Your hip exors and external rotators
stabilize your hip and knee. Your gluteus
maximus stretches while engaging to
hold the pose. Your hamstrings ex and
stabilize your knee while lengthening
in hip exion. Your quadriceps engage
while lengthened. Your calf muscles
engage and lengthen, and your tibialis
anterior works to stabilize your ankle.
Iliacus
Transversus abdominis
Spinal extensors
Latissimus dorsi
Psoas major
Rectus abdominis
Biceps femoris
Vastus lateralis
Rectus femoris
Semitendinosus
Tensor fasciae latae
Gluteus maximus
Soleus
Gastrocnemius
Quadratus plantae
Tibialis anterior
Plantar fascia
Extensor digitorum longus
Adductor magnus
Rectus femoris
Vastus medialis
Semimembranosus
Sartorius
Tensor fasciae latae
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis anterior
Knee
Hip
Knee
Spine
KEY
Joints
Muscles
Engaging
Engaging while
stretching
Stretching
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