Extend and Flex
From the Front Leaning Rest, sag the hips to stretch the front of the body, then raise them to stretch the back of the legs.
Demonstration
Official photo sequences from the Army's drill manual, read left to right, top to bottom.
Photos: U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, ATP 7-22.02. Approved for public release.
How to perform it
Recovery Drill, exercise 3 of 8
Starting position
Front Leaning Rest.
Front Leaning Rest: From the Squat, shift weight to the hands and thrust both feet back, landing with feet together. The body forms a straight line from heels to head without the hips dipping. ATP 7-22.02, para. 2-3, p. 2-2 (opens the official PDF)
Commands and movement
- 1READY, STRETCH. Lower the body toward the ground, sagging in the middle with the arms straight, legs and low back relaxed, toes on the ground pointing back. Look straight ahead, not up. Hold 20–30 seconds.
- 2STARTING POSITION, MOVE. Return to the starting position.
- 3CHANGE POSITION, READY, STRETCH. Shift weight onto the balls of the feet and raise the hips. Straighten the legs and try to touch the heels to the ground, head between the arms looking toward the feet, back straight. Hold 20–30 seconds.
- 4STARTING POSITION, MOVE. Return to the starting position.
ATP 7-22.02, para. 16-5, p. 16-3, Figure 16-3 (opens the official PDF)
What it develops
Stretches the hip and abdominal muscles, then the back of the legs with the hips raised.
Focus: Hips, Abdominals, Calves and hamstrings
Form
Drawn from the cited instructions.
Cues
- Keep the arms straight while sagging.
- With hips raised, keep the back straight and reach the heels toward the ground.
Common mistakes
- Looking up during the sagging stretch.