3 Lower Body Accessory Lifts for CrossFit
By Coach Chris Rudnik
For a long time, accessory work was not commonly included in a CrossFit athlete’s program. I have to imagine that it wasn’t because people thought it was unimportant, but rather that in those early days of CrossFit the method and style of training was just different. But now, as the sport has evolved and the baseline level of fitness needed to be “competitive” has gone to a level that I don’t believe anyone could have imagined, more care must go into the training programs for these individuals. Accessory work, although a small part of a program, is a simple way to support the athlete as they deal with the physical requirements of the sport.
When programming accessory lifts for your athletes, it’s important to remember that they are there to support the bigger and more complex, compound movements. Although it's necessary to squat or snatch to get better at squatting and snatching, focused work on single leg strength, for example, can help to specifically target weak links in the chain which can lead to massive improvements of those bigger lifts.
Not only that, but accessory lifts give us another chance to increase tissue capacity, resiliency of the supporting connective tissues as well as promote muscle hypertrophy. Simply put, if programmed well, accessory lifts will make training sustainable for the long-term.
Below I included 3 lower body accessory lifts that I feel are invaluable for a CrossFit athlete. This list is not exhaustive - there are plenty of exercises that I use that are equally as helpful, but for the sake of this article I am going to stick with these three.
Disclaimer: if you are someone programming for an athlete, or even are just an athlete curious to know what more they can do for themselves, remember that although these exercises are great, everyone has their own needs, and a good coach/athlete will make sure those needs are being met. They won’t just arbitrarily use the exercises because they made my top three, so be smart and strategic about your program.
#1: Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat [RFESS]:
Why I like it: The RFESS challenges the quads, hamstrings, and glutes in a very similar manner to what you would see in a squat while reaping all the benefits associated with single leg training (i.e. single leg + trunk stability, proprioception and strength). This lift can be performed with DBs, KBs or a barbell in a variety of different holds (front rack, mixed, suitcase, etc.) When it comes to which implement to use, or how to hold the weight – I will leave that to you to decide which will work best for yourself or your athlete.
#2: Reverse Hyper:
Why I like it: The Reverse Hyper does an exceptional job to train the glutes and hamstrings while being mindful of stress/compression of the lower back. From a movement perspective, hip extension is key to most athletic endeavors so having an exercise that addresses this through a full ROM is a great addition to any program. Depending on how you load it you can work to increase strength, hypertrophy or contractile speeds which will have tremendous carry over to power and Olympic lifts.
#3: Good Morning:
Why I like it: Aside from being another excellent way to train the glutes and hamstrings, the Good Morning made my list because it is an excellent way to increase low back strength/resiliency while also reinforcing proper hinging mechanics. Although this is an article about lower body accessories, the Good Morning also helps to build awareness of the tension and strength needed from the upper back during a squat or deadlift.
**Honorable Mention: Glute Ham Raise **
Why I like it: This can easily make it into my top three, but alas I decided to go a different route. Glute-Ham Raise does a tremendous job to build strength in the hamstrings, glutes and trunk. Although there are several ways to train these muscle groups, I do appreciate any opportunity to challenge the hamstrings while the hips remain extended. It should be noted too that the GHR does a great job to target all three phases of movement – eccentric, isometric and concentric – which has huge carryover to sport. Finally, it helps to teach rigidity of the trunk because you are expected to keep a stacked and stable position during the exercise.
