Your sartorius muscle, the largest in your body, runs along your thigh and contributes to flexion, abduction and external rotation at the hip and flexion at knee. Because the sartorius assists with a variety of motions, exercises to adequately and thoroughly stretch and strengthen it must be varied as well. To help prevent injury during a targeted sartorius workout, warm up for 10 minutes by walking or jogging lightly and engage in a brief series of dynamic stretches before proceeding with specific exercises.
Strengthening
Step 1
Attach an ankle weight to your right foot and stand to the right of a sturdy chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Grasp the back of the chair with your left hand, engage your abdominal muscles and straighten both knees. Keeping your hips level, raise your right leg laterally to the right and rotate the leg outward at the hip socket. Return the leg smoothly to its starting position alongside your left leg. Continue to lift and lower the leg smoothly and rhythmically. Repeat three to four sets of 10 to 15 lateral lifts before continuing on the left.
Step 2
Lie on your back on an exercise mat or towel. Extend your legs in front of you, rest your arms on the mat in a "T" and straighten your knees. Engage your core muscles and draw both knees into your chest. Keeping your knees bent, separate your thighs and rotate your legs outward at the hips. Rotate your knees back into your chest -- squeezing your inner thighs together -- then return your legs to their initial extended position on the mat. Establish a rhythm as you bend your knees to your chest, rotate out, rotate in and extend at your hips and knees. Complete three to four sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Step 3
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, rotate your legs outward at your hip sockets and rest your hands on your hips. Align your head with your spine, tighten your core and bend your knees over your toes. Keep your pelvis tucked slightly and your torso erect. Straighten your knees, then repeat the bend. Establish a smooth, steady rhythm as you repeatedly lift and lower your torso between your knees. Complete three to four sets of 10 to 15 turned-out squats, being careful to direct your knees over your toes at all times. Grasp a weighted bar at your chest or across your shoulders for added resistance.
Stretching
Step 1
Stand next to a sturdy table top with your feet together and grasp the edge of the table with your right hand for support. Straighten your left leg and bend your right leg slightly as you lean your upper body toward the table. Continue to incline your torso to the right while pressing your hips away from the table. Hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds, release and repeat three to four times before continuing on the second side. Avoid bending forward at your waist throughout the exercise.
Step 2
Stand facing a sturdy chair and grasp the chair back with both hands for support. Cross your right foot behind your left and gradually and continually slide the foot to the left and away from your body’s midline. Maintain a straight knee on your right leg, but allow the left knee to bend slightly to deepen the stretch.
Step 3
Lie on your right side near the edge of a table or exercise bench. Straighten both legs and draw your left leg forward, allowing it to fall forward off the edge of the table. When you feel tension in your thigh, hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds, return your left leg to its initial position, then repeat three to four times before switching to the second side.
Things You'll Need
- Ankle weight
- Sturdy chair
- Weighted bar
References
- ExRx: Sartorius
- "The Anatomy of Stretching"; Brad Walker; 2007
- Mayo Clinic; Stretching: Focus on Flexibility; February 2011
Member Comments