Crossover Standing Forward Bend
The Crossover Standing Forward Bend is a mobility exercise that targets the posterior chain, specifically the hamstrings, lower back, and IT band. By crossing the legs, this variation intensifies the stretch on the outer hip and hamstring of the rear leg compared to a standard forward fold.
While this is an unweighted mobility move, your AI coach tracks your recovery metrics and subjective pain logs to determine when this stretch is most beneficial. If your daily readiness score indicates high spinal loading fatigue or if you've reported lower back tightness, the app prioritizes this movement to aid recovery. Over time, the AI learns which mobility drills alleviate your specific soreness patterns, ensuring your warm-ups and cool-downs are personalized to your body's current state.
Form Cues
- Stand tall and cross one leg over the other with feet flat on the floor
- Hinge at your hips while keeping your spine long during the initial descent
- Keep a soft micro-bend in your knees to prevent hyperextension
- Reach your fingertips toward the floor or your shins depending on flexibility
- Relax your neck and let your head hang heavy at the bottom of the movement
- Don't bounce or use momentum to force the stretch deeper
- Don't lock your knees completely straight
- Don't round your upper back aggressively before hinging at the hips
- Don't hold your breath; exhale as you deepen the fold
- Don't shift your weight entirely to one side
Common Mistakes
- Bouncing at the bottom
- Locking the knees out
- Rounding the spine too early
- Uneven weight distribution
- Holding the breath
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the posterior chain, specifically isolating the hamstrings and the erector spinae along the spine. The crossover position adds a unique emphasis to the iliotibial (IT) band and the outer glute of the rear leg, areas that are often missed in standard forward folds.
Primary
Secondary
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