This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in December of 2023. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/rPpLorTfYVw
Brad: Today, I want to talk about a very simple body-weight exercise that not only increases leg strength but improves your balance as well.
Mike: And once you learn it, it'll only take you 60 seconds a day to perform. And it can work for younger adults or older.
Brad: That's right. This exercise works on the quadriceps and the hips. It focuses on some key aspects of balance. We're going to work with this, and it's been going on or been worked with for thousands of years.
Mike: So this exercise is pretty similar to a squat, but not quite the same. And it also targets the same muscles as the wall sit, but it's a little more functional.
Brad: That's right. So, this is called the horse stance, which is performed in martial arts. I'm a second-degree black belt. I've worked with it for 17 years of my life, performing the horse stance. And I'm going to show you and tell you the secrets and the key to how to do it yourself, and the benefits you can get, as well as how I work it into my personal routine. All right, now I'm going to demonstrate to you what the horse stance looks like and the benefits, particularly with balance. Go ahead, Mike, get into a normal squat position. Now Mike's in the weight room a lot. He squats a lot. And this is a position he would be in for squatting. And we're going to look at his balance. So I'm going to bump him around a little bit, and you can see, especially when I push him backward, he's a little unsteady.
Mike: Bully.
Brad: All right, now, let's put you in a traditional horse stance. So I want you to bring your feet at least two shoulder widths wide. Okay. A little bit wider than that. So it's like we're riding a horse. Now, point your toes straight forward if you can, as much as possible, and then bow your knees out. There you go. That's the horse stance. Go down a little bit more. Hands on your hips. There you go. Good. Now, when you put your toes forward and the knees go out, that forces you to put weight into your forefoot and your toes, where you're going to get balanced.
Brad: Now look at Mike. He is solid as a rock. And this is why they do this in the martial arts. Because if you're going to be martial, you have to have a solid base and be very strong. And without that, you will do nothing. But look at that. Good. Okay, Mike, how did you feel when you changed your stance with that?
Mike: So you feel a lot sturdier and stronger. If you look at NFL offense linemen, when they're in pass protection, this is the stance they often have. It's a wide base of support like this, making them feel steady and powerful. They might stagger their stance a bit, but this is where you get your power from.
Brad: Right. So this doesn't relate to everyday life in regards to football or martial arts. But it gives you the sense that you have to have your weight forward and your feet wider apart. And when you do that on a daily basis with all your activities, you're going to find yourself more stable and feeling more secure. To understand and do the horse stance correctly, particularly for beginners, I want you to use a wall where you're going to put your backside or your butt up against the wall, your feet, two shoulder widths apart, and just get into a squat position. Now, this is not the horse stance yet, and what we do to transform into that, is a little bit wider. Again, point your toes forward, it's going to feel funny. Bow the knees out, get your shoulders back, and head up for you to have good posture. And after you stand here for about 15 seconds, you probably will feel the quadriceps start to burn and fatigue. At that point, you want to relax and give them a break.
Brad: That's the first part of a horse stance. Now, after you do that and you get a feel for that awkward position, after a while it becomes very normal, we're going to get back in, feet out wide, toes forward, bow the knees out. There, we got the horse stance. Now we're going to add breathing. So look straight ahead, and focus on one point. Breathe in your nose, exhale out your mouth. Relax. Not doing breathing fast, but relaxed breathing three times. It's going to get the quadriceps to burn. So when they start to fatigue, simply get up and relax.
Brad: Once you're comfortable with that, and some people may be right away, we're going to go away from the wall. We don't want to do a horse stance on the wall, but you do want to be safe with it. I'm going to have a chair in front of me to hold for balance. Feet, two shoulder widths apart, point the toes forward, and down. So we're not bending forward at the waist, this is a common mistake. Keep good posture. Bow the knees out, toes pointed forward. And I can feel my toes, I've got good solid balance. If you need to hold on, go ahead and do that. And again, hold that for approximately 10 seconds at three breaths, in your nose, out your mouth.
Brad: And as you get more comfortable with this, go to one hand, and then to two hands off, at your waist like this, and see if you can hold that for three breaths. In your nose, out your mouth breathing, and focus on one point. I can feel my toes on the floor and they're very solid. I feel very solid here. My quadriceps are starting to burn right now. They need a break. Okay, and eventually, you're going to get to the point where you don't need the wall, you feel comfortable with it. And you can do this as part of your workout routine or you can do it as part of your day. For example, when you're brushing your teeth, you can go into a horse stance. Bring your feet out, point the toes forward, bow, and hold it. And you can do something functional like brushing your teeth. Obviously, that's something most people will not do, but you could. Now, Mike and I are just going to stand here for a little while until we start to shake a little bit. You know things are starting to burn at that point. You're getting some good strength when I do this. I'm tired, Mike.
Mike Oh, okay.
Brad: Are you doing okay?
Mike: I'm fine.
Brad: He's 25 years younger than me, so...
Mike: I can sit here for a while.
Brad: There you go. And he's very solid, yeah.
Brad: Now, when I do this, I actually do squats and I finish up with a horse stance. So what I'll do, hands here and I'll do a traditional squat with my toes pointed out. Then I'll do five to 10 of those. And on the last one, I'll go down, I'll change into the horse stance. Bow the knees out, and I'll do my three breaths. Now you can do five breaths, 10 breaths, whatever it takes to get those quadriceps to burn and feel that balance. Again, focus on one point, focus on relaxed breathing, and you're really going to learn how to keep yourself centered and a very strong sense of balance and support.
Mike: I'm feeling the burn in my glutes more.
Brad: There you go.
Mike: You do that outward push, it gets those glutes going.
Brad: Yep. It works differently for different people. It really is a good solid stance. Good strengthening exercise. All right, so I encourage you to try something different like this in your exercise routine. Do it in the morning, whatever works for you. It's definitely going to give you a different aspect of strengthening and better balance. Mike?
Mike: If you want to check out another video on bodyweight exercise, check out our video "Best Beginner Bodyweight Leg Strengthening Exercise (Also Protects Knees)."
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