ANATOMY

LOWER BODY

LOWER BODY ANATOMY

In REFORM, lower body programming is not “legs.”
It is specific muscle targeting through:

  • tension

  • alignment

  • range of motion

  • and coaching

Your job is to understand what each muscle does, then cue in a way that helps clients find it, feel it, and fatigue it.

1) CENTER GLUTES (GLUTEUS MAXIMUS)

What it is:
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial glute muscle. This is the “center glute” and the primary driver of power.

Primary functions:

  • Hip extension (driving the leg back)

  • External rotation (turning the thigh outward)

  • Pelvic stability

  • Upright posture support

How it shows up in class:
Center glutes dominate in:

  • lunges

  • bridges

  • squats

  • hip hinges

  • heavy carriage pushes

REFORM coaching focus:
Center glutes should feel like:

  • power

  • burn

  • strength

  • and “push through the heel”

2) OUTER GLUTES (GLUTE MEDIUS + MINIMUS + DEEP ROTATORS)

What it is:
Outer glutes are primarily the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, supported by deep hip rotators (like piriformis).

These muscles create the “side seat” burn and are critical for:

  • hip stability

  • alignment

  • knee tracking

  • balance

Primary functions:

  • Hip abduction (leg moves away from midline)

  • Pelvic stabilization (preventing hip drop)

  • Lateral rotation of the thigh

Other contributors (secondary):

  • Tensor fasciae latae (TFL)

  • Deep rotators (piriformis)

  • Lateral lower leg stabilizers (fibularis/peroneals)

How it shows up in class:
Outer glutes dominate in:

  • lateral lunges

  • standing outer glute presses

  • side seat series

  • single-leg balance work

REFORM coaching focus:
Outer glutes should feel like:

  • shake

  • stability

  • deep fatigue

  • and “the hip holding the pelvis level”

3) INNER THIGHS (HIP ADDUCTORS)

What it is:
The inner thighs are the adductor group:

  • adductor longus

  • adductor brevis

  • adductor magnus

  • gracilis

  • pectineus

They are responsible for pulling the leg inward and stabilizing the pelvis and knee.

Primary functions:

  • Hip adduction (pulling the thigh toward midline)

  • Hip stabilization and balance

  • Assisting hip flexion and internal rotation

  • Gracilis also assists knee flexion

How it shows up in class:
Inner thighs dominate in:

  • carriage adductor work

  • wide stance squats

  • inner thigh presses

  • stabilization work when knees track correctly

REFORM coaching focus:
Inner thighs should feel like:

  • deep fatigue quickly

  • a burn near the upper inner thigh

  • and “pulling back to center”

4) HAMSTRINGS

What it is:
The hamstrings are a group of three muscles in the back of the thigh:

  • biceps femoris

  • semitendinosus

  • semimembranosus

They are a major driver of athletic movement and posterior chain strength.

Primary functions:

  • Hip extension (driving the leg back)

  • Knee flexion (bending the knee)

  • Leg rotation (depending on which hamstring head is active)

  • Knee stabilization

Specific functions:

  • Biceps femoris: lateral rotation + hip extension + knee flexion

  • Semitendinosus & semimembranosus: medial rotation + hip extension + knee flexion

How it shows up in class:
Hamstrings dominate in:

  • hip hinges

  • deadlift patterns

  • hamstring curls

  • bridges (especially heels elevated or long lever)

  • posterior chain lunge patterns

REFORM coaching focus:
Hamstrings should feel like:

  • pull

  • shake

  • deep back-leg fatigue

  • and “heels dragging the carriage”

THE STANDARD (FOR ALL LOWER BODY WORK)

In REFORM, lower body training must be coached with:

  • clear target muscle language

  • knee/hip alignment cues

  • tension-based programming

  • slow tempo

  • and progressions/modifications

Clients should not just “move.”
They should know what they’re training and why.

LOWER BODY ANATOMY — RUBRIC (INSTRUCTOR)

Score each category 1–5
(1 = missing | 3 = inconsistent | 5 = excellent)

1) Muscle Identification ____/5

Instructor correctly identifies what muscle group is being trained in each block.

2) Cue Accuracy ____/5

Cues match the correct muscle function (extension, abduction, adduction, etc.).

3) Tension Direction ____/5

Instructor coaches clients into max tension (not just range of motion).

4) Alignment + Safety ____/5

Instructor consistently reinforces:

  • knee tracking

  • hip positioning

  • pelvic stability

5) Coaching Clarity ____/5

Clients understand what they should feel and where they should feel it.

6) Corrections + Adjustments ____/5

Instructor notices compensation patterns and redirects effectively.

TOTAL: ____ /30

Notes:

What they coached well:

What to improve next class: