Placing your feet toward the back of the foot plate will further emphasize the quadriceps contraction. In your workout: Do 3 sets of 8-20 reps per side, going higher the further back it is in your routine. Do not add so much weight that you are unable to perform a good jump. You can even swing your arms back and then up overhead as you jump to help propel you up more. Start with your torso and thighs aligned and perpendicular to the floor. Squeeze your glutes together at the end range of movement, while avoiding hyperextending the low back. These mimic Skater Jumps but they focus more on lateral foot speed and quickness than explosive strength.
I started doing rack squats, which target the top third of the movement. While keeping your abs tight, contract your glutes to slowly kick the right leg back until it's straight. At the bottom, keep your back flat and head neutral. Pause, then press through your left heel to return to start. Always maintain a flat back and keep your shoulders square. Like all the movements listed thus far, multi-joint lunges require hip and knee extension, which gives you the stimulus for the thighs and glutes.
Anderson Squats The bottoms-up Squat—also known as an Anderson squat—starts from a dead stop position at the bottom, usually with the bar on pins. Barbell Squat Jumps This exercise adds weight to normal Bodyweight Squat Jumps, making it more difficult. Bulgarian Split Squat How to do it: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand about two feet in front of a step; extend your right leg back and place your foot on the step. Scissor Jumps This plyometric exercise is essentially a Jumping Lunge in place. By training opposing muscle groups, you can keep your heart rate up.
You do not want to be able to push off the ground to help yourself come back up to standing. This can lead to a host of problems from knee pain to back pain. This exercise will build up your muscles to give you more stepping power and help carry you up hills or uneven terrain. When done right, they can be very effective; otherwise you put unnecessary strain on your joints. Try it on a Smith machine if you find it difficult to balance the weight. Start with your feet touching the ground and your legs close together. In that case, front squats would quite possibly be a much better choice.
Flip the page to try Kant's incinerating box circuit — aim to do it four times through — and take your body to the next level. Start your calf routines with a movement that targets the more prominent gastrocnemius muscle engaged when your knees are straight , followed by the smaller yet still important soleus muscle engaged when your knees are bent. The depth jump will help with your horizontal movement and explosiveness. But the exercise ranked runner-up is a close second in the eyes of many, especially those who like the idea of big, beefy quadriceps and the more direct line of resistance offered by moving the barbell to the front versus draping it across the upper back. Each combines a weighted exercise with a bodyweight exercise. Banded Lateral Walk How to do it: Place a mini resistance band underneath your feet, and stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Once you have the lines drawn, stand on the end of one line so that it is extending out in front of you.
Do you have a favorite intensity-boosting technique on leg day? Continue alternating down the floor. It has built my quads, improved my balance and increased my vertical leap. Elevated knee touches Good for: Arm and core strength How to do it: Start in a plank position with your feet on a box or elevated surface with your hands on the floor in front of you. If so, walk through it for us. Plyometric training is a great way for athletes to build explosive power. You can also find us on:.
Bend your knees, reach your hips back, and lower down into a squat. As you land, bend your knees and squat down just slightly to load your glutes and help propel you up over the box each time. As you land, bend both knees and then drive back off your foot on the box and the other on the ground to jump up quick and land back the way you started. Keep your chest up, lower back and abs tight, and eyes forward as you step back into a shoulder-width stance. Hack Squats Hack squats target the quadriceps muscles, or quads, on the front of your thigh more than barbell squats do.
And that list doesn't even include stabilizer muscles that are also recruited into many multijoint movements! Because it is supposed to be an explosive movement, you may need to start with a lower box. Whether it's going up the stairs, driving a car or around the block, we use our lower leg muscles to help us walk, stand and stay balanced. So, it's important that we treat our legs right and keep them in optimum shape. Strengths: Sure, this is more about dynamic performance than pure muscle building, but no matter. The get a great and challenging training.
You do not want to feel your low back taking over or your knees loading. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement. Your knees should be slightly bent and your toes turned out slightly. The video has a young kid demonstrating the exercise. Here, then, are our 10 favorite leg exercises of all time. Start with a relatively manageable height of 12 inches, and advance to higher boxes as your ability improves. The gluteus maximus extends, or straightens, the hip.
Plyo boxes are hot property at the gym right now — these six-inch and taller platforms can make just about any move more heart-pumping or hard-core. How-To Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of a knee- to hip-high step, bench or platform. The box can allow you to make exercises more challenging by increasing the range of motion of the movement and by adding in instability. My plyometric workout comprises three. Lying Lateral Leg Raise How to: Lie on your left side, rest your head on your left arm, and place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Some basic plyo no-nos: Plyometrics are not cardio. No access to a box? Jump up on to the first, lowest box, and then jump straight off of it so that you land just in front of the next box.