Lower Body Workout
What you need:
- skipping rope
- box/bench to step up on
- medicine ball
- physio ball
Workout:
- warm-up
- 100 skips
- same leg box step ups (20x/leg)
- airplanes (10x/leg)
- 100 skips
- press and extend hamstring curls(20x)
- push ups (to failure)
- 100 skips
- front lunges with med ball rotations (12x/leg)
- lateral bounds (30sec on/off, repeat 2x)
- 100 skips
- crunch and ball pass (12x)
** I'll add more details/pics on the exercises when I can
warm-up
squats with eyes closed
back lunge to one leg balance
prone side rotations for shoulder stability
same leg step ups
Step-ups are one of the best leg exercises because they are truly a functional movement since they directly mimic activities of daily living and involve stabilization in different planes.
Start: Use a step, bench or box to step up on, make sure it is stable and safe.
Movement: Draw in your core. Step up onto the box. Make sure you land on your heel and not your toes. Contract your glutes at the top and lift your back leg into a knee-up position. Now step back barely touching the floor then back up again.
You may or may not use weight in the form of a dumbbell or barbell.
airplanes
Start: Begin standing, feet together holding the medicine ball with both hands above your head.
Movement: Keeping your back straight, bend at the waist, lowering the medicine ball down and at the same time lifting you back leg up. Lower leg and come back to standing position. Repeat using alternate leg.
press and extend hamstring curls
Press and extend hamstring curls are an advanced exercise for the hamstrings. This exercise should be performed with great control to prevent injury. For a more challenging version, lift one leg in the air and pull the ball in with the other leg.
Start: Lie on the floor with your heels on the ball and your hips lifted off the mat.
Movement: Bend your knees as you curl the ball in towards your glutes.
front lunges with med ball rotations
Start: Begin standing, feet together with ball at belly button level.
Movement: Take a step forward with one leg while moving the ball to the side of the lunging leg. Continue alternating legs by either walking or switching in place.
lateral bounds
Lateral bounds train the hamstrings and gluteals to decelerate the body at real-time speed, making it a very functional ACL prevention exercise. And because the ankles are involved in slowing the momentum of the lateral movement, this becomes an excellent ankle sprain prevention exercise as well.
Start: Feet together, knees slightly bent.
Movement: Hop from one foot to the other in a quick motion touching the ground on each side. Landing should be soft and quiet with minimal ground-contact time.
Try doing two sets of 30 seconds with a 30 second rest in between.
crunch and ball pass
Start: Lay on the floor with arms over your head holding the stability ball while it rests on the floor.
Movement: Begin to crunch and raise your arms up at the same time begin to raise your legs up until the two meet. Now pass the ball from your hands to your feet and lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Continue to firmly hold the stability ball between your legs and continue with the same motion raising your arms and legs using your midsection bringing the two together.
