Developing explosive power for athletes should logically entail pure single-leg exercises. Simply put, when you’re in a sport, any sport, you are usually creating power and taking off from one leg anyhow. In fact, most everything we do is transitioning from a single leg to another. So, if you want to have great leg strength, be able to jump with power, create force and momentum in your movement, you can do so much with single-leg exercises.

10 Explosive Single-Leg Exercises

Here is my top 10 list of single-leg exercises that I have successfully applied to athletes and trainees at all levels. You can see them all from the 3:27 minute mark in the video above, where I explain my approach to doubling leg strength, one leg at a time.

1. Weighted Box Step-Ups: These are simple enough to do as you can see from the video above. Just remember to watch yourself on the way down and maintain control and good form. You’re not looking to put extra strain on the lower joints.
2. Single-Leg Glute Bridge: When you are watching the video on this exercise, pay attention to the toes. They point out. Maintain that tension when you do it and create the clean lines in the bridge.
3. Elevated Single-Leg Glute Bridge: The key thing here is to keep the toes pointed and make sure you get a high enough raise in your glutes. It’s going to be challenging and you’ll definitely feel it in your hamstrings.
4. Stability Ball Leg Curl: Getting into position and maintaining position is going to be awkward so, don’t worry about that. Actually, it’s not as simple as it looks.
5. Single-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl: Switching to one leg only is going to add a multiplier in terms of awkwardness and difficulty in this movement. Again, don’t worry about that and accept that it requires concentration and focus to maintain form, despite the lack of resistance.
6. Dumbbell Split Squat: CrossFitters will hit that knee to the ground. It is best to have a pad or something soft to cushion that area, for sure. However, you will probably just graze the ground. As long as you have tension and control, you’re good.
7. Walking Lunges for Runners: From the video, it may seem like an exaggerated lunge and it is. You’re trying to show that knee raise. That’s why we call it a lunge for runners. It gives you good depth and muscle memory in the process, too.
8. Bulgarian Split Squats: We try this exercise with the top of the foot flat on the bench and with the back foot on its toes. Either is fine. On the toes will put some extra emphasis on the quads but it is entirely up to you. Just make sure you set yourself up properly and you have the necessary flexibility to perform this movement accurately.
9. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL): Even the best of you is going to be put off-balance doing this exercise. It’s not about how far up your back leg goes either. Keep your back solid and straight. Your back leg will go up as much as it does. The key is the position of your torso and the balance you maintain.
10. Weighted Wall Sits with Hurdle Jump: I developed this approach to creating explosive leg power because sometimes when you have to jump in and train a group of athletes, you don’t have time to teach them cleans and Olympic weightlifting movements if you want to create that explosive power in their running and jumping. This exercise combo works, and you can see immediate results without asking the athlete to learn any complicated technical lifting movements.

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Unilateral training helps you to maintain even-strength levels from one side to the other to help avoid one side becoming disproportionately developed.

For the upper body, training unilaterally is relatively simple. Dumbbell versions of rows, presses, curls, and extensions do the job very effectively. As I’ve already mentioned, unilateral work for the legs is often done with pistol squats and split squats. Lunges and step-ups are other common free-weight choices.

You can of course use machines for single limb work. Machines are used more commonly for the lower body than upper body when performing unilateral work.

This is largely because balance can be an issue on single-leg lower body work. If you are worried about stability and trying to stay upright then you are unlikely to be able to really challenge the target muscle to its full capacity.

Leg Extensions and Leg Curls

As a result, single leg extensions and leg curls are popular choices to work the quadriceps and hamstrings unilaterally—neither exercise requires you to balance. You can lock yourself into position and focus purely on working the muscles as hard as possible.

While this may not have a great deal of carryover to sporting performance, it is extremely useful for increasing size and strength within the specific muscles. If your goal is muscle size then this is very useful.

Leg curls work the hamstrings in knee flexion (think bending your knee to kick your heel to your butt). The problem with relying on single leg curls for your unilateral hamstring work is that the hamstrings actually have two functions (the other one is a hip extension).

If you only do single leg curls to work the hamstrings unilaterally you are missing out on half of its capabilities. For full development, you need to also train the hamstrings unilaterally as hip extensors (e.g. hinging at the hips and then driving them forward).

This is where the problems come in. Many hip extension exercises are done standing. Doing these on one leg means balance rather than the muscle’s strength is the limiting factor. Consider is the Romanian deadlift. This is the most popular hip hinge movement.

Done on one leg the load used has to be so light to allow you to balance that very little training effect for the hamstring is achieved. Another popular choice to train hip extension is the barbell good morning. Doing this on one leg could very quickly turn your good morning into a bad morning at A & E!

So, I have established it is important to train the hamstrings one leg at a time in hip extension. I’ve also shown why you can’t just switch your favorite hip hinge movements from two legs to one.

What Is the Solution?

Answer: the single leg 45-degree hip extension.

Firstly, the 45-degree hip extension I a phenomenal exercise for working hip extension. The position of your body during this movement means that you can challenge the muscles through a greater portion of the entire range of motion (ROM) than on either a horizontal back extension or RDL.

With an RDL the tension is high at the bottom but minimal at the top. A horizontal back extension is just the opposite. The 45-degree angle, however, means that you create a relatively long lever arm throughout the entire range. As such, it should be considered a staple movement for developing a strong, muscular, injury-proof backside.

It trains the hip hinge pattern meaning your hamstrings are trained in hip extension. Balance is not a limiting factor. The machine provides a very stable base to train the hamstrings one leg at a time so, you can load it up and create incredibly strong hamstrings which are evenly developed.

To see this exercise in action, watch the video above.

Hey, I hope you are enjoying this article and find value in utilizing these concepts to build lean muscle. Writing about this stuff is a hobby for me. What I do all day, every day is coaching people. Both in-person and online. Evaluating, researching, and refining my craft to provide more value to my clients. If you’d like to work with me then, please get in touch here to find out about my coaching services.

The post The One Exercise to Complete Your Hamstring Development appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Having poor running technique can be painful and costly. The gadgets and gear to help correct you can be overwhelming, the costs of therapy for issues related to improper running form can be astronomical, but most of all running in pain robs us of the joy of the sport. Let’s get you running more efficiently, in less pain, and with an added bonus of running faster.

Classic signs of poor running technique include, but aren’t limited to, lower back pain, knee pain, and shin splints. Typically these symptoms are due to heel striking where your foot makes contact on the ground first and then you follow through with your body which creates huge amounts of impact on your body as a whole. This type of running is very common and can be a challenge to correct. With the help of gravity and some work on your part, we will move you to running on your midfoot and change your center of mass to reduce some of the intense impact that heel striking can produce. There are some drills and tips to help you correct the heel striking which will also have you running faster with less effort by using gravity to work in our favor.

Before you begin any drill, start by finding the feeling of being on your midfoot. You can do this by standing flat foot, keeping a stable midline, arms at your sides, then just lean forward without bending at the waist. Lean from the ankles and shift your weight towards the ball of your foot. Be sure not to lean too far so you can keep your alignment. Leaning too far will make you break your form and put your foot out to keep you from falling on your face. The feeling you get having the weight on the ball of your foot is where you want to be. It’s this small lean that we want to keep while executing the drills and subsequent running.

Ball of the Foot Drills

The biggest part of breaking free of the heel strike during running is to get used to being on the ball of the foot or midfoot. Depending on who you ask, it is the area forward of the arch, before the toes. For these drills, it’s best to keep the following in mind:

Why? It’s an important drill to teach us where to land while running and how to fall forward.

How? Stand upright with tight midline, neutral hips, and correct posture. Be sure to look forward and not at your feet. Start by hopping in place while maintaining your starting posture. Hop in place 10-20 times then add a lean from the ankles. Feel your weight shift to the ball of the foot and hop forward 10 times. Be sure to be aware of the feeling. Repeat 2-4 times more. Be sure to let your heel kiss the ground.

Wall Drills

These drills teach you how to fall into the forward movement as well as how to pull the foot off the ground using the hamstring without pushing off.

Wall Leans: Facing a wall, stand with straight posture, stable midline, shoulders relaxed, and hips neutral. Extend your arms straight out and fall forward into the wall maintaining a fixed body. Keep looking straight ahead and not at the ground. Run in place and be sure to pull feet off the ground.

Back to Wall Drills: Stand with back to the wall with feet a few inches out from the wall. Posture is straight and your body weight is on the ball of the foot. Pull a foot of the ground using the hamstring and make a figure 4 posture (notice in the video) and then return your foot to the ground and back on the ball of the foot. Any push off with the foot instead of lifting will result in hitting the wall behind you. A good practice is to execute 20-25 pulls per foot.

Common mistakes with these drills is breaking at the hips where your butt is back and your chest has dropped forward. Your knees could be too high up, pulling foot too high and letting the back foot trail out behind you instead of under you.

Gun Drill (aka Charlie’s Angels)

This drill helps with the feeling of falling forward without breaking at the hip while maintaining a stable midline.

To do this drill, resume your standard body position—correct posture, hips neutral, shoulders relaxed, knees slightly bent, and looking forward. Extend arms out in front of body and clasp hands while keeping arms locked out. Begin running in place by pulling feet off the ground in the figure 4 posture while maintaining locked out arms. Keep the midline tight and with no breaking at the waist. Fall forward at the ankles and run while keeping your arms from shifting side to side.

Common mistakes for this drill are things like breaking at the hip, high knees, your foot trailing out behind the center of mass, keeping your knees low, and instead of pulling the foot up you are doing “butt kickers.”

Partner Fall

This drill will get you comfortable with the degree of lean needed without worry of falling on your face. You will learn the amount of lean needed to obtain optimal forward movement.

Partner #1 stands in the new standard figure 4 position while partner #2 supports their body weight at the shoulders to keep them from falling. Partner #1 runs in place with midline stable, looking forward, making a figure 4, and pulling their feet off the ground using the hamstring. At the time partner #2 feels the commitment to the lean and technique they let go and move out of the way. Partner #1 continues with a quick very short test run while maintaining form.

The most common mistakes done here are that partner #1 leans too severely or fails to hold correct posture by breaking at the hips. Be sure to maintain the lean from the ankles and look forward.

Be sure to video yourself while you working on your technique to ensure you are getting into the right position, leaning from the ankles, and your legs look like a figure 4 and not a butt kick.

Use These Drills as Progressions

Once you put together these running drill progressions you will be ready to test them out on the road. Don’t rush it and reduce your mileage to start. Remember while doing your drills and your runs to get your heels down to save from blowing out your calves. You will be amazed to not only run with less pain but to also use gravity to run so much faster with little effort.

The post Running Drills to Cure Heel Striking and Shin Splints appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

That Upper-Body Pump

If you ask him why he does this, Joe Schmoe’s usual response is, “Gotta get that upper-body pump in.” Wonderful. Go for it, but what about your lower body development?

Joe Schmoe will respond, “The cardio machine stuff and a few leg extensions and leg curls will suffice.” Yeah, right.

Admit it, doing lower-body work properly is demanding both physically and mentally. It hurts. It creates a demand on your cardiovascular system (hint, hint), your lower-body muscles burn like an inferno, and it makes you rather be doing some chest or abdominal exercise. In a nutshell, it sucks.

Always remember the old adage from Stuart McRobert in Hardgainer magazine, “The value of an exercise can be determined by its level of discomfort when worked to the limit.” That makes perfect sense. The more difficult the exercise, the greater chance it will offer better benefits. But herein lies the gist of hard work. Most trainees avoid proper leg training like the swine flu.

Here’s a typical approach to leg development: A one-hour upper-body workout is performed followed by a half-assed five-minute emphasis on the legs that includes a soft set of leg presses, half squats, or the aforementioned leg extension and leg curl song and dance routine. Whatever the option, it’s usually a waste of time and it gets you minimal development. You’d be better off reading about a leg-toning workout from the latest fitness magazine obtained from the Piggly Wiggly checkout aisle.

Moving on, here are the virtues of doing serious leg training:

• Your largest muscles – the glutes, quads, and hamstring – reside in the lower body.
• Better gains in muscle mass and body weight can be accomplished by working those muscle structures with demanding effort on a regular basis.
• Per rep, working the lower body utilizes more calories and overloads many more muscle fibers as compared to upper body exercises. You simply get more bang for the buck when addressing the legs with demanding effort.

Working the legs properly makes your body more proportionate. That is, having a more-developed lower body along with a well-developed upper-body avoids that notorious big upper body, small lower body chicken-leg syndrome.

Your legs are your best friend when getting from point A to point B. The last time I checked, any time you are eluding an athletic opponent, lifting heavy resistance from the ground, or chasing a crime-committing dirtball, it’s your lower body that propels you in your endeavor. I have never seen anyone outrun a foe by running on the hands.

Working your legs makes sense. However, if you’re still skeptical, understand that properly addressing the legs do not need to be time consuming. Can you find me two days per week and only twenty minutes per day to target your legs? I know you can find it. What about three days per weeks and fifteen minutes? No excuses. You can do it.

If you’re only capable of addressing the legs twice per week, do this, but one caveat is all prescribed sets should be gut-wrenching demanding. Give them 100%, whatever your 100% is. Get after it.

Minimal Leg Workout 1

• Multi-joint leg exercise (squat, leg press, or deadlift) x 20 repetitions (reps).
• A different multi-joint leg exercise x 12 reps.
• Seated, prone, or standing leg curl x 15 reps.

Minimal Leg Workout 2

• Multi-joint leg exercise x 15 reps. Rest 1:30 and perform another set for as many reps possible using the same resistance.
• Leg curl or glute-hamstring raise x 10 reps. Again, rest 1:30 and perform another set for as many reps possible using the same resistance.

If you find the time and can do a bit more, try these minimalist leg workouts:

Reasonable Leg Workout 1

• Multi-joint leg exercise x three sets – 20, 10, and 5 reps. Rest 3:00 between sets.
• Leg curl or glute-hamstring raise x two sets – 12 and 8 reps. Similarly, rest 3:00 between sets.

Reasonable Leg Workout 2

• Multi-joint leg exercise x three sets of 10 reps. Rest 4:00 between sets.
• A different multi-joint leg exercise x 15 reps.
• Seated, prone, or standing leg curl x 12 and 6 reps.

If you really want to get crazy, try these short and sweet leg crushers.

• Load your body weight on a barbell and crank out one set of squats for as many reps possible. Hang in there. Don’t give up because it hurts.
• Do the same but with the deadlift or leg press. Another example of minimal exercise time but quality stimulation to avoid the chicken leg syndrome.
• On that note, perform strip sets on a leg press or standing squat machine. On the first set aim for 12-16 reps. Reduce the resistance and immediately perform a second set all out. Again, a further resistance reduction and one final balls-out set for maximum reps. Bingo. Minimal time yet productive effort.

If you think the above is too low in volume and want to do more, fine. But whatever exercises and prescriptions you add, work your ass off. The chances are you will hit the wall sooner rather than later, so keep the volume of work reasonable. You hate to do legs, so why not do high effort and minimal volume, as opposed to higher volume and more time-consuming work? It’s your choice either way.

To summarize the anti-chicken leg syndrome, heed this:

• You can avoid the chicken-leg syndrome by applying only a minimal amount of quality work if you do it consistently.
• Working the legs with effort burns more calories. If you’re seeking fat loss, learn to love leg training.
• Want to gain muscle weight? You’ll increase your chances by targeting the largest muscles of your body that reside in the legs.
• You’ll improve your ability to move from point A to point B with a stronger, well-developed lower body.

The post Don’t Be That Guy With Chicken Legs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

While it can be a battle of the wills between common sense and ego, backing off the load to focus on the quality of your movement patterns is your best bet for long-term progress and optimal performance.

In this article, we’re going to look at improving movement quality when training the lower body.

Fix Your Broken Leg Movement

The lower extremities work in conjunction with the core to provide strength and power to the entire body. Any deficits in mobility or stability throughout the lower body’s kinetic chain can lead to injury, dysfunction, and a decrease in performance. By addressing alignment, asymmetries, mobility, stability, and dynamic motor control, you can reduce the risk of injury and maximize your training.

Mobility

Limited range of motion compromises the most basic of movement patterns, as tightness affects the ability to engage the right muscles in the right sequence.

Lower Body Mobility Issues

In the lower body, the most common mobility issues include ankles, calves, adductors and hip flexors. Tight hip flexors inhibit the ability of the glutes to engage. Furthermore, if we follow the joint-by-joint approach proposed by Gray Cook, a lack of hip mobility will force the joints above and below—the lumbar spine and the knees—to make up the difference.

Lower Body Mobility Solutions

Below is an example of a simple yet comprehensive mobility sequence that I use as part of a dynamic warmup before training the lower body. I perform 10 repetitions in total, alternating legs.

• Maintain the alignment of the hips, knees and 2^nd/3^rd toes throughout.
• Keep the heels on the ground to address the mobility of the ankle and Achilles.
• Use your elbows to drive the knees out in the lateral portion of the sequence.
• Use your breath to increase your range of motion on each repetition.

Asymmetry

While excessive tightness is detrimental to efficient movement, functional asymmetries (muscular imbalances, movement impairments) between the right and left sides of the body are a much higher risk factor for injury.

Think of your body as a race car. If the wheels are out of alignment, it will tear up the ball joints and tires. Make the car go faster and for longer, and the destruction will be far more widespread. If you sprain your left ankle, several “compensations” may occur: You will put more pressure on your right foot. Your left hip will become weaker. Your right hip will become stiffer because it’s overworked. If you then perform double leg movements with either volume or load, the compensation will be exacerbated, poor movement patterns reinforced and pain or injury will be the end result.

Lower Body Asymmetry Issues 

The two most common structural asymmetry issues I see on a regular basis are:

• Single-leg, right versus left imbalance: Humans are unilaterally dominant, so if you have a weakness on one side, you will compensate on the other side setting yourself up for injury.
• Same-side lateral versus medial imbalance: A high proportion of knee injuries are caused by an imbalance where the outside of the leg (the IT band, TFL and Vastus Lateralis) is too tight, and the inside of the leg (the VMO or Vastus Medialis) is too weak. This causes incorrect tracking of the knee, leading to friction, inflammation and pain.

Lower Body Asymmetry Solutions 

Single Leg Right-Left Imbalance: 

Including single leg movements in your program allows you to correct left-right strength and size imbalances, improve general balance and proprioception, allows you to train around injuries, and has a huge carryover into athletic movements. I suggest including a wide array of single leg variations in the frontal (side to side movements), sagittal (movements forward and back), and rotational planes, including lunges, single leg off-box squats, step-ups, and single leg deadlifts.

I often use a 5 x 5 single-leg, off-box squat protocol as part of an extended dynamic warmup preceding lower body training, as it addresses mobility through the ankle and Achilles, the alignment of the entire lower limb from the hip through to the knee through to the 2^nd/3^rd toe, and glute stabilization of the supporting leg.

• The heel of the supporting leg stays on the box, as this is where the mobility of the ankle and Achilles is required.
• Maintain alignment of the hips, knees and 2^nd/3^rd toes throughout.
• Keep the pelvis level.
• Stay as upright as possible. I find it helps to have the arms out in front to act as a counterbalance.
• Use your own range of motion limitations to dictate the depth. Don’t compromise the movement to try and touch the ground.
• Keep the movement slow, smooth and controlled.

Lateral Versus Medial Imbalance

At the very minimum, I suggest regular foam rolling for the outside of the leg (primarily the ITB and TFL) for myofascial release, followed by targeted VMO isolation exercises to address the knee stabilization. Charles Poliquin introduced me to VMO step ups (with heel elevated), but even simple wall sits squeezing a foam roller between the inner thighs can be effective. I would schedule in 1-2 sets of 13-15 repetitions before my lower body training to make sure the muscle is switched on.

• Maintain the weight in the supporting heel. The higher the elevation of the heel (the greater the angle), the harder the exercise is.
• Maintain the alignment of the hip, knee, 2^nd/3^rd toe throughout.
• Draw the kneecap up at the top of the movement to actively engage the VMO.

Tip: When performing single leg sets, start with the weaker leg. If and when failure occurs, repeat the exercise for the same amount of reps on the other side. If it’s a mobility issue, you can skew the ratio of the stretching on a 2:1 or 3:1 basis favoring the tighter side.

Stability and Motor Control

Stability refers to the ability of the kinetic chain (i.e., nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems) to create integrity of a joint during movement. This is a combination of muscular timing, control, and sequence. For the most part, stability is reflex dependent. Motor control should be synonymous with stability.

Lower Body Stability and Motor Control Issues 

The most common stability issue I see in regards to the lower body is in relation to the knee. If the knee collapses inwards, it is often associated with weakness of the hip abductors—most notably the gluteus medius and minimus.

Lower Body Stability and Motor Control Solutions

Bodyweight or low-load glute activation drills have always been practiced in a physical therapy environment. Recently, they have also become popular in a strength and conditioning setting. Isolated glute activation drills are a staple in my lower body dynamic warm-ups. My two favorite glute activation drills are the resistance band lateral monster walk, and the single-leg glute bridge. I perform them after the hip mobility sequence, and before my main workout.

• Keeping the feet hip distance apart, and the feet facing forwards. A common mistake is to allow the feet to turn out to move.
• Keeping the body upright. A common mistake is to lean to one side to compensate for the movement.
• Keeping the hips, knees, 2^nd/3^rd toes in alignment. A common mistake is to allow the feet and knees to collapse inwards. During set up, think about “screwing the feet into the ground” to help engage the glutes from the beginning.

• Keep the hips, knees, 2^nd/3^rd toes aligned throughout. If your knee has a tendency to fall out, it can indicate a tightness of the ITB and TFL.
• Keep the knee hugged in to the ribcage, to alleviate the involvement of the lower back in extending the hips. This ensures that the glutes are isolated.
• Weight is always on the heels. Heels = posterior chain.

Efficiency Is Power

If you can’t move efficiently, you can’t move effectively, and you will struggle to make any gains in your lower body training. In addition, the way in which the contralateral muscular slings of the body are organized, an injury in one area of the body may be the cause of or response to an injury, weakness, or imbalance in an opposite or seemingly unrelated portion of the body. Your gumby right hip has a cause and effect relationship with your left shoulder; the classic chicken-and-egg scenario.

Ultimately, mobility is the foundation upon which everything else—motor control, stability, strength, and power—is based. When you’re mobile enough, you can then work on motor control to be able to respond to your environment. Improving your stability will then ensure you respond more effectively. Only then can you add load to build strength, then build on that strength with speed. Never sacrifice your form for load, volume, or speed. It’s not practice that makes perfect. It’s perfect practice that makes perfect.

You can’t just do this stuff once in a while:

Mobility Matters Every Day

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