• YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Youth Sports Trainer

New-School Sports Performance Education, Experience, Innovation

  • About
  • Articles
  • Programs
  • Adult Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Exercises
  • Recipes
  • Strength Training
  • Speed And Agility
  • Functional Nutrition
  • Mental Training
  • Parenting
  • Coaching
  • Injury Prevention

Squat

Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat (A)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 13, 2020 | Exercises, Squat

Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat Performing even a bodyweight Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat requires a fair amount of balance plus lower body and core strength in order to safely stabilize the front knee. Athletes who demonstrate knee valgus or other forms of instability in any beginning or intermediate leg exercises should hold off on doing Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat. For advanced athletes, the Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat is one of the safest and most functional exercises for heavy loading of the legs.

  1. Stand in a split stance with your back leg elevated on a single-leg squat stand, bench, or step. The resting place for your back leg should be about knee height.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest like a goblet. See Goblet Squat.
  3. Bend the front knee and sit hips back until front thigh is parallel to the floor. At the bottom of a Rear Leg Elevated Split, front knee should be in line with or slightly anterior (in front of) the ankle and the back knee in line with or slightly posterior to (behind) the hip while weight is distributed mostly through the hips and core. If knee valgus or knee instability is present (see Low Step-Up) regress to beginner and intermediate leg exercises until corrected. 
  4. Keep chest tall and shoulders back so that the spine remains neutral—not rounded or over-extended—from head to tail bone.
  5. Drive through your front leg and return to standing. Work should come from the front leg, while the rear leg is used only for support.
  6. Perform desired repetitions and repeat on other side.

Reverse Lunge (I)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 11, 2020 | Exercises, Squat

Reverse Lunge Once athletes have baseline strength and coordination while performing bilateral exercises like the Goblet Squat and basic unilateral exercises like the Low Step-Up, it’s time to add slightly more advanced unilateral (single-leg) exercises. Unilateral training is important for athletes because most actions in sport—sprinting, throwing or serving a ball, kicking a ball, moving laterally, and often jumping—require the exertion of force from one leg. Lunges provide athletes an opportunity to train unilaterally while still receiving some support from the nonactive leg. For beginners—while neuromuscular coordination and strength throughout the core and lower body is developed—stepping backward (Reverse Lunge) is a safer option than stepping forward (Front Lunge). 

  1. Stand with feet hip width, knees bent, toes pointed forward, and core engaged.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest like a goblet. See Goblet Squat.
  3. Take a step backward with your right foot, lowering hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
  4. At the bottom of a Lunge, the front knee should be in line with the or slightly anterior (in front of) the ankle and the back knee in line with or slightly posterior to (behind) the hip while weight is distributed mostly through the hips and core. If knee valgus or knee instability is present (see Low Step-Up) avoid loading this exercise with any weight until corrected. 
  5. Keep chest tall and shoulders back so that the spine remains neutral—not rounded or over-extended—from head to tail bone.
  6. Drive through your left leg and return to standing.
  7. Perform desired repetitions and repeat on other side.

Low Step-Up (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 11, 2020 | Exercises, Squat

Low Step-Up   This is one of my favorite unilateral (single-leg) strength exercises for beginners. The Low Step-Up gives athletes an opportunity to safely coordinate a single-leg movement before moving on to more advanced exercises. I also use the Low Step-Up to detect knee valgus (inward hip rotation resulting in knee collapse—most often due to weakness in one or more lower body muscle groups—glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps—or deficits in neuromuscular control). Step height remains low and athletes use only a light weight until knee valgus is corrected.

Note: Step height for the Low Step-Up varies depending on athlete height. With one foot in contact with step and one in contact with floor, set step height so athlete’s bent knee is at an angle greater than 90 degrees. If knee valgus or knee instability is present, lower step height.

  1. Stand facing a low step, feet pointed straight ahead about hip distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest like a goblet. See Goblet Squat.
  2. Place your entire left foot on top of step, your right leg placed on floor directly behind step.
  3. Shift weight to left foot and drive through left heel to push your body up until left leg is straight—without locking knee.
  4. Continue flexing the right knee until it forms a 90 degree angle. Balance at top position for about a second before slowly returning right leg to starting position.
  5. Perform desired number of repetitions and repeat on other side.

Athletes commonly want to push themselves up using their back leg; however the work should come from the leg on the step. Beginning athletes are instructed to control the movement both up and down. Once athletes have demonstrated good mechanics and baseline strength, power is added to the Step “Up” portion of the movement while continuing to use control on the Step “Down”.

 

Goblet Squat (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| October 7, 2018 | Squat, Exercises

Goblet Squat   The Goblet Squat is my favorite beginner exercise for learning basic squat mechanics as well as learning to engage the stabilizing muscles through the glutes and core. Because the Goblet Squat is a ground-based free-weight exercise, it transfers directly to movements used in sports. 

Thighs should be about parallel to the floor at the bottom of the squat; however, hip and ankle mobility may limit movement for some people. If you are not able to lower to parallel while maintaining proper posture, temporarily limit the range of motion while working on mobility.

Read More

High Step-Up (A)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 11, 2018 | Exercises, Squat

High Step-Up   After the Low Step-Up is mastered with good balance and control, athletes can move onto the High Step-Up—one of my preferred unilateral strength exercises for developing the explosive power needed to sprint and to jump from one leg.

Note: Step height for the High Step-Up varies depending on athlete height. With one foot in contact with step and one in contact with floor, set step height so athlete’s bent knee is at or slightly less than 90 degrees. If knee valgus or knee instability is present, lower step height.

  1. Stand facing a high step, feet pointed straight ahead about hip distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest like a goblet. See Goblet Squat.
  2. Place your entire left foot on top of step, your right leg placed on floor directly behind step.
  3. Shift weight to left foot and drive through left heel to push your body up until left leg is straight—without locking knee.
  4. Continue flexing the right knee until it forms a 90 degree angle. Balance at top position for about a second before slowly returning right leg to starting position.
  5. Perform desired number of repetitions then switch legs and repeat.

Athletes commonly want to push themselves up using their back leg; however the work should come from the leg on the step. Beginning athletes are instructed to control the movement both up and down. Once athletes have demonstrated good mechanics and baseline strength, power is added to the Step “Up” portion of the movement while continuing to use control on the Step “Down”.

Front Lunge (A)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 13, 2017 | Exercises, Squat

Front Lunge   Once athletes have demonstrated good mechanics, balance, and strength in all beginner and intermediate leg exercises, Front Lunge can be added to workouts. While Front Lunge is mainly a strength exercise, it also contains components of a reactive exercise. A reactive exercise targets the ability to change quickly from an eccentric to concentric muscle action, commonly referred to as the stretch-shortening cycle. Front Lunge is a reactive exercise because at the bottom of the movement—when front knee reaches about 90 degrees—athletes immediately push themselves back to standing (unlike the slight pause that occurs at the bottom of a traditional lower body strength exercise like the squat).

  1. Stand with feet hip width, toes pointed forward, and core engaged.
  2. Optional: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest like a goblet. See Goblet Squat.
  3. Take a step forward with your left  foot, lowering hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
  4. As the front knee bends to form a lunge, immediately push off the front leg to return to standing—stretching then immediately shortening active muscles in the front leg.  At the bottom of the Front Lunge the front knee should be in line with or slightly anterior to (in front of) the ankle and the back knee in line with or  slightly posterior to the hip while most of the weight is distributed through the hips and core. If knee valgus or knee instability is present (see Low Step-Up) return to beginning and intermediate lower body exercises and avoid loading with any weight until corrected. 
  5. Keep chest tall and shoulders back so that the spine remains neutral—not rounded or over-extended—from head to tail bone.
  6. Perform desired repetitions and repeat on other side.

Sign up to receive new content and get your FREE E-book 10 Ways to Become a Better Athlete.

Footer

Youth Sports Trainer - Strengthening Young Athletes' Minds and Bodies for Success On and Off the Field

COPYRIGHT 2023 Youthsportstrainer.com

  • About
  • Articles from Youth Sports Trainer
  • Resources
  • Privacy Policy

Stay in Touch!

  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

The content of this website is for general instruction only. Each person’s physical condition is unique.
The information on this website is not intended to replace or interrupt the user’s relationship with a physician or other professional.
Please consult your doctor for matters pertaining to your specific health.

Website Design By Melissa Burkheimer Studios

Copyright © 2023 · Youth Sports Trainer on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in