LOWER BODY MOVEMENTS

In our Strength Training System, most exercises that are being considered for a specific program will be placed into one of three general movement categories. Lower Body Movements involve the following movements: knee extension, hip extension, and plantar flexion. Lower Body Movements are those that will help increase strength in the lower back, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus muscle group, hip extensors, flexors, adductors, abductors, and the muscles of the lower leg (calf and ankle). Bilateral Movements are prominent within the program, but we also utilize a lot of unilateral variations which are more sports specific and help reduce stress placed on the body during training.

STEP-UPS

Step-ups are a unilateral lower body movement variation important in teaching and strengthening proper load mechanics for force application, by eliminating the resisted eccentric loading phase. Step-ups are sports specific to the pre-load and force application of the skating stride.

Step-ups: Lateral

• From a standing athletic position, lateral to the box, feet hip width apart facing forward.
• Hold dumbbells in either hand, palms facing in
• Step-up height may vary, but typically we use a box or bench that produces 90° joint angles at the hip, knee and ankle of the step-up leg.
• Do not allow the step-up knee to lean in. Your thigh, knee, foot and ankle should all remain inline, pointing straight ahead.
• After laterally stepping onto the box with the lead leg, push hard with the that heel to stand on the box.
• Try not to push off the floor with trail leg
• Once standing on the box, bring the trail leg knee to waist height with the knee bent to 90°, shin angle is vertical with foot dorsi flexed, toe up
• Pause until under control. Standing leg should be straight. Squeeze that glute. With hips at neutral position.
• Maintain a spine neutral upright torso position throughout the movement pattern.
• Implement proper arm action, opposite leg action during Step-up when using Body weight only
• Step down in the opposite fashion and repeat for number of reps prescribed.