
25 Nov Single Leg Bench Squat Sports Performance Exercise
Lower body strength allows athletes to generate speed, change directions quickly, sprint, and perform a multitude of athletic requirements in sport. The development of lower body strength will definitively assist the athlete in executing the aforementioned aspects of performance in sport.
- Improves Your : Lower Body Unilateral Strength
- Target Area: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Adductors, and Abductors
Why Its Important: The kinematic sequence of power production, ground reaction forces, sprinting, and change of direction occurs in a sequential order. This order is initiated by the lower body through the concept of ground reaction force. To generate maximum speed, the development of ground reaction forces is necessary. Lower body strength is a precursor to the augmentation of these forces.
The Common Problem: A lack of lower body strength first and foremost impedes the athlete from maximum performance during competition. Additionally, a lack of unilateral lower body strength results in a higher level a fatigue during performance, the potential to develop compensatory patterns, and increase the chance of injury.
Solution: An athlete with poor lower body strength can implement sports performance exercises to develop strength in the lower body. A number of exercises can be utilized to develop the glutes, quadriceps, abductors, adductors, and hamstrings. Ideally, the athlete will want to use functional strength training exercises developing the kinetic chain in multiple planes of motion via integrated movement patterns.
Single Leg Bench Squat
Set Up:
- Sit on bench grasping a 3-5 lb. medicine ball
- Lift the right foot slightly off the floor
- Extend arms straight with hands grasping medicine ball
Action:
- Elevate hips off the bench through extension of the right leg
- Continue to extend the right leg keeping the left foot off the floor until right leg is straight
- Pause briefly with right leg extended, slowly bend the right leg returning hips to the bench
- Perform 5-10 repetitions and repeat exercise with left leg
About Performance Coach Sean Cochran: Sean Cochran, one of the most recognized performance coaches in sports today. A career spanning positions with 2 major league baseball organizations, over 10 years on the PGA Tour and work with top professionals including three-time Masters, PGA, and British Open Champion Phil Mickelson, future hall of famer Trevor Hoffman, and Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy. He has been involved in the production of numerous performance videos and authored books including; Performance Golf Fitness, Complete Conditioning for Martial Arts, and Fit to Hit. He has been a presenter of educational seminars for numerous organizations including the world renowned Titleist Performance Institute.