12 Oct Single Leg TRX Suspension Trainer Lunge
The overhead throwing and striking athlete participating in baseball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, and lacrosse requires the development of lower body strength. The development of functional strength in the lower body allows these athletes to execute the movement patterns of their sport efficiently, allows for the generation of speed, the development of ground reaction forces, the prevention of injury, and general improvement in their sport of choice.
What the strength and conditioning coach and athlete must recognize is the development of lower body strength does not necessarily center upon individual muscles but rather movement patterns. Recognize during the process of sprinting, jumping, throwing, or hitting the body does not use one single muscle to perform these athletic actions but rather a series of muscles within the kinetic chain to perform these movement patterns. As a result the training of the kinetic chain should encompass movement patterns and recruit muscles in multi-planar actions. A simple process to break this requirement of training “movement patterns” rather than individual muscles is via quadrants. This concept of quadrants and strength patterns was first introduced by strength coach Mike Boyle and simply trains the body within strength patterns utilized in human movement.
These patterns separate the body into upper body push, upper body pull, lower body push, and upper body pull patterns. These strength patterns are implemented in both bilateral and unilateral actions as the muscles of the kinetic chain function differently when performing these movements. The upper body will utilize both horizontal and vertical patterns whereas the lower body push/pull patterns will be either hip or knee dominant. Squat patterns are typically utilized for the knee dominant push patterns.
Athletes will need to implement both bilateral and unilateral push patterns within their systematic programming to address the requirements of athletic performance by the kinetic chain. An excellent body weight orientated Single Leg Push Pattern is the TRX Suspension Trainer Single Leg Lunge. This is an extremely challenging exercise from a neurological perspective in terms of proprioception in addition to the muscular strength benefits.
- Improves Your : Lower Body Unilateral Push Strength
- Target Area: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Adductors, and Abductors
Why Its Important: The throwing and striking athlete utilizes the entire kinetic during competition. The development of ground reaction forces, sprinting, throwing, and swinging occur in a sequential order. To perform these movement patterns in the proper sequence with maximum efficiency requires the entire kinetic chain to have fundamental levels of neuromuscular control, strength, and power.
The Common Problem: A lack of lower body strength first and foremost impedes the athlete from maximum performance during competition. Lower levels of speed, power, and efficiency result from these limitations. These limitations lead to less than optimal performance, lower speed and power outputs, and a higher potential for injury.
Solution: The athlete is required to develop total body strength from feet to finger tips. This strength development should NOT focus on individual muscles but rather the entire kinetic chain. Developing strength patterns recruiting multiple muscles through multi-directional patterns is ideal. Both bilateral and unilateral exercises should be utilized to develop these strength patterns in the lower body.
Single Leg TRX Suspension Trainer Lunge
Set Up:
- Grasp TRX handles and step back 3-4 feet from attachment point
- Bend the both elbows slightly and attempt to balance on the left foot
- Lift the right foot slightly off the floor, bend the knee to approximately 90 degrees
- Position the right foot behind your body
Action:
- Bend the left knee in a lunge pattern
- Continue the lunge pattern lowering the hips towards the floor
- Attempt to maintain balance on the left foot only and lower the hips as far as possible to the floor
- Pause at your end range of motion, return to the starting position, and repeat movement pattern
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 fame Trevor Hoffman, and Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy provides Sean a proven track record of success. 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 renown Titleist Performance Institute.