The narrow stance dumbbell squat only requires a set of dumbbells. Therefore it is a good exercise for people working out at home. For variety you can hold the dumbbells different places; by your sides, on your shoulders or overhead. The narrow stance dumbbell squat is a good way to progress once you have mastered the bodyweight squat.
The plank is a basic core strengthening exercise. There is no equipment necessary so you can perform it anywhere. When doing the plank ensure that your body stays straight. This is a good way for beginner exercisers to build the strength base they will need to perform more demanding exercises.
The push up is a great upper body and core strength exercise. It does not require any equipment and it can be done anywhere. The push up is a favorite of many military exercise program. Even if you aren’t in the military the push up is a great exercise for over all fitness and conditioning.
The hang clean develops speed, power and balance in the entire body. Hang cleans are a ground-based, full-body exercise that train the abdominals, obliques, erectors of lower back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and groin area. The benefits of the hang clean transfer directly to the athletic arena and provide many benefits for regular exercisers such as; improved balance, quickness, strength, power, and body awareness.
Jumping lunges with rotation and forward movement develop powerful, strong legs. The rotation activates the core muscles and the forward movement requires the fast-twitch muscles fibers in the legs to fire on all cylinders. Jumping lunges with rotation and forward motion should be not be performed by beginners. A strong strength base is recommended before performing plyometric exercises.
The plank performed on the knees is a static (isometric) exercise for strengthening the abdominals, back and shoulders. Isometric strength is important for stabilizing the trunk in various sports and exercises. The abdominal plank is a great exercise for strengthening the transverse abdominus. The transverse abdominus is the deepest layer of abdominal muscle and wraps around the whole midsection. When you contract the abdominals, your waist becomes thinner. This is the action of the transverse.
Lateral box jumps develop strong, explosive legs while improving balance and coordination. This exercise trains the body to move quickly from side-to-side. Perfect for skiers, basketball and volleyball players – lateral box jumps increase lower-body explosiveness.
Lateral jumps on the trampoline strengthen the ankles, hips and glutes. This exercise develops explosive strength necessary in many sports such as, gymnastics and wakeboarding. In fact, wakeboarders repeatedly practice their movements on the trampoline to perfect their tricks before hitting the water. Use the trampoline to add variety in your workouts.
The Lateral Jump Burpee is a great exercise for football, volleyball, and martial arts. The Lateral Jump Burpee strengthens the whole body. For a challenging metabolic workout perform for 60 seconds, rest 60 seconds and repeat for five reps. Find an open field to perform the Lateral Jump Burpee.
The lateral lunge thrust alternating legs strengthens the legs, hips, torso, arms and shoulders. Lateral lunge thrusts develop and strengthen basic motor patterns. The lateral movement increases inner thigh flexibility. This is a great bodyweight conditioning exercise that can be performed at home or in the gym. Use dumbbells for increased upper body demand.
Lateral lunge touchdown and thrust strengthens the legs, hips, torso, arms and shoulders. This bodyweight exercise strengthens basic motor patterns and provides a great conditioning workout. Alternating legs provides a balanced, full-body workout. Lateral lunge touchdown and thrust is a perfect for drill for basketball players due to the side-to-side movement and upper-body component. Use a medicine ball for added resistance.
Lateral lunges with rotation are a great exercise for basketball and tennis. This exercise develops and strengthens basic motor patterns and transfers well to the court. Rotation during the exercise activates the core muscles and provides stimulation for the core. Holding a medicine ball or dumbbell will further challenge your trunk muscles.
The Lateral Lunging Cross Body Muscle Snatch is a great exercise to enhance coordination. It uses most of the muscles in your body and teaches them to work together in the most efficient manner. This is a great exercise for beginners to get their body moving in different directions.
The lateral shuffle is a dynamic warm-up drill that mimics performance in sport. Rest periods can be kept to a minimum in order to challenge the cardiovascular system. For best results keep a low center of gravity. This exercise requires the hips and hamstrings to decelerate before alternating directions. Deceleration is a common cause of many sport-specific injuries. Perform the lateral shuffle for added agility and quickness.
The narrow stance barbell half squat is a good way to build strength in the legs. Using a narrow stance adds variety and challenges the legs in a slightly different way. Only squatting halfway allows you to use more weight than a full squat. Always keep your back straight and your weight on your heels when squatting.
The A-Bound exercise can be used as a dynamic warm-up or plyometric, lower-body exercise. No equipment is needed so it can be done by almost anyone, anywhere. You might find this exercise in strength and conditioning program for basketball, track and filed, soccer and football. A good base level of lower body strength and conditioning is desired before attempting the A-Bound.
The alternating split-squat jump is not for beginners. This exercise is very demanding and requires a strong base before attempting. After performing a few reps you will feel like you ran wind sprints. It’s a good exercise for building strength and explosiveness for sports such as basketball, volleyball and other jumping sports. While building strength this exercise is also good for cardiovascular endurance. You might consider this exercise if you are cross training.
The Backward Jump Burpee is perfect for improving performance in football, volleyball, and martial arts. The Backward Jump Burpee strengthens the whole body, while developing explosive power in the legs. Perform the Backward Jump Burpee with the Forward and Lateral-Jump Burpee for a terrific metabolic workout.
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