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AFM Magazine


A Full Lower Body Workout

by: Rob Biasotti
Strength and Conditioning Coach, St. Thomas Aquinas High School (FL)
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For our complete lower body workout, we have six rotating stations. Over the course of our training period, we begin with joint and postural stabilization and then conclude with training to express force quickly. The primary goal in this phase is strength endurance, joint and posture stabilization, and a strict focus on technique. Just because you’re in one phase does not mean that components of other phases will not be present. We always warm up and do core, stretch, and/or meditation at the end of each workout.
    All stations, besides stations two and six, call for weight loads allowing the athlete to perform between eight and twelve reps with a controlled slow temp. Anything over 12 reps requires an increase in load and anything under 8 reps requires a decrease in loads. Stations two and six are explosive elastic movements where the tempo is full speed and the rep count is in the area of 6.

Station 1

•  DB split squat.
•  Prone - manual hamstrings.
 
    The dumbbell split squat is a compound movement that engages a range of muscles including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core. It also enhances balance and posture. The players hold dumbbells in each hand and stand with their feet hip-width apart. They then move one foot back to achieve a staggered stance, maintaining good posture. They start the movement by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg. They then repeat on the other side.
    We focus on balance in the design. A split squat is an anterior (front side movement at the knee). Therefore, we need to balance that with a posterior (back side) movement. The prone manual hamstring is a partner movement that strengthens the hamstrings through a full range of motion. It is a beginner movement that offers resistance in both directions. Hamstring strength and activation play a major role in the simulation sequence of other muscles that are involved in football movements like running and jumping. Weak hamstrings lead to imbalances, lack of activation, compensations, poor performance and injury.

Station 2

•  Box jumps 6 reps - fully explosive
   - fully rested before beginning next set.
•  Band anterior Tib movement.

    Box jumps are a power movement that are built into phase 1.The instructions concerning box height selection is the ability to land like a jungle cat in a quarter squat. You begin with the athlete lowering himself into a quarter squat. The player then coordinates arm action and hip extension to jump as high and fast as he can. Then he lands like a cat in a quarter squat position and steps off the box and resets.
    This has elements of an explosive movement in the jump phase combined with the idea that you can stop the force in an efficient and stable manner to ready yourself for the next athletic movement. This movement needs to pass the look test. If it doesn’t look athletic and powerful, something is wrong. Additionally, we coach our athletes that every jump must be at full power. Any perceived decrease in power or speed and the exercise is done. We usually have them do six reps.They are asked to fully recover between sets.
    For band or partner anterior Tib work, we use bands that are attached to the upper foot and to a bench or pole and we ask our athletes to dorsiflex and plantarflex  their feet through the full range of motion to strengthen their anterior tibialis.  We also do this by asking them to sit on their butt with the heels of their feet touching the ground and their toes in the air. Their partner grabs the top of both feet with his hands and offers resistance by trying to push the foot down.         Once the foot is down, the player on his butt tries to bring his toes up while his partner offers resistance in that direction. Much of the force reduction of walking, running and jumping is controlled by the anterior tibialis. A weak anterior tib can lead to conditions like shin splints.

Station 3

•  Air squats or barbell squats with perfect form - 15 reps.
•  Lying down straight leg hip abduction
- 30 reps on each side.

    Squats are one of the anchor movements in our program and we want to teach them in the first phase to avoid any injuries but also get the benefits of the exercise by doing it right. We are more concerned with technique than load as some of our younger athletes have never done this movement before. Squats are a total body exercise that strengthens the legs, core and promotes body wide muscle – building. We demand perfect posture in all of our movements.  
    We ask our athletes to begin by placing their feet shoulder-width apart. They bend their knees, hips and ankles until their thighs are parallel to the ground or at 90 degrees. The spine must stay in a neutral position at all times – Posture, Posture, Posture! They then recover to a standing position and repeat.
    Side lying hip abduction is a way we enhance the core by providing pelvic stability. We ask our athletes to lie on one side with one leg on top of the other. They should be straight at the ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder. Concerning their top leg, the foot should be dorsiflexed with the side of their foot parallel to the ceiling. They then abduct the entire leg while the rest of the body remains in a stable position on the floor. This movement strengthens hip abductor muscles and improves core, posture and balance issues.


Station 4

•  Barbell straight leg Romanian Deadlift - 135 max, feet hip width apart - 15 reps.
•  Wall calves -  15 reps.
•  Hip bridges - 15 reps.

    We think the deadlift is a beneficial movement as long as the athlete keeps the weight light and his posture perfect. No matter how strong our players are, they are not to exceed 135 lbs. on this lift and the tempo is slow and controlled. The spine must remain neutral. This exercise allows us to work the muscles of the posterior chain and specifically the hamstrings. A host of other muscles assist in this movement and act as stabilizers including the glutes and back muscles.
    The athlete starts with the feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent. He grabs the barbell, keeping the bar close to his body as his butt sticks out and the chest is up. The athlete then slowly lowers himself until he feels a slight stretch in his hamstrings keeping a neutral spine. He stands back up and repeats for 15 reps in a slow, controlled manner.
Wall calves - with great posture, we ask our athletes to put both hands on a wall leaning at a 60-degree angle. They then come to a triple extension on the ball of their foot. The other knee should come up at the same time to a 90-degree angle with the foot dorsiflexed. They then repeat this for 15 reps. Muscles strengthened are the gastrocnemius and soleus.

Hip Bridge – Our athletes lie down on the floor in a supine position on their back. They then bring their knees up with their heels touching the floor toes up. They lift their glutes in the air and hold, pausing at the top. Then they repeat the same movement. Weak glute activation causes other muscles of the back and hamstrings to do the work of an under-activated glute causing compensations and injury.

Station 5

Single leg balance station - 15 reps for each movement while the other leg never touches the ground. If the athlete loses balance, he brings it right back up.

•  Single leg straight RDL.
•  Windmills.
•  Standing glute medius.
•  Single leg squat.

    All of these exercises are performed on one leg as the athlete tries to tolerate as many exercises and reps as possible. Athletes are supposed to maintain perfect posture and a neutral spine at all times. This may be the most important station we do. It helps improve posture, core stability, muscle coordination and works the muscles that stabilize the hips. Gravity, perfect posture, and balance work help fix muscle imbalances. Switch legs and repeat until the station is complete.


Station 6
 
•  Hammer pulls - 6 reps each set is performed after you have fully recovered.

    The athlete grabs the lower bars of the hammer pull. He lowers himself into a quarter squat and pauses. He then explodes using glute/hip action which causes the weight to move and shrugs at the top of the movement and then repeats for six reps.The explosion to the hips allows the athlete to move at or near top speed employing triple extension. Anything less than top speed requires the athlete to lower the load. It must pass the look test for being clean, athletic, and full speed. Posture must remain perfect throughout movement. As soon as the movement becomes less than full speed, the exercise is done. p

About the Author: St. Thomas Aquinas Strength and Conditioning Coach Rob Biasotti and Head Coach Rocco Casullo have recently completed a DVD on motivating your team to maximize weight room results. The DVD is now available at AFMvideos.com.






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