Lower Body Power & Tendon Support

Box Jumps are a plyometric exercise where you start in a standing position facing a sturdy box or platform. From a slight squat, explosively jump upward, propelling your body onto the box with both feet landing softly and knees slightly bent to absorb the impact. Step down carefully and repeat. Proper form involves keeping your chest up, core engaged, and landing softly to reduce joint stress. This exercise primarily targets the lower body, especially the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, while also engaging the core for stability.

Sit on the leg press machine with your back flat against the pad and place your feet high and wide on the platform, approximately shoulder-width apart or wider, with toes pointing slightly outward. Keep your knees in line with your feet throughout the movement. Push through your heels to extend your legs, avoiding locking out the knees at the top. Slowly lower the platform back toward your chest by bending your knees, maintaining control and proper form. This variation emphasizes the glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs, while also engaging the quadriceps. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine and avoiding excessive arching or rounding of the back during the exercise.

Begin by standing upright with feet hip-width apart. Step forward with your right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. Keep your torso upright and your front knee aligned over your ankle. Push through the heel of your front foot to stand up and bring your back foot forward into the next lunge position, stepping ahead into a new lunge. Continue alternating legs in a walking motion, maintaining proper form throughout. Keep your core engaged, shoulders back, and avoid letting your front knee go past your toes.

Calf raises are exercises that target the calf muscles, primarily the gastrocnemius and soleus. To perform the exercise, stand upright on a step or flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. For standing calf raises, keep your legs straight and lift your heels off the ground by pushing through the balls of your feet, then slowly lower back down. For seated calf raises, sit on a bench with your feet flat on a step or elevated surface, place weight (if available) on your knees, and raise your heels by pushing through the balls of your feet, then lower slowly. Maintain proper posture by keeping your core engaged and avoid bouncing to ensure controlled movement. The exercise effectively works the calf muscles, improving strength and endurance.

This exercise involves using a dedicated hip abduction and adduction machine to target the muscles around the hips. For hip abduction, sit upright and place your outer thighs against the pads, then slowly move your legs outward against the resistance, focusing on squeezing the outer hip muscles. For hip adduction, position your legs inside the pads and bring your legs together against resistance, engaging the inner thigh muscles. Maintain an upright posture throughout, avoid using momentum, and perform controlled movements. Keep your core engaged to stabilize your pelvis and prevent leaning or swinging. This exercise primarily targets the hip abductors and adductors, which are important for hip stability and mobility.

To perform reverse hyperextensions, lie face down on a hyperextension bench with your hips positioned at the edge. Secure your legs under the pads or supports. Keep your arms crossed over your chest or behind your head. Engage your glutes and lower back muscles to lift your legs and hips upward, extending your hips and legs behind you in a controlled manner. Avoid using momentum; focus on muscle engagement. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout. Keep your neck in a neutral position and avoid overarching your lower back during the movement.

This exercise combines hip mobility drills such as hip circles and the Cat-Cow stretch to improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips and lower back. To perform hip circles, stand on one leg or both legs and rotate the hips in a circular motion, keeping the torso stable. For the Cat-Cow stretch, start on hands and knees, alternate between arching your back (Cow) and rounding it (Cat), focusing on spinal flexibility. Maintain controlled movements, engage core muscles for stability, and breathe steadily throughout. These drills target the hips, lower back, and core muscles, enhancing overall mobility and reducing stiffness.