Lower Body Strength and Tendon Resilience
(Week 12, Power Sprint Program)Day Overview
This session focuses on building maximal leg strength, enhancing tendon and Achilles resilience, and supporting explosive power for football. The exercises are selected to promote muscle hypertrophy, joint stability, and injury prevention, with an aggressive intensity to push strength gains. Emphasis is placed on heavy compound lifts, controlled eccentric movements, and plyometric elements to translate weightroom strength onto the field. The workout balances heavy sets with explosive reps to improve speed and reduce injury risk.
Exercises
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• Barbell Squats
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, positioning the barbell across your upper back and shoulders. Keep your chest up, core engaged, and back straight. Initiate the movement by hinging at the hips and bending the knees to lower your body as if sitting back into a chair. Keep your knees tracking over your toes and ensure your heels remain flat on the ground. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below, then drive through your heels to return to the starting position. Maintain proper posture throughout, avoiding forward leaning or rounding the back. Use the Smith machine or power rack to guide the bar's movement, providing stability and safety during the squat.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps with a heavy load, aiming for an RPE of 8-9. Focus on maintaining proper depth and controlled eccentric to strengthen tendons and improve explosive power. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets. This exercise is key for overall leg strength and tendon health, supporting your goal of building fast, powerful legs.
Working Sets:
4
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• Romanian Deadlift
Focus on hamstring engagement by lowering the barbell with a slight knee bend while keeping the back straight.
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 3 sets of 8 reps with a challenging weight, RPE 8. Maintain a slight bend in the knees and focus on a slow, controlled eccentric to target hamstrings and glutes, enhancing tendon and Achilles strength. Rest 2 minutes between sets. This movement supports posterior chain development and tendon resilience.
Working Sets:
3
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• Leg Press
Sit on the leg press machine and push the platform with your legs to extend your knees.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 8-10 reps at an RPE of 8. Use a heavy load but ensure full range of motion and controlled tempo. Rest 2 minutes between sets. This exercise allows for high-volume overload to build muscle mass and strength in the quads and glutes, aiding in explosive power.
Working Sets:
4
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• Walking Lunges
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.
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps per leg with bodyweight or light dumbbells, RPE 7-8. Focus on stability and controlled movement to improve tendon strength and balance, crucial for injury prevention and speed. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
Working Sets:
3
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• Calf Raises (Standing or Seated)
Stand upright with feet hip-width apart, ensuring balance. For standing calf raises, lift your heels off the ground by pushing through the balls of your feet, engaging your calf muscles, then slowly lower back down. For seated calf raises, sit on a bench or chair with feet flat on the ground, place weight on your knees if desired, then raise your heels by pushing through the balls of your feet, and lower back down slowly. Keep your knees slightly bent or straight depending on variation. Maintain a controlled movement, avoid bouncing, and focus on squeezing the calf muscles at the top of the movement.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps with a slow eccentric phase, RPE 8. Use bodyweight or added weight for overload. Focus on full range of motion to strengthen Achilles tendons and improve ankle stability, supporting speed and injury resistance.
Working Sets:
4
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• Reverse Hyperextension
Use a specialized machine to work the posterior chain by raising your legs from a prone position.
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 3 sets of 10-12 reps, RPE 8. Focus on controlled hip extension to strengthen posterior chain tendons and reduce injury risk. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
Working Sets:
3
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• Plyometric Box Jumps
Stand facing a sturdy plyometric box or platform with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and hips to lower into a quarter squat, then explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles to jump onto the box, aiming to land softly with knees slightly bent. Keep your core engaged and chest up throughout the movement. Step down carefully one foot at a time to return to the starting position. Focus on explosive power and proper landing mechanics to reduce impact stress.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 8 reps with explosive effort, RPE 9. Focus on soft landings and quick rebound to develop fast-twitch fibers, improve reactive strength, and enhance speed. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
Working Sets:
3
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• Ab Wheel Rollout
Kneel holding ab wheel, roll forward extending body, roll back contracting abs.
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 3 sets of 10 reps, RPE 8. Engage core and maintain a neutral spine to support overall stability and transfer of power during athletic movements. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
Working Sets:
3