HFL’s WEIGHTLESS LEG WORKOUT:
Back in the 1980’s there was a fitness company called Health for Life. The company was started by Jerry Robinson who graduated from Stanford with a degree in Biomechanics. Health for Life or HFL as it came to be known; was a company ahead of it’s time. They produced many books and videos which applied current science to strength training and conditioning. Some of their most well know programs include the titles “Legendary Abs”, “Power Forearms” and “Synerstretch”.
I was always a fan of the HFL courses and still own every book they ever produced. Below is an excellent bodyweight leg training program which comes from one of the lesser known HFL titles, “The Weightless Workout”. I have used this program extensively both personally and with my clients. Give it a try, I am sure you will find it very effective.
1. One-Legged Squats @ 8-10 reps each leg
2. One-Legged Hamstring Bridges @ 8-10 reps each leg
3. Sustained Tension Side Leg Raises @ 8-10 reps each leg
4. Modified Russian Lunges @ 6-8 reps each leg
5. Running Stairs @ 10-20 Floors
The Basic introductory level is: one set each of the first three movements only.
Level (1) is: 2 sets of the first three movements and 1 set of the fourth.
Level (2) is: 4 sets of movement 1, 3 sets of movement 2, 2 sets of movement 3, 3 sets of movement 4, plus the stair running.
Each series should be done with no rest between exercises.
Stay on a level as long as it is challenging. You can do all the sets of one exercise and then move on to the next or do one leg all the way through the series before returning to do the other side.
Exercise descriptions:
1. ONE-LEGGED SQUATS: Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arms length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall out ward 45 degrees. Bend the other leg (non-weight-bearing) back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position. Repeat for desired number of reps, and then repeat with other leg.
2. ONE-LEGGED HAMSTRING BRIDGE: These are killers if you have never tried them look out! Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor (as if you just threw a knee). Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body (imagine you are pulling your heel in to your butt but it doesn’t move so your hips lift up instead). Lower and repeat for desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. You can control the resistance and the degree to which the Glutes contribute by changing the distance you place your heel relative to your buttocks. The greater the distance, the greater the stress on the hamstrings. The lesser the distance, the greater the Glutes contribute to the movement. For most, only the position with the legs almost fully extended will offer sufficient resistance to make the exercise effective.
3. SUSTAINED TENSION SIDE LEG RAISES: support your self by holding onto a fixed vertical pole. A fence post or lamp will do, as will the edge of an open door. Position your self, sideways to the pole. Angle the foot closest to the pole as if you were doing a classic side-kick. Raise your leg straight out to the side as high as it will go. Don’t worry if it won’t go up very high. Your foot should be parallel to the floor. You should be able to draw a straight line through your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you bend forward at the waist, or twist over so you are facing down, rather then sideways, you decrease the stress on the target muscles. Slowly lower your leg from the raised position, but only by a foot or so. Then reverse direction and go back up. (Don’t bounce as you change direction.) Repeat up and down never touching your foot to the ground, for the desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. Add ankle weights when it gets to easy in the standard version.
4. MODIFIED RUSSIAN LUNGES: Begin in lunge position, bent at the waist, with your weight over your toes of the front foot and your rear leg extended behind you, slightly to the outside. Your chest should nearly rest on your forward thigh. Slowly push yourself up about 6-8 inches; you should also travel slightly forward. Lift your rear foot off the ground as you push your self up. The angles at your hip and waist must not change during the exercise-in other words; your chest should remain in the same relation to your thigh throughout the movement. Lower and repeat for the desired number of reps. Repeat on the other leg. When done right these are felt in the Glutes a great deal. Tweak until you know you are hitting the right position.
5. RUNNING STAIRS: Try doing 10-20 one-story sprints, preferably two stairs at a time. Work up to that number slowly! Also be careful to keep one hand on the stair rail to catch yourself if you lose your balance. To limit the aerobic component run up and walk back down in between sprints. To increase resistance add a weighted vest or a backpack full of heavy books or sandbags.
This workout is excellent for soccer players or any athlete looking to maximize performance using no extra equipment. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
PAU for Now
TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv
Time Progression Interval Training
I am adding this plan as a continuation of my GPP series for soccer players. (See the Blog post immediately following this one) Ultimately this workout could be used by any open field sport player such as Lacrosse, Rugby, Field Hockey, etc. who wishes to improve his/her GPP for their sport. (GPP: General Physical Preparedness) Finally this plan may also be used by anyone interested in getting in great running shape using a short sprint format.
This program lasts one month and is broken in to four, week-long phases. During each week you will sprint on three, non-consecutive days such as Monday-Wednesday-Friday. The only equipment required is a 100 yard athletic field, a stop watch and some good shoes to run in. I usually use an all weather artificial turf field to assure a smooth, even running surface. If you do not have access to such a field, make sure the field you choose is free of gopher holes, rocks and ruts as well as any other garbage or debris. We do not want any twisted or broken ankles or worse.
Begin with a pre-test to ascertain your current best time on a 100-yard sprint with a running start. From this number we will then create our time progression interval goal times. We will do this by adding 4-6 seconds to the best 100-yard time. As an example, if the best 100-yard time is 12 seconds, the time for repetitions of the 100-yard sprint during week one of the time progression interval sessions would be 12 + 4-6 = 16-18 seconds.
Below you will find an example of this training plan based on the pre-test running times listed above. The idea is to start each phase by running sub-maximal efforts and build over the four weeks to doing repeats of your best time. Take 7-10 days off after each four week block before starting a new cycle.
During the first week and there after, It will be easiest to complete this plan if you have a friend or training partner help keep you on pace by shouting out times as you run. Another way to do this is by having the partner blow a whistle at ¼ intervals of the goal time as you run.
EXAMPLE:
PHASE 1: For the first week strive to run 5-15 sprints at the 18 second pace, deciding when you can handle more. Athletes should rest 60-90 seconds between sprints (more if you have to). Be sure to warm-up and cool-down for 3-5 minutes before and after each session. Repeat this workout two more times that week.
5X 100 in 18 seconds with 60-90 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 18 seconds with 60-90 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 18 seconds with 60-90 seconds recovery.
PHASE 2:During week two strive for more consistency in your application of both work and rest. Repeat the workout below on three non-consecutive days such as Monday – Wednesday – Friday. Be sure to warm-up and cool-down for 3-5 minutes before and after each session.
5X 100 in 17 seconds with 60 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 16 seconds with 60 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 15 seconds with 60 seconds recovery.
PHASE 3: During week three repeat the workout below on three non-consecutive days such as Monday – Wednesday – Friday. Be sure to warm-up and cool-down for 3-5 minutes before and after each session.
5X 100 in 15 seconds with 55 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 14 seconds with 55 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 13 seconds with 50 seconds recovery
PHASE 4: During week four repeat the workout below on three non-consecutive days such as Monday – Wednesday – Friday. Be sure to warm-up and cool-down for 3-5 minutes before and after each session.
5X 100 in 13 seconds with 50 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 12 seconds with 45 seconds rest. Walk 2-4 minutes.
5X 100 in 12 seconds with 40 seconds recovery
Well there you have it a simple yet challenging way of gaining fitness using nothing but a 100-yard sports field. Keep in mind that similar programs could be easily developed for longer distances such as 200 – 400 – 800 meter sprints. For the longer distance programs a running track would be more suitable.
PAU for NOW
TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv
Bodyweight Conditioning for Sport
The following is an excellent GPP, body-weight circuit for soccer players. Although soccer was the catalyst for creating the circuit, it’s an excellent program for all-around athletic conditioning in general. Just because you may not play soccer doesn’t mean this protocol won’t apply. Give it a shot.
The circuit is comprised of six different exercises done in order with the goal being to finish three total circuits as fast as possible. The six exercises are as follows:
1. ) Half Squat jumps: Athlete crouches until the knees are at 90 degrees and then drives up off the ground as high as possible, landing in an athletic jump stance. Repeat.
2.) Push-ups: I will not bother explaining this one as it is such a classic.
3.) Prone trunk extension: Lying prone With hands out in front (like Superman or clasped behind the head, lift shoulders and chest off of the ground as far as possible, Lower slowly, repeat.
4.) Squat Thrusts: From a standing position the athlete squats down and places their hands flat on the ground. They then thrust their feet back into a push-up position, jump back to a crouch, and then stand erect. Repeat.
5.) Sit-ups: Any sit-up variation will do here. I like elbows to knees. Lay on the ground with the knees up at 90 degrees. Place the palms of the hands on the forehead. Bring the elbows towards the knees without bringing the knees to the elbows. Repeat.
6.) Ten-Yard Shuttle Run: The athlete sprints between two markers set ten yards apart, bending to touch the marker at each end as they turn.
To help make the training a little more specific to each individual’s
fitness level, I recommend the following steps:
1.) Begin with a pre-test to ascertain the correct amount of work to be done during each circuit.
2.) Once the pre-test has been completed the athletes should attempt to complete three circuits three times a week for three weeks
3.) After three weeks the athletes should take 3-5 days off and then re-test to establish new work loads.
The test itself is quite simple. See how many repetitions of each exercise can be completed in sixty *seconds. Then each athlete should do 50% of that number in each exercise of each of the three circuits. For example, Athlete A completed 30 pushups in 60 seconds. For the next workout athlete A would then do 15 push-ups in each of the three circuits for a total of 45 push-ups in that workout. This is a great workout for younger players as well as anyone looking to build a solid fitness base for the game of soccer. As athletes progress in their fitness ability other tools may be added to make this workout more challenging such as Med-Balls, Resistance bands, weighted vests, sandbags etc.
Well I hope you enjoy this little circuit workout. Have fun and train hard.
PAU for NOW
TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv
*Although this circuit is designed do be done as quickly as possible, each athlete should be coached to perform the movements with perfect form. If the form breaks down too much injury could occur. We want movement that we can control at all times, even when fatigued.
