Stability Workout

Important notes before beginning:

  • Begin with half the number of listed sets and half the number of listed reps (i.e. 1/4 of the total workout). Start with no added weights for exercises below that use them. Seriously, if you’re not used to this workout, you will be very sore and your legs will feel like jello. The sets, reps, and weights listed are for once you have fully acclimated to it, and can do it every day. Slowly ramp up over a few weeks once you’ve gotten used to it.
  • Please listen to your body. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong. If something hurts, stop doing the workout. This may be the first time some of you have done a workout like this. It’s better to be safe than injured.
  • Form and mechanics are far more important than the number of sets and reps. Doing these slowly but with correct form is much better than quickly but with bad form. Bad form can actually cause injuries. Start slow, and learn to do it correctly.
  • If you don’t have a resistance band, contact the GHS coaches.
  • You’ll notice that there’s a ton of single leg exercises. That’s very intentional. It strengthens ankles a ton, which decreases likelihood of rolling or spraining it. For reference, Steph Curry’s ankles were awful his first few years in the NBA. He switched to mostly single leg exercises, and the rest is history. Stronger ankles also means your change of direction can be that much quicker.https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14750602/how-golden-state-warriors-stephen-curry-got-best-worst-ankles-sports

And the actual workout:

  • Single leg chair squats — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN4kzpBPpyk — 4 sets on each leg x 8 reps, so 8 sets total. Alternate legs. Make sure on the planted foot, the knee never goes forward of the toe.
  • Side step with resistance band — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZgvMJhGr0 — 4 sets, each set = go sideways about 10 yards and come back. Alternate which sideways direction you go to start each set.
  • Skate step with resistance band — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otrZdtPqJek  — with the same process as side steps above, but go forwards / backwards instead of sideways. Make sure your hips are properly oriented. This video shows the resistance band around knees, I would recommend around ankles as shown in the side step video.
  • Single leg deadlifts — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84hrdsHgDuQ — 3 sets each leg x 8 reps. At a gym this can be done with kettlebells, but for home workouts you can just use a full gallon jug of water. Start with no weight, then after a week or two use a half gallon (= 4 pounds), then after another week or two use one gallon of water (= 8 pounds). For note, I can two leg deadlift 225 pounds. In comparison, my single leg deadlift record is only 30 pounds. Don’t try to overdo it, 8 pounds is already quite a bit.
  • Squat jumps — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-cFYWvaHr0 — 3 sets x 8 reps. Try to find a park bench (or similar) so you’re jumping from ground level to about 16 inches off the ground.
  • Single leg calf raises — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ipHzKeAkQ — 3 sets each leg x 8 reps. The video shows regular two-legged calf raises, but the one-legged version is the same except for, well… only on one leg. It is really important to let your heels go below (“decline”) the step as far as you can — this exercise, especially the declination portion, is the only stretch / exercise that has been shown to prevent Achilles tendon injury.
  • Probably not to start, but something to slowly implement if you continue with this routine, is to time limit the entire workout. It forces time limits on the rest periods. For a person regularly doing this workout, it can be finished in about 35 minutes.
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