Building Stronger Legs 

Today’s blog focuses on 2 exercises which are great for developing your leg strength and power. 

– Roman Chair Hip Hinge

– Explosive Box Jumps 

These exercises also assist in lower and upper back strength in addition to stability. You can do these exercises separately in straight set format ( for example 3 sets of 12 repititions with an appropriae rest period in between sets). Alternatively if you’re looking to increase the intensity you can perform these in superset format (this is where you combine both exercises back to back with no rest time. For example perform 12 x Roman chair hip hinges then complete 10 Explosive Box Jumps immediately afterwards).

Before going into more detail please click on the below link to see my client Nat demonstrate both exercises.   

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

Nat is back in training for a potential Boxing match in March and the man is an absolute machine! 

The video you have just watched was from a recent session of ours and we have been focusing on developing his posterior chain. Our body’s posterior chain is the group of muscles on the posterior (back) part of our body. These muscles include the hamstrings, glutes, calves,  lower and upper back). 

The Romain Chair Hip Hinge (extension)

The Key points when performing this exercise are as follows:

– Keep knees slighly bent (not locked out!)

– Ensure your hips are not directly on the end of the Roman Chair, you want the end of the roman chair to be in contact with the top of your thighs which will allow you movement at the hip

– Maintain a good neutral spine throughout and not to arch your lower back. This will cause a large lower back pump which is highly uncomfortable

– Enagage your hamstrings, abdominals and glutes before initiating the downward movement

– Only move from hips in a hinge format

– Use your hamstrings and glutes to pull yourself back up to the neutral body position

– Remember do not go too high which will lead to you arching your lower back!

Perorming this exercise brings many benefits which include:

– Increased posterior chain development

 -Increased potential for power output

-Injury prevention

– Improved performance on compound lifts such as squat and deadlift 

Explosive Box jumps 

This exercise is used to help train the Stretch shortening cycle (a lengthening muscle contraction followed immediately by a shortening contraction of that same muscle) Eccentric – Concentric. Training the Stretch shortening cycle can assist in more powerful movements which in Nat’s case is essential for boxing.  The Key points when performing explosive box jumps are as follows:

– Start in front of the box with feet just inside shoulder width stance 

– Lower yourself into a quarter squat keeping your head and back neutral (Bend from the hips then at the knees)

– Using your arms explosively jump off the floor and land on the box ensuring your knees DO NOT buckle inwards

– Stand upright to complete the movement

– The longer you stay in the quarter squat position the less power you will generate for the box jump (Amoritization phase).

In this example Nat performed 12 hip hinges followed by 10 controlled explosive power box jumps.