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If you're looking for a unique way to pulverize your entire lower body try this eccentric accentuated 2:1 BANA (bilateral assisted negative accentuated) kickstand squat. There are several reasons why this is so effective for producing incredible levels of functional strength and hypertrophy in the legs. Read more at the following link: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/eccentric-accentuated-training-legs

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Eccentric Isometric Kickstand Squat with Hanging Band Technique: The combo of 90 deg eccentric isometrics, hanging band technique (HBT) & kickstand makes these one of the best functional strength & hypertrophy exercises. HBT method creates oscillating kinetic energy & chaotic perturbations the lifter must learn to control by dialing in mechanics. Kickstand (semi-single leg) also provides a great way to incorporate single leg training without sacrificing load typically associated with true single leg exercises.

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(Note: If you don't have access to a trap bar simply use a standard barbell). Here is a deceptively brutal single leg ab rollout on a trap bar. This may not look like a large or difficult movement but performing ab rollouts with a trap bar (particularly with the top handles) is one of the most challenging anti-extension core exercises you’ll ever attempt. I recommend starting with the kneeling variation, then progressing to the bottom handles, before progressing to the feet. The trap bar rollout has several distinct benefits over other ab rollouts.

1. The trap bar provides a substantial leverage disadvantage in comparison to a normal ab rollout making the concentric phase (the portion where you roll the weight back to the starting position) exponentially more difficult thereby maximizing intramuscular tension to the core. Trap bar rollouts also crush the lats, triceps, chest, & shoulder stabilizers similar to pullovers.

2. They’re much more shoulder friendly because of the wider neutral grip. Most if not all ab rollouts involve a close pronated grip which can commonly cause shoulder issues when performing any type of repeated shoulder flexion/extension pattern. This variation resolves that.

3. Trap bar rollouts help eliminate sagging hips & excessive range of motion via hyperextension that so many liters employ with rollouts. If you roll out too far with these not only will it be nearly impossible to pull the bar back to the starting position but the bar will also twist & rotate rather than staying parallel to the ground. That's because too much force will be driving into the bar with horizontal force vectors rather than vertical force vectors.

4. Besides adding weight to the lifter’s back one of the best ways to progress this is to simply add load to the barbell as the heavier load creates greater friction forces the lifter must overcome to move the bar back to the starting position.

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These are one of the most deceptively challenging core exercises particularly on the obliques and transverse abs as the level of anti-rotation, and anti-lateral flexion involved is enormously high.

Adding the bear crawl position to this movement helps to insure that the lumbar spine doesn’t move into excessive extension and also helps maximize deep intramuscular core activation due to the dual-core activation which targets the muscles of both the lumbar flexors and hip flexors. In fact, many variable resistance companies frequently attempt to build abdominal machines that involve simultaneous lumbar flexion and hip flexion. Additionally, many popular ab exercises including hanging leg raises, knee tucks, jackknives, v-ups, and pike ups are also employed with the notion that targeting both the core and hips together will produce greater activation of the abs. When combined with this lateral rollout protocol the core activation is through the roof.

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Foot & ankle training is perhaps the single most neglected & underrated component of performance, fitness, & health. Without proper foot & ankle mechanics it’s literally impossible to perform any lower body exercises correctly which includes squats, lunges, hinges, jumps, running, sprinting, & yes even walking mechanics will be amiss.

While I employ dozens of foot drills for my athletes, single leg balancing drills are some of the best. Add an offset component such as shown here which produces an extreme valgus force on the ankle (due to the contralateral loading) making it want to pronate, & you’ve got yourself one incredible foot activation drill. It also helps prevent fallen arches & valgus ankle & knee collapse.

It’s important to highlight that many lower body deviations, dysfunctions, & faulty mechanics we see in sports & fitness such as hip & knee collapse are directly related to the feet & visa versa. Simply, feet & ankles impact everything just as hips & knees impact the feet & ankles. If one is not firing right it directly impact the other. It’s very easy to neglect the feet & ankles but it can have large consequences throughout the kinetic chain.

These can also be performed with the weight loaded ipsilaterally which can help athletes who over supinate their feet or have bow legging. If the athlete does favor one dysfunction over the other (i.e. valgus or varus collapse), then we will include both variations.

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Here are two of my football players performing a unique but effective eccentric isometric double rebound weighted squat jump. Prince and CJ will also be trying out for synchronized jumping in the 2020 summer Olympics, so wish them luck.

This eccentric isometric double rebound jumping technique is something I’ve been using consistently with athletes as it allows us to take employ the best of all worlds when it comes to performance training. The eccentric isometric allows the athlete to hone in on their technique and form. That’s because the eccentric emphasis creates greater muscle spindle activation and proprioceptive feedback thereby helping the athlete fine-tune their positioning and body mechanics. By employing this immediately prior to the double rebound plyometric jump this helps the athlete jump and land with superior technique than had they not employed the eccentric isometric. In other words this technique allows us to train both body mechanics and explosive plyometric-based activities at the same time.

This does wonders not only for improving jump performance and explosive power but also for teaching athletes how to absorb force and decelerate with maximal motor control. I recommend starting with bodyweight and dialing in your form before progressing to additional loading. Several sets of 2-4 double rebound jumps will suffice for this intense yet highly effective explosive movement.

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The single leg deadlift with the iron grip landmine plate setup as shown by my awesome client Kim is one of the best ways to perform single arm and single leg deadlifts combined.

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The kickstand protocol RDL with a trap bar as shown by NFL athlete Julian Williams is a great way to unilaterally crush the posterior chain without balance being so difficult like it would be with a traditional single leg RDL. Read more HERE.

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The ipsilateral incline dumbbell row is not only surprisingly difficult but it also does wonders for improving horizontal pulling mechanics and rowing form. It actually feels quite similar to a renegade row in terms of core activation and anti-rotation except it’s impossible to cheat or twist your body. Here’s one of my NFL quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke showing how it’s done while also producing a strong isometric squeeze in the contracted position.

Incline dumbbell rows are some of my favorite rowing exercises for crushing the upper back and lats. Unfortunately there’s very little core and abdominal activation occurring throughout as the lifter is simply resting his or her chest against the bench. By performing these in an ipsilateral fashion not only does the lifter create a strong muscle mind connection with the lats as a result of being forced to slow the movement down and use smooth form but this taxes the daylights out of the entire core. In fact, many of my athletes will comment that it feels like they’re about to be yanked off the side of the bench unless they aggressively fire their core and maintain tall and rigid posture. Any deviation in spinal alignment or core activation will make these nearly impossible to perform especially with appreciable loads.

The ipsilateral row is also one of the most effective rowing exercises I’ve ever used for teaching proper range of motion during rows and horizontal pulls. Most individuals overstretch in the bottom position of rows while allowing excessive protraction and shoulder rounding. In addition many lifters tend to over-pull or over-row in the in the contracted position allowing the elbow to move too far past the torso. Doing either of these will destabilize the spine making it difficult to maintain body position and motor control. As a result the lifter will be required to terminate the end range of motion at the appropriate position which happens to be more compact than what’s typically preached in the fitness industry. In other words it ingrains crisp 90-degree mechanics with optimal ROM not excessive ROM. Read more HERE.

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The sprinter bird dog row shown by NFL athlete Dee Virgin and Austin Larkin is a great core, back, and hamstring exercise. The bent leg position targets the hamstrings more than the traditional straight leg which is more glutes.

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Although the ipsilateral incline dumbbell press can be performed with the head on the bench I recommend the head-off protocol as demonstrated by my awesome bodybuilding client Ben Lai. That’s because it not only provides less body support (thereby further emphasizing core stability and balance) but it also allows better t-spine extension via enhanced cervical elongation since the head is not compressed into a rigid surface.

Once you adjust your body position so that the base of your neck is placed approximately at the top edge of the bench, simple lift your contralateral leg off the ground and keep the ipsilateral leg on the floor. In other words when performing the press with your right arm you’ll want to elevate your left leg off the floor and visa versa. Trying to perform this in the opposite fashion with the contralateral leg on the floor and the ipsilateral leg elevated makes it overly difficult in terms of balance and stability ultimately minimizing the overload effect. Performing these in the ipsilateral fashion as shown in the video provides ample instability while also allowing significant overload to the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

These are also surprisingly brutal on the pectorals as the anti-rotation component also provides a strong abduction stimulus to the shoulder of the working arm. To resist these strong abduction forces the lifter will be required to squeeze the chest throughout (similar to an isometric fly/adduction position) as means of keeping that working arm drifting too far out to the side of the torso. As a result, the pectorals get pulverized.

I’ve also found that this is one of the most effective chest pressing variations for teaching individuals how to avoid collapsing at the bottom position. Proper ROM for any press involves an elbow position of approximately 90 degrees with the tricep or elbow moving to the same position as the plane of the torso. If the lifter moves past 90 degrees or allows the humerus to move past the plane of the torso (both of which represent faulty positions) the lifter will be immediately punished with excessive destabilizing forces.

Don’t be surprised if you also feel your core muscles screaming as you’ll be working overtime to keep your body from flipping off the side of bench. In addition, the glute, hamstrings, and hip muscles of the support leg will be receiving intense stimulation as you’ll be required to activate these muscles very aggressively to help lock your body in. Finally, the foot and ankle of the support leg will also be getting worked overtime. In essence, you’ll be required to keep the foot of the support leg perfectly straight. If it begins to rotate excessively outward it will become quite difficult to keep control of the movement and your body. In other words this ipsilateral incline chest press represents a full body horizontal pressing exercise that taxes nearly every muscle from head to foot. Read more HERE.

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Here's one of my favorite functional chest presses which is the glute bridge decline single leg oblique sling chest press which not only works the upper body pressing muscles but also the glutes, core, and stabilizers.

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The neutral grip lat pulldown is a safe and effective variation for torching the lats while also providing a relatively shoulder friendly position. Use eccentric isometrics to find the optimal stopping point which ends up being approximately 90 degrees (mid face position) as this maximize muscle tension while sparing the joints and connective tissue.

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If you've ever tried a bottoms-up press with kettlebells, you'll immediately understand the difficulty this next exercise poses. The bottoms-up plate press is done in the exact same manner as the kettlebell version, only using plates, but the height of the plates as well as their awkward nature makes this a more grueling variation. Remember, as the plates get heavier, they also get taller and harder to balance. Be prepared to focus like a Jedi as this may be one the more difficult exercises you'll ever attempt.

If it still doesn't provide enough of a challenge you can always try these in a kneeling fashion on a bench. This is another one of my personal favorites for both exposing and correcting dysfunctional mechanics throughout the body as anything but perfect technique will result in a failed attempt. If you really want to take these a step further you can always try them eyes closed.

Besides requiring incredible core strength the kneeling position forces the lifter to find the optimal amount of thoracic extension to maintain balance of their body and the load. Lack of t-spine mobility or compensation with lumbar extension will result in loss of stability giving the lifter immediate feedback about body mechanics.

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Here's one of my favorite full body activation drills that also works posture, alignment, foot and ankle activation, stability, & mobility.

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Bulgarian Squats with knee drive finish which is not only a great strength exercise but also great stabilization movement that transfers well to sprinting.

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Place the bar slightly lower on your shoulders, right above or on top of the rear deltoids. This placement targets the glutes to a slightly greater degree than the high bar variation. When performed as an eccentric isometric it provides an intense training stimulus the entire lower body.

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OPTION #1

Want to blast your legs, core, and upper back while working on balance and stability from head to toe. Try these single leg Zercher squats with band Resistance.

OPTION #2

Note: This can be easily performed without a partner by simulating the same movement pattern and motion.

Here I have NFL athlete and GSP sponsored pro Marquell Beckwith demonstrating a partner goblet lateral lunge using partner assisted manual acceleration. A few weeks ago I highlighted the forward lunge split squat version similar to this. This variation involves the same partner acceleration method only applied to the lateral lunge and contralateral knee drive protocol I picked up from my awesome client Ben Lai. Definitely give Ben a follow as he recently started working on his PhD in kinesiology and has been coming up with some very effective training methods. His Youtube is Buckhead Sports Performance.

This is a great drill for addressing, deceleration, acceleration, stability, contralateral knee drive, balance, & motor control not to mention lateral stride mechanics and lateral movement. It’s also great for bulletproofing the groin and inner & outer hips with high levels of eccentric force. Notice as he accelerates back into my hands he drives his opposite knee into a strong 90 degree position to mimic sprinting mechanics.

On a similar notice if I had to give one critique of this it’s that Marquell went a tad too deep and should have stuck the landing just a tad more as he’s actually going slightly below 90 degree joint angles here. This is something we addressed on subsequent sets.

Focus on bracing the daylights out of your core throughout as this will help you lock the movement in. Additionally work on doing this in barefoot conditions as this will improve foot & ankle strength a critical aspect of performance.