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OPTION #1

If you want to truly master the lunge and split squat then at some point you’ll need to become efficient performing them under eyes closed conditions. In fact any athlete who trains with me is eventually forced to do this as I’ve seen a strong correlation between the ability to perform eyes closed lunges, body mechanics, motor control, and injury prevention.

Eventually you should be capable of performing at least 50% of your bodyweight during eyes closed lunges (a 200 pound individual would use 50 pound dumbbells or 100 pound barbell). In addition these should be done under barefoot or minimalist conditions while simultaneously pausing at the bottom (1-3 inches from the floor) in an eccentric isometric fashion.

The squat is the king when it comes to building muscle mass and strength in the legs (don't worry, we have squats programmed below). However the lunge is in many ways just as effective and also in many ways more important for including in your training as it provides several unique attributes that squat cannot provide. This includes the ability to target each leg individually, not to mention the significant balance, stabilization, and motor control need in the lumbopelvic hip complex as well as the feet and ankles.

As invaluable as the squat and hinge for lower body development, they both involve repeated hip flexion with very little stretching of the hip flexors. Lunge patterns represent the best method for eccentrically targeting the hip flexors of the back leg (something squats and hinges don’t provide) while simultaneously stretching the glutes of the front leg. Consistently performing such a movement is critical for lower body function especially with the majority of society sitting in chairs throughout the day with shortened hip flexors.

Additionally, lunges/split squats are nothing more than an isolated variation of the human gait as it directly mimics the cross-crawl method of movement. No other tool works better for correcting gait (walking and running) and lower body movement mechanics than lunges.

Unfortunately most individuals including bodybuilders, athletes, powerlifters and coaches, perform them improperly thereby negating these aforementioned benefits. To truly master your lunge mechanics you’ll want to use the eccentric isometric protocol I lay out in my book Movement Redefined as it provides the greatest strength and hypertrophy stimulus while also maximizing joint health and body mechanics. Read more about proper lunge form HERE.

OPTION #2

Going heavy on Barbell Bulgarian squats is a great way to build muscle mass, strength, and stability in the lower body. The Sanddune stepper requires slightly greater motor control and stability.

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This exercise is a combination of 2 of my favorite core stabilization drills namely the bear crawl & bird dog exercise. I’ve seen several other trainers perform these including expert strength coach Lee Boyce who originally posted these well over a year ago appropriately naming them the bear dog exercise. If you don’t already follow Lee definitely hit up his page as he just started his Instagram account last week so lets show him our support. There are 5 unique features of this movement.

1. This provides a more difficult progression of the traditional quadruped bird dog & the kneeling on the bench variation I posted on T-Nation a few years ago. If you’ve outgrown these then the bear dog is just what you’re looking for.

2. Many individuals tend to overextend their lumbar spine when performing traditional bird dog quadruped exercises on the knees. With the bear crawl position, because the knees are no longer in contact with the floor it makes it nearly impossible to compensate with the low back & hyperextend. As a result the core receives its fair share of activation while reinforcing a neutral spine.

3. Having the knees in contact with the floor or bench provides added stability. Eliminating this base of support produces greater instability as well as heightened anti-rotation and rotary stability components the lifter must deal with.

4. The bear dog exercise targets full body motor control and stabilization as nearly every body segment including the feet, ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, core, shoulders, and neck must be properly aligned to successfully complete this drill.

5. Similar to the kneeling on the bench variation I highlighted a few years ago, the bear dog can be progressed to renegade row variations, shoulder raises, lever rows, and more.

Read more HERE.

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If you're looking for an absolutely brutal superset to devastate your quads and produce massive levels of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy throughout your thighs, this leg extension goblet squat superset will do the trick. Try performing the leg extensions with the mid pause technique to eliminate momentum and place additional tension on the quads. It's also a great method for reducing tension to the knee joints since you're minimizing momentum and potential hyperextension in the top position.

By performing these prior to the goblet squat it insures that we've pre-exhausted the quads thoroughly which causes them to fatigue and failed before the upper body or core does. In other words it helps isolate the quads even more so on the goblet squats. The pre-exhaustion technique using leg extensions before squats is an old school bodybuilding technique that has been used for decades by some of the best bodybuilders in the world.

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Foot and Ankle Training is one of the most neglected components of strength and performance. If the feet and ankles aren’t functioning properly (which most individual’s are not) then all components of movement performance, strength, and fitness, are compromised. Simply put if the feet and ankles are out of synch it will be impossible to perform any lower body exercise correctly. You’ll be squatting, hinging, lunging, jumping, running, and even walking with faulty mechanics which can lead to a number of potential injuries throughout the kinetic chain.

It’s for this reason I frequently implement an exercise I refer to as the single leg swap/single leg switch. Since introducing this exercise to the fitness community several years ago on @testosteronenation, it’s gained great popularity in mainstream strength and conditioning settings as well as physical therapy circles. That’s because it’s one of the most effective drills for correcting various forms of foot dysfunction. Here’s one of my NFL athletes and Jerel Worthy demonstrating a more advanced progression using a bumper plate and unstable surface.

This variation tends to have an immediate impact on improving balance and stability as the heightened activation of the hands and fingers produces concurrent activation potentiation (CAP). The CAP phenomenon describes a scenario where activation of the smallest muscles in the extremities increases neural drive throughout the entire body including to the core, spinal stabilizers, shoulders, hips and other muscles. As a result there’s improved balance and motor control due to increased activation of stabilizers as well as immediate reduction in energy leaks.

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If pulling your legs into a hollow body position or a double 90 knee bend still doesn’t cut it in terms of teaching spinal neutrality and core activation, this simple modification is likely to do the trick. Simply attach a band to your feet and pulling your legs into a 90 degree position while performing a floor press as I show here. Similar to the basic 90 degree knee bend position, this closely resembles the activation patterns of a reverse crunch or knee raise position thereby reinforcing high levels of core activation while also insuring the low back stays in a more neutral position. Don’t be surprised if your abs and core nearly cramp on these as the levels of intramuscular tension in the entire abdominal region is through the roof. Learn more HERE.

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This next exercise is a single leg hip thrust glute bridge using the "bridge the gap" method. This provides enormous activation to the glutes and hamstrings but forcing the muscles around the feet and ankle to function optimally thereby improving recruitment up the kinetic chain. Read more HERE.

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Looking for a simple way to crush your lats, improve your rowing mechanics, and improve shoulder mechanics? Try this bent over rotational cable row as my awesome client Austin Kane demonstrates here. The rotational component allows for greater elongation in the stretched position and a stronger contraction in the concentric position. This is also a very low-back and spinal friendly bent over rowing variation that involves rotation thereby engaging the core musculature.

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This variation of the Pallof press works all of the stabilizers in the body from head to toe while also working all of the muscles involved in rotation and stabilization. There are several benefits for using this exact variation. First the rope is much more difficult to lock in compared to a standard cable attachment. To keep the rope rigid and linear you'll be forced to create greater full body tension and stability. The goal is to make the rope look like a straight fixed attachment even though it will have a tendency to bend and waiver.

The other factor that makes this Pallof press variation effective is the stride stance or semi-lunge stance position. Besides crushing the core, this in-line stride stance position requires greater foot and ankle stabilization as well as innervation through the smaller stabilizers around the hips. In this particular variation I'm loading the movement in a contralateral fashion with the load pulling my front leg medially. Therefore it's forcing me to resist valgus collapse of the hip, knee, and ankle and push the hip joint and knee laterally. For most lifters especially those prone to valgus collapse or pronation this is the optimal loading pattern. For those who struggle with supination or excessive knee spread (a much more uncommon issue) the pulley would be fixed on the opposite side of the leg in an ipsilateral fashion thereby forcing the lifter to resist lateral or varus forces on the leg and ankle as they push in medially.

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Band resisted squat jumps can easily be performed using the hanging kettlebell or dumbbell setup as I have 2 of my NFL athletes (Julian Williams and Marquell Beckwith) showing here. Besides providing similar benefits as the barbell jump squats these tend to be a bit more low back and shoulder friendly than the barbell variations. Read more HERE.

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OPTION #1

Single leg Zercher good mornings/RDL's as demonstrated by my awesome client Leslie Petch is an incredibly effective posterior chain exercise that absolutely torches the glutes and hamstrings. There are multiple benefits of this movement. Read more at HERE.

OPTION #2

Periodically going heavy on RDL's is a great way to add significant muscle mass not only to your glutes and hamstrings but also your upper back, lats, traps, and more.

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If you're looking for a suitable replacement for the overhead Z press as well as an exercise that helps master your overhead mechanics and crushes your delts look no further than this exercise. Essentially you're performing an overhead press while sitting on a foam roller. There are several unique benefits of this movement. Read more HERE.

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Looking to crush your abs while also working the vertical pulling (overhead pulling) pattern similar to a lat pulldown or pullup? Try this unique renegade row lat pulldown. To further increase the difficulty try employing a quadruped bird dog position to crush the core and spinal stabilizers.