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Since introducing the single leg kettlebell swap (aka single leg switch or single leg handoff) to the fitness community several years ago at Testosterone Nation, the drill has become widely popular and commonplace in many performance and therapy settings. In fact even with all of the crazy exercise variations I post on social media, the single leg swap and the quadruped bird dog row are 2 of my most popular drills likely because of how effective they are at both exposing and correcting a variety of imbalances.

Over the years I’ve posted a number of single leg swap variations including rapid variations, single leg RDL variations, lunge variations, Bulgarian squat variations, eyes closed versions and more (see more at LINK IN BIO). One that I’ve recently been tinkering with is performing swaps from the single leg skater squat position. Essentially you perform a single leg eccentric isometric squat (with 90 degree joint angles), then swap the kettlebell from side to side while maintain body alignment and motor control. Besides blasting the entire lower body including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and abductors these also help correct and improve foot and ankle activation during squats.

If I had to give one key cue that most lifters need when squatting it’s increased foot and ankle activation. Without proper foot and ankle mechanics it’s literally impossible to perform a squat or any lower body with proper technique and activation patterns. Furthermore most lifters have a variety of energy leaks and imbalances when squatting. This drill will immediately expose those as it reinforces full body tension, motor control, and postural alignment. Furthermore if you have a tendency to have valgus knee collapse or even overspreading of the knees when squatting this drill will help. Single leg swaps also provide 10 other unique benefits. Learn more in my full length article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/singlelegkbswap/

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The long jump is a great explosive exercise for working hip power and hip explosiveness. Alternatively, the landmine goblet squat jump is one of the most effective exercises for improving vertical jump height. Here's why it's so effective. Read more at my full length article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/make-the-landmine-squat-better

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If you're looking for an ab rollout that absolutely torches your entire core and abdominal musculature look no further than this landmine ab rollout from a full plank position as demonstrated by one of my awesome bodybuilding athletes Ben Lai. Essentially you're resisting extension, rotation, and lateral flexion due to the offset movement making this one of the most bang for you buck exercises for the core. As an added bonus it also crushes your upper body including the lats, triceps, shoulders, and chest.

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OPTION #1

Besides being highly conducive for a variety of deadlifts, the iron grip landmine setup is also very effective when applied to rows and horizontal pulls. Similar to the deadlifts there are numerous variations that can be performed including these 7 variations. Read more at the following: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/landmine-exercises

OPTION #2

Here is a barbell seesaw bent over row and RDL combo which blasts the entire posterior chain. The barbell seesaw method is a great way for creating eccentric induced co-contraction which is pivotal for proper muscular contractions.

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The landmine chest press is one of the most underrated horizontal pressing movements. Not only does the use of the fat grip/barbell sleeve produce a greater level of shoulder packing and joint centration (due to increased irradiation) but the rotational instability of the landmine forces the lifter to stabilize their glenohumeral joint even further. Here I have NFL defensive end Jarius Wynn performing the single arm floor press variation.

The single arm floor press in conjunction with the landmine produces significant rotational forces that the lifter must resist. As a result this not only crushes the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but it also highly taxes the core and spinal stabilizers.

Although you can face away from the landmine anchor I find that facing towards it as shown in this video maximize the shoulder packing effect as the angle of push is up and slightly forward. This further helps depress the scapula and eliminates excessive shoulder elevation that commonly occurs during chest presses.

In addition, the angle of press involves a very slight decline resulting in greater stimulation of the middle and lower pectoral fibers while minimizing the emphasis on the shoulders.

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Plyometric pull-ups are a great way to increased upper back strength and size. if you don’t have access to a pullup set-up with different height bars you can simply use the same bar and flip your grip in mid air to produce a similar effect as shown by one of my awesome clients Young Han. Read more about plyometric pull-ups https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/depth-drop-plyometric-pullups-for-strength-size-and-performance

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You’ve probably heard it a hundred times; if you’re an overhead athlete you shouldn’t perform overhead presses right? Wrong!!! In fact overhead presses and variations thereof are something I routinely use with all of my overhead athletes. Case in point, here’s Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows performing a reverse bottoms up overhead press with kettlebells. I started working with Austin several months ago at which time he had several injuries including a very complex shoulder issue that was preventing him from throwing. By strategically implementing numerous eccentric isometrics into his routine (for both upper and lower body) alike including the implementation of many overhead pressing variations, Austin is now back to throwing bombs and crushing his batting sessions.

In addition, I had Austin perform no additional corrective exercises, rotator cuff drills, soft tissue work, stretches, mobility drills, or any other treatment for his shoulders. Instead we relied on the correct execution of foundational movement patterns combined with properly performed eccentric isometrics to provide all of the therapeutic effects that Austin needed to restore his shoulder function and mechanics.

I also want to point out that Austin is one of the most mentally engaged, dedicated, and passionate athletes I’ve worked with. This combined with his incredible work ethic and God-given talent make him one of the most exciting athletes to coach and train that I’ve ever worked with. Keep an eye on this kid as he’s going to be doing huge things this year in the big leagues.

To read more about the reverse bottoms-up press Austin’s performing in this video check out my full length article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/eftsbottomsup

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Here's one of my NFL athletes DJ Tialavea demonstrating the kickstand hang clean. For many individuals the single leg cleans and snatches are quite difficult to master. Performing them from a kickstand position using an eccentric isometric RDL provides many of the same benefits of single leg cleans and snatches discussed in my article, however the slightly more stable base allows them to more comfortably explode with their hips and overload the movement. Read more about this movement and other single leg Olympic lifting exercises at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/single-leg-olympic-lifts-for-athletic-performance

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If you’re looking for a movement protocol that simultaneously enhances jumping performance, running mechanics, mobility, stability, symmetry, balance, motor control, speed and power, and more then you’ll want to incorporate eccentric isometric lunge jumps as shown here by Detroit Tigers pro baseball player Parker Meadows.

Notice how he maintains a forward lean and hip hinge on the lunge phase which represents ideal lunging mechanics for any lunge variation. Once he locks the eccentric isometric into position and feels for the most stable and strongest mechanics (a critical element of eccentric isometric training) he then explodes out of the lunge. In addition notice how Parker focuses on landing mechanics by sticking the landing with high levels of force absorption - a critical aspect of speed, power, and performance.

If I just had to choose one method to master jumping mechanics it would be eccentric isometric jump variations. That’s because the eccentric isometric protocol helps maximize proprioception and sensory feedback by activating muscle spindles. As a result this helps the athlete dial in their lower body mechanics as they can more easily tune into their “sense of feel” and fine-tune their body positioning. Ironically, once the athlete cleans up their mechanics they often find they can actually jump higher on eccentric isometric weighted jumps, compared to standard weighted jumps, due to the enhanced sensory feedback, improved body mechanics, and increased motor unit recruitment associated with eccentric isometric protocols. These are also amazing for producing post activation potentiation and can easily be paired with other explosive movements for an acute spike in power output.

Lastly, notice the various 90 degree joint angles (approximately) which is another critical element not just of lunges or jumps but most foundational movements – a topic I’ll be diving into with great detail in my book, Movement Redefined. Learn more at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/jumping-landing-eccentric-isometrics

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Want to improve your rotational movement while simultaneously addressing rotational mobility, power, motor control, and full body stability using the oblique slings? Try using this eccentric isometric rotational chop as I show here.

Most rotational drills we see only reinforce pre-exiting levels of rotational movement and do very little to enhance it particularly those that occur rapidly. For instance if there’s a weak link in the kinetic chain or a small compensation pattern it’s almost impossible to diagnose or correct during more traditional rotational movements. This is where the eccentric isometric comes in.

Like all other eccentric isometrics I’ve highlighted over the years, the rotational EI allows the lifter to hone in on their movement, self-assess where various issues may be occurring (via sense of feel), and then fine-tune their body mechanics based on the enhanced sensory feedback produced from the eccentric isometric. In reality it’s fulfilling the same purpose as all other eccentric isometrics I post such as squats, hinge, lunges, and press, and pulls, only it’s applied to rotational movement or movement occurring in the transverse plane rather than the sagittal or frontal planes.

And just like any other eccentric isometric, the goal is never maximal or extreme range of motion but instead natural range of motion which end up being slightly more compact than what most coaches and trainers typically teach. Yes we you can go further on the ROM but you’ll be sacrificing activation, stability, motor control, and proprioception not to mention engraining faulty body mechanics as rotational movements that we see in sports don’t involve inordinately large rotational ROM but rather natural or optimal ROM in the transverse plane.

Excessive ROM during rotational movements tends to compromise hip drive and lower body recruitment often resulting in over-rotating rather than relying on hip drive. Remember the functional purpose of most rotational movements is to allow the hips to fully coil, not to simply rotate to the point where you feel like your spine is going to snap.