STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISES USING WEIGHTS-

Barbell Back Squat- Position the bar on the squat racks at a height of approximately

3 to 5 inches lower than your shoulders. Preferably using spotters, position your hands evenly on the bar and, with your feet squarely under the bar lift the bar from the rack with the legs. Step back just enough to avoid bumping the rack during the exercise, and position your feet at a comfortable width – this is called the “athletic stance,” where your force output capability is at its maximum – usually a bit more than shoulder width. Your weight should remain centered over the back half of your feet throughout the descent and ascent not on your toes. Descend by first pushing your hips back and then following through by bending your knees. Descend with control into a position where the tops of your thighs are at parallel or a bit below, keeping your torso and back erect so that your hips remain under the bar at all times. Do not allow your knees to drift inward or your torso to incline forward. Vigorously rise out of the squat position following the same path that you descended – the torso and back remain erect and the hips remain under the bar throughout the exercise.

Jump Squat- Assuming the squat stance and position using a weight from 10-30% of

your maximum squat descend down into a ¼ squat position and jump up as high as possible. When landing immediately bend the knees and jump again- Repeat for the desired # of repetitions. The exercise should be executed smoothly and in a rhythmic fashion.

Iso-ballistic jump squat- This is another version of the jump squat – the only

difference is rather then being executed rhythmically in non-stop fashion the iso- ballistic squat is executed with a pause (from 3-10 seconds) just above the parallel position before each jump.

Reactive Squat- Using 20-50% of your max squat and starting from an athletic

“jumping” stance with your hands pulling the bar tightly across your shoulders, from a standing position drop quickly down into a deep squat position and quickly reverse direction, reverse the downward momentum and explosively drive the weight back up. The emphasis here is on rebounding out of the bottom of the hole, not necessarily jumping up.

Deadlift- Maintain a flat back, bend your knees and grip the bar at shoulder width, one

hand is palm-forward and the other hand is palm-facing back (so the bar won’t roll from your grip – called a mixed grip) Push directly into the ground with your leg muscles while stabilizing with your back muscles – do not pull with your back initially use the power of your legs and butt to drive the bar off the ground. When the bar is just about knee height, begin pulling with your back to finish the movement, stand erect – do not lean backward at the finish of the movement. To lower the bar look up while pushing your hips back and let the bar to the ground at a fairly quick pace.

Leg curls- Lying face down on a leg curl machine, curl the padded lever upward using

your hamstrings. Make an effort to point dorsi-flex your ankles while doing the curl by pointing your toes up towards your knee. This movement can and should be substituted with a glute-ham raise if you have access to one.

Glute Ham raise

Barbell or Dumbell Lunge- Begin with your feet hip-width apart, torso erect -take a

slow controlled step either forward (dynamic) or backward. From this position, lower your hips so that your forward thigh drops below parallel with the floor. At the fullest stretch, your forward knee will be positioned slightly ahead of your ankle, with your foot pointing straight ahead or slightly in. Allow your trailing knee to drop to a point just before it touches the floor. Continue the exercise by pushing off your front foot until your knee is straight, then step back to the start. Execute all the repetitions for one leg before performing the reps for the other leg.

Barbell or dumbell split squat- Also known as the Bulgarian squat. Performed

block or bench anywhere from 6-18 inches high. This allows for greater range of motion and thus greater activation of all muscle groups.

Romanian Deadlift- also known as semi-stiff legged deadlift – this exercise stresses

the hamstrings and gluteals and sues the lower back in a supporting role. With bar in hands and keeping the back tight and arched bend the knees slightly and maintain this bend the entire movement. Bend forward and attempt to push your hips back behind you while slowly lower the bar to just below your knees. You should feel a slight stretch in the hamstrings and glutes as you descend. Make sure to keep the back arched the entire time. When rising concentrate on pushing your feet down and back, like a bull pawing at the ground. Your feet won’t actually move but if you concentrate on that it makes the exercise much more effective.

Calf raise- Using a special calf machine stand on block with the balls of your feet and

keep your knees locked. Raise up on your toes as high as possible, hold position momentarily, then return to starting positing letting the heels descend down until you feel a good stretch in the calf.

One-legged weighted calf raises- Standing on a block and holding a dumbell in one

hand and holding onto something else with the other hand for support keep the knee locked and descend down until you feel a good stretch. Rise up on your toes as high as possible, hold position momentarily, then return to starting position. Repeat with other leg.

One-legged squat- Although the one-legged squat is usually not done with weights I

decided to put it here as it is included in many of the programs including weights. To perform it you start by placing your non-working hand on an object for balance. Extend your non-working leg in front of you and VERY slowly bend your working leg as far as comfortable into a full squat and then return to the start. I’ve found it helpful to start using something to sit back on like a low chair or steps. As this become easier, you can make the exercise more challenging by not holding onto an object for balance, and by using dumbbells.