Exercise breakdown: Single Leg RDL

Single leg exercises are fantastic for many reasons one of which is shoring up any strength discrepancies from the left and right sides. 

One of the better hip dominant movements is the single leg Romanian deadlift. 

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How To

• Pick up one foot and have a slight bend in the down leg.
• Push the hips back making sure to hinge at the hips.
• Focus on making sure the hips don't swivel as you push your butt back. A great way to help facilitate this is by kicking your leg straight as you hinge over. 
• Hinge back and squeeze the glute in the down leg.
• Perform 5-10reps and repeat on the other side. I would include this in the middle of a leg workout as an accessory movment

Here I've loaded the movement with a kettle bell, shown is the easier way to hold onto the weight by hugging it against your chest to decrease the lever of the body aka: makes it easier than holding it in your hands. 

Exercise Breakdown: Depth Drop

Everybody wants to get faster and jump higher. For most clients they have to learn to slow themselves down to go faster. 

This isn't some Yoda jedi mind trick, it really does mean that by learning how to effectively slow yourself down, you'll be better abled at accelerate safely out of said stop. 

There's not a whole lot to it except this cue: Land like a cat, not a dog.

Most cats at least, are pretty quiet when they move around. There's been times I'll be sitting forward in my chair only to lean back a bit and discover a cat behind me now. Gotta be nimble and quiet like cat.

If when you land you make a loud THUD foot slapping the ground noise, you're too loud. This also applies to box jumps where you're stomping onto the box. When you don't land controlled and softly it only shifts the weight more onto your joints, and that's a recipe for injury down the road. 

Exercise Breakdown: Band Resisted KB Swing

The band resisted kettlebell swing is great when you:

1. Run out of heavier bells
2. Want to increase the rate of force development

The second reason is the one I'm usually interested in. By increasing the rate at which your muscles fire, you recruit greater amounts of muscle fibers and thus allows you to more efficiently grow muscle and get stronger too. Many let gravity do the work on the downswing, I say no thanks! I would put the prerequisite that your technique be spot on before increasing the speed of the kettlebell swing, which in itself is already a very dynamic movement.

How to:

1. Grab a band and choke it on the handle of the band. I like to have the band pulled so the band is on the sides and not in the middle where my hands go!
2. Set the kettlebell in front of you like a football and hike it to begin with a solid hinge and forceful hip extension. 
3. What you should watch for is as the bell hits shoulder height, the band will get taught and you will have to reverse the motion much more quickly than if it were kettlebell only.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repititions.  

Exercise Breakdown: Glute Bridge Marching

This is a great exercise I've used with runner's who have issues with keeping their hips steading during their runs. 

It's an isometric exercise with a large core stabilization component built into it. You're rock solid if you can do this and make it look as if you still have two feet on the floor. 

HOW TO:

• Lie supine with your feet hip width apart with your knees bent. 
• Bridge up squeezing your glutes.
• Now without letting your hips drop, pick one foot up off the floor. 
• Put it down and repeat in an alternating fashion for reps. 

This is also a great exercise when lightly loaded for individuals seeking more glute hypertrophy. 

Exercise Breakdown: Long Lever RKC Plank

The RKC Plank (Russian Kettlebell Certificafion)

A traditional plank does a poor job of activating the core musculature. I believe it is a great exercise when first learning how to properly engage and create tension through the body but after a solid minute, it really does little for actual core stabilization. 

The RKC plank is a fantastic exercise I learned years ago and have been using it for both core work and teaching full body tension. From a more practical standpoint it is a concept which is important for any lifter trying to improve overall strength during most multi-joint lifts.

I also know that compared to a traditional plank, extending the lever (moving your arms forward and way from the body) and getting posterior pelvic tilt  (turning the hips so your lower back is a bit rounded as opposed to arching) has significantly greater rectus and transverse abdomonis activation*. (Study via Bret Contras and Brad Schoenfield)

So why not combine the concepts!

HOW TO:

• Arms are more narrow than your shoulders and above your head.
• Posterior pelvic tilt the hips.
• Squeeze the glutes and quads.
• Without moving an inch, create tension like you're attempting to bring your arms and legs toward the middle. For those who know the term "piking" thats what you're attempting to do.
• The final detail is in the breathing. Be sure to take deep breaths in through the nose and forcefully exhale through the mouth. I like the cue: Imagine like you're blowing out a candle using a straw. 

This move is more intermediate-advanced movement so I wouldn't throw this at a beginner. 

The amount of tension you're looking for will be no more than 10-15 seconds, if that.

If can hold it longer, you need to turn the intensity dial up to 11.