This blog post showcases some exercises I’ve been practicing. Some are discovered from coaches I follow on Instagram, while others come from my personal experiences with different coaches. Additionally, I’ve used these exercises with athletes and clients in the past and recently introduced them to another coach and friend for feedback.
HIGH KNEE STEP DOWN - ARMS OVERHEAD
This exercise was introduced to me by track coach Chris Korfist. In the accompanying video, my friend and coach Isaiah Popp attempts the exercise to provide feedback. He indicated that he experienced the effects in his hips, which is the intended area of focus for this exercise.
Chris Korfist has an excellent YouTube channel that I recommend subscribing to for valuable insights.
1 LEG RDL + HIP FLEXOR
Romanian Dead Lifts, both bilateral and unilateral, have consistently been a significant part of my training repertoire. I recently came across an innovative variation on Instagram that I found intriguing. This exercise not only effectively targets the hamstrings in a lengthened position but also provides an excellent glute engagement at the upper range in a shortened position. I’ve had multiple clients perform this exercise, provided they demonstrate adequate control within the frontal plane.
ISO CALF INTO WALL
This exercise, sourced from track coach Chris Korfist, emphasizes a crucial technique: driving the opposite knee into the wall with maximum effort. The greater force applied to the wall results in an equal reaction force through the standing foot. Coach Korfist recommends aiming to hold this position for two minutes as a key goal. After performing this exercise for one minute, Isaiah felt this tremendously.
A BETTER SIDE PLANK
Here’s another exercise that was introduced to me by Coach Korfist during a private session at his residence, following an RPR assessment (Reflexive Performance Reset) conducted with two clients and friends. I asked about his observations regarding track athletes and losing good ribcage positioning, particularly when they excessively extend their spines. He affirmed he did see this issue sometimes and demonstrated a modified side plank exercise he liked for the core. He emphasized two critical components: elevating the hips as high as possible and ensuring proper diaphragmatic breathing. According to him, many individuals either fail to breathe adequately or tend to restrict their breathing patterns, which does not align with the demands of athletic performance. There are also four distinct progressions available for this exercise.
RUN ROCKET PRIME TIME
This exercise was introduced to me by Cal Dietz and Chris Korfist. I initially implemented this with high school soccer players as part of a performance circuit, incorporating approximately eight different exercises, of which this was one. Executing the Prime Time on the run rocket poses a significant challenge, even at reduced resistance settings. Here is Coach Isaiah Popp demonstrating the exercise for feedback purposes.
SINGLE LEG PIKE UP
I continually seek to enhance my exercise index with valuable exercises. One such ab exercise I recently encountered, introduced by Kim Goss, a coach renowned since the early eighties, especially within the Olympic lifting community. My familiarity with Coach Goss dates back over two decades, through the influential strength coach Charles Poliquin.
This exercise features a low learning curve, allowing individuals to perform it effectively with proper technique. However, do not underestimate its simplicity; when executed with the appropriate load, this exercise can will work for abs hard, engaging them in one of their fundamental muscle actions.
