Ground Exercises and Drills
Special thanks to Elias Graca and Eric Berry for the demonstrations.
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(#1) 3 Point Push-Up: Control the pace and this workout combines some plank benefits with chest and tricep strengthening. Notice his eyes are looking about 45 degrees forward. Straight back. One foot is 3-9 inches off the ground. Keep it slow. Enjoy the tension.
(#2) Push-Up: There are several variations of the push-up. Keep a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Do not drop your head down. Anything that you do to make the exercise easier should be avoided. It is never “how many push-ups can you do,” it is how many CORRECT push-ups you can do. Change the grip to narrow, wide, or move the elbows out or in to change the exercise. I also like a staggered stance position with the hands.
(#3) Plank (Basic): Self-Explanatory. Don’t move.
(#4) Plank Push-Up: Keep it slow. Change positions and stay in control.
(#5) Push-Ups (Expansion): Notice the legs and arms are expanding and contracting in unison.
(#6) Crunch (Basic): Self-Explanatory. Don’t come up with any cheats that make it easier.
(#7) Crunch (Cross-Over): Opposite elbow to opposite knee. Notice the stabilizing hand on the ground. Focus all the effort in the abs.
(#8) Crunch (Side): Look at the position of the legs and arms. Work the sides of your ab muscles.
(#9) Ab Rotates (No Weight): Keep the heels about 3 inches off the ground. Make sure the twist goes from ground to ground - from right to left.
#10 Ab Rotates with Weight: Keep the heels about 3 inches off the ground. Make sure the twist goes from ground to ground - from right to left.
(#11) Supine Leg Raises: Lock your ankles together. Keep them together as you raise your legs under control.
(#12) Supine Leg Raises - (Extended): Same as before, but extend both legs up to the highest point possible.
(#13) Standing Leg Swing (Fore / Aft): Use a wall or post to balance yourself. Try not to bend the back too much and keep your leg fairly straight.
(#14) Leg Swing (Outer Hip): Face the post or wall and work on stretching the hip and related muscles.
(#15) Hip Rotations (Side - B Skip): Follow the example and work on developing a full range of motion.
(#16) Hip Rotations (Side - Rotation): Follow the example and work on developing a full range of motion.
(#17) Hip Rotations (Side Circle): Follow the example and take your time. Time under tension is one of the goals - speed is not the goal.
(#18) Hip Rotations (Side Circle - Reverse): Follow the example. Take your time. Time under tension is one of the goals - speed is not the goal.
(#19) Back Bridge ROM: Follow the example and take your time.
(#20) Leg Scissor (Basic): Follow the example. Stay in control.
(#21) Flutter Kicks (Scissors): Keep legs straight and keep heels about 4-8” from the ground.
(#22) Flutter Kicks (Basic): Keep feet alternating between 4-12” from the ground.
(#23) Scorpion: Notice the 90 degree angle at the knee. Keep the hamstring flexed and raise the leg up. We will do this exercise 1-2x weekly for 20-30 second sets.
(#24) Extendz: Simply extend the heal up and out behind you. Hold it at the extended position for a solid 1-second count. Try to keep your hips from cheating - you want to isolate this strain into one small section of the hip that is doing the work.
(#25) Fire Hydrants: This seems simple, but it is a tough exercise for athletes with limited hip mobility. Ideally, raise the leg to the side to 90 degrees, then hold it for a 1 or 2 second count. Try to keep the shoulders and hips from getting involved to “cheat” for the side being exercised. Keep good posture.
(#26) Fire Hydrant Circles: This is a combination of the two previous exercises. The athlete is doing the Fire Hydrant movement, then extending the leg back and up. Work to achieve a fluid motion and keep the stretch and work focused in the hip. Notice the bend in his right elbow… athletes will naturally find many ways to compensate if the hips are tight or weak. Look for shoulders that drop, hips that drop, or bends in the arms - all signs that the athlete needs to develop the range of motion and strength needed from these exercises.
(#27) Fire Hydrant Circles - Backwards: Same principle as the previous exercise, just reverse the movement. As discussed, we’ll do the Fire Hydrants, Extendz, and Scorpion weekly, sometimes twice weekly. We usually prefer 30-second sets for each leg / movement. We’ll do 3-5 sets, depending on the goals and time of the season.
