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Unique Training Equipment That is Cheap and Effective

Sometimes the motivation is there but the money isn’t.  Trainers and coaches don’t always have a big budget to go along with their big dreams.  Dreams of owning the best equipment or the best facility.

Well, I’m here to tell you that you don’t always need to have the best of everything to get RESULTS.  As with every exercise having an alternative, so too is there an alternative to the fanciest equipment.

We here at Diesel have known this for years.  We’ve built athletes over the years with little to no fancy stuff.

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Essential Lower Body Training for Athletes

One of the biggest mistakes you’ll see in a strength program designed for athletes (or anyone for that matter) is the exclusion on unilateral lower body work.  Of course the foundational compound movements like the bench, squat, deadlift, military press, power clean & press, pull-ups, etc. have to be there.

But the supplemental work pulls everything together.   Common lower body unilateral exercises include; lunges, step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, power skips, one leg glute bridges and one leg hip extensions on bench.

In addition to building a well balanced program, unilateral lower body work will also reveal imbalances that are “masked” with conventional bilateral barbell work.

Does the athlete shift left or right when performing lunges?

Does the athlete fall forward during db step-ups?

Everything you have the athlete do is a screening opportunity for you as a coach.  Always be watching!

Benefits of Unilateral Lower Body Training

• stabilization of appropriate lower kinetic segments (ankles, knees, hips, torso)
• mobility of appropriate lower kinetic segments (ankles, hips)
• balance, coordination, proprioception
• torso rigidity
• mental toughness / acuity / alertness
• improved reactivity
• charged CNS
• dynamic stretching of the hips, glutes and hamstrings

How to Modify Unilateral Lower Body Training

• overloaded – with chains, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, barbells, weight vest, partner’s bodyweight
• explosive – done explosively
• static - EQI’s
• barefoot – all done barefoot, highly recommended!
• hybrids - movement of the upper body independent of the lower body’s movement, ie.  lunges with twist

In the article today, I will be showing you two advanced unilateral lower body exercises.  Both should be done once the athlete demonstrates proficiency in their progressive transitional components.

Braced Bulgarian Split Squats

Key Coaching Points:

1. Upright torso posture
2. Brace core outward, and hold isometrically
3. Center weight in the middle of your foot and anchor foot by grabbing floor with your toes

Explosive Bulgarian Split Jumps

Key Coaching Points:

1. Spend as little time on the ground as possible
2. Explode up as hard as possible and flow between reps without stopping
3. Stay upright as possible throughout the movement

Check out AMD Muscle Building

Check out Chaos Training for Athletes

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Non-Conventional Strength Training for Real Results

When you look around during your typical day what do you see?  You probably see a lot of people who look like they’ve never worked out a day in their life.  Let’s take it one step further.  When you go to the gym, what do you see?  I would bet you even see people in the gym who look like they never worked out, OR you see the same people you’ve seen for the last several years, doing the same exercises they always do.

And you know what?  They still look the same as they always do.  How can this be?  They are always in the gym, yet they never change?

Well, they’re not doing something right.

Bad Nutrition?  Definitely

Wrong Exercises?  Probably

Wrong Intensity?  Probably

Too Much Volume?  Maybe

Something is not right.  Maybe they’re allergic to exercise?  That must be it.

Something has to change.

If you are stuck in a rut with your workout and you’re looking for some new exercises and some new challenges, try out some of the following movements.

Hindu Push-ups

Incredible movement for the shoulders and hips and is great to hit for high volumes for conditioning.  It can be done on an elevated surface to help perform the movement through a full range of motion (ROM).   The movement can also be overloaded with chains, a weight vest or elastic bands.  It is a very popular movement with old school grapplers and fighters.  I actually use it a lot in warm-up because of the benefits of the shoulders and hips.

Mace Swings

This movement can be performed using a mace or a clubbell.  I love the movement because it fries the grip and opens up the upper back and shoulders.  If you don’t have any of these special implements, we’ve actually used and ez-curl bar as a substitute.  Mace swings should be done for high repetitions or for a specific length of time.

Sandbag Get-ups

This movement is brutal.  It taxes the entire body and forces it to act as a single unit.  Because the entire body is working, it becomes very metabolic, very quick.  If you don’t have a sandbag, a dumbbell or kettlebell, held at arms length, can be substituted.  As you drive upward on the outstretched arm, tension on the bent leg allows the straight leg to swing through into a lunge position.  From there, the lifter braces hard and drives to a standing position.  This movement is amazing for conditioning and great for fighters for bracing while fatigued.

Try any or all of these movements during your next training session.  They can work as the supplemental exercises or you can throw them in at the end for conditioning.

Check out AMD Muscle Building

Check out Chaos Training for Athletes

Check out Core Training

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