#011- My Go-To Exercises
For the lower limb,?I?believe that the vast majority of athletes (or people for that matter) only need to be competent in the same basic?exercises.
Most of what?I do in the gym with my podiatry clients?is what you'd?call?general?physical?preparation (GPP), i.e. laying the foundations of movement and strength.
Eventually we move to more specific preparation. What you'll find however is that?even as we get more "sport specific"?the exercises themselves don't change- it's mostly the same stuff.
What does change is the variables such as sets and reps prescribed, the?range of motion, tempo?and intensity of?the exercises.
So what are these exercises that make up the bulk of my gym?programs?
- Skipping + hopping
-?Squats and?Split Squats
-?Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts
-?Step Ups
-?Calf Raises
- Lateral Lunges
- Hip Thrusts / Bridges
I could also add to this list technical running drills.
These exercises can be regressed and progressed depending on the individual's strength, injury and skill level.
If there is a specific deficit detected, such as in acute rehab,?I will program isolated work?for the?foot intrinsics, tib ant, peroneals and tib post. Glute med, adductor, and?isolated hamstring/quad?exercises?would fall into the same boat further up the chain. I would not consider?these?exercises?as part of the bigger picture of physical preparation, although they?are definitely relevant?in the right context.
Above all else,?keeping it simple?is the key, as is getting?bang for buck?out of your exercise selection!
Are there any that you would add to this list? Let me know what they are and why!
Doctor, Best Selling Author, Educator, Extremity Authority, Foot Orthotic Expert
2 年Thanks for that good input Jackson... My favorite exercise for the feet and shin is the anterior tibial. The normal strength ratio of the gastroc/soleus to the anterior tibia; is 10 to 1. Most people with anterior compartment shin splints are 13-15 to 1, That is the cause of this form of shin splints. Therefore I have them do foot and ankle dorsiflexion exercises with resistance starting at around 15 lbs., depending on size, and work up from there to their personal normal ratio. The exercise is performed in straight up, medial up and lateral up positions. Elastic compression of the whole lower leg helps with the pain during this period of rehabilitation.
Principal Podiatrist Power Podiatry / Tai chi instructor
2 年Great bunch of exercises...I tend to focus on a concept of deficit such as poor single support stability or transitions. I find many of my elite athletes have poor central stabilisers in single support and this has been shown to increase injury risk in some research but not in other...so what to do, train core stabilisers or not? I use Taiji based exercises to build single support stability and neuromuscular control...same same but different.