Hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic in Canada has reignited national unity and pride. The amazing performances and the features on athletes, including "How Tough is That Sport", have also developed an awe and appreciation for the kind of time and intensity these athletes put into their training. Not that they want to end up with thighs quite like a speed skater, but people have become excited and open to trying some new and different variations from their traditional squats and lunges.
Try adding in a few of the following exercises to give your workout routine some Olympic feel and power. These can be done at home or at the gym, with our without weights. There are so many options and variations, you leg workout will never be boring!
Olympic Leg Exercises
Lateral Lunges
- Start with the feet wide with the knees and toes pointing to forward
- Lean or lunge into the right leg, straightening out the left leg and press back up
- Focus on pressing into the full foot as you lunge and keep the knees pointing forward
- Option 1 – stay stationary
- Option 2 – add movement by stepping into the lunge each time
- Option 3 – add a more dynamic push out of the lunge and lift the knee
- Option 4 – use dumbbells for added resistance
Tips:
- Do equal sets on both legs
- Start with a small step and gradually increase range
- Hinge (bend) from the hip to press into the movement keeping the upper body long and strong
Curtsy Lunges
- Start in a lunge position with the left foot forward, right foot back and torso tall
- Move the right foot across so that it's slightly behind the left like you're curtsying – hence the name
- Option 1 – hold the curtsy position and lunge down and up
- Option 2 - move slowly and in a small range of motion
- Option 3 – move the foot more quickly but always maintain control
- Option 4 – use dumbbells for added resistance
Tips:
- Do equal sets on both legs
- The front foot is flat and you're on the ball of the rear foot
- Do not do this exercise if it doesn't feel comfortable on the knees
Hip Hinge Combos
- Start balanced on the right foot with weight pressing into the entire foot
- Hinge or bend from the hip joint and lean forward with long torso (I like to cue using a clock visual, hinging to a 1:00 to 2:00 position)
- Hinge only as far as you can maintain a long and strong torso
- Option 1 – hinge balanced on one foot with the other dropped back on the floor to balance
- Option 2 – hinge raising the rear leg up as the torso lowers down
- Option 3 – extend the rear leg back with hinge and then draw the rear knee in as you lift
- Option 4 – add a powerful drive with the knee as you come up
- Option 5 – add a hop with the powerful knee drive up
- Option 6 – hold dumbbells as you move smoothly through the range
- Option 7 – hold one dumbbell in the same hand
- Option 8 – hold one dumbbell in the opposite hand
- Option 9 – do a 1-arm row in the hinge position with the opposite hand before you come back up
Tips:
- Do equal sets on both legs
- Keep hips and shoulders squarely facing forward (it's easy to lean and roll open to one side)
- Press into the feet to initiate the drive up from the hinge
Adding Olympic power to your cardio routine
- Walking – find hills either along your route, use hills beside a sidewalk or stairs that you can find along the way
- Indoor cycle – these classes combine resistance with speed with will give you variety and power
- Stair climber – elliptical machines are so popular in gyms right now, but stair climbers work the legs more and burn more calories because you have to lift your body weight against gravity and resistance; keep your posture tall though, leaning in will only add stress to your back and reduce the amount of calories you burn
- Step Mill – a gym may have one or two of these and they're typically not booked up. These are like reverse escalators and are tough. Start with a few minutes at a time or simply add 5-minute intervals in throughout your other cardio training
- Interval training – interval training is a standard for most athletes. This is speed play during cardio training. Alternate time to increase intensity – by adding speed or resistance – with recovery, or lighter intensity.
