Single-Leg Training to Increase Speed
Single-leg strength is considered the essence of functional training for sports. It is a quality that is frequently ignored in high school weight programs but is essential to increasing an athletes speed. Single-leg training is specific and cannot be developed through double-leg exercises (i.e. squats, deadlifts, and leg presses). Single-leg exercises force the small muscles (stabilizers & neutralizers) around your hips, knees and ankles to “fire” more prominently than anything done in a double leg stance.
In addition to helping athletes increase their speed, single-leg training is recognized as a key in knee injury prevention. The video below is the first exercise we introduce to all our new clients. The split squat must be performed with no upper body movement and full range of motion. We use soft foam pads below to guide our athletes to proper depth.
An easy progression to include in your program is performing 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions for 3-4 weeks. Choose a heavy enough weight that forces your body to “work” but not so heavy that your form is compromised.
Zach – thanks for continuing to get the word out about the importance of single leg work. I love to put the split squat into warm ups and then back into the strength sets.
When do you start to move your athletes from the split squat into exercises like single leg squats, pistol squats, etc?
Gary, thanks for the comment. We move our “new” athletes into tougher single-leg progressions when they demonstrate the ability to control with a load of 5RM after a 3-week microcycle. The split squat is a great starter exercise because it trains an athlete’s balance, coordination, mobility, and functional strength. Within a training session we’ll alter the athletes lateral foot positioning if they demonstrate good balance – in some cases putting athletes on a balance beam.
Single-leg and pistol squats are reserved for our seasoned athletes. Generally our clients don’t get that far because they leave for their high school seasons or college programs. Normally when they get back, it’s right back to square one because mobility has become an issue again.
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