Lower Body Exercises (Knee Dominant) - Whether the goal is performance enhancement, injury prevention, strength gains, or size gains, training the lower body is the best way to accomplish all of these. Knee dominant exercises have deep movement at the hip and knee). In addition, we look at most knee dominant exercises as anterior chain dominant or quad dominant.
Why we like them so much: Great way to increase lower body strength / power, speed and vertical jump. In addition, they have numerous progressions and regressions (weighted and bodyweight).
Key Points:
Mobility / form prerequisites must be achieved before adding a load (primarily ankle and hip mobility, and neutral spine position)
Athlete must demonstrate perfect control
minimize range of motion at the ankle and maximize range of motion at the knee (top of thigh to parallel)
Body weight before loading
Simple before complex
Progressions:
Squats
Bodyweight high box squat
Bodyweight mid box squat
Bodyweight low box squat
Bodyweight counterbalance parallel squat
Bodyweight counterbalance full squat
Kettlbell or goblet low box squat
Kettlbell or dumbbell goblet full squat
Dumbbell between bench squat
Barbell box squat
Barbell front squat
Barbell back squat
Zercher squat
Barbell plus band/chain squat
Lunges
Bodyweight static lunge (split squat)
Bodyweight forward lunge
Bodyweight walking lunge
Bodyweight reverse lunge
Bodyweight Lateral lunge
Bodyweight slideboard or Valslide reverse lunge
Bodyweight deficit reverse lunge
Weighted vest walking lunge
Dumbbell walking lunge
Barbell walking lunge
Barbell front walking lunge
Barbell Zercher walking lunge
Dumbbell contralateral load deficit reverse lunge
Barbell deficit reverse lunge
