The hammer curl is a great, full body exercise. With light weight loads you can really work the body in a different way than most exercises.

1. Begin by placing a dumbbell in each hand, standing with feet about shoulder width apart and in a good erect posture.

2. Bring the dumbbells to the hip so that your arms are slightly cocked and sink/flex your knees downward about 4 inches.

3. Force yourself up onto your tip toes as your hip thrusts forward and up. At the same time lift the dumbbells in rhythm so that the dumbbells come past either side of your face and your upper arms are horizontal to the floor.

4. Return to starting position; you have completed one repetition.

Notes:
The exercise should be done in a smooth controlled manner. As you increase weight generally, the heads of the dumbbells will be larger thus, be careful they do not clip your cheek bones as the dumbbells pass by. I speak from experience with 50-lb dumbbells and trust me, it’s something to avoid.

The sling is very similar to the front raise, but is geared to stimulate athletic response in terms of muscle interconnectedness with athletic activities.

1. Stand with a split stance like you are walking/running with a dumbbell in each hand.

2. Raise the arm with the following leg straight up and stiff, but with dumbbell vertical as shown below.

3. Lower the dumbbell and raise again.

4. Repeat all repetitions on one side, switch your stance then, repeat repetitions on other side. You have completed the set.

Beginning position

Ending position

This exercise primarily works the lower back.

1. Begin by getting onto the machine, locking your heels below the stops and lowering your upper body as far down as you can, relaxing at the hips.

2. Raise your body to at least horizontal or higher if you can; do not raise so high as to put painful pressure on your spine. Do not jerk during the exercise; keep a slow, fluid, steady motion.

Starting position

Ending position: note that this shows a weight plate behind the head in case you wish to increase intensity. You can either hold the plate like this or touching the chest in front.

The gluteham raise, in relation to the hyperextension is different because the range of motion of this exercise carries you beyond parallel, allowing a full hamstring and gastroc contraction, which is particularly useful for a strong punch, sprint, etc. A hyperextension is mainly for the lower back, whereas the gluteham raise ties the lower back into the hamstrings.

1. Begin by getting on a glute machine and lowering your upper body from the waist so your head and upper body are hanging down.

2. Raise your body as high as you can then, lower back to starting position. You have completed one repetition. The glute ham raise is moderately difficult and should be executed in a smooth, fluid motion. Care should be taken to avoid jerking motions and rapid speed.

Starting position

Ending position

1. This exercise is performed by hanging from a bar while keeping the legs straight.

2. Raise both legs at the same time to horizontal level, pause for one second then, slowly lower the legs to the starting position.

Intensity can be increased by making legs straight instead of bending at the knees as shown or placing weights (ball, dumbbell, etc.) between the feet. While hanging, relax your upper body as much as you can; it’s not about gritting strength, but performance under relaxed conditions.

Starting position

Ending position

The RDL strengthens the lower back and is easily done with dumbbells.

1. To begin, grip the barbell or dumbbells, standing with arms relaxed to the side and feet shoulder width apart. From this position, bend the knees slightly then, bend forward at the waist. Let the barbell or dumbbells glide down the thighs and shins and bend as far forward as individual flexibility will allow.

2. From this position, straighten the back and assume the starting position. You are ready for the next repetition.

Notes:
Anytime that you perform a deadlift or a similar exercise that requires bending at the hip, flexing the knees is very important to reduce the chance of injury. Also, this type of lift is a great one to be totally conscious of in terms of ‘feeling’ the entire body and what muscles are moving and which do not seem to participate in the exercise to any great degree.

Remember: If you decide to use the straight bar, do so only after you have developed good technique. But, the straight bar will result in the best total body benefits to improve your game long term.

Dumbbell Starting position

Dumbbell Ending Position

Barbell Starting Position

Barbell Ending Position

This exercise is a great warmdown after your workout. It will help decompress the spine and stretch worked muscles, which will speed recovery. Best of all, it’s simple and relatively easy to do.

1. Step up to or jump up to a pullup bar so that your are hanging with your hands about shoulder width apart. You can use a palm away or palm toward you grip. The palm away seems to give better stretching results.

2. Relax your body as you hang straight down, arms extended.

3. Hang about 10-15 seconds then, drop to the floor, relax and then, jump back onto the bar for the next repetition.

Generally 3-4 reps is all that is needed for the warmdown.

This is a common and simple exercise.

1. Stand erect facing forward with good posture, i.e., eyes forward, chest up, etc.

2. Step forward into a long stance, stretching the back leg, while squatting down with the leading leg. The length of your step should be such that your knee does not protrude past your toes when you squat.

3. The depth of your squat should be such that the squatting legs thigh is horizontal to the ground, while the trailing leg had the knee about 3-4 inches off the ground.

4. Standing up, step forward so that the trailing leg is now the leading leg. Once you have done squats on both legs you have completed one repetition.

5. Generally, people will walk around a gym, track, etc. until they are pretty burned out. You can also do a specific number of repetitions per set or a set distance for a set.

Much like the chin up, a pull-up is a compound, pull-type exercise that works a large number of muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms.

1. Approach the pullup bar and extend your arms, taking a shoulder width, overhand grip on a pullup bar, i.e., palms facing away from you. Likely, you will need to jump up to grab the bar or reach if from a bench.

2. Hang extended from the bar then, inhale as you begin to pull upward, sticking your chest out.

3. Pull until your chin is level with the bar.

4. Exhale as you complete the movement, lowering yourself to the starting position then, repeat the next repetition.

Notes:
This is a difficult exercise for most to perform. When beginning, take a narrower grip on the bar. As you become more conditioned and experienced, take a wide grip. The wider the grip the more the exercise will work the traps and lats.

This exercise develops the lats and teres major. It also places intense focus on the biceps (though not as much as a chin up) and brachialis. It is usually incorporated in exercise programs that focus on training the arm regions.

Other secondary muscles involved include the trapezius (both middle and lower portions), rhomboids, and pectorals.

Because this exercise requires great strength and muscle conditioning, it is advisable to use a resistance pull-up machine before attempting the full exercise. The resistance machine will help you develop a strength foundation for this exercise and adequately condition your muscles.

This is a great warmup exercise prior to speed sprinting.

1. Mark out a 20-yard distance. Begin at one end of the distance in an upright position.

2. Step forward onto your right leg for the first bound. Take as large a step as you can, actually, you’re trying to go as fast as you can in a controlled rhythm. As the leg touches the ground, you should be a little stiff legged. Use the momentum of the leg striking the ground to propel you to the next step, i.e., the opposite foot hitting the ground. Use your hands and arms to help with your balance.

3. The set is complete when you have reached your 20-yard marker.

Notes: Alternately you can do the bound on a track in a zig-zag fashion. Do it between a runners lane with each foot hitting the line on either side of the lane. This will force you into a zig-zag type bound because of lane width.