Training methods for explosive power of calves and thighs

The rapid development of the Internet era has led to rapid cultural dissemination, and fitness culture is indispensable among these cultures. Some people pursue a fit body, while others focus more on strength training. Many of them pursue the explosive power of the legs to make themselves look healthier and walk briskly and as light as a swallow. However, the legs can be said to be exercised every day, but how can we do special training for the explosive power of the legs? Let's learn about it.

Do you train your calves well in the gym on weekdays? This time I will share with you 7 ways to train the explosive power of your calves!

1. "Standing squat jump": explosive power training for the entire leg muscles.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward, and squat down to a position from which you can naturally jump off (this movement requires naturalness, so please do not squat too low and do not bend your knees more than 90 degrees. When squatting, your knees cannot bend inwards and your legs must remain parallel to avoid placing too much pressure on your knees). Jump up as high as you can (if the ceiling is high enough, you can also swing your arms). Crouch immediately after landing and jump up again.

This event requires reaction speed and full-strength jumping. You can imagine that the ground is very hot, so hot that you have to jump again immediately after landing. It is best to maintain a fixed height each time you jump, and not jump lower and lower just because you are tired.

2. "Stepping on the feet": It can exercise the calf rib and abdominal muscles, help to jump quickly, and provide the explosive power needed for dribbling and cutting in from left to right. In addition, it can also strengthen the knee and ankle joints to prevent sprains.

You will need an object at least 3 inches thick to do this exercise, such as a phone book, a large dictionary or a stair step. Stand on one foot on an object of your choice (such as a phone book) with two-thirds of your foot in the air, and your other foot bent backward, using one hand to hold onto a chair for balance. Imagine yourself about to jump, and use that feeling to lift your heels up, the higher the better. Use the balls of your feet to support your entire body weight, then lower your heels until they are slightly below the surface of the phone book (don't do this too quickly).

Note: This movement is different from tiptoeing, the forefoot still touches the ground! After completing one set with this foot, switch to the other foot and do 2 sets with each foot.

3. "45-degree squat jump": used to strengthen the quadriceps, which can increase jumping endurance and increase sprint speed in short-distance running.

Look straight ahead, place your hands on both sides of your body, stand with your toes facing forward and your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend your knees to squat 45 degrees (approximately halfway between standing and sitting). The correct posture should be that when you squat, your entire hips should be tilted back, your knees should not bend inwards, and your legs should remain parallel. Do not use your calves; only use your thighs and a slight waist strength to jump upwards (feel as if someone grabs your hair and pulls your whole body upwards. Pull and release, pull and release, repeat this process). After landing, immediately squat to a 45-degree position and jump up again.

You don't need to jump with all your strength, but remember that each jump must be at least 20 cm above the ground. If you do this movement correctly, your thigh muscles should feel sore, as long as you squat low enough.

4. "90-degree single-leg hop": Strengthens the quadriceps muscles in the thigh and can enhance the ability to jump on one leg.

If you are practicing in a room or at home, please make sure that the ceiling is at least 90 cm higher than your height so that you will not hit your head when jumping.

For those who are not good at single-leg hopping, here is your antidote. There are 3 methods for you to choose from:

Method 1: Use a chair

Find a chair without wheels. It must be sturdy enough for you to stand on it. The seat should be at knee height or slightly lower (but never higher than the knee). The chair can be secured against a wall to prevent it from rocking during practice. Keep your head up and chest out, move as if you were walking up stairs, step your right foot on the chair seat and stand on the ground with your left foot, with your right heel slightly suspended in the air. Jump up with your right foot as hard as you can. When the body jumps into the air, swap feet, and when landing, the left foot is on the chair and the right foot is supporting the ground. The movement continues like this, up right, down left, up left, down right...

Note: You can only jump with the leg that is on the chair with all your strength, and no other parts of your body should exert any force. This is the only way to fully exert the training effect.

Method 2: Use stairs

The steps of the stairs are shorter than the chair, so you should take 2 to 3 steps at a time, just enough to bend your legs to 90 degrees. Do the same as with the chair jump, or you can hop up the stairs in this way.

Method 3: Outdoors

If you choose to train outdoors and happen to not be able to find something to practice with your feet, you can do the following: stand in a lunge with your left foot behind and your right foot in front, with your right leg bent to 90 degrees. Using only the right leg in front, jump as hard as you can to reach the greatest distance and height. Change legs while in the air, and after landing, the right foot is at the back and the left foot is in front and bent at 90 degrees, and continue in this cycle. When exercising outdoors, it is best to choose a softer surface to reduce the pressure on the knee joints.

The above three methods of training single-leg jumping power require one jump with each foot, and each jump is counted as one time.

5. "Jumping on the front of the foot": used to strengthen the calf muscles and tendons around the ankle joints to prevent sprains.

Keep your head up and chest out, and keep your legs together. Keep your legs straight and do not bend. Jump only using the power of the forefoot, at a speed of 3 jumps per second (because you only jump using the power of the forefoot, you cannot jump very high). Your heel should not touch the ground when you land. This event does not require jumping strength or height, but only requires jumping at a fixed rhythm.

6. "Hand hook": used to train the muscles of the hamstrings, which can enhance the ability to run and jump high.

Place your hands on the ground behind your back and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the seat. The waist cannot exert force. Use the heels as the support point and rely only on the hooking strength of the legs to pull the body towards the top of the chair seat until the muscles on the back of the legs feel tight. When you relax, straighten your legs completely and repeat the movement.

7. "Stretch again": Repeat the movements in the first step to relax the muscles and eliminate fatigue.

Don't play ball on the day you have training. You must give your body a good rest. After each class, it is recommended that you apply a cream to eliminate muscle fatigue on your knees and other leg muscles, or use ice to speed up recovery from fatigue, so that your body can continue tomorrow's training in a better condition.

Finally, here are 3 other exercises that are also good ways to improve your jumping ability.

Cycling

In fact, a bicycle is a very effective training equipment that can strengthen the entire leg (either a regular bicycle or a stationary bike will do).

Running up the stairs

Running up stairs can increase leg muscle strength and jumping ability at the same time. When running, you should use the number of steps that can be crossed in one stride as the basic stride and run up quickly. (Rest for 2 minutes after every 30 steps)

Running uphill

Running uphill provides a great power workout. Find an uphill road with a slope of more than 30 degrees. When running, you must sprint with all your strength for 5 seconds, then walk down the hill to rest for 1 minute, then sprint with all your strength again, and repeat this. This is how some NBA teams train their players.

60m sprint

During the course, every Saturday before playing, you can perform two 60-meter sprints, with a 1-minute rest in between. Sprinting strengthens the hamstring muscles, which helps with running and jumping high.

Now the secret book is in your hands. As I guarantee, in three months you will definitely be able to increase your jumping ability by at least 20 to 30 centimeters. However, all this requires your own dedication and hard work. At the end of the book, I give you four golden words: "Follow the schedule, maintain a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and never be lazy." Three months of hard work in exchange for a lifetime of happiness is definitely worth it. Come on! I wish your dreams come true!