MOVEMENT PREP into DYNAMIC WARM-UP (approx. 5-10 minutes)
Prepare your body for movement with a progressive routine of activation, warm-up, stretches and form running.
These activities can be general movement activities that get blood to muscles and are fairly low impact. The
physiological concept is to “turn on” your nervous system and have muscles contract or do their job at the right
time, with the right muscles doing the right movement in the right pattern.
MOVEMENT PREP
High knee walk and hug
Backward lunge walks
* Inchworms- Second world’s greatest stretch. Stand tall with feet together. Bend at the waist and touch hands
to ground with minimal knee bend. Walk hands away from body as far as you can control - hold 1 sec. - then walk
feet to hands trying to keep legs straight. Repeat 4 more reps, then reverse inchworm backwards. Walk feet
behind you keeping hands stationary - hold - then walk hands to feet. Repeat 4 more times.
*World's Greatest stretch – Four stretches together (high hamstring into groin/glute, hamstring /calf and end with
hip flexor)
- Begin the exercises standing, hug RIGHT knee to chest
- Into RIGHT leg lunge step forward, both hands to ground beside right foot instep, drop right elbow toward
ground, hold 4sec - Then keep both hands on the ground and bring hips back as you try to straighten your legs
with your front toe up. Hold for 4 count.
- Then drop back (LEFT) knee to ground, raise arms overhead like “touchdown”, lean toward your right side while
gently pushing hips forward. You should feel a stretch in your left hip flexor. Hold for 4 count. Relax. Repeat
with left leg forward. Do 3-5 reps for each leg.
Standing quad stretch
“Airplanes” – one-leg hamstring stretch
Walking Lunges with Rotation
Hurdle Walks from the side (Over, Over, then under) hip/groin/glute stretch
DYNAMIC WARM-UP
Quick skipping
High knee run
Butt kicks
Lateral shuffles
Backwards run (also excellent workout to strengthen quads)
BASE STRENGTH EXERCISES (1-2X per week) (15-30 min)
1. Clams – Lie on your back with a mini-band around your knees. Keep your knees at 90 and feet off the ground.
Clam open your knees by keeping your feet together and hips stationary. Do 5-10 reps. With a HOLD for 5
seconds. You should feel it in your glutes/core. Go slow and controlled.
2. Bicycle Holds – Lie on your back. Keep your knees at 90 and feet off the ground. Try to straighten one leg
while keeping your other leg up at your chest. HOLD for 5 sec. Switch.
*3. Hug Knee-Hip Lift - Lie on your back in sit-up position, hug right knee to chest and hold. Left knee is flexed
and foot is flat on the ground close to buttocks…keep toe up. Push through your left heel to 'hip lift' off the
ground. Squeeze your glute (butt muscle) when hip lifting. You may only come off the ground a few inches.
Focus on keeping knee to chest, push through heel and squeeze glute. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
*4. Split Squat - Stand in a lunge step (Right foot fwd and Left leg behind you) and then put hands behind head.
Squat - bend and flex back knee (left) down to an inch off the ground. The front (right) leg will flex and the knee
should not go over or beyond the laces/toes as you squat. Keep head up-chest up as you squat. You will feel a
stretch in the back quad.
5. Single-Leg Squats – stand on a 4’-6’ box or phone book/stair. Hips go back FIRST and then bend knee
naturally. Concentrate on keeping knee stabile as possible.
6. Mini-Band Walk Routine – use mini-band tubing or bands around ankles.
7. Walking Lunges – lunge step forward with right leg keep upper torso erect and then pick up left leg and
balance on right and then lunge step forward with left leg.
8. Elbow Bridges (Planks) – lie on stomach and hold yourself up on your forearms and toes keeping your back
straight. You can increase the difficulty by walking your elbows forward. Hold position for 10 - 30 seconds.
Repeat 5 to 10x. DO NOT HOLD BREATHE! Then go onto your side and hold your self up on a single forearm with
feet on top of each other. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds.
9. Four–Corner Drill / Single Leg Balance Reach – Envision you are in the middle of a square. Standing on a LEFT
leg reach across your body with right leg to left front corner come back to standing tall then reach to RIGHT
corner. Return to tall position then reach to back LEFT corner. Return. And then Right corner. Repeat 5x
through. Then switch balance leg. You can also reach with your hands while you one-leg balance. Squat down
and reach across your body to your left with your RIGHT hand. Slowly return back to standing. Then repeat using
LEFT hand reach across body to the right.
10. Body Weight Squat – Stand feet shoulder width apart. Use a bench if needed. Sit to thigh parallel to the
ground and stand up slowly. Make sure to push through the heels.
POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY STRETCHING – (5 -10 min)
1. Seated hamstring - (replaces outdated hurdler's stretch) Seated on the ground, both legs straight out in front
of you. Keep chest up and back straight as possible, then lean and reach toward feet. DO NOT FLEX FORWARD or
BEND BACK. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Then, Right leg straight, flex left knee and bring sole of left foot to upper
inside of right leg. Reach BOTH hands as far down right leg keeping them equal and try to bring center of chest to
right knee. Keep chest up and back straight. Hold 15-30 seconds. Switch legs. Repeat.
2. Side lying quad stretch - (replaces outdated standing stretch) Lie on your left side and grab your right ankle.
Pull your right heel to your buttock and try to bring your right upper thigh back as far as you can stretch. Hold for
15-30 seconds. Switch legs. Repeat.
3. V-Stretch – Seated legs out straight at 10 and 2 o’clock. Keep toes up and knees extended. Keep chest up and
back straight as possible, then lean and reach toward middle of feet. DO NOT FLEX FORWARD or BEND BACK.
Hold 15-30 sec.
4. Butterfly Stretch (groin) – Seated knees flexed, feet into groin, soles of shoes facing each other. Press knees
toward ground to get a stretch for inside of thigh/groin. Hold 15-30 sec.
5. Glute Stretch (Piriformis) - ½ pigeon pose form yoga
6. Standing Calf/Lower Leg Stretch - Against a wall, fence, or tree. Right foot toe up and heel as close to the wall
as possible. Then slowly try to bring right knee and hip over the right ankle. Keep leg straight. Then do the same
stretch, but before bringing knee/hip over ankle, flex and bend knee - then move forward over the ankle to
stretch. This should illicit a stretch in your achilles/lower calf area (soleus).
HUG KNEE HIP LIFT
SPLIT SQUATS
INCHWORM
start
middle
World’s Greatest Stretch – hug knee, lunge step, hamstring, hip flexor stretch
hug knee
lunge step hold four sec
Hip Flexor stretch hold four sec
Michael Lagomarsine, MS, CSCS, USAW
Head of Strength and Conditioning
mlago@bu.edu
Boston University Athletic Enhancement Center
www.bu.edu/aec
617-353-0313
Hamstring side view
Front view
front view