Core Stability Exercises
Static Floor Exercises
Plank
Hold a straight body position, supported on elbows and toes.
Brace the abdominals and maintain a straight body line
through feet, hips and head.
Side plank
Lie on one side, ensuring the top hip is above the bottom hip.
Push up until there is a straight body line through feet, hips
and head.
Keep the elbow under the shoulder. Lower under control and
repeat on opposite side.
Bridge
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Squeeze your gluteals and then push your hips up until there
is a straight line through knee and hip to upper body and
shoulders remain on the floor.
Superman
Kneel on the floor and place your hands below your shoulders
and knees below your hips.
Extend right leg back and the left arm forward.
Maintain a straight body line through extended leg, body and
extended arm. Repeat with opposite limbs
Dynamic Floor Exercises
Side lying hip abduction
Lie on your side with your top hip above the lower hip.
Brace the abdominals and lift the top leg slowly up and down.
Oblique crunch
Lie on your back with your right ankle resting on your left knee.
Right arm is placed on the floor out to the side.
Keeping the right shoulder down, curl the left shoulder up to
the right knee. Repeat with opposite limbs.
Straight leg raise
Lie on your back with knees bent. Brace your abdominals and
lift your legs up straight in the air to an angle of 45 degrees
keeping you back on the ground.
Keeping one leg in the air, slowly lower the other down to the
floor. Only go as far as you can until you feel the lumbar spine
start to move.
Keep bracing the abdominals and then lift the leg slowly back
up. Repeat with the other leg.
Lying windscreen wipers
Lie on your back with arms out to the sides. Lift your legs straight up in the air until the hips are at 90
degrees. Keeping your legs straight and maintaining the hip angle, rotate the legs to one side. Go as
far as you can keeping your upper back and shoulders on the floor. Bring the legs to a halt, pull them
back up to the start position and then over to the other side.
General sprint drills
The following are an example of general sprint drills.
Walking on Toes
Aims - develop balance and strengthen the lower leg muscles (reduce shin splints)
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - walking on the balls of the feet - free leg to be lifted so that the thigh is parallel with
the ground, lower leg vertical and the toes dorsi flexed (this end position can be held for a
second or two to develop balance and a feel of the free leg position)
Walking on Heels
Aims - develop balance and strengthen the lower leg muscles (reduce shin splints)
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - walking on the heels of the feet - free leg to be lifted so that the thigh is parallel with
the ground, lower leg vertical and the toes dorsi flexed (this end position can be held for a
second or two to develop balance and a feel of the free leg position)
Sprint Arm Action
Aims - develop shoulder muscle power and endurance
Amount - 10 to 20 seconds
Action - assume the lunge position, brace abdominals, maintain a straight back, fast sprint arm
action
Leg Cycling
Aims - develop correct leg sprint action and strengthen hamstring muscles
Amount - 10 to 20 seconds on each leg
Action - stand next to a wall or rail that you can hold to maintain balance, stand tall, brace the
abdominals, stand on the leg nearest the wall, lift the thigh of the other leg so it is parallel with
the ground, the lower leg vertical and toes dorsiflexed, sweep the leg down and under your
body, pull the heel up into the buttocks, cycle the leg though to the front, pull toes up, bring
upper thigh through to be parallel with the ground, extend the lower leg and commence the
next cycle
Leg drives
Aims - develop hip flexor strength and speed
Amount - 10 to 20 seconds for each leg
Action - stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at chest height, position your feet so
that the body is straight and at 45 degrees to the wall, keep you neck in line with your spine
(head up), bring one leg up so the thigh is parallel with the ground, lower leg vertical and toes
dorsiflexed (starting position), drive the foot down towards the ground, as the toes make
contact with the ground, quickly pull the foot up and return the leg to its starting position
Butt Kicks
Aims - develop correct leg sprint action in the mid section following the drive off the rear leg
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - fast leg movement on the balls of the feet - drive the knee up and bring the heel to the
underside of the backside and the thigh parallel with the ground
Skips
Aims - to develop correct leg and foot action in preparation for the foot strike
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - skipping on the balls of the feet - free leg to be lifted so that the thigh is parallel with
the ground, lower leg vertical and the toes dorsi flexed
Side strides crossover
Aims - to increase flexibility and range of hip movement
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - steady jog sideways on the balls of the feet - right leg across the front of left leg, left
leg across the back of the right leg, right leg across the back of the left leg, left leg across the
front of right leg and repeat this sequence.
Skip and clap
Aims - to increase flexibility and range of horizontal leg movement
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - skip on the balls of the feet - bring the whole leg up so it is horizontal with the ground,
toes dorsi flexed and at the same time clap the hands together under the leg. The arms then
come back up to the side to form a crucifix.
Skip Claw
Aims - to develop the drive down action of the leading leg
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - skip on the balls of the feet - bring the leg up so the thigh is at least horizontal with the
ground, lower leg is vertical, toes dorsi flexed and then drive the foot down so that the ball of
the foot strikes the ground below your hip
Skip for height
Aims - to develop rear leg drive
Amount - two repetitions over 20 to 30 metres
Action - skipping on the balls of the feet - emphasis is on the rear leg drive and drive back of
the elbow - free leg to be lifted so that the thigh is parallel with the ground, lower leg vertical
and the toes dorsi flexed
Triple Jump Drills
General Drills
Standing hop-step-jumps - develops the appropriate neuromuscular system
Use a four stride approach, easy pace, into hop-step-jump
Uphill bounding drills - to develop height achieved in all phases
Approach Drills
Rhythm runs - to ensure hitting check marks and board
Vary the start point so that you miss the "check point" (about six strides out) and have to
adjust while maintaining maximum speed
Hop Drills
Single leg hop up stairs
Single leg hops over cones
Continuous single leg hops with a butt kick action
Continuous single leg hops with concentration on bringing the knee as high as possible
Continuous single leg hops, combining the butt kick with the knee high action
Step Drills
Using only the hop and step, set the take off point so that the athlete lands in the sand pit
Extend the take off point to force a longer step
Set up a grid for a series of standing hop-steps where each succeeding hop-step is a little
longer
Jump Drills
Stand with both feet together and take one step and jump into the pit
Using a six stride approach, just do the step and jump phases, concentrate on the drive of the
jump foot trying for maximum height during the jump
Using a six stride approach, just do the step and jump phases, concentrate on the arm action
Complex Training
Exercise Reps Rest/Set
Squats 3 × 12RM 60 seconds
Bench Press 3 × 12RM 60 seconds
Barbell Lunge 3 × 12RM 60 seconds
Lat Pull down 3 × 12RM 60 seconds
Abdominal crunches 3 × 20 60 seconds
3 minutes rest
Vertical Jumps 3 × 10 90 seconds
Medicine ball chest pass 3 × 10 90 seconds
Step Jumps 3 × 10 90 seconds
Medicine ball overhead pass 3 × 10 90 seconds
Medicine ball sit up and throw 3 × 10 90 seconds
