by Daniel Lucas

Welcome to the third installment of our Nimble leg exercise series!  We’re now going to progress to a few power movements. These moves are important, because as we age, our physical power is one of the first things to decrease. If we don’t train consistently, we gradually lose our ability to move quickly and change directions while under load. Remember, power exercises should be progressed into after you have gone through a conditioning and strength phase of training.

These three exercises are meant to be part of a full workout, but if this is all the time you have, take it!  The video below demonstrates these three exercises:

*multi-planer mini jumps / 10 jumps for each direction.
*Lateral to 90 degree squat jumps. (6-8 reps)
*lunge jump (8 reps per leg)

When training for power, it’s best to keep your repetitions low and your reactive energy high. If you find yourself fatigued and unable to react quickly to your next repetition, then it’s time to rest. I usually suggest around 6-8 repetitions, but more can be performed if you have that reactive energy and timing. Depending on your conditioning and the stress of the exercise you’ll probably need up to 1-3 minutes of rest between sets. Train smart and always listen to your body! It does not lie.

Cheers,
Daniel