bodyweight workout: single leg toe touches, single leg squats

WARM UP (15 minutes)

- 200m run or 100 jump rope jumps or jumping jacks

- dynamic stretching/range of motion exercises (shoulder circles, vertical and horizontal arm swings, torso rotations, forward and side to side torso bends, forward-back and side to side leg swings)

- 8 each of: squats, pushups, bench dips, goodmornings, v-ups/crunches

SKILL/SPECIFIC WORKOUT (15-20 minutes)

single leg toe touches, single leg squats

Practice/Learn the single leg squat (and it's progressions) and the single leg toe touch.

Do 2 rounds, each in 1 minute intervals;

- Continuous standing leg circles (left side)

- Continuous standing leg circles (right side)

- 10 Forward lunges + 10 Backward lunges per side

- 5 Single leg toe touches

- 5 Single leg squats or squat progressions (if you can not do the full squat yet, do progressions for the regular squat)

(For each 1 minute interval, you will try to perform the exercises with as little interruption as possible, but resting and resetting as needed. For this skill workout, you should not focus on speed, but on awareness and control of your legs and body)

* Single leg toe touch:

- From a standing position, bend forward at the hip while simultaneously raising one leg backwards, until your torso and rear leg are horizontal (similar to the "balancing stick" yoga posture but with your arms down). At the bottom, touch your foot on the floor with one or both hands, then come back up to stand.

- Keep your back straight and both knees locked.

* Single leg squat (variations):

Pistol

- From a single leg balance, raise the lifted foot in front of you to at least knee height, trying to keep its knee as straight as possible. You can bring your arms forward for balance.

- Move your hips back and down as in a regular squat, while keeping the lifted leg off the ground.

Knee down

- From a standing position, bend one knee while keeping your hips extended (raise one foot backward while keeping your knees in place).

- Kneel down on the bent knee, lightly touching it on the floor beside the front foot. Keeping the rear knee bent, come back up to stand with full hip extension.

- Throughout this exercise, always keep your head and chest up, shoulders back, and squatting knee over foot.

* Single leg squat progressions:

Unassisted, partial range of motion

- Perform the regular (single leg) squat as described, but only lower yourself until the point where you start to lose knee stability, then move back up. Try to push this limit.

Assisted, full range of motion

- Perform the (single leg) squat with your hips lowering all the way down to parallel, but with your hands holding on to a support (post/door frame/chair/training partner). Your raised leg can be placed lightly on the ground but bearing no/minimal weight. When doing assisted squats, you should move through the full range of motion (hips should lower to knee height).

WOD (Workout of the Day, 10 minutes)

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes:

- 3 single leg squats each side

- 6 push ups

- 9 good mornings/back arches

(If single leg squats are still too difficult, replace them with 6 regular squats.)