Reebok Fit2Kick: Workout for Defender Position

#1 The importance of leg strength

As a defender, you need to do a lot of movements and workouts which can help you strengthen your lower body.

One of the best ways to do so is to work on one leg at a time. This allows you more time to concentrate on the various muscles and helps you achieve better lower body stability, strength and flexibility.

#2 The One Leg Strength Workout

Number of Exercises: 3

Time Duration: 20 minutes for the entire set

No. of Reps: mentioned ahead

#3 The One Leg Deadlift Each Side

Target Muscles: Core, Hamstrings, Quads and Lower Back

The deadlift is one of the favourites for power lifters and bodybuilders all around the world. This is the exercise which gives them the monster legs they are famous for.

The variation that we shall talk about helps you strengthen your target areas (mentioned above) and helps increase their flexibility too.

The basic steps of these exercises are:

Step 1: Place the kettlebell towards one side of your foot. Lift your other foot up so that you are balancing on the foot towards which the kettlebell is kept.

Step 2: Bend down and try to pick up the kettlebell (all the while balancing on that foot), during this motion stretch the other foot straight behind.

Step 3: Move back up to the initial one leg standing position.

Step 4: Repeat Step 1, the difference is that instead of picking up the kettlebell, you will be placing it down.

Step 5: Repeat step 3, this time without a kettlebell in your hand.

Step 6: Balance on the other leg and repeat the above five steps.

Your set ends after you have done 5 reps each for each leg. You have to do at least three sets.

Breathing: Inhale while doing a downward motion, Exhale while doing an upward motion.

Levels: The difficulty of this exercise can be increased by doing each step as slowly as possible.

#4 Front Lunges

Target Muscles: Calves, Ankles, Lower Back, Quads and Hamstrings.

Very similar to the split squat, this exercise helps develop your entire lower body.

This move has two basic steps:

Step 1: Hold a 5 kg dumbbell in each hand. Now, put your right foot forward; bend the knee of the left leg so that it touches the floor.

Step 2: Straighten your knee and now repeat step one. The only difference would be that instead of the right foot your will be putting your left foot forward

Your set gets over the moment you have done 10 each of the above for both the legs.

Breathing: Exhale while going down on your knee, tighten your stomach while exhaling (which essentially means you breathe using your stomach). Inhale deeply while going back up.

Levels: to increase the difficulty pick up a 7.5 kg dumbbell in each hand and do the above.

#5 Side Lunges

Target Muscles: Calves, Ankles, Lower Back, Quads and Hamstrings.

A variation of the front lunge, this movement prepares your legs for any sideways motion too.

This move has three basic steps:

Step 1: Hold a 5 kg dumbbell in each hand. Now spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulder.

Step 2: Bend your right knee to start with; this will cause your body to move towards your right. Continue this motion till you butt nearly touches the ground. This move will basically straighten and stretch the muscles of your left leg.

Step 3: Go back to your initial position and repeat step two. The difference here is that instead of bending your right knee, you will be bending your left knee.