I do like to work my legs. They’re one of my favorite bodyparts to train, respond well, and recover quickly. Perhaps that’s because I do a lot of “pre-hab” work. This is a variation of a one-leg squat that’s fairly simple for most people to do. I’m using an adjustable box squat bench, but just about anything you have, like a chair, box, bench, toybox, entertainment center or whatever, can be made to work.

Stand beside the box with your weighted food parallel to the side of the box or bench, lift your unweighted leg to bend the knee, and very slowly and carefully lower your knee to the bench, and back to standing straight several times. I like to do sets of 25 for this, since it’s so light and has very little effect at this height – for me. You might just do a handful on each side the first time, like a set of 5 each, and see how it goes, then work your way up.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgeAHa9UuB4

Pre-Hab is a twist on “re-hab” – by doing simple little stabilizing motions as a warmup for other heavier training, you can make sure your muscles are fully warmed up, flexible, and prepared for the stress of heavier weights. Proper preparation can help prevent injuries that can lead to re-hab, so Pre-Hab = Prevent re-Hab.

Since this is primarily a quad exercise, you’ll want to do these before bigger squats, or even leg extensions, especially since leg extensions rarely require any type of stabilizing involvement, and can actually de-train (reduce the strength through lack of use) your stabilizing muscles.

Go slow, don’t bounce off the bench, don’t slam your knee down, and if you lose your balance, let go of your ankle and stand up quick. Enjoy!