5 Exercises Every Athlete Should Do to Enhance Performance

Quick disclaimer: there’s obviously no one size fits all approach that suits every athlete and sport, but there are some principles 826 believe in that form the basis for this article. The most important one is that “athleticism” isn't just about raw strength or speed; it’s a combination of various physical capabilities, including power, agility, balance, and endurance.

For athletes aiming to elevate their performance, integrating the right exercises into their training routines is crucial. The problem is, unless you’re lucky enough to work with proper strength and conditioning coaches, most gym advice is focused around muscle hypertrophy, bodybuilding, time under tension and a load of tips that might built aesthetics, but they won’t necessarily build aesthetics.

We’re not saying forget about squats, deadlifts, bench press and the traditional big lifts, but in this detailed guide, we’ll delve into five essential exercises that you might not know about that can help any athlete improve their game. We’ll explore how each exercise benefits different sports, provide insights from recent research, and offer tips on how to perform these exercises effectively.

1. Reverse Treadmill Walk

Why It’s Important

The reverse treadmill walk might not be the most conventional exercise, but it is incredibly effective for strengthening the lower body and improving knee health. And brother, the one thing we’ve learned since we built Mo7ion is that a lot of people have knee issues. Across all creeds, all ages, all genders, all races – the one thing we’re sure of is that there’s someone crying about their knee pain.

By walking backward on a treadmill, you engage the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes in a unique way that also enhances knee stability. It helps to correct muscle imbalances and improve proprioception, which is your body’s ability to sense its position in space. So if you’ve suffered, are suffering or don’t want to suffer from knee pain, start getting these into your workout.

Thinking a little bit more sport-specific, reverse treadmill walking is highly beneficial for athletes involved in sports that require quick changes in direction and lateral movements, such as soccer, basketball, and tennis.

No surprise, these are often the athletes complaining about knee pain, because these sports place a high demand on knee stability and strength, and incorporating reverse walking can reduce the risk of knee injuries by strengthening the muscles around the joint.

Still, a few of you reading might still be thinking this is a social media fad. However, research has shown that reverse walking can significantly improve knee joint function and reduce the risk of injuries. A study published in the Journal of Biomechanics demonstrated the positive effects of reverse walking on knee rehabilitation and muscle activation patterns.

How to Perform

1. Set the treadmill to a low speed, typically around 2-3 mph.
2. Start walking backward, keeping your chest up and your core engaged.
3. Focus on maintaining a steady, controlled pace, ensuring that your feet land softly with each step.
4. Gradually increase the incline to add more resistance as you progress.

2. Step Jumps

Why It’s Important

Next up. Step jumps are a dynamic plyometric exercise that focuses on building explosive power in the lower body. This exercise enhances the ability to generate force quickly, which is crucial for sports that require sprinting, jumping, and sudden directional changes.

Step jumps also improve neuromuscular coordination, making them an essential component of any athlete’s training regimen as there’s few sports that don’t require at least some level of coordination, not least sports like track and field, basketball, volleyball, and football.

These sports demand high levels of lower-body power and the ability to transition rapidly from one movement to another. Incorporating step jumps can help improve your vertical max, sprinting speed, and overall explosiveness on the field, court or ring.

Plyometric training, including exercises like step jumps, has been proven time and time again to significantly improve athletic performance, particularly in terms of power and agility. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that athletes who incorporated plyometrics into their training routines saw marked improvements in their sprinting and jumping abilities.

How to Perform

1. Stand in front of a sturdy step or platform that is about knee-height.
2. Begin with feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Swing your arms back as you bend your knees slightly.
4. Explode upward, jumping onto the step with both feet landing softly.
5. Step back down one foot at a time and repeat.

Progression Tips

• Start with a lower step and gradually increase the height as you become more comfortable and stronger.
• Focus on quick, explosive movements and minimize the time spent on the ground between jumps.

3. Single-Leg Hurdle Jumps/Hops

More plyos. Single-leg hurdle jumps are an advanced plyometric exercise that improves unilateral strength, balance, and coordination. This exercise is particularly effective for correcting imbalances between the legs, which is crucial for athletes who perform a lot of single-leg movements, such as running, kicking, or jumping. By focusing on one leg at a time, single-leg hurdle jumps also enhance proprioception and stability, reducing the risk of injury.

Again, as you’d expect by this point, we’re recommending single-leg hurdle jumps as an invaluable exercise for athletes in sports like soccer, tennis, and track and field. These sports often require quick, explosive movements off one leg, such as pushing off for a sprint or landing after a jump. Improving unilateral strength and balance through single-leg hurdle jumps can lead to better performance and fewer injuries.

How to Perform

1. Set up several hurdles spaced evenly apart, starting with a low height.
2. Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee.
3. Hop over each hurdle, focusing on a quick and explosive movement.
4. Land softly on the same leg and immediately prepare for the next jump.
5. After completing the set, switch to the other leg.

Progression Tips

• Start with lower hurdles and gradually increase the height as your strength and confidence improve.
• Emphasize soft landings to protect your joints and ensure control.

4. Lateral Hurdle Hops

Lateral hurdle hops are designed to improve lateral movement, agility, and lower-body power. While still another plyometric exercise, where it differs from traditional linear exercises is that it’s lateral focused as in the name. Lateral movements are essential in many sports and help develop the ability to change direction quickly.

This specific exercise engages the muscles of the hips, glutes, and thighs while enhancing coordination and balance.

Sports like basketball, soccer, hockey, and tennis heavily rely on lateral movements. Whether you’re defending an opponent, changing directions rapidly, or moving laterally across the court, lateral hurdle hops can significantly improve your ability to perform these actions efficiently. Enhanced lateral agility can also reduce the risk of common sports injuries such as sprained ankles or knee injuries.

How to Perform

1. Set up a series of low hurdles spaced about 1-2 feet apart.
2. Stand sideways to the hurdles with your feet together.
3. Bend your knees slightly and hop laterally over each hurdle, landing softly and immediately hopping to the next.
4. Keep your core engaged and maintain a quick, rhythmic pace.

Progression Tips

• Start with lower hurdles and increase the height as you improve.
• Focus on minimizing ground contact time to enhance agility.

5. Speed Hurdles

Finally, speed hurdles. They are a key exercise for developing foot speed, coordination, and overall agility. This exercise is particularly beneficial for athletes who need to enhance their acceleration, quickness, and reaction time. Speed hurdles work by forcing the athlete to maintain a high knee drive and quick footwork, which translates to better sprinting performance and quicker directional changes on the field or court.

Speed hurdles are especially useful for sprinters, football players, soccer players, and anyone involved in sports that require rapid acceleration and quick changes in direction. Improving foot speed through exercises like speed hurdles can lead to better performance in sprints, dribbling, and defensive manoeuvres.

How to Perform

1. Set up a series of low hurdles in a straight line, spaced about 1 foot apart.
2. Stand at the starting line with your knees slightly bent.
3. Run over the hurdles as quickly as possible, focusing on quick, light steps and maintaining a high knee drive.
4. Repeat the drill multiple times, aiming to improve your speed with each run.

Progression Tips

• Start with a moderate speed and focus on technique before increasing the pace.
• As you improve, try to reduce the time it takes to complete the drill.

Conclusion

In short, we are not saying these are the only exercises you should be doing from now on; or that they will make you a top athlete without you doing the rest of the work around skills development, nutrition and recovery.

What we are saying though is that finding ways to incorporate these five exercises into your training routine can help you become a stronger, faster, and more agile athlete.

Each exercise targets different aspects of athletic performance, from balance and stability to power and speed. Remember to focus on proper form and gradually increase intensity to maximize the benefits.

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