McKinney Chiropractor;
Leg Blaster Workout
Video by Dr. Anthony Vasile
Dr. Anthony’s Leg Blaster
Every year I do my best to go on a ski trip with one of my best friends. We have been doing it for years and when we go, we play hard. Each year my legs are trashed by the end of the trip because I am not conditioned. The past few seasons I learned about something called a leg blaster that is supposed to help get the legs prepared for the few days of abuse that I will be putting them through. I have had the tendency to procrastinate until a month before to give this a try. This year is going to be different, and I am going to start early.
Leg blasters entail different jumping and squatting exercises with many reps back-to-back. It is exhausting and should not be underestimated. It is important to take it slow starting with the mini leg blaster and increasing to the full leg blaster as your legs get used to it. Why these exercises are so effective is because it focuses on eccentric muscle strengthening more than concentric muscle training. If you are unfamiliar with these terms concentric means strengthening while shortening the muscles while eccentric means strengthening during muscle lengthening. Start slowly because eccentric exercises can make you incredibly sore, trust me on this one. I have attached a piece of research that shows the difference between the two. Below there is also the breakdown of the leg blasters with progressions so you can try it for yourself.
Remember that to achieve homeostasis and stay in balance we must eat properly, move properly, and think properly while making sure we get adjusted frequently to keep our spine healthy. If you give this a try, I would love to hear your experience.
For full, printable Leg Blaster Workout click here.
Reference:
Schoenfeld, Brad J.1; Ogborn, Dan I.2; Vigotsky, Andrew D.3; Franchi, Martino V.4; Krieger, James W.5 Hypertrophic Effects of Concentric vs. Eccentric Muscle Actions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: September 2017 – Volume 31 – Issue 9 – p 2599-2608 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001983
Our Message
At our McKinney location, located near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy. and Ridge Rd., we are here to help you get out of pain! Our Chiropractors will relieve your pain through Chiropractic adjustments and teaching the proper form for exercises, like the plank. We also look at nutrition to make sure you are getting the proper nutrients to help give your body the best fighting chance against pain and disease! We hope you enjoy this Leg Blaster Workout!