Resistance training isn’t just about building muscle & gym mirror selfies - it’s also an extremely effective way improving your performance in your chosen sport. From basketball to boxing, get ready to improve your explosiveness, power and athleticism with this workout from professional volleyball player and Ryderwear athlete Erica Wilson.
We’ve supplied the workout directions, tips and GIF demos of each exercise. These will be useful if you want a sneak preview of what Erica’s workout entails, want to take it with you to the gym for extra guidance, or if you love the workout so much you want to save it again for later!
1. DYNAMIC WARMUP
Get the blood flowing and prepare for a personal best with this dynamic warm up
BODYWEIGHT SQUATS
Set Up
Set your feet up roughly shoulder width apart with your toes slightly pointing out. Place your hands on your shoulders or on your hips. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Lower yourself down by bending at the knees and flexing at the hips until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor.
2. Push through the floor to bring yourself back up to the starting position.
LATERAL LUNGES
Set Up
Stand up tall with your feet hip width apart, and toes slightly pointing out. You can rest your hands on your hips or up by your shoulders. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Take a large step out laterally and lower yourself down bending at the knee and hip.
2. Keep your other leg planted and straight, as you lower yourself down.
3. Push off the moving leg and return it to the starting position.
4. Repeat on the other side.
INCH WORMS
Set Up
Stand up tall with your feet hip width apart, and toes slightly pointing out. You can rest your hands on your hips or up by your shoulders. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Take a large step out laterally and lower yourself down bending at the knee and hip.
2. Keep your other leg planted and straight, as you lower yourself down.
3. Push off the moving leg and return it to the starting position.
4. Repeat on the other side.
2. THE WORKOUT
GOBLET SQUATS 3 x 12
Set Up
Hold the top of a dumbbell in a goblet position, with your palms facing up. Set your feet up roughly shoulder width apart with your toes slightly pointing out. Place your hands on your shoulders or on your hips. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Lower yourself down by bending at the knees and flexing at the hips until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor.
2. Push through the floor to bring yourself back up to the starting position.
3. Repeat for reps or time.
Tips
- Brace your core and keep your back straight throughout the movement.
- Keep your knees in line with your feet throughout the movement. Try to avoid them caving inwards. Screwing your feet into the ground will also help with this.
- You may need to experiment with your stance (width and angle of your feet) to find the position that feels the most natural to you in order to get maximum depth.
- You may use a resistance band or just your bodyweight if you’re working out at home
FLOOR PRESS 3 x 10
Set Up
Set up seated on a mat (optional) with each dumbbell by your sides standing up on their ends. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Pick both dumbbells up that you set up and have your forearms perpendicular to the floor and your hands inline with your chest. This is the starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Push both dumbbells up by engaging through your chest and triceps.
2. Return both dumbbells back to the starting position with your elbows touching the floor in a controlled manner.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 for required reps.
Tips
- Keep wrists flat, avoid bending them back.
- The position of your hands at the bottom of the movement should be a little lower on the body (in line with sternum area) when compared to the lock out position (directly above the shoulder).
FRONT LUNGES 3 x 8
Set Up
Stand upright with your feet hip width apart holding the dumbbells down by your sides. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Take a large step forward and lower yourself down onto your front leg until your back knee is just off the ground.
2. Push through your front leg, generating enough power to return it to the starting position.
3. Repeat on the other side, alternating through for reps or time.
Tips
- Try to keep both feet pointing forward at all times throughout the movement.
- If you cannot get all the way down, that's ok! Just do you best and over time, your range will increase.
- Engage through your core and keep your torso upright throughout the movement.
DB STEP UPS 3 x 10
Set Up
Start by standing in front of a bench or box holding the dumbbells down by your sides. This is your starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Lift one foot up onto the box.
2. Push through the elevated leg to bring your body and other leg up off the ground.
3. Lower yourself back down in a controlled manner.
4. Repeat on the other side, alternating through for reps or time.
Tips
- Keep your torso upright by engaging through your core.
- Make sure you fully stand up on the box by extending your leg.
- You can replace the dumbbells with a pair of kettlebells or weight plates if they're unavailable.
PULL UPS 3 x 4-8
Set Up
Place your hands in a neutral position (palms facing each other) and step off the bench or box, taking your body weight with your arms outstretched. This is your starting position. You can use a band to decrease the resistance (we’ve demonstrated how to use it above)
Exercise Steps
1. Pull your elbows down by your side as you lift your body up towards the bar.
2. Once your chin has reached the bar, slowly lower yourself back down in a controller manner.
3. Repeat for reps or time.
Tips
- The tension of the band will play a big role in making the exercise harder or easier. A band with greater tension will make it lighter or easier whereas a band that has less tension will make it harder or heavier.
- Be careful when getting out of the band. Step back on the box or bench and hold the tension with one hand as you take your foot out.
- Aim to pull your chest to the bar, rather than your chin to the bar.
- Try to pull evenly through both arms.
- Keep your hips level and don't let the band pull you to one side. Engage your core to achieve this.
3 x 6 DEADLIFTS
Set Up
Set the barbell up in front of you on the ground. Place your feet underneath the barbell and bend down to hold it in an overhand grip (with your palms facing towards you). Push your hips up and back, creating tension on the hamstrings. Your hips should be above your knees.
Keep your head and neck inline as you roll your shoulders back and pick up the slack of the bar, bracing through your whole body including your lats. This is the starting position.
Exercise Steps
1. Once braced, push the floor away from you as you pull the barbell up your legs while keeping your arms straight.
2. Extend your hips and straighten your legs by engaging through your glutes, hamstrings and quads, reaching the lock out position.
3. Once the lock position has been reached, lower the bar back down your legs by hinging at the hips and then slightly bending at the knees.
4. Return the bar to the floor, reset and brace again before you begin another repetition.
Tips
- Bracing before you lift is important for injury prevention. Take the full slack of the bar before beginning to lift.
- Keep the head and neck inline with the body at all times.
- Try to keep the bar as close as possible to your at all times, you should be activating your lats in order to do this.
- The bar should remain over your mid foot for the entire lift.
3. THE COOLDOWN
Be sure to stretch, foam roll and drink plenty of water!
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