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plate to whatever weight the “regular people” are using. This usual y results in you doing a real y bad genuflect, followed by a rounded-back get-up. Awful .
    Take big strides, maintain an upright torso and do them right. Dumbbells, barbells, weight vest, bodyweight… doesn’t matter . Walking lunge, backwards lunge… doesn’t matter . Side lunges are kind of lame, though.
    Step-ups
    Remember when all the Olympic lifters thought the Bulgarians replaced squats with step-ups?
    And since they couldn’t think for themselves, they did too? Remember when they realized the joke was on them? I still laugh about that today. In any case, the step-up is a great exercise for your legs and ass. Just don’t be Cheater McCheaterstein and use a box that’s 10” off the ground, push off with your back leg like a donkey, then post on message boards how you did
    315x10 with each leg on step-ups. Actually, the worst part of this whole scenario is you posting on message boards.
    As with lunges, you can use a variety of implements and different box heights. A general guideline is to use a box that puts your leg at about parallel to the ground. Single leg movements will reveal coordination, strength and balance problems in the body. Instead of wasting 14 days of assessments, you can do some one leg movements, squatting, deadlifting and Blast Strap pushups and get all your answers in about ten minutes.
    Leg Press
    I’m not a huge leg press fan, but I can see its value. It’s not squatting, but it’l help strengthen and build your legs. The leg press is a machine, so I’m not going to tell you how to use it. Just use a full range of motion, and never use knee wraps.
    Back Raise
     

    Done on a back raise bench, a glute-ham bench or a 45-degree back raise bench, this movement is a simple and effective way to strengthen your lower back and hamstrings. Extra resistance can be added by putting a bar across your back. You can also attach a band to the bottom of the machine and put it around your neck, hold a plate in your hands or behind your head, or wear a weight vest.
    Back raises are like very strict good mornings without the politics. Loading this exercise can be somewhat awkward. Holding a 10 pound plate in your hands is one thing, but putting 135
    pounds on your back and getting into position is a pain in the ass.
     
    Good Morning
    The first mistake people make with good mornings is treating the exercise as a movement and not as a muscle builder/strengthener. When it’s used as a movement, form is usual y thrown out the window, and weight is all that matters. This is not a good idea. The good morning is used to build your lower back and hamstrings, so perform the exercise in a way that hits these muscles
    correctly. This means pushing your butt way back, trying to keep somewhat of an arch in your back, and using as full a range of motion as you can. Don’t be Half Rep McGee.
     
    You don’t have to go very heavy on these. I’ve used 500 pound loads with this movement, but I’ve gotten more out of doing 185 for strict reps.
    Glute Ham Raise
    Nothing works the hamstrings like glute-ham raises. Add in a full range of motion – from the bottom to the top – and you have an exercise that works the low back, hamstrings and calves.
    Not too shabby. If you suck at these, do them every day until you don’t. Start each workout with 2-3 sets of 5 reps. Do this, and pretty soon you won’t suck.
    Here are my thoughts on the GHR, and how the exercise should be done:  You MUST start with the motion of a back raise. The reason for this is to achieve a full range of motion and get some kind of erector work in during the movement. This action allows the GHR to be a thorough posterior chain movement. Having strong erectors for any sport is essential. Hel , it’s important in LIFE.
     If you real y can’t perform a rep, either use a band (attached to the back of the machine and held in your hands by your head), or have a partner assist