Overall leg strength

Let me just start off by saying I hit a new level in squats tonight. I managed to squat 155 pounds 4 reps with great form. This is the most weight I have ever squatted. I haven't touched a Squat rack in weeks. So I was wondering how I did this.

I realized it was due to the different leg exercises that I have tried lately. Remember variety is very important to any training routine. They are Sandbag squats and lunges, Running steps, and Hop Sprints (I made that one up). A Hop sprint is preformed as such. You start with 3 light hops about 6-8 inches from the ground once you land on the last hop sprint a short distance and repeat. I like to do this on an incline or decline but that is up to you.

These exercises have helped me lately as I am really trying to get stronger in my legs. If you have any feedback it would be great. I want to know some other exercises you do other then Squats. Also, give Hop Sprints a chance they are a great finisher.

Excellent for you. With a knee/neck injury I haven't been able to do squats and probably will never be able to again ... or at least the regular ones you do with the weight on the back of your neck. For myself I do Deadlifts but to be honest you don't get as good of a workout though I have made great progression and hope to be Deadlifting 400 lbs shortly.

Some other exercises that are good are obviously the lunges, walking lunges, step-ups and of course their are Leg Press Machines if you have access to them. I just did a quick search and found this site that discusses some of the things I mentioned and gives further details.

http://www.binghamton.edu/athletics/strength/legs.pdf#search="leg%20exercises

Because of my knee giving your routine a try won't be possible but we do something similar in TKD class where we have a partner hold one foot while we hop three small hops and one large hop bringing our knee to our chest. Usually working our way across the dojang and then switch feet on the way back. Then we will do large hops all of the way there and switch fee on the way back. This I would consider a plyometric exercise of a sort.

Again good for you and hope your continue to work hard and keep progressing.

Good work buddy. PB's are always a wonderful thing to achieve

With the 'hop sprints' there are variations.
1. Knee high, very fast close 'runs' x 10 straight into the sprint. You can alternate the width of your footfall from narrow to wide during the knee highs if you want to engage add/abductors as stabilisers more.
2. Litvy squats: 5 deep plyometric squats straight into a 50m sprint. more advanced. 4 sets of this get you blowing like Darth vader with asthma .

You wont find a bigger fan of sandbags, tires sledgehammers etc than me. If you enjoy them, and the training gives you results, then keep at it

Thanks a lot dudes!

Cord about the Hop Sprints they are mainly used to help my leg speed and as a finisher. I used to kick very slow. I have tried Plyo squats and sprints but haven't done them in about 2 months I am going to try them again this week. Thanks again.