The STACK Exercise of the Week will help you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility. This week, we highlight the Elevated Reverse Lunge With Plates, an exercise that increases lower-body strength.

Who’s Doing It

• Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns RB

Muscular Benefits

• Increase quad and glute strength
• Improve single-leg stability

Sports Performance Benefits

The Reverse Lunge With Plates is a Lunge variation that is perfect for anyone who wants to increase speed. It strengthens the muscles that are activated when you drive off the line, improving your first-step quickness. It also increases single-leg stability, which is essential for warding off knee injuries when cutting and changing direction. Richardson likes to perform this exercise with plates to add a grip strengthening component to firm up his grasp on the football.

Reverse Lunge With Plates How To

• Assume athletic stance on four-inch plyo box holding plates at sides
• Step back with leg to lower into lunge position
• Forcefully extend front knee and glute to drive up out of lunge and return to start position
• Repeat for specified reps; perform set with opposite leg

Sets/Reps: 4×8 each leg

Coaching Points

• Keep lunging knee behind toes
• Hold plates firmly
• Keep chest up

Do you have an exercise that you want to see featured as an Exercise of the Week? Leave a comment below.