Table 11.

ASCENT

NEUROMUSCULAR
DEFICIT: Athlete does not drive with hips as primary mover or hips rise too quickly in relation to the shoulders.
TARGETED CORRECTION: Athlete uses hips as primary mover and maintain shoulders and hips the same distance apart throughout ascent.
Exercise	Description	Purpose	Cue	Example
1. Glute Bridge	Lay supine with feet flat on the floor with heels close to buttocks. Place hands palm down by sides. Push hips upward with shoulders still in contact with ground. Hold and lower.	Emphasize hip drive.	"Hips to the ceiling"
2. Hip Thrusts	Perform continues glut bridges in a controlled manner. Emphasize driving upward with the hips.	Emphasize hip drive.	"Hips to the ceiling"
3. Ball Lead Squat	Hold ball chest height. Perform squat with emphasis of leading with the ball during ascent.	Promote leading with the chest during ascent.	"Lead with the ball"
STRENGTH/ STABILITY
DEFICIT: Posterior chain and hip extension concentric muscle action weakness.
TARGETED CORRECTION: Improve concentric strength of posterior chain.
Exercise	Description	Purpose	Cue	Example
1. Box Sit to Stand	Place a plyometric box or chair behind the athlete. The height of the box should be slightly higher than the approximate depth of their observed fault. The height of the box should gradually be reduced in order to work towards full depth capability.	Promote hip drive and pushing through heels to ascend.	"Press down on heels and use hips to stand"
2. Vertical Countermovement Jump	Athlete squats down to available depth while maintaining form and immediately jumps vertically.	Train using an explosive concentric exercise of posterior chain.	"Explode upward and use soft landings"
3. Sumo Deadlift	Squat down to weights/bar, grasp them, and stand up by raising hips and shoulders at same time, keeping the weights/bar close to thighs. Finish in neutral, extended position. Reverse in a slow and controlled manner to lower back to the ground.	Strengthen posterior chain and improve postural control.	"Keep chest up, press down on heels, through with hips"
MOBILITY
DEFICIT: Lack of thoracic spine and hip flexor mobility.
TARGETED CORRECTION: Improve thoracic spine and hip flexor mobility.
Exercise	Description	Purpose	Cue	Example
1. Lunge Hip Flexor Stretch	Lunge with back knee on the ground. Extend torso backward. Repeat on opposite side.	Static hip flexor stretch and thoracic spine stretch to improve mobility.	"Lean back"
2. Donkey Kicks	In quadruped position, kick backwards with sole of foot towards the ceiling. Maintain knee flexion angle.	Hip flexor mobility exercise that emphasizes a postural position relative to the squat.	"Plant footprint on the ceiling"
3. Scorpion	Lay flat on stomach with arms straight out to the sides and with legs together and extended. Flex the left knee to raise lower left leg toward the ceiling. Twist at the hips to reach the left foot over to the right side of the body. Attempt to keep arms and chest flat on the ground. Once opposite foot is as close to opposite hand as possible, return to start and immediately go the other direction with the other leg.	To stretch the lower-back, gluteus, and hamstring mobility.	"Keep chest on the ground"