Leg strength for the jumping rider

Getting tired while galloping around the cross-country course? Here is a quad and glute set that will make you feel like you’ve done a full workout in just a few minutes and improve your balance and stamina in the saddle!
 
If you think about it, when you’re in a saddle trotting and cantering around with jumping length stirrups, you are effectively doing a whole load of pulsing squats. And it gets tiring!
 
Start with a short warm up such as a walk around the block, a jog on the treadmill or some on-the-spot running to get your blood pumping.

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Begin with 5 reps of each of these squats and lunges. In all squats ensure that you maintain good upper body posture and a flat back (tuck your tail slightly to decrease the chance of hollowing through your lumbar spine). Your knees should always track over your toes, they should not collapse in or bow out as you squat. During each squat, think about reaching back to a chair just behind you.
 

1. Regular squats (hands out in front of you or on your hips, feet just a bit wider than shoulder width apart and toes turned slightly outwards)
2. Regular squats with hands behind your head 
3. Sumo squats (legs wide, toes slightly turned out)
4. Squats with feet together 
5. Lateral squats (step out to the right leaving your left foot where it was and the leg straight while squatting down on your right leg, repeat going the other way). One to the right followed by one to the left counts as one repetition.
6. Pulsing squats (squat down in a regular squat and then pulse up and down from the bottom of the squat to about half way up) 
7. Lunges. One with left foot forward and one with right foot forward counts as one repetition.
8. Pulsing lunges (squat down in a regular lunge and then pulse up and down from the bottom of the lunge to about half way up, repeat on the other side) 
9. Squat jumps (regular squat down followed by pushing up into a small jump - approx. 10-20cm off the ground maximum)
10. Lunge jumps (regular lunge followed by pushing up into a small jump - approx. 10-20cm off the ground maximum) ​

Now give yourself 30 seconds or so rest and move on to these hip-raise exercises to focus the burn in your glutes! Do 5-10 of each and increase the reps as you get stronger. Squeeze through your glutes to raise your hips in each exercise.
 

1. Regular hip raise (lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands by your sides, raise your hips of the ground to create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees)
2. Pretzel hip raise (lie on your back as if about to begin the pretzel stretch – knees bent with one ankle resting on the opposite knee – and your hands by your sides. Raise your hips as above. Do both sides.) 
3. Straight leg hip raise (begin in position to do a regular hip raise then straighten one leg out and raise your hips by pushing through your other leg. Be sure to do the same number of reps with each leg!)
4. Leg up hip raise (begin in position to do a regular hip raise then straighten one leg up to the ceiling as high as you can and raise your hips by pushing through your other leg. Be sure to do the same number of reps with each leg!)

Give yourself a couple of days for recovery and then repeat!