ACL Base Strength Program Day 1 Welcome to the Cratos ACL prevention program. This program was written by Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer, Tasha Mulligan, to serve as a pre-season base strength and agility program focused on preventing ACL tears in kids 10 years and older. The exercises you will learn focus on a firing pattern of posterior tibialis, VMO, and gluteus medius that offer medial knee stability on every push off, deceleration, and cut on the soccer field. We also focus on hamstring strength and endurance at different lengths and core stability to improve body control as we challenge opponents on the soccer field. The Base Strengthening Program should be your focus 3x/week for 4-6 weeks. You can then move on to the Agility/Plyometric Program that will reinforce your base strength training, progressing over the next 4-6 weeks to work these same muscle groups for speed and power. This ACL prevention program is a fantastic preseason training protocol to include every January/February/March as you head into your spring season. Your end goal is to see improvements in body control, speed, and agility while remaining injury free on the soccer field each year! Squats with Outside Heel Press ( x15) Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointing straight forward, begin by pressing your heels out. Your feet will not move but you will feel your outside glutes contracting. Hold this heel press out to the side throughout all 15 reps as you slowly lower yourself into a squat, leading with your tailbone and keeping your chest up. As you sit back, take care to keep your weight through your heels, but your big toe must always stay in contact with the ground. This will ensure proper tracking of your knees directly in line with your first two toes throughout all 15 reps. Go nice and slow, getting as close to a 90 degree knee bend as possible. Tripod hip abduction (x10 R/L) Stand on one leg, concentrating on 3 points of contact (big toe, little toe, and heel). Your stance leg knee should not be locked and your opposite leg should have a slight knee bend with your toes pulled up so that your foot clears the ground as you slowly extend your leg out and back into a hip abducted position, leading with your heel. This abduction of your leg is the only movement you want to see. Your big toe of your stance leg should be nailed into the ground to hold your lower body steady and your midsection should be cinched up by pulling your belly button up and in throughout this exercise to prevent any movement of your pelvis and upper body. Take your movement leg out and back to a hip abducted position and squeeze your glute tight for a 2 count at end range before slowly bringing your leg back in. Continue x 10 reps then switch legs. Plank holds with hip extension (x10 R/L) Position yourself in plank position, posting on your hands and your toes. Your hands can be placed on the 2 nd or 3 rd stairs as you begin this exercise, with the ultimate goal to have your hands on the ground. Lower your hips so that your body is in a straight plank position with your elbows slightly bent and pointing down toward your toes. Make sure your belly button is drawn up and in to stabilize your lower back as you lift one leg off the ground, squeezing the back of your thigh and your glute for a 2 count. Reposition your leg and then lift the opposite foot off the ground, squeezing the back side of your thigh and glute for a 2 count. Repeat these lifts for 10 lifts on each leg.
ACL Base Strength Program Day 1 (cont d) **Advanced** Hands on Swiss Ball with Hip Extension (x10 R/L) Position yourself in plank position with your hands on a swiss ball and your toes on the ground with your legs split wide for support. Your hands should be towards the sides of the ball with your fingers pointing toward the ground. Shift your weight forward so that your shoulders are positioned directly above your hands. From this position, find your balance point and then lift your right leg up, squeezing the back of your thigh and glute for a count. Re-position your right foot and then lift your left for a count. Continue to alternate leg extensions x 10 reps on each leg. Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls (x10) Lay on your back with your feet up on a swiss ball and your arms just to the outside of your hips with your palms up. Bridge up lifting your hips off the ground and roll the ball in toward your body, bringing your heels in toward your glutes. Slowly straighten your legs back out. Repeat x 10 hamstring curls without releasing your bridge. You can progress the difficulty of this exercise by positioning your arms up and out to the side in a goal post position or even more difficult, straighten your arms toward the ceiling with your palms facing each other. These two positions take away the stability of your arms and require more core strength to stabilize on the ball. Straight leg raise with hip external rotation (x10 R/L) Lying on your back with one knee bent, pull your belly button up and in toward your spine and hold it there. Point the toe of your straight leg, rotate your foot out, tighten the top of your thigh, and then slowly lift your straight leg up even with your bent thigh. Hold for a two count and then slowly return to starting position. Go slow on this one and don t forget to hold your belly in to stabilize your hips! Complete 10 lifts on the right before switching to the left. You are looking to squeeze the tear drop shaped quad muscle ( your VMO) that sits just above and to the inside of your knee cap. Side Plank Hold (x30 sec 1 min) Position yourself on your right side, posting on your feet and your hand so that your body is in a straight side plank position with your shoulders, hips, and knees in a straight line. Be sure your right hand is positioned directly under your shoulder, your left foot should be positioned directly on top of the right, and your left hand should reach for the ceiling with your palm open. Begin with a 30 second hold in this side plank and then progress as you are able to 1 min on each side. Please note that if you have any wrist pain or difficulty with the straight arm position, you can post on your forearm with your elbow bent. **Advanced** Side Plank Hold with Hip Abduction Position yourself on your right side, posting in your side plank as described above. In this advanced exercise you will lift your top (left) leg up and hold it elevated in a hip abduction position. Again, progress the length of your hold from 30 sec to 1 minute. Repeat exercise list 2x/through to complete Day 1
ACL Base Strength Program Day 2 Chair Single Leg Squat (x10r/l) Sitting at the front edge of a chair with your right foot on the ground and your left foot just beside it elevated off the ground, draw your belly button in toward your spine and be sure your chest up. Press through your right foot to stand up from the chair or bench with all your weight on your heel, however, it is just as important to keep your big toe in contact with the ground as you press to standing. Find your single leg balance for 3 seconds, using this big toe as your anchor. At the end of 3 seconds, slowly lower yourself back down to the chair, leading with your tail bone. Repeat x 10 sit to stand squats on your right leg before switching to your left. Your focus is on your knee tracking in line with your first 2 toes. Work to control your knee medial/lateral movement! Tripod TKE (x 10R/L) Stand on one leg, concentrating on 3 points of contact (big toe, little toe, and heel), lift your opposite leg to hip level with a bent knee. Kick your leg out straight, squeezing your quad for a 2 count. Keeping your hip flexed at 90 degrees, allowing your knee to bend and straighten slowly for 10 reps before switching legs. Be sure to draw your belly button in toward your spine throughout this exercise to stabilize your pelvis and keep your chest up. You will feel it work your hip flexor on your movement leg and your glute, posterior tib, and foot intrinsics on your stance leg. Plank hold with knee drive/rotation (x10r/l) Assume plank position on your hands and toes, pulling your belly button in toward your spine. Your hands can be placed on the 2 nd or 3 rd stairs as you begin this exercise, with the ultimate goal to have your hands on the ground. From this position, pull your right knee up and across toward your left elbow and hold for a two count. The closer your knee gets to your elbow, the better the oblique crunch. Next, take this same leg back to your starting position and extend it out straight and elevate your leg slightly, squeezing your glute for a count. Continue to draw this same leg up and across and then back with a lift x 10 reps before switching to the opposite leg. Bridge with Adductor Squeeze (x10) Lying on your back with your knees bent, place a soccer ball between your knees. With the ball in place, push through your heels and lift your hips up to a bridge, squeezing your buns tight. As you reach the top of your bridge, squeeze both knees together against the soccer ball for a 3 count before relaxing this squeeze and lowering your hips back to the ground. You can progress the difficulty of this exercise by positioning your arms up and out to the side in a goal post position or even more difficult, straighten your arms toward the ceiling with your palms facing each other. **Advanced**Swiss ball Table Top Bridge with adductor squeeze (x 10) Begin seated on the swiss ball and slowly walk your legs out until your head and shoulders are on the ball. From this position, place a soccer ball between your knees. Press through your heels, lifting your hips up until you are in a table top bridge. Once in this table top bridge, squeeze your buns tight and at the same time, squeeze your knees tight against the ball. Hold this bridge and adductor squeeze x 3 seconds and then relax your bridge slightly before repeating. Take care to position your feet only as wide as the ball or pillow you are squeezing to prevent a contraction where your knees are diving to the inside of your feet. Please also note that if you don t have access to a swiss ball you can perform this exercise with your shoulders on the ground.
ACL Base Strength Program Day 2 (cont d) Heel raises with knee drive (x10r/l) Standing on your left foot, holding on to something for stability, press through your first 2 toes, slowly lifting your heel and squeezing your calf muscle tight. At the same time drive your opposite knee up to hip height. Hold this heel raise knee drive position for a 2 count and then slowly control the descent of your stance heel and your opposite leg drive and repeat. Perform x10 reps on your right before switching to your left. Side plank rotation (x 30 sec 1 min) Begin in a plank position, posting on your hands and toes. From this position, open up, rotating your body so that you are in a left side plank, posting now on your left arm and your feet, which should be staggered right in front of left. Your right arm should be reaching up toward the ceiling, squeezing your right shoulder blade down and in for a count. Rotate back to your starting plank position and then open up into a right side plank position. This time your left foot should be staggered in front of your right and your left arm should be reaching up toward the ceiling, squeezing your left shoulder blade down and in for a count. Continue this side plank rotation x 1 min or whenever you lose form. Repeat exercise list 2x/through to complete Day 2
ACL Base Strength Program Day 3 Lunge ( x10 R/L) Begin in a staggered stance, with your right leg in front of your left. Take care to split your legs far enough apart that your front and back knee will lower down to a 90 degree knee bend. Bend your knees, lowering your body down while keeping your chest up. Your weight should be through your front (right) heel with your right big toe pressed into the ground to provide stabile knee tracking and balance. Stop your lunge before your left knee contacts the ground and press back up. Continue x 10 reps on your right leg before switching to your left. Take care to watch your front knee as you are looking for stable knee tracking no inside or outside movement! Shoulder/Heel bridge with toe tap (x30) Lay on your back with your legs straight and your feet shoulder width apart. Place your arms and hands up by your head with your elbows bent in a goal post position. From this position, press through your heels and your shoulder blades, providing a slight bridge through the length of your body. Maintaining this position with your buns just off the ground, rotate your feet to tap your toes together then rotate them apart. Continue to maintain this full body bridge with steady toe tap for 30 reps. Take breaks as needed as this is a difficult hamstring and low back extensor exercise. Plank holds spiderman (x30 sec R/L) Position yourself in plank position, posting on your hands and your toes. Your hands can be placed on the 2 nd or 3 rd stairs as you begin this exercise, with the ultimate goal to have your hands on the ground. Lower your hips so that your body is in a straight plank position with your elbows slightly bent and pointing down toward your toes. Draw your belly button up and in to stabilize your lower back and prevent any rotation as you lift one leg, with a bent knee, out to the side. Draw this bent knee up and out like spiderman and hold for a count with your knee drawn up close to your elbow. Follow that knee draw with extension of that same leg back out straight, maintaining that same external rotation of your leg so that your toe is pointed to the outside. Hold this leg extended position just slightly above the ground for a count and then repeat the spiderman knee draw followed by extension again x 30 seconds before switching legs. With your knee drawing up and outside of your elbow, you will feel this exercise in your gluteus medius (outside glute)! Bridge with single leg extension (x10 R/L) Lying on your back with your knees bent, press through your heels to bridge your hips up from the floor, tightening your glutes and pulling your belly button toward your spine. Maintain this bridge as you support your weight on your left foot while extending your right leg out straight with your right toes pointed and foot rotated out. Hold this straight leg extension even with your other thigh, for a 2 count before bending your right knee and placing your right foot back down next to your left. Immediately shift your weight onto this right foot and extend your left leg out straight, pointing your toes and rotating your foot out. Again, hold this straight leg extension even with your other thigh for a 2 count before switching legs again. Continue to alternate legs x 1min. Remember to keep your buns tight and continue to press your bridge up tight throughout all reps. You can progress the difficulty of this exercise by positioning your arms up and out to the side in a goal post position or even more challanging, straighten your arms toward the ceiling with your palms facing each other.
ACL Base Strength Program Day 3 (cont d) Tripod Soccer Kick (x10r/l) Stand on one leg, concentrating on 3 points of contact (big toe, little toe, and heel). Lift your opposite leg forward and across your body as if you are striking the ball with your laces. Following this cross body kick, draw your leg back, extending it out out and back with your toe pointed just off the ground as if you were sprinting and just pushed off. Your stance knee should bend down to a ¼ squat as you extend your leg back and squeeze your glute for a count. Continue this kicking cross body motion, followed by leg extension and glute squeeze for 10 reps before switching legs. Go slow and controlled to feel each muscle contraction to test your tripod stance balance. Side Plank Roll (x10 R/L) Position yourself on your right side, posting on your right elbow and your feet in a right side plank with your left foot staggered slightly ahead of your right. Hold your left arm against your belly with your elbow bent at 90 degrees as you roll your body to a front plank. Without allowing your left arm to leave your belly, rotate until both shoulders and hip bones are parallel to the ground and then roll back to your right side plank with your left shoulder pointing toward the ceiling. Continue these right side plank rolls x 30 sec before switching to your left side x 30 sec. This is a challenging exercise as you are rolling to a front plank with only a single arm to support your plank! Repeat exercise list 2x/through to complete Day 3