You can build dense powerful athletic legs, in a short period of time, while racking up serious time under tension by doing leg static holds.
While you could use yoga postures, simulate the split from olys, or do something like a side kick hold from martial arts, the most useful and most beneficial overall is either the wall sit or the horse stance.
Both have their pros and cons.
Wall sit feels like it’s building more explosive jumping ability, and an underlay of an endurance component.
Horse stance feels more like a max strength builder with the explosive and endurance factors underlying.
They’re both pretty well rounded and accessible.
I tend to wall sit in public while wearing shoes.
Horse stance I’m barefoot, rare is the time I wear socks, if not fully naked (usually I’m naked) in my bedroom. I often do it before laying down.
Now I like 3:00 in posture daily as a minimum PT requirement. I’ve been doing this without exception all year if not longer.
However sometimes I throw in a wild card. I’ll go to 5:00 time under tension, even 10:00 total, it’s been as high as 20:00 on wall sits before.
Now this isn’t one set. It’s getting there as fast as possible, and trying to keep work to rest at a 1:1 ratio at the most. I don’t want to lollygag.
A recent time through this was 5:00 of horse stance in under 15 minutes with a piss break 3:00 in.
I try to average 1:00 or better per hold throughout. Close to that 1:00 per set minimum is a day where I’m generally more fatigued than usual. If I can go better I do.
Give this a try. You’ll be huffing and puffing by the time you’re done – cardio stimulus. Your legs will be well worked, activated, maybe a little tight, but not stiff, while still feeling fresh.
This does not take much out of you.
Day after day, even two a days, is not an issue.
Do it, and once you’ve completed 5:00+…
Stand in victory pose, you’ve earned it.
This has been a very rewarding practice for me.
Persistence & Tenacity