Knee Raises
Knee raises are a versatile exercise that can be tailored to suit the specific needs of handball goalkeepers, focusing on enhancing core strength, flexibility, and lower body agility.
Here are a few variations of knee raises that are beneficial for handball goalkeepers:
Standing Version
Stand tall and lift one knee at a time towards the chest, alternating legs. This can be done slowly for stability or more quickly for a dynamic warm-up, engaging the core and hip flexors.
Hanging
Version
Using a pull-up bar, hang with both hands and lift your knees towards your chest. This version significantly engages the core, improves grip strength, and enhances shoulder stability.
Lying Down Version
Lie on your back, legs extended. Lift your knees towards your chest and then extend them back without touching the floor. This targets the lower abdominals and stabilizes the spine.
Side Version
Stand or hang and lift your knees towards the chest but sideways, at an angle, moving them to the side. This works the obliques and adds a rotational component to replicate the movements during a game.
Alternating Version with a Twist
Add a twist by rotating the upper body towards the raised knee. This can be done standing or hanging, emphasizing the oblique muscles and mimicking the rotational movements needed in goalkeeping.
Knee Raises with a Jump
Incorporate a jump as you lift your knees while standing. This adds a plyometric component, improving explosive power, and agility, crucial for fast saves.
Medicine Ball Version
Perform knee raises while holding a medicine ball to add weight, increasing the exercise’s intensity and focusing on core strength and stability.
Incorporating these knee raise variations into the training routine can help handball goalkeepers improve their core strength, hip flexibility, and explosive power. These exercises are great for a dynamic warm-up or as part of a targeted strength and conditioning session, setting the foundation for the agility and quick reflexes needed in handball goalkeeping.
Dynamic Knee Raises
Dynamic knee raises for handball goalkeepers are a high-energy variation of the standard knee raise exercise, designed to improve flexibility, core strength, and explosive power. Unlike static knee raises, which focus on slow, controlled movements, dynamic knee raises incorporate movement and sometimes jumping, making them more powerful and engaging.
How to Perform Dynamic Knee Raises:
- Start in a standing position.
- Quickly lift one knee towards the chest (if lifting up that knee forward), or sideways high up (if lifting it up sideways), then lower it back down as you immediately lift the other knee (in the same or different way as the first one), replicating a running or marching motion.
- This can be intensified by adding a jump with each alternating knee raise, increasing the exercise’s cardiovascular and plyometric component, if and when needed.
Why Are Dynamic Knee Raises Useful for Handball Goalkeepers?
Improved Explosive Power
The added jumping or fast alternating movements increase heart rate and build explosive power in the legs, essential for quick and powerful save reactions and jumps in goalkeeping.
Improved Core Strength
Dynamic knee raises require and build core strength as the abdominals work to stabilize the body during the fast movements, crucial for maintaining balance and control in the air and on the ground.
Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion
The action of lifting the knees high engages the hip flexors and stretches the leg muscles, improving flexibility and range of motion, which are very important for executing different kinds of save reactions.
Better Coordination and Agility
The fast movement of lifting knees alternately helps improve coordination and agility, skills that are crucial for goalkeepers to move quickly in front of the goal line and adjust positioning as fast as possible.
Cardiovascular Conditioning
The dynamic nature of dynamic knee raises also serves as excellent cardiovascular training, helping goalkeepers build stamina and maintain high performance levels throughout the game.
Mental Focus and Reaction Time
Performing dynamic knee raises requires concentration and rhythm, which can help sharpen mental focus and improve reaction time—key things for anticipating and reacting to fast-paced shots.
Incorporating dynamic knee raises into training offers handball goalkeepers a multifaceted workout that addresses several key aspects of their physical preparation, improving their overall performance on the court.
Dynamic Knee Raises – Video
In the video below you can see three versions of dynamic knee raises that can be used after goalkeepers are properly warmed up and prepared for dynamic movements such as these.
Flat cones on the floor are placed in certain order (but they could also be placed randomly, of course), and goalkeepers should raise the knee with the same side leg when they get to certain cone.
Option 1: the knee raises are in front of the body.
Option 2: the knee raises are laterally / sideways.
Option 3: every second knee raise is alternating – once in front of the body, the next time laterally/sideways.
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