10/24/2025 – Workout of the Day (Lower Body Power & Knee Health)

Hello, I’m Adam Kemp, a professional basketball player, fitness expert, and nutrition educator.

Today’s Workout of the Day focused on explosive lower-body power and stability, emphasizing balance, landing mechanics, and strength through dynamic movement.

I trained earlier in the day before team practice, keeping the volume moderate but intensity high to improve coordination, jumping mechanics, and reactive power.

We also have a game tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure I was priming my legs for explosive power without overworking them.

As I continue rebuilding my athletic performance after returning to professional basketball this year, my workouts are all about quality over quantity, with a focus on regaining explosiveness while staying mindful of long-term knee health and durability.

Every exercise in this session helped reinforce those goals through controlled, purposeful effort.

Verse of the Day:

John 14:6 (KJV)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6 reminds me of the importance of clarity and direction in life and training.

Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” are a reminder that no matter how lost, fatigued, or uncertain we might feel, the path forward is always through Him.

That same sense of purpose applies in training.

Progress doesn’t come from wandering or guessing.

Instead, it comes from following the right way with faith and consistency.

This workout was about alignment: building strength, moving with precision, and grounding my actions in both physical truth and spiritual discipline.

Workout of the Day (10/24/2025)

Today’s training session was all about power, precision, and preparation.

With a game tomorrow, my goal wasn’t to push volume or intensity too far.

Instead, I wanted to prime my nervous system for peak athletic performance while continuing to develop long-term strength and joint resilience.

This session focused on controlled explosiveness and functional stability, helping refine my jumping ability and single-leg power without overloading my body before competition.

Each movement built on the last, progressing from heavy compound lifts to reactive plyometrics and finishing with targeted accessory work to reinforce knee integrity and movement control.

I also wanted to continue improving my push-up strength, which remains one of my favorite upper-body exercises.

It’s simple, yet incredibly effective for maintaining pressing strength, shoulder stability, and overall athletic balance during the long basketball season.

Even though this workout was short, it had a clear purpose: to build power, activate explosiveness, and prepare my body for tomorrow’s game while continuing the long-term process of rebuilding strength and protecting my knees.

John 14:6 reminds me that there’s only one true path to success, whether in sport, life, or faith.

Jesus’ words remind me that when we follow the right way with consistency, humility, and trust, everything else falls into place.

Every rep today was about moving with intention, staying centered in faith, and trusting that each step forward, no matter how small, brings me closer to the person and player I’m meant to become.

Warm-Up

Before performing explosive lifts and jumps, I went through a comprehensive warm-up to improve mobility and prepare my body for rapid force production.

Today’s Warm-Up Included:

• Dynamic Mobility (10 Minutes): Hip openers, adductor rock backs, ankle dorsiflexion drills, and thoracic rotations.
• Plyometric Prep: Pogo hops and single-leg balance hops to prime the calves, knees, and ankles for impact.

If you want to see how I structure my pre-lift and pre-jump routines, check out my mobility and activation videos on YouTube.

1A) Barbell Reverse Lunge with Knee Drive (5×3 Each Leg)

Benefits:
The barbell reverse lunge builds unilateral leg strength, balance, and coordination while training explosive hip extension and knee drive, which directly transfers to sprinting and jumping mechanics. It’s one of my favorite strength-to-power bridging exercises.

Safety Tips:

• Keep your torso upright and core braced throughout the lift.
• Push through the front heel to engage the glutes.
• Drive the rear knee upward powerfully while maintaining control.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Add weight or perform from a deficit.
• Regression: Use dumbbells or perform bodyweight reverse lunges.

1B) Box Jumps / Depth Drops (5×2)

Benefits:
This pairing improves both the concentric (jumping) and eccentric (landing) phases of power development. Box jumps train explosive takeoff, while depth drops teach safe and efficient landings that strengthen tendons and joints for long-term knee health.

Safety Tips:

• Land softly with knees slightly bent and hips back.
• Step down between reps — avoid jumping off the box.
• Keep posture upright and eyes forward for control.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Increase box height or add single-leg landings.
• Regression: Perform squat jumps or bodyweight depth drops.

1C) Single-Leg Low Hurdle Hops (5×5 Each Leg)

Benefits:
These hops develop reactive strength, proprioception, and joint stability. They’re excellent for refining balance and ankle stiffness while training each leg independently, which is critical for athletes who rely on quick, explosive movements.

Safety Tips:

• Stay light on your feet and maintain rhythm.
• Keep the landing quiet and controlled.
• Engage your core for stability.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Increase hurdle height or add lateral variations.
• Regression: Perform single-leg hops in place or over a line.

1D) Push-Ups (5×17)

Benefits:
Push-ups provide an upper-body counterbalance to the lower-body focus of this session. They build chest, triceps, and core strength while supporting shoulder health, which is especially valuable during in-season training for maintaining total-body balance.

Safety Tips:

• Keep a straight line from head to heels.
• Lower under control and avoid flaring your elbows.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Add a weight plate or perform plyometric push-ups.
• Regression: Perform incline or knee push-ups.

2A) Weighted Copenhagen Plank (2×25 Seconds Each Side)

Benefits:
The weighted Copenhagen plank is one of the most effective exercises for building adductor strength and pelvic stability. It’s critical for knee health and lateral movement control — both essential in basketball.

Safety Tips:

• Keep your body in a straight line from shoulder to ankle.
• Control the movement — don’t let the hips drop.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Add more weight or extend the duration.
• Regression: Perform without weight or with the lower knee bent.

2B) Tibial Internal and External Rotation (2×10)

This drill enhances tibia rotation control and overall ankle mobility, which play vital roles in knee alignment, stability, and shock absorption during athletic movements.

Improving tibial internal and external rotation also supports smoother squat mechanics, better jumping posture, and reduced knee strain during direction changes.

Safety Tips:

• Move slowly and focus on achieving full but controlled rotation.
• Keep your foot anchored while rotating the tibia gently from the knee.
• Avoid forcing range or twisting aggressively.

Progression/Regression:

• Progression: Add a light resistance band or perform from a half-kneeling position for more stability challenge.
• Regression: Perform seated tibia rotations with minimal range and full control.