Lateral Lunges with Weighted Ball

The lateral side lunge is especially effective at stimulating eccentric muscle action within the hamstring and external obliques during the deceleration phase of the exercise.  I found that moving laterally from the narrow shoulder width stance while dropping the torso to lower the ball to the floor is effective at replicating the body position and momentum shift experienced on steep ski terrain or high speed decent.

Option 1: To position for the start of the side lunge with weight, stand upright with while holding a small dumbbell or weighted exercise ball and place feet hip width apart.  Start by extending one leg to the side and in the same motion extend the arms and ball towards the toe while moving to a single leg squat position. Pause at the bottom before pushing up and back into the upright position. Immediately step out with the opposite leg and repeat the routine. Repeat the process for a total of 8 reps per side. Remember to consciously maintain a firm core throughout the exercise, particularly while lowering of the weight toward toes.

Option 2: One way to increase the effort required to complete the lateral side lunge is to alternate between placing the ball onto the floor and release it, return to the upright position and again step laterally and reach down and pick the ball back up before returning to the upright position.  The full sequence of releasing the ball and picking it back up is considered on repetition.  Complete a series of 5 repetitions on a single side before alternating to the opposite side and repeating the process.