By 
By Kelson Boyer
Photos Of Deron Mayo By Jason Breeze
The following exercises compose a sample routine that MHP-sponsored CFL athlete Deron Mayo follows in the offseason. Use them in your own program to improve lower-body functionality and strengthen your posterior chain. Start with three sets of five seconds of foam rolling on all major muscle groups of the upper and lower body.
Goblet Squat
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings
Sets/Reps: 3 x 10
How To: Holding a kettlebell with both hands, legs spaced wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out slightly, kick your hips behind you and lower into a squat. At the bottom, your elbows should be to the inside of your knees. Forcefully extend your legs to stand.
Pull-Up and Hold
Targets: Lats, trapezius, rear delts, biceps
Sets/Reps: 3 x 20 seconds
How To: Using an overhand or neutral grip, raise yourself until your chin clears the pull-up bar. Hold this position for the allotted time, making sure to avoid swinging or excessive shrugging of the shoulders.
Back Squat
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, quads
Sets/Reps: 3 x 8 warm-ups; 3 x 2 heavy
How To: Stand in a rack and position a barbell across your upper back, feet spread about shoulder-width apart. Bend your legs, dropping until your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor, then push through the soles of your feet to straighten your legs and stand.
Pull-Up
Targets: Lats, trapezius, rear delts, biceps
Sets/Reps: 3 x 8–12
How To: Once again grasp the overhead bar with a wide grip, taking either an overhand or neutral grip (this targets the mid-back more so than the overhand grip, which affects the upper back). Engage your core and bend your arms to lift your body toward the bar; pause momentarily at the top, then lower until in a dead hang.
High Box Step-Up
Targets: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
Sets/Reps: 3 x 10 per side
How To: Position a tall box or bench in front of you and grab a weight in each hand. Place one foot on top of the step and straighten your leg to pull yourself up. Plant both feet, then reverse in the same order. Complete all reps on one side, then switch and repeat.
Inverted Body-Weight Row
Targets: Lats, rhomboids, rear delts, biceps
Sets/Reps: 3 x 10
How To: Lie under a Smith machine or racked barbell set a few feet off the floor. Hold the bar with an underhand grip and place your feet on a stability ball for an added challenge. Flex your back muscles as you bend your arms to draw your chest toward the bar. Hold for one count at the top, then slowly extend your arms to lower.
Rope Slams
Targets: Delts, lats, quads, cardiovascular system
Sets/Reps: 3 x 30 seconds
How To: Take an athletic, slightly squatted stance and hold one end of the rope, anchored to a point at some distance away from you, in each hand. Raise both ends high and slam the rope down on the floor, using both your upper and lower body to power the motion. Continue rapidly.
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