Leg Strength and Endurance: Week 1

This year I'm planning on posting three different sets of workouts over the course of the year.  The first two slightly overlap and are targeted at leg strength and endurance and will carry us from March through June.  You should be working to strengthen your core and big muscles at this point, preparing the base of fitness that will be the foundation for you throughout the season.  Feel free to substitute, remove, add or change things however you'd like...you're responsible for your own body.  These workouts are meant to provide a structured suggestion.  The third will transition into agility and much shorter explosive actions. We'll begin that transition in early July.

In all cases, feel free to post your times, comments, etc in the comments.

The Leg Strength and Endurance structure is simple, and should be sandwiched between adequate warm-up and stretching.

There are four exercises, which you perform in a circuit:
(a) Body-weight squat 
(b) Lunge 
(c) Step-up
(d) Squat jump

Performing (a)-(d) is one set.  What changes over the course of the workout is how long you rest between exercises/sets and how many sets you perform.  Technique notes: it's important to perform every rep quickly (as close to 1/sec as possible).  Hands are behind the head for every exercise except the squat jump, where they're on the hips.  Make sure to take a nice long step in the lunge.  The step-up is on about a 14-inch step. 

If you don't have a good strength base, the circuit is: 10 squats, 5 lunges/leg, 5 step-ups/leg, 5 squat jumps.  If you have a good strength base, the circuit is: 20 squats, 10 lunges/leg, 10 step-ups/leg, 10 squat jumps. 

The workout for Week 1 is 3 circuits with 45 seconds between exercises and 3 minutes between circuits.