Sit on a bench with one leg extended on it. Flex quad with your toes pointed toward your body. Hold position for 10-15 seconds, then relax. Partner then holds your ankle with one hand, places his other hand on your shin and gently pulls back and up on ankle. Perform 3 sets for each leg.

Coaching Point: This exercise not only works the quad as it flexes, it also stretches the hamstring, which helps prevent an athlete from tweaking his hamstring when he sprints. Pulling the ankle decompresses the joint, which puts more motion back into the joint. Ankles take a lot of impact—especially from basketball players—which means they can close up over time and lose range of motion.