In part two of Mastering the Basics we are going to discuss
another great lower body exercise; lunges. Lunges can be varied in so many ways
to target so many lower body areas that if you are not doing them in your workout,
you are doing yourself a great disservice.
Lunges are a lower body exercise that primarily works the glutes,
hamstrings, and quadriceps. As I said, there are a number of variations that
can be performed and depending on the type performed these muscles will be
worked to varying degrees and some secondary muscles including the hip
adductors and abductors will contribute as stabilizers. Adding to their versatility, lunges can be performed with almost every piece of resistance equipment
in the gym including dumbbells, barbells, elastic bands, and kettle bells.
When doing lunges for the first time with a novice client, I
always start with static lunges. I also
do not use weight initially as lunges require good balance
and performing them with weight before you can master the core movement pattern
can lead to people flinging dumbbells around as they struggle to stay upright.
Lunges can be performed statically or dynamically (AKA
walking). A static lunge is one that is performed by stepping and then
returning back to the starting position after each rep. Static lunges can be
done forwards, backwards, or laterally (sideways). A walking lunge is one in
which the person, rather than stepping back to the original starting position,
propels themselves in the desired direction. Walking lunges can also be
performed forwards, backwards, and laterally.
FORWARD LUNGES
If this is the first time you are performing a lunge feel
free to use a chair or some other stable surface to place your hand on. This
will allow you to maintain balance and safety and also allow you to focus on
the core movement pattern itself. To perform a static lunge you will start with
your feet together. Take a LARGE step forward with one leg placing it firmly
onto the ground. Poor step length is a common area where people mess up.
Oftentimes the step is too short causing the knee to travel over the toes and
placing too much stress on the patella which can be painful and possibly cause
injury if performed like this consistently.
With the foot planted firmly, bend the front knee to lower
the body to the ground. The back leg can be bent as you lower to the ground,
but I instruct my clients to keep it as straight as possible in order to get a stretch
on the hip flexor muscle group. Both head and chest should be as upright as
possible though the entire movement; DO NOT allow your trunk to lean forward.
This is another common mistake. The descent of the lunge should be controlled,
do not go down so fast or so far that the back knee strikes the ground. This is
dangerous and can cause injury.
After you have lowered yourself until the front thigh is
parallel with the ground, push forcefully off of the front leg to propel
yourself backward to the starting position. You can repeat another rep with the
same leg, or you can alternate legs. I choose to have my clients alternate when
performing the movement as it gives each leg a mini rest before it has to
perform the next rep and allows more quality movements to be performed.
BACKWARD LUNGES
A backward lunge, in my opinion, is much easier to perform
statically versus its forward counterpart. The upper body mechanics of the backward lunge
remain the same, keeping the head and chest upright without leaning forward at
the waist. Take a LARGE step backwards, large enough to ensure that the front
knee remains behind the toes. In a backwards lunge as you step back, only the
toes will make contact with the ground, after they do you will want to bend the
front knee, again until the thigh is parallel with the ground. Once the front
thigh reaches parallel you will use the front leg to force yourself forward and
up to the starting position. Again you can perform one leg at a time, or
alternate.
LATERAL LUNGES
Lateral lunges are mechanically different from both the
forward and backward variations. You still want to keep the head and chest as
upright as you can, but there will be some bend at the waist as this will be
needed to keep weight balanced and perform the movement correctly. Starting with the feet together you will
begin with a LARGE side step landing with the foot placed firmly on the floor
(Some people feel that you should turn the front foot out slightly as you step,
however I feel that it is more effective for the intended targeted muscles to
leave the from toes facing forwards). Once stable you are going to bend the
forward knee and push your butt back, it will somewhat resemble a hybrid
between a lunge and a squat, again keep the knee behind the toes on the working
side. Once you have bent the knee so that the working side thigh is parallel to
the ground, push off forcefully with the working side leg to return back to the
starting position. As with the other two variations, you may do all on one leg
first or alternate.
WALKING LUNGES
Walking lunges, no matter what direction they are performed
in, are mechanically the same to begin with as their static counterparts. They
only differ in that instead of returning to the starting position after each
rep, you will propel yourself in the desired direction prior to the next rep.
It is interesting to note that although forward lunges are more difficult
statically, backward lunges are more difficult dynamically. Lateral lunges
become increasingly difficult when performing the walking variation. When doing
walking lunges you may need to take what I call a stopping step in between each
rep, meaning that when you return to upright position you will place both feet
on the floor to maintain balance. Once your balance in improved you can opt to
perform one rep progressing directly into the next one without a stop step at full
upright.
Lunges are so versatile and can be performed in so many
different ways it would be impossible to write a fully comprehensive manual,
but I did try to touch on the three most common variations. Lunges are a great
way to build the quads and buttock muscles and to give the lower body a nice lean
look. They also are effective at helping to normalize strength between legs if you have a
noticeably weak side.
Start easy with lunges and work your way up. Also be honest about whether or
not you are ready to try more complex or weighted versions. Do not try to
progress until you have mastered the basic movement pattern. Until next time. -
Aaron
