LUNGE
 MPEG:
Lunge
CORRECT FORM
| 1)
Hold two dumbbells as shown.
Stand
straight with your feet together, shoulder-width apart.
2) Take
one exaggerated straight step forward with the "lead"
leg.
Keep your
feet in line with your knee and thigh.
Plant
the lead foot flat on the floor. |
 |
 |
3) Begin
to flex the lead leg slowly and under control. Lower the trailing
leg toward the floor as well.
At the
bottom of the movement, the trailing leg should be about 1-2
inches from the floor. Your torso should be vertical and perpendicular
to the floor. Do not lean forward or backward.
The lead
knee should be directly over the lead foot which should be
flat on the floor.
|
4) Explode backward off of the lead foot while maintaining
your body position. Do not bounce at the bottom of the movement.
Step back with the lead leg to a position next to
the trailing leg.
5) You can alternate legs or perform this one leg
at a time.
6) Inhale as you lower yourself with the lead leg.
Exhale as you push off.
MUSCLES
USED
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
The keys to performing
a lunge safely is following the guidelines written above exactly.
Common mistakes include:
| 1) Bending
at the waist forward or backward |
| 2)
Taking too short of a step and therefore placing too much strain
on the knee joint |
| 3)
Planting the trailing leg on the ground |
| 4)
Leaning too far into the step |
If you are having
difficulty balancing yourself especially when either planting the
leg or stepping backward, you are probably using too much weight.
Before starting
to do lunges with weight, make sure you can follow the correct
form without weight.
It is highly
recommended that you have a spotter to assist you in performing lunges.
The spotter should stand behind you, with his/her hands on your waist.
The spotter should move/lunge with you during the entire exercise.
EFFECTIVENESS
Although the form is difficult for some, when mastered, the lunge
is one of the best leg exercises for functional sport training. If
you are training to improve strength and performance in a particular
sport, lunges are one of the best exercises because they closely mimic
the movements of many sports (deceleration of the leg).
For bodybuilders
and weight-trainers however, lunges should not be the focal point
of a weight-training program. Lunges do not allow you to use a tremendous
amount of weight to train your thighs and are not as effective as
squats or leg
presses for full range-of-motion. However, lunges are a nice
change of pace to occasionally break up the monotony of a training
program.
HELPFUL WITH
TRAINING FOR
Vitually every sport can be enhanced by performing a lunge since nearly
all sports require good leg strength. Bodybuilders and weight-trainers
may benefit as well. |
