Lunges are a very popular and challenging leg exercise. They are also very advanced. Here are the things to consider when adding them into your program.
The Forward Lunge – An Advanced Exercise
The forward lunge is particularly challenging for the body because it requires decelerating your body weight. As you step forward you are in free fall. When your foot reconnects with the ground your muscles must kick on and put the breaks on your body, which is still traveling towards the knee and foot. This deceleration requires quite a bit of strength and stability in your legs and hips.
The Hip
A common sign that you might not quite be ready for lunging is if your hip moves out of position on the landing leg. The picture shows an example of the hip moving up and left on landing. This is a sign that there is not enough stability at the hip.
The Knee
Another common instability is at the knee. When landing, the knee will want to fall inward. If you see this happening it is a sign that the body needs more strength before making forward lunges a regular part of your routine.
If Forward Lunges Are Too Difficult, Try Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges are a good starting point because they significantly reduce the difficult deceleration inherent in the forward lunge. In this version, the foward leg is able to use larger muscles more effeciently to slow the body during the execution of the movement. Essentially, the body can control the movement much more easily which means there is much less strength and stability required to perform the exercise safely.
Why It Matters – Keep Joints Healthy
Five of the top seven most frequently performed operations are joint related. Exercises performed with solid mechanics decreases the wear and tear on your body in and out of the gym. You are essentially teaching and training the body to move better, which carries over into all of lifes activities. These good mechanics reduce the likelihood that you will need to treat joint disease in the future.
You are also stronger when the body is aligned. That means you will move more weight and get more of the benefits that you are after.