Do you even lunge?

​The lunge.

Sounds like lunch.

Yum

I love lunch.

I also love leg and glute workouts.

🍑🍑

Are lunges included in your workout repertoire?

If you answered yes, you get a pat on the back

If you answered no, WHY THE FUDGE NOT?!

There are many versions and directions that you can take a lunge in, but there's one particular direction that is the safest for problematic knees. ENTER THE REVERSE LUNGE!

A favourite of mine :)

Below is a video of several progressions of the reverse lunge - starting with the basic and ending with an advanced plyometric version.

So... why should you lunge?

• they develop the quads, hamstrings and glutes

• improves overall strength and symmetry of the lower body

• functional, in that they mimic many movements performed in every day life

• incredible way to improve balance - in more ways than standing on a bosu ball ever will...

Now, let's take your lunge from flawed to fabulous!

***2 most common mistakes***

1) Posture- the lean back - spinal hyperextension = NOT GOOD and especially if you're carrying a load on your back, or in front... OUCH

CORRECTION: should have a slight forward lean in the torso AND if you want more emphasis placed on the hips (i.e GLUTES) you can exaggerate the lean a bit more forward and take a slightly larger step. But, to keep it quad dominant, keep the step closer.

▶︎ pelvic alignment is also super important because if one of your hips is sagging, it will compromise the effectiveness of the lunge and the side of the working leg will collapse towards the floor, and we wouldn't want that to happen

SOLUTION: strengthen the core- the struggle in maintaining proper spinal alignment comes from having a weak anterior core and are unable to resist the extension of the spine. Core strength isn't just from working on your abs but includes your pelvic and spinal stability. Two exercises that are great are the ab wheel roll out and pallof press- both working anti extension, flexion and rotation. (videos below)

Ab wheel rollout

Pallof Press

2) Caving knees- medially and laterally - when the knee is unstable and will shift in or out. This is usually a telltale sign of weak glutes.

CORRECTION: ensure the knee travels along the direction of your toes- weight placement should be predominantly on the mid/back of your foot- and your heal should never leave the surface. As for the knee traveling a little forward over your toes, that's fine, as long as your shin stays mostly vertical to the floor.

▶︎ in terms of taking the actual step, your foot should land not directly behind your front leg, but in a hip width distance. The more narrow your base, your overall stability will be dramatically reduced. Your body should also travel directly down, in a vertical plane.

▶︎▶︎▶︎ SUPER IMPORTANT: now this is a real game changer: when you are returning to your start position, the drive and energy to bring your back leg to the front is coming from you stationary(front) foot - more specifically your heal/mid food. Dig your heal into the floor to bring your body back to the start, you will feel that in your glutes!!!

Solution: Strengthening the glutes- unilaterally (one butt cheek at a time) which is extra important because it forces each side to work equally so there won't be any compensation from the stronger side - two of my favourite exercises for this are the single leg deadlift and the single leg hip thrust (videos shown below)

Single leg deadlift

(the row at the bottom of the movement is an extra, your arm can remain extended)

Single leg hip thrust

In conclusion, LUNGES ARE AMAZING and if you aren't doing them, do not wait any longer! Start with the body weight version then once you are feeling more comfortable with the movement pattern you can add weight! The progressions (and regressions if necessary) are endless and benefits are incredible.

Lastly, it's crucial to perform the lunge (and all complex movement patterns) in a slow and controlled fashion. Don't let the movement control you.