How To Do Lunges: An excellent exercise for the lower body is the lunge. In order for this exercise to be affective without you need to know how to do lunges correctly. I see people mess this exercise up all of the time. If done incorrectly the wrong technique could lead to unnecessary aches and pains, even increasing the potential for injury. No need to worry though, with a couple of tips you’ll be doing the perfect lunge in no time!
How To do Lunges Correctly
The first step is to take a step. A big one. One of the most common mistakes I see people make when performing this exercise is staying to compact. They take a small step forward instead of really lengthening their lung. These small steps cause them to put unnecessary stress on their knees. What’s more is that by taking smaller steps the individual isn’t putting themselves into position to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
To do lunges correctly your first step should be long enough that it enables you to touch your opposite knee to the floor, while keeping your front knee behind your toes. At this point the top of your front leg should be parallel with the floor and your knees and hips should be bent a 90 degree angle. Another indicator that you’re doing this exercise correctly is the stretching sensation you’ll feel in your hamstrings and gluts.
There are several variations of the lunge. My personal favorites are the alternating lunge, walking lunge and swinging lunge. Each one is just a little bit different in how they affect your body and the muscles that are used. You can do lunges with just your body weight or you can increase the intensity of the exercise by using additional weight such as a pair of dumbbells or a barbell.
While the lunge is a lower body exercise, most people fail to realize that it can be an incredible core workout as well, especially when the weight is positioned on your shoulders. In order to do lunges correctly your back needs to be straight and your abs tight throughout the entire exercise. The only way to accomplish this is to maintain a strict isometric contraction in your core the entire time you’re lunging.
In addition to working your hamstrings, quads, gluts and core, lunges also help to develop better balance and flexibility. If you’re up for a challenge and you have the room, try doing a few sets of reverse walking lunges. They are the same as a standard walking lunge except for the whole lunging backwards part. It does however require a lot more balance to perform a reverse walking lunge.
When you know how to do a lunge correctly it can be one of the best all round exercises for developing lower body and core strength while burning an impressive amount of calories. If you’re new to exercise make sure you take the time to learn and develop proper lunge technique. I’ve included one of my Youtube videos about proper lunge technique, be sure to watch it if you have any questions about how to do this exercise.
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