The lunge is a really effective leg strengthening exercise and great at enlisting the help of all the smaller stabilisation muscles throughout your core.

1. the lunge

Stand with feet at hip width and take a large stride forward with one leg until you are stood in a split stance. Bend at the knees and lower you body until the back knee is a few inches from the ground. At this point the front thigh should be parallel to the floor and the back knee should point toward the floor. Then push through the lead foot back to your original position.

2. jump lunge

Start by performing a standard lunge, taking a long step forward with one foot and then bending at the knees whilst maintaining a neutral spine. From this position explode upward off the ground into a jump and switch legs in the air, then land back into the next lunge and repeat. This is a great power exercise and requires large fast twitch muscle fibre recruitment making it a great way to improve your body’s ability to perform explosive exercises such as jumping and sprinting.

3. lunge with rotation

In this variation you hold a medicine ball at chest height with your feet at hip width and as you take your step out and begin to lower your body, you rotate the ball across your body toward the lead leg. Pause, then rotate back around and push back into your original position. This is a great way to really challenge your balance and also work the core stabilisation muscles as you are offsetting the body’s centre of gravity.

4. walking lunges

Take your normal stance with feet hip width and back straight, step out and bend at the knees but instead of pushing backward, push up and forward and without pausing step out with the back leg into a new lunge and repeat in a walking pattern.

5. power ups

This could also be given as a variation to a step up as this is the position you start in. Choose a platform which you can step up onto with one leg, leaving the foot of the back leg in contact with the floor. At this point the thigh of the font leg should be parallel to the ground and the back leg should be straight. Now bend slightly at the knees and explode upward in a jump, pushing up through the front foot. Switch the legs in the air and land softly back into the next repetition. This is another awesome way to increase power in your legs and a really fun exercise to include in your weekly gym routine.

Good luck trying these out and I hope you see a significant increase in stability, strength and power.

Charlie Walker
Personal Trainer – David Lloyd Westbury - 07595 326 311

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The Lunge

25 October 2010

This month its the lunge, a fantastic single leg exercise that requires balance, strength and power.

1. the lunge

2. jump lunge

3. lunge with rotation

4. walking lunges

5. power ups

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