The Lunge

EXECUTION

• Assume an erect standing position and the feet hip width apart
• Hold a barbell across the back of the shoulders and extend the arms to hold the bar with as wide a grip as possible
• When you are ready, inhale and hold your breath as you take a very long step forward with one leg. As your front foot lands, be sure that you are still holding the trunk in an erect position and then pause momentarily
• Slowly lower the trunk straight down while maintaining a vertical, normal alignment position of the spine, ie, with a slight arch in the lower back
• In the down position you should have a 90 degree angle in the knee joint with the shin vertical
• The forward leg should bear most of the weight and the rear leg should be straight but relaxed
• When you reach the lowermost position, you should feel strong tension in the hip flexors of the rear leg together with tension of the quadriceps of the forward leg
• To rise up, shift the weight backward by pushing backward with the forward leg. Straighten the leg and take one or two short steps to reassume the initial position at which time you again exhale and get ready for the next repetition with the opposite leg. Alternate legs on each repetition
• Execute at a slow rate of speed.
• When this variant is mastered you can then execute the lunge at a moderate rate of speed but only if you maintain proper technique
• For greater stress on the quadriceps muscle stand up on the forward leg and then step out with the opposite leg to move forward on each step. This is known as the walking lunge but the stride is somewhat shortened
• When proper technique is mastered do the exercise in one continuous motion, ie, step out and lower the body to the lowest position without pause. Then rise up and repeat. In this case hold your breath as you step out and lower the body and exhale as you return to the initial position

Training Tips

• Be sure to take a very long stride when doing this exercise. This is needed to get a strong stretch of the rear leg hip flexor muscles and to place more tension on the quadriceps of the forward leg. If you take a short stride and bend the rear leg greatly you, in essence, will be doing a split-squat rather than a lunge.
• To ensure a maximum stretch of the hip flexors it is important that you maintain an erect trunk position. You must have the normal positioning of the spine throughout the entire range of motion. This is extremely important for lower back safety and for stretching the hip flexors.
• If you have difficulty maintaining an erect trunk position place the barbell on the front of the shoulders rather than on the back of the shoulders. This will force you into a more upright position. Also, strenthen the erector spinae muscles of the lower back by doing back raises.
• The more you lower the body the greater the tension on the quadriceps and the greater the involvement of the gluteus maximus and hamstrings of the forward leg. Do not get a deeper position by bending the rear knee. It must remain straight, but relaxed.
• Be sure that the shin is vertical in the down position. If you find your knee moving out in front of the foot it means you have taken too short a stride and are placing excessive stress on the knee joint. This can be injurious.
• Do not lean forward when stepping out or lowering the body as it will negate the hip flexor stretch. Having ample flexibility of the hip flexors allows you to maintain good posture when walking, running, jumping and throwing.
• Using a platform to step onto when doing the lunge is not recommended. In this case there is a strong tendency to lean forward and to bend the rear leg. You can do this with split squats but not use when doing the lunge.
• When first beginning, do not use heavy weights since it leads to improper technique. Use light weights for familiarization and once technique is mastered, gradually increase the amount of weight being handled.
• Women should be sure to keep the legs hip width apart for greater balance. Because of the greater angle in the hips women have a tendency to bring the leg inward as they step forward instead of straight ahead.
• Do not contract the abdominals to maintain proper spine position. This function is taken care of by the erector spinae and your breath holding. Contraction of the abdominals will force rounding of the back which is dangerous in this exercise.

Major Muscles Involved The major muscle involved in the forward leg is the quadriceps femoris muscle group on the anterior thigh. This group consists of the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and the rectus femoris. The vastus lateralis and medialis are known as the teardrop muscles and are located on either side of the lower thigh. The vastus intermedius lies between these muscles and extends upward below the rectus femoris which runs almost the entire length of the femur.

In the hip joint the major muscles involved are the gluteus maximus and the hamstring muscle group which consists of the semitendinosis, semimembranosis, and biceps femoris. The gluteus maximus is a large fleshy muscle at the back of the pelvic girdle while the hamstrings are long muscles that cross the back of the hip and knee joints and run the entire length of the posterior thigh.

The hip flexors that are stretched in this exercise include iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and pectineus. The psoas is a deep muscle inside the abdominal cavity which runs from the lumbar spine to the side of the pelvic girdle to the anterior side of the upper femor. The iliacus runs from the ilium bone of the hips and joins the psoas to attach on the femor. Collectively they are known as the iliopsoas. The rectus femoris is located on the entire length of the anterior thigh and the pectinius is a short thick muscle that crosses the hip joint a little to the medial side of the midline near the groin.

Muscle and Joint Actions If you go sufficiently deep in the lunge, both the hip and knee joint muscles are involved in extension. In these actions, the thigh moves away from the trunk and the shin moves away from the thigh to create the straight leg and straight body position. The erector spinae muscle group of the lower back contract isometrically to hold the spine in its normal curvature and to hold the erect trunk. They also counteract the pull of the gluteus maximus and hamstrings which can round the lower back.

Sports Uses In bodybuilding the lunge is used not only to develop greater quadricep strength but also flexibility of the hip flexors. When done through a full range of motion, this exercise is also used for the development of the gluteus maximus and hamstrings.

In sports the lunge is especially important when stepping out to reach a target, as for example, in fencing, in the racquet sports when reaching for a ball, in basketball to steal the ball, and in gynmastics in the free exercise event. It is also used to develop the flexibility and strength needed for doing splits as well as for achieving a maximum range of motion when kicking the legs up in ballet and in other types of dance. The lunge plays a role in baseball pitching, in running to achieve a maximum stride length, and when kicking or reaching for a ball as for example in soccer (tackling).