Lunges are a fantastic exercise for improving leg strength, balance and stability. Plus, they’re a great way to identify any potential strength imbalances between your two legs. However, are you better performing barbell lunges or dumbbell lunges? If performed with good form both barbell lunges and dumbbell lunges can produce great results. So, in truth, … Read more
Most of us typically lunge either forward or backward. However, lateral movement is essential for your overall strength and mobility. Side lunges definitely provide this lateral stimulus, but where exactly should your toes be pointed? The vast majority of trainers state that you should do side lunges with your toes pointed straight ahead. That being … Read more
When it comes to lower body strength training you’d have to say that squats and deadlifts are the most popular exercises. However, lunges aren’t that far behind, plus lunges also happen to be a basic human movement pattern. Therefore, it makes sense to lunge on a regular basis. That being said, I want to look … Read more
Lunges are viewed as a fantastic and functional lower body exercise. And the fact that lunges activate many of the core muscles too means that you wouldn’t expect to experience lower back pain. In fact, lunges should strengthen many of the muscles responsible for supporting the spine. So, clearly something’s not quite right. The most … Read more
Lunges are difficult enough at the best of times. But, there are those of us who seem to perform lunges perfectly on one side, but really struggle doing lunges on the other side. If you’re unable to do lunges on one side, or find it much harder, this typically comes down to muscle weakness, tightness, … Read more
If you’re lunging with more weight that you can handle with good form your other lower body muscles will take over rather than you using your glutes. You should also really concentrate on squeezing your glutes at the bottom of the lunge. Then push through the heel of your front foot as you come back … Read more
One factor that I detested about lunges is how much they used to inflict pain on my toes. That is until I discovered what I was doing wrong and fixed it. There are many reasons why lunges hurt your toes. Firstly, this may be due to a lack of flexibility in your toes. This is … Read more
The most common reason you can’t balance when doing lunges is because you haven’t engaged your core. You provide the body (as a whole) additional stability by doing this. An inability to balance during lunges could also point to a muscle weakness, most specifically the gluteus medius, or the transverse abdominals, or even both. Ensure … Read more
No, there is no need for the back knee to touch the ground during lunges. For most people, leaving the back knee 1-3 inches off the ground would be ideal. This allows for an adequate range of motion, as well maintaining sufficient muscle tension throughout the movement. You Can Still Achieve Full Range of Motion … Read more