Dynamic Lunge form

[RacerBill]

I've been going through my books and can't find some details on dynamic lunges. I've almost always done static lunges before.

I'm aware the one puts the weight on the forward foot, and goes down into the lunge position.

Now -- exactly how do you get back to the starting position? Do you generate an explosive movement from the forward leg that pushes you back to standing? Or just use enough force to get yourself up to the top of what would be a static lunge, and then shift weight to the back leg until you're standing?

Or is there something else altogether and (no surprise) I'm just horribly uncoordinated?

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by RacerBill

Do you generate an explosive movement from the forward leg that pushes you back to standing?

Yes. The propulsion point for you should be from the forward heel too. Read Mike Robertson's The Hardcore Lunge. That will help your understanding.

Bill, you might even be better off to start with a reverse lunge to help you keep your weight in your posterior chain. Try it and see if that isn't a better variation for you.

[RacerBill]

Awesome!! Thank you, Lisa!

[Chaney Weiner]

When you say static lunge you must be referring to a split squat. How can one lunge and have it be static. A lunge involves dynamic movement and thus cannot be static.

[Chris Correia]

Lisa and Chaney both said what I way going to say! (really! LOL)

I also found that my lunge form and functions became better after I stopped stepping so far forward. I'm pretty flexible, but, after all, it's not a stretch. So, don't step too far forward, otherwise the push back ends up using too much toes and not enough heel.

I'm curious, you professional trainers: if there a guideline for how far to best step forward? I've wondered about back knee angle.

[kingkop182]

Originally Posted by Lisa~

Bill, you might even be better off to start with a reverse lunge to help you keep your weight in your posterior chain. Try it and see if that isn't a better variation for you.

Thanks for that Lisa - gave it a go myself and it felt much better in terms of balance.

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by Chris Correia

I'm curious, you professional trainers: if there a guideline for how far to best step forward? I've wondered about back knee angle.

I teach a beginner to lunge by having them kneel on the floor and create a roughly 90 degree angle in each bent joint. How big a step forward that creates depends on the limb length of the client, but it's a pretty big step, maybe about 3 feet. The goal is to teach them to keep their hips centered within that stance, bending the back knee enough to create a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the lunge (or split squat) while keeping their weight on the forward heel. At this point I'm suggesting that they not take their front knee forward of their front toes.

All lunge strides serve some purpose though. The shorter your stride the more you focus on quads. The longer your stride the more you focus on the posterior chain. (FYI, that's opposite of what you wrote Chris.) It also depends on how you push off. The more you push off with your toes, the more quad focused the movement is. The more you push off with your heel, the more hip focused the movement is.

Chris, try your lunge again with these thoughts in mind. If you take a long stride, but still push off through the heel with a big contraction of the glutes and hamstrings of the forward leg, then you'll feel what I'm saying. There's more posterior chain work with a long stride. When your quads are strong they want to take over the work. Don't let them. Don't shift your hips forward at the bottom of the lunge. Make sure your back knee is bending to roughly 90 degrees.

It's true that it's easier to balance with a shorter stride, but if you're wanting to hit the posterior chain then you need to consider what's really going to work best for you. A short stride length is a great quad movement and a good movement for athletes. It's just not usually what I need to use with new general fitness clients who are so often weak in their posterior chain.

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by kingkop182

Thanks for that Lisa - gave it a go myself and it felt much better in terms of balance.

You're welcome!

Balance is also helped with breath control, and by remembering to lift your rib cage up out of your abdomen. Take a deep breath and lock your rib cage onto your pelvis and hold it there tightly throughout the lunge. Think of everything you've ever read by Stuart McGill, lol, and keep that core braced!

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by Chaney Weiner

When you say static lunge you must be referring to a split squat. How can one lunge and have it be static. A lunge involves dynamic movement and thus cannot be static.

Shouldn't it be called a "split kneel?" You're not really squatting, either.

Anyhow, I'm off to perform some Barbell Genuflections. Later!

[Chaney Weiner]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

Shouldn't it be called a "split kneel?" You're not really squatting, either.

Anyhow, I'm off to perform some Barbell Genuflections. Later!