Exercise of the Week

Lunges

This is a fantastic exercise for all the major leg muscles, especially the quadriceps and hamstrings (the main thigh muscles) as well as the all important gluteus (the backside).

These are major muscle groups, some of the biggest in the body, so exercising these is a great calorie burner and body toner.

Remember a thorough warm-up is essential and it is vital to consult a medical specialist if you have had any knee injuries or general leg problems.

If you’re beginner or have not recently performed lunges then start slowly and gently and spend a bit of time ensuring that you have mastered the correct technique.

Technique:

Keep your upper body relaxed and comfortably upright with your eyes focused forward. From a standing position ensure that your toes are pointing forward (i.e. you are not duck footed) and then take a big step forward and check that your toes remain pointing forward on both feet.

Sink your rear knee towards the floor but ensure that your front knee does not bend beyond 90°. A guide to good technique is ensuring that your front shin remains perpendicular to the floor.

If you’re a beginner just straighten both legs to return to position shown in the diagram. Keep the movement gentle and relaxed throughout. If you wish to focus on the front of the thigh (the quadriceps) then take a smaller step. A longer step will focus on the hamstrings and gluteus. Remember it is essential to repeat the same number of repetitions on both sides.

For those more experienced at this exercise it is recommended that you return to the starting position each time (i.e. standing up with your feet side by side) and a dumbbell can be held in each hand to increase the difficulty.

The number of repetitions that you perform will depend on your goals in your programme.

Next week we’ll look at some more advanced variations on the lunge for the more experienced performer.

Happy training!!

Tags: exercise, exercise of the week, exercise tips, Simon Leigh

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