Lunges

Foundational Movement #2

The lunge is a dynamic lower body exercise that involves stepping forward, backward, or to the side while maintaining proper alignment and stability. It's commonly used to develop strength, stability, and mobility in the legs and hips. Let's break down the biomechanics of the lunge:

Starting Position: Begin in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. The spine is in a neutral alignment, maintaining the natural curves of the lower back, mid-back, and neck. Engage the core muscles to stabilize the spine.

Descent Phase: To initiate the lunge, take a step forward, backward, or to the side. For the forward lunge, as an example, the movement starts by flexing the hip and knee of the lead leg. The back leg remains extended.

Knee Flexion: As you step forward, the lead knee flexes to lower your body. The quadriceps muscles of the lead leg work to control the descent. The back knee may bend slightly to facilitate the movement.

Depth: Lower your body until the lead thigh is approximately parallel to the ground or slightly below, while maintaining proper alignment. Be cautious not to allow the lead knee to extend beyond the toes to prevent excess stress on the knee joint.

Ascent Phase: Push through the heel of the lead foot to extend the hip and knee joints, returning to the starting position. The muscles involved in this phase include the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

Switching Legs: To complete a repetition, bring the back foot forward to meet the lead foot, or step back to the starting position. You can then alternate legs for each repetition.

Lunge PDF Resources

Source: NSCA (available online here).