Lunges, barbell, abs - 3 questions for you.

[tboman]

Hi Cathe,
I have three Q's for you.
1. When I am doing standing lunges where the front leg and back leg should be at a 90' angle (Power Hour) I feel the most fatigue in the back leg in the thigh area. If I stop it is because of that. Is that normal. I am working through the heel on the front leg and am pretty sure I am doing the move correctley.
2. I am going to buy a barbell (I only have a 18lb body bar. Does brand matter here?
3. I have a tough time doing upper and lower crunches and usually get frustrated because my lower abs are weaker and I can't lift my hips. What would be the best exercise to strenghen my lower abs quickly.

I have to say your tapes are the absolute best and I look forward to doing them at 6:00am. I just bought the 12 pack DVD and am trying most of those workouts for the first time. Interval max killed me 1/2 way through!!
Thank You,
Tracy

 

[jgoycoolea]

I also feel static lunges in my back leg. For me personally, I think what I am feeling is tightness in my hip flexor muscle which gets stretched in this exercise. I have read other people say that they also feel this in the "thigh area" of the "back leg". Perfectly normal.

For your ab question, I think you are referring to the double crunches where you lift both upper and lower at the same time. This can be tough, don't let it get you down. I suggest prioritizing your lower abs. Do them first in your ab routine. Maybe you can do reverse crunches lifting your hips off the floor if you do them first. Put your hands by your sides, or just below your hips and use them for stabilization. Do not do the upper crunch at the same time. Most Cathe routines do not start this way though. Just do them on your own first. You can always quit her routine if you need to. Or pause the tape and rest and then start up again. Also, maybe you should do your abs before your cardio. Some cardio moves, like knees up, do in fact use the abs.
Jeanne