Question re: side lunges and plie squats in S&H

[LauraPinWA]

Hi Cathe and educated crowd! I just received the S&H series the other day, and so far I'm loving it. Now, my question is this: when I do the side lunges, where am I supposed to be feeling the move? And how far forward should the knee of the bending leg project? Should I be trying to take the thigh of that leg parallel to the ground as if I were doing a squat? This is a new move for me, so I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Also, for the plie squats, I don't have a 40 lb dumbbell, so is it all right to substitute two 20 lb. dumbbells? And if I make that substitution, should I hold the dumbbells at my shoulders or at my groin, or does it make no difference?

Thanks in advance for your help, educated crowd, and Cathe, thank you *so* much for creating these wonderful workouts.

Laura

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Laura! There are slight variations to the way I have seen these performed. I like to keep my forward alignment while doing them. Therefore, as you step out wide to the side keep the toes of both legs forward. Also keep the hips squared to the front. On the lunge leg, position your body so that it feels as if you are doing a one legged squat(sitting down and back into the lunge so as to keep the lunge knee from riding too far over the big toe). You can go down as far as you can maintaining good form and alignment (but do not drop the buttocks below parallel to the floor). The straight leg shold have nice extention so that you really recruit your adductors (inner thigh muscles).

For plie squats, two 20 pound dumbells are fine. Having the weight load down in the groin location creates variety and also seems to emphasize a deeper stretch at the bottom of the squat. This therefore challenges the adductors a bit more. This could be more mental than physical stimulation but many seem focus more and go deeper into the stretch when holding the dumbbell this way. However, it is also fair to say that this position causes some discomfort in the forearms while trying to maintain the grip when the weight load is heavy. For this reason we have shown a variety of ways for you to hold the dumbell and/or use a barbell on your shoulders. Comfort comes first. Take care!

 

[LauraPinWA]

Thank you so much, Cathe!

That was a great explanation! I think it'll take a bit of practice, but if I keep your form pointers in mind I should get the hang of it real soon.

I'm loving the S&H series. I did the Chest & Back tape for the first time yesterday, and today my pecs are so sore I can hardly raise my arms. It's a great feeling

Thanks again for creating these fabulous workouts and for taking the time to answer our questions!

Laura