about lunges...
- Thread starter hippahips
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40something
Guest
Pinky mho would be that elevating your front leg plus doing them on an incline would be more difficult because you are using your core more to stay balanced. Now, how that affects your knees I don't know...maybe ask this one on the Ask Cathe forum?
naughtoj
Cathlete
Ummm,
I don't think that you would have as effective weight transfer with your foot in an inclined position. Elevated front foot on an incline would seem to me to mean less weight being lowered and therefore less resistance for the muscles. Elevated front leg is easier than non elevated front leg. Elevated on incline IMO would work more quad, less glute and involve less resistance. AND tweak your foot. Doesn't sound natural, but maybe I am envisioning too huge of an incline. Also, does not sound good on the knees because you are taking the work out of the big muscles of the glutes. Are you trying some new exercise you read about or just wingin' it??
Again, I am no expert, but you could not push as much through your heel if you are on an incline. Do you feel it less in the glutes?? Maybe AJOCK will answer for you or another PT.
Janice
I don't think that you would have as effective weight transfer with your foot in an inclined position. Elevated front foot on an incline would seem to me to mean less weight being lowered and therefore less resistance for the muscles. Elevated front leg is easier than non elevated front leg. Elevated on incline IMO would work more quad, less glute and involve less resistance. AND tweak your foot. Doesn't sound natural, but maybe I am envisioning too huge of an incline. Also, does not sound good on the knees because you are taking the work out of the big muscles of the glutes. Are you trying some new exercise you read about or just wingin' it??
Again, I am no expert, but you could not push as much through your heel if you are on an incline. Do you feel it less in the glutes?? Maybe AJOCK will answer for you or another PT.
Janice
Mckmain
Cathlete
I know Pinky, I have done lunges so many ways. I don't have many knee problems but the lunges Cathe does in Push-Pull with one leg elevated on a dumbbell and the LONG set I feel every time I do that workout for at least 2 days. I also did them some yrs ago lunging on a 10 inch step, really felt them deep in those very nice GLUTES! How are your knees doing by the way?.....
...Carole
...CaroleJanice, thanks for your detailed analysis of elevated lunges on an incline. I saw this infomercial on Bodywedge one night (I fight insomnia on a constant basis) and saw some people do lunges with their front leg on the Bodywedge. That made me curious. What's the difference? Which way is better?
And I did try it with my step. I have the small Reebok step, the one that Cathe uses in her new beg/int workouts. I placed the risers against the wall and positioned the step against the risers on an incline. And yes, I did feel it more in my quad and less in my glute. Since I only did a few reps, it didn't tweak my foot, although it may probably have if I did several high-rep sets.
My PT friend actually taught me a good way to do squats for my own purposes -- wall squats, with a stability ball between my back and the wall. He also told me not to go a full 90 degrees down.
Pinky
And I did try it with my step. I have the small Reebok step, the one that Cathe uses in her new beg/int workouts. I placed the risers against the wall and positioned the step against the risers on an incline. And yes, I did feel it more in my quad and less in my glute. Since I only did a few reps, it didn't tweak my foot, although it may probably have if I did several high-rep sets.
My PT friend actually taught me a good way to do squats for my own purposes -- wall squats, with a stability ball between my back and the wall. He also told me not to go a full 90 degrees down.
Pinky
Hi Carole, my knees are doing much better. As long as I alternate step and kickboxing -- preferably put a day between them, and not overdo it with the squats. I only do half of LL now and switch to floor work afterwards.
The lunges on a DB... I read on one post a long time ago that that isn't so kind on the knees. I do remember doing Kathy Smith's Great Buns and Thighs workout long before I discovered Cathe. I did lunges on a four-inch step -- not on an incline and without weights. It did warm up my quads and glutes nicely.
I hope your foot won't bother you anymore so you can run more marathons.:7
Pinky
The lunges on a DB... I read on one post a long time ago that that isn't so kind on the knees. I do remember doing Kathy Smith's Great Buns and Thighs workout long before I discovered Cathe. I did lunges on a four-inch step -- not on an incline and without weights. It did warm up my quads and glutes nicely.
I hope your foot won't bother you anymore so you can run more marathons.:7
Pinky
kathryn
Cathlete
I wouldn't recommend front leg elevated and an incline (I tried it once, and it felt a bit odd on my ankles), but I highly recommend doing lunges with the front foot elevated on a 4-6 inch platform. I have a wonky knee, and doing the lunges this way avoids problems I sometimes have when I do regular forward lunges. Make sure to keep your knee back far enough so that your shin is perpendicular to the ground when at the low end of the lunge. With the elevation, you can dip a bit lower and hit the glutes a bit more, without putting so much pressure on the forward knee.
I started using the elevation after reading Karen Andes' book "A Woman's Book of Strength." She shows ways of doing various exercises to make them effectively work the muscle while reducing the risk of injury to the knees or back.
The lunge with front foot on an incline to me fits in the category of exercises that incorporate a variation in which the risks outweigh any possible benefits.
I started using the elevation after reading Karen Andes' book "A Woman's Book of Strength." She shows ways of doing various exercises to make them effectively work the muscle while reducing the risk of injury to the knees or back.
The lunge with front foot on an incline to me fits in the category of exercises that incorporate a variation in which the risks outweigh any possible benefits.
In my experience, doing them with the front leg elevated recruits more inner thigh. I agree that this may be easier on the quad and therefore the knee. However, if you have funky knees it may not be the bottom of your range that is chancy. In my right knee, my safe range of motion is the low end as Cathe would say. I have to do all my squats and lunges low. For you, it may be different. If you don't have a definitive diagnosis from a PT or doc, try listening (literally) to your knee as you fold it. Your safest range could be where the least noise occurs. Either way, my PT has repeatedly told me when I whine about lack of ROM that a 50% decrease in ROM results in only a 5% decrease in effectiveness of the exercise.
I think the overall message is find YOUR safe range and stick to it. Hope this helps.
--Ann
I think the overall message is find YOUR safe range and stick to it. Hope this helps.
--Ann
>Either way, my PT has repeatedly told me
>when I whine about lack of ROM that a 50% decrease in ROM
>results in only a 5% decrease in effectiveness of the
>exercise.
Ann, thanks for telling me this. This is very comforting. I've been doing wall squats for a while, with my feet only shoulder width apart and at an angle, with each foot pointing outward. My PT friend taught me this and it has really helped me keep my legs toned, although some of my strength has gone.
I think I'm ready to do lunges now and need to know how to do it in such a way that it doesn't aggravate my knees. When my right leg is in front, I can do lunges with two 90-degree angles, as Cathe would say. However, when my left leg is in front, I have to decrease the ROM because I feel this not-so-pleasant pull in my right knee if I go too low.
Pinky
>when I whine about lack of ROM that a 50% decrease in ROM
>results in only a 5% decrease in effectiveness of the
>exercise.
Ann, thanks for telling me this. This is very comforting.
I've been doing wall squats for a while, with my feet only shoulder width apart and at an angle, with each foot pointing outward. My PT friend taught me this and it has really helped me keep my legs toned, although some of my strength has gone.I think I'm ready to do lunges now and need to know how to do it in such a way that it doesn't aggravate my knees. When my right leg is in front, I can do lunges with two 90-degree angles, as Cathe would say. However, when my left leg is in front, I have to decrease the ROM because I feel this not-so-pleasant pull in my right knee if I go too low.
Pinky