I HATE lunges!

dbelden1

dbelden1

Cathlete
no matter how much I try to maintain good form, correct foot placement, proper distance between front and rear leg, knee does not go in front of the toe, etc etc etc... weights or not, shoes or no shoes, I still feel like a weeble! :eek:

I just can't seem to get them so that they either don't hurt my knees (although doing them later in a work out seems to help a little) or I can manage to do them without losing my balance...

What's wrong with me???
 
I don't think there is anything 'wrong" with you at all Dani....:)... Not everyone likes lunges, and it could be just more practice will help. Have you tried reverse lunges? Cathe does some in GS Legs and I have heard from some they don't bother the knees at all.
 
Do you do this with stationary lunges or just forward lunges? I started doing forward lunges with a step. Try using one with 2 risers, and lower as you get better. I can do them with ease on the floor now. The step really helps.
 
How about Bulgarian Squats? That's the technical term, I guess. But Cathe calls them one-legged squats in her workouts....with the back foot up on the step and some risers. I find that I can really keep my knee back over my toe and really sink down without hurting anything. (I'm secretly addicted to this exercise! lol)

Gayle
 
fit44 said:
Do you do this with stationary lunges or just forward lunges? I started doing forward lunges with a step. Try using one with 2 risers, and lower as you get better. I can do them with ease on the floor now. The step really helps.
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I like to use my slanted step for these...I still have " THE FIRM" transformer that is great for them...That seems to work my glutes more + I dont experience any knee pain. Its good to vary it all anyway, right?

Walking lkunges are/ will always be my biggest dread factor- very taxing on my knees but mainly because they're HARD! lol:D
 
I hate lunges too. For some reason, my calves always burn when I do them, despite proper form. ITA that reverse lunges are much better for whatever reason!
 
Billy Blanks (in Rockin Buns - Amped) did the BEST static lunge move I've ever tried.

I'll try to explain it: Start with your right leg forward and left leg back and knees bent (standard static lunge position). Then rotate your shoulders to the right. Raise and lower yourself keeping your shoulders rotated. WOW! I immediately felt it so much more in the glutes of the right leg (the main working leg). I only used the 3 lb amped bar, but he did a 32 slow up/downs plus 32 pulses. Yowsa!

Moral of the story: minor tweaking can really change the effectiveness of the move w/o impacting the safey of it.

Lastly, if you're having a hard time keeping your balance, have you reduced the weight that you're using? Try no weight and using one hand on a chair first. Then do every other one with hands on hips. Then try all of them with hands on hips. Then try it w/ light dumbbells. Lunges really work the stabilization muscles of the leg so if those are pushed too hard, you'll feel wobbly. HTH!
 
I'm not a big fan of lunges either, mostly because of foot issues. It's hard for me to stay with my back foot bent and supporting my weight in that position. I go lighter with the weight, and I try to do them standing alongside a wall, so when I get wobbly I can reach out and touch the wall for a little balance help.

I also don't go as deep as Cathe and crew, and I really try to concentrate on pushing through my front heel and glute.
 
Dani - ITA with the reverse lunge recommendation. Also, try doing walking lunges instead. I think those eliminate the foot discomfort of stationary lunges and IMO hit all those little stabilizer muscles much better. I also find it much easier to go deep with a walking lunge.
 
I never do front lunges (alternating--a la GS Legs) anymore without my high step topper. It just kills my knees and I don't feel the move as well in my glutes. I always step forward onto my high step topper (sometimes with risers under it, sometimes not) and it has really helped my form, I'm knee-pain free, and I actually feel the move much more in the "thutt" region. ;) (You know, that part right where the butt and thigh meet...) :eek: I loooove gettin' that area good!
 
Allison: Great idea about the high step topper- I will use that! I was thinking about my slight knee pain this morning while doing Circuit Max and 8,000 lunges that are in it!
 
Thank you all! :)

at least now I know that I am not the only one out there with issues! :)

I do have to admit, that when I first tried to do Cathe's lunges I was really gung-ho and did try with both barbell and dumbbells, however, admitidly the past few weeks I have been using NO weights as some have suggested :eek::eek: but I was afraid of all the holes I would be putting in my walls, so that is on hold for now!:eek:

I am wondering if carpet could be the culprit as well... looking into some sort of harder temporary surface that I can pull down for stuff like this...

and I also have The Transfirmer incline step (the only step I have) so will try next time to use the incline and see if that makes any difference. I have done the Firm in the past with the incline, but must need to concentrate on the movement because I didn't feel it as much in the "thutt" area as I thought I should!

I have a lot of variations now to try, so Thanks again for all your suggestions! :D
 
teddy16410 said:
I like to use my slanted step for these...I still have " THE FIRM" transformer that is great for them...That seems to work my glutes more + I dont experience any knee pain. Its good to vary it all anyway, right?
Click to expand...

I was taught by a trainer in a gym to do lunges on a step. Back in the day, I don't think they had slanted risers:). I've been thinking about buying the slanted risers. I have a regular bench in my gym, so I didn't think I would need them. I never thought about using them with forward lunges.
It's difficult to bend past the front toe with a step. It also takes away the impact.
 
fit44 said:
It also takes away the impact.
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Precisely. I swear, sometimes if I do forward lunges without the step I can actually feel my knees jarring against the impact. I try to land as softly as I can but it's just a very awkward movement for me.
 
I've always hated them but mostly because the muscle directly above the knee (guessing it is still the quadriceps) hurt... but as I do more of them, they stopped hurting and my legs starting looking much better. I've always thought that the more I hate an exercise the more I actually need it. LOL

That said, my dislike is not from a sharp pain as much as just being weak... Like old fashioned medicine, they don't "taste" good going down, but sure do help the body!
 
I don't like stationary lunges either. But I don't mind single count lunges and reverse lunges, fast with no weights. They seem to tone up my legs as well as any weight work.
 
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