Yes, lunges are evil. I once invented an entire song about
how much I hate them while I was doing what felt like an infinite number of
walking lunges. The thing is, they
are really useful.
Lunges work both your quads and
glutes. They challenge your
balance. They even give you a
stretch! You can do them almost
anywhere, with or without weights.
If you want cardio, too, you can do them as jumps.
Here’s how to do them. Start standing. (Digression: standing in this context, as Lemony Snicket would say, means
your feet are hip distance apart and parallel to each other. Your abdominals are engaged. You could connect your ears, shoulders,
hip bones, knees, and ankle bones with a straight line—if you weren’t standing
still and all—this is what friends are for, among other things.) Take a giant step forward. It is important that the step really is
pretty giant to protect your knees.
Bend both knees until the front shin is perpendicular to the floor (not
any further forward over your foot!) and the back thigh is perpendicular to the
floor. Your torso may try to sneak
forward; do not let it. You will
know you are doing something right if you feel a good pulling sensation in your
back thigh. Straighten both knees
and return to your initial standing position.
You can continue doing one side
until the end of your set, or you can alternate sides. If you need more challenge, you can walk
your lunges, add weight, or step back into the lunge position rather than
forward.
As always, pay attention to your
body. If lunges hurt your knees,
don’t do them.
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