How to Do a Proper Lunge Exercise
Lunges are a physical exercise that uses the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles. They have quite a range in form, relying on which muscle groups you want to work on. On the other hand, normally a small lunge works the quadriceps and the longer lunges focus on the gluteal muscles. Interestingly, a number of people have no idea how to perform lunges properly. Doing the exercise improperly offers less advantage to your quadriceps and buttocks, but can cause injuries to the back and knees. Therefore, you need to practice them the right way in order to achieve good results.
Instructions
-
1
Getting started
It is vital to perform lunges properly in order to avoid causing extra stress on the joints. Maintain your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and clam. The chin should be up as well and work with the core of your body. Take a step forward with a leg and then lower your hips until the knees are half bent. Place the front knee above your ankle. Also make sure that the other knee does not come into contact with the ground. Hold the weight in your heels as you return to the original position. -
2
More lunge exercises
You need to challenge your muscles to greater heights. Change your lunge workouts in several different ways to work on a number of muscle groups. Reverse lunges are a good exercise workout. Stepping back rather than going forward is a great way to support the forward movements in your routine life. Furthermore, moving in the opposite direction needs extra skill and assists in gaining balance and athleticism.
Try to do a bicep curl with dumbbells along with working on your legs and upper body for strength. Perform a walking forward lunge workout to improve your body balance. Do this with side lunges so you can put strain on your lower body muscles in various other ways than the usual. -
3
Common errors made while doing the exercise
It is very normal to make mistakes when you start doing lunges. Leaning forward or to a particular side is very normal, and you should try to keep the upper body straight. Also do not use momentum to raise your body as that way you will not complete the full lunge. Remember not to put too much strain on the knee. Make sure you look at front in order to avoid a cramp in the neck.
