What's up with lunges?

[.V.]

So I decided my legs need more work (as always).

I added lunges to my leg workout. I didn't use a bar because I figured that would lead to injury (and I've already had to reduce my squatting weight because of that).

I tried them with a pair of 50lb dumbells - just sat there.

Tried again with 20's - still sat there.

Bodyweight - I can do 3 sets of 10 but my right leg is really shaky when I try to go up.

I'm keeping my torso straight up for safety, if I lean forward a little I can get up with some weight.

If I lean forward slightly is this going to cause an injury? Or just keep the torso as straight up as possible and do them bodyweight until I'm able to get up without the right leg wanting to collapse under me.

Sorry for a stupid question, but I've not done these before and getting hurt right now is just something I can't risk.

Also, is doing these bodyweight even worth the effort or should I just add more volume to my squats?

[Zackoz]

I felt the same the first time I did them, as you do with any exercise. After a few weeks I felt very stable doing them! Keep at it!

[CF-OC_gal]

If I lean forward slightly is this going to cause an injury? Or just keep the torso as straight up as possible and do them bodyweight until I'm able to get up without the right leg wanting to collapse under me.

The big thing to watch with lunges is where your knee goes. You want to keep your shin (on the front leg) as vertical as possible and not let your knee travel past your front foot if at all.

It might take a week or to for your stabilizers to kick in, then you should be fine. Also squeeze your glutes hard and I can guarantee you won't like wooden seats afterwards.

[.V.]

OK, thanks.

[standAPART]

It is absolutely FINE to do bodyweight version of lunges.
Why do we always rush to external loads???

Brat, the advice "don't let you knee go past your toes" is soooo old. Our knees go past our toes all the time--watch yur self go up & down stairs.

The shakiness is due to inflexibility and strange neural pathways for the movement. Yes, the more you do it the easier it will get. But, make sure you stretch your lower body continously.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by standAPART

Why do we always rush to external loads??? .

Cuz we want to get big and strong.

But we also want to be safe...that's why I'm asking.

Oh yeah, I have to stretch every day anyway - even on days I don't lift.

Stretching is gooood.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by standAPART

Brat, the advice "don't let you knee go past your toes" is soooo old. Our knees go past our toes all the time--watch yur self go up & down stairs.

It might be old but it saves knees. Going up stairs is not the same as lunging with 50 lbs!

[tim_mcf]

If bw is the best you can handle with good form (and it sounds like the form isn't quite there yet anyway), then do it with bw. Once you own it, add 5 pounds. Just like anything else. What do you weigh now, 180 something? That's a lot of weight. I tried to do pistols today (1 leg squats) and totally couldn't do it at all. Your bodyweight can be pretty durn challenging if it's in a position of decreased leverage.

[.V.]

double post.

[.V.]

Yeah, I'm almost 180. I was holding at 185, then when I got sick, I lost 9lbs in a week...that sucked. I got calories up to 3600 (all liquid the first week - it was all I could get down) and stopped losing - but that was without exercise.

Thanks for the advice ya'll. I'll use it and try to improve them. I thought after squatting for 3 years lunges would be a breeze....NOT.

Learning to not send my knees past my toes is going to be difficult. 16 years of Shotokan training (low and slow in training makes for fast in real life when working a bit higher)...knees going way past the toes on every step to get lower and make kicks stronger. Hmmmm, the lung is very much like the finish position after a crescent step...except I've got my hands straight down by my side and my back knee on the floor for full contraction - since my body is accustomed to being almost in the same position - but not exactly the same, it's a bit awkward - that's what's throwing me off balance.

Andy, I'd stick to BW only and focus on perfect form which to me means having a perfect uprightness at all times. Imagine that you have a pole though the center of your body and you want that pole to be upright at all times. Tighten you core muscles and think back to your shotokan karate days as you did front-stance forward moving drills.

I think the walking lunges in volume would be a good chaser for your weighted squat workouts. Build up to a single set of 100 reps of walking BW lunges and do them after your squats and I believe you'll be quite satisfied with the effort. And I bet you'll have a sore booty.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by pierini

Build up to a single set of 100 reps of walking BW lunges and do them after your squats and I believe you'll be quite satisfied with the effort. And I bet you'll have a sore booty.

Ha, that'll be a while. 3 sets of 10 for each leg (20 steps/set) are killing me.

As the wobbliness decreases, I'll increase the volume more or add weight.

[arbit]

Originally Posted by Brat

It might be old but it saves knees. Going up stairs is not the same as lunging with 50 lbs!

What I'm saying is for squats, but I think it should apply to lunges too.

The instructor of our university for resistance training in our university (top 10 in US), and who has a masters in physical education said this notion of knees not going beyond toes is crap.
I think there was also a thread here in df.com which had many articles which indicated the same, if not here then some other board.

The resistance training classes here teach squats olympic style - knees well beyond toes.

Andy - take some time with pure bodyweight - let the stabilizers and other small muscles get stroing enough, else risk of injury

If anyone has any studies which indicate otherwise then please post so.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by arbit

What I'm saying is for squats, but I think it should apply to lunges too.

The instructor of our university for resistance training in our university (top 10 in US), and who has a masters in physical education said this notion of knees not going beyond toes is crap.

I wonder why so many lunge instructions still advise you to watch out for that. I know my knees used to click and get sore after lunging and squating until I aimed for a more upright postition and got rid of the stupid plates under my heels (as I was originally taught to do when squatting).

These links support my comment:
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz...emo/lunges.jsp

http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Exercises/Lunges.htm

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...s/BBLunge.html

http://exercise.about.com/od/exercis...texercis_3.htm

Andy study her form closely in this one: http://www.danijelacrevar.com/Slike/lunges.jpg

[arbit]

How does the exrx.net link suport u'r cooment ??