Lunges?

Any help on these? I tried them tonight and it was very hard to keep my balance. I have a big shoe (size 13) and it seems to hurt my toes, when I do these. Any tips?

Thanks
 
Can you do it without weights in good balence? If not, then you have some practising to do.

toes - unless there is a medical problem it must be your shoes and how your stepping.

Try static lunges. Same as lunges but you dont move your feet. One foot forward at a time.
 
nice advice R. Lewis! in addition, since you have little practice in the lunge department, make sure you are dropping straight down. try to avoid letting your knee go over your toe (this can cause ACL problems). static lunges would probably be best for right now.
 
nice advice R. Lewis! in addition, since you have little practice in the lunge department, make sure you are dropping straight down. try to avoid letting your knee go over your toe (this can cause ACL problems). static lunges would probably be best for right now.

Static lunges are a good idea. Knee going past the toe does not cause ACL problems. I don't know where that came from. To bust your ACL, you need to turn your knee in violently as in someone tackling you at the knees. Weight-training in itself doesn't cause ACL injuries.

Your having trouble with your lunges becuase you are tight. Incorporate soem lower body flexibility for teh calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors.
 
Make sure you put the weight on your heel or the center of your forward foot.

When you push off, push off with the heel.

It might also help to get some flat sole shoes, such as Chuck Talyor All-Stars.
 
Are you using a barbell, or dumbbells? I'm guessing barbell due to the balance issue, so you could try dumbbells and see if your balance is better with them.
 
Static lunges are a good idea. Knee going past the toe does not cause ACL problems. I don't know where that came from. To bust your ACL, you need to turn your knee in violently as in someone tackling you at the knees. Weight-training in itself doesn't cause ACL injuries.

.

i didn't say anything about busting your ACL. Any improper form in weight training CAN cause damage which can lead to injury.
 
Little mac,
Doing lunges with knee going past your knees is very proper form. Just look at the examples in everyday life. Tying your shoes requires you to shift weight into the front foot causing the knee to go over the foot. Walking upstairs your knees will go past your foot. Sprinting your knees must go past your foot and squatting.

Cynic,
Using chuck taylors will make the movement harder because of the increased proprioceptive quality of the shoe. It is best to lunge into the area between the heel and the ball of your foot.

The lack of balance (from my experience) is most of the time a lack of ability to recruit more muscles into action (namely glute medius, internal obliques, and anterior tibialis etc.). Before someone lunges he/she better know how to squat with feet facing forward(without weight belts and crap like that). I would progress to bulgarians.....then static lunges or split squats and so on.

While this is going on you will need to do exercises that challenge your body in "frontal" and "transverse" plane. This should help increase your neuromuscular efficiency and bodies "proprioceptive" awarness.
 
Little mac,
Doing lunges with knee going past your knees is very proper form. Just look at the examples in everyday life. Tying your shoes requires you to shift weight into the front foot causing the knee to go over the foot. Walking upstairs your knees will go past your foot. Sprinting your knees must go past your foot and squatting.

the only people that tie their shoes in that position are either contortionists or yoga instructors. in squatting, your hips should slide back first and then drop down, which if done correctly the knees DO NOT go past the toes in the frontal plane (that is why you drive through your heels). i wanna see a picture of you sprinting and walking up stairs as well.
 
When you do lunges, you do not use weights. It is all your body weight until your body is ready (you can tell by the feel) to use weights. A medicine ball is the best for lunges or twist lunges or cross over lunges (so many different kind)
 
Cynic,
Using chuck taylors will make the movement harder because of the increased proprioceptive quality of the shoe. It is best to lunge into the area between the heel and the ball of your foot.

Well, Jonathan Fass recommended to use the heel, Eric Cressey recommended Chuck Taylors.

they are good pros to listen to.

Also, I would think an increased proprioception is desired, if I understand the word correctly as meaing feedback of the body's positioning relative to it's other parts.
 
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has some great videos on all the exercises that you would imagine. Check your form. And try doing the lunges against a wall for instance. Hold only one weight and support yourself a bit for balance with the opposite hand while you lung. Lunges are awesome - I love them!! Best of luck!

Anna Kubit |
 
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