Substituting lunges for squats...

J

Jerm2410

0
Started hitting the weights about 3 months ago now and am really enjoying the routine, well except for one excercise. I absolutely hate lunges for some reason. Just can't stand them. Wondering if I'd just be better off switching lunges to higher rep deep squats since I love squats! Sometimes I find myself just skipping the lunges all together or only doing 2 or 3 sets of them. Would I be missing out on an important excercise by doing this?

here's my routine:

3 days a week alternating A/B workouts. Mostly 5 x 5 on everything:

A
Squats
flat bench
pullups
overhead press
situps & leg raises

B
Deadlift
incline bench
bent over rows
dips
lunges <<want to stop these and do lighter weight, maybe 3 x 12 rep squats
 
I would never ditch lunges from my routine, I just think they are too valuable. They are unilateral for one, and they just work the muscles in a different way. Variety is of course a necessity in all routines...keep at them, you might learn to love them someday. That has happened to me and now there really aren't any lifts I hate.
 
Depends a bit on your goal I suppose, but generally, single leg work is important! Specially with regards to develop muscles in the hip that are often a bit underdeveloped.
Now that's not to say that you'll die or something if you miss out, but generally, working a bit out of your comfort zone is a good thing.
 
Why not do something like bulgarian squats? They are a single limbed movement and provide similiar results.
 
I'd keep the lunges. I find they work different muscles. Specifically, my butt muscles (don't know the proper terminology) feel it more than with just squats (but that might be the combined effect of the two).
 
My heart beats faster and I sweat more doing lunges than with any other exercise I do.

Dagman1, your "butt" musculature is collectively called your glutes. You've got three sets of them (minimus, medius and maximus). You may also feel your hamstrings more in a lunge as well :)

Malley's suggestion of doing Bulgarian squats is really like incorporating the best of both worlds. Those are quite effective at targeting just about every muscle in the lower body, plus you get a bit of a quad stretch depending on how far down you go. But the basic muscle group being worked is the glutes. If you don't have them now, you will after doing these ;)

The main thing in lunges/Bulgarian squats is you must make sure your pelvic girdle is perfectly aligned. Both hips must be facing forward and you want to keep your back very straight.
 
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I am with you there Jerm. Lunges are by far my most hated excersise.

However, I have just resigned myself to the fact that they work and really should be incoporated. I just play mind tricks, pretending I love the exercise and somehow I manage to get through.

You may also wish to consider adding a unilateral leg exercise on your workout A. Something like step-ups or bulgarian split squats would be appropriate. If you feel it is too much I would drop the leg raises and sit-ups.

Just a suggestion though. Looks pretty solid otherwise.
 
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