Should we be including the lunge movement as part of our beginners workout? The lunge is a terrific compound exercise, as it works many different muscle groups.
Your thighs, glutes.
hamstrings, quads, and lower back are all affected.
The lunge is really good at raising metabolism and burning calories while building strength at the same time.
So, the answer is a definitive YES.
The benefits are great.
However, the lunge is a difficult exercise.
For me, it's more difficult than it looks.
This is especially true if you are overweight.
Remember that you are lifting your excess bodyweight when you lunge.
So, you may be lifting more than a safe weight for you when you begin.
Starting a new difficult exercise like the lunge can be a little risky.
We want to include lunges, but we are worried about safety.
How do we begin? Here are a few ideas to help you get started with lunges.
1.
Leg Presses.
If you are just beginning your strength training workouts, leg presses are a good place to start.
It doesn't really matter what type of leg press you use.
Leg pressing will work the same muscle groups as the lunge, but it is safer.
You are not lifting your body weight.
Be sure to challenge yourself.
Start out slowly, but make the exercise difficult.
Soon, you will be ready to move on to the lunge.
For me, I did leg presses for three months before I attempted lunges.
2.
Stationary Lunges.
Sometimes called the split squat, stationary lunges are a little easier than traditional lunges.
The reason is that your feet are stationary.
Place one foot forward and the other foot back in a wide stance.
Simply lower your hips directly downward until you knee almost touches the floor, and drive back up.
Keep your feet still.
Finish your reps in this fashion, the reverse your feet and complete your reps on the other side.
Please do not use any additional weight the first time you try the stationary lunge.
See how you feel just using your bodyweight.
If you think it's OK to add some weight, then hold dumbbells at your side.
3.
Reverse Lunges.
Now we are moving our feet, which makes the reverse lunge a little more difficult.
Standing straight with your feet together, take a long step backward.
Hesitate slightly, then lower your hips directly downward until your knee almost touches the floor.
Drive back up to your original position.
Finish your reps for one side, then reverse.
Again, be safe and start out with your bodyweight only.
Also, I would recommend that you perform reverse lunges near a bench or chair in case you need help with your balance.
4.
Forward Lunge.
This is the most difficult of the lunges.
It is the same as the reverse lunge, except you are stepping forward instead of backward.
These are some ways to incorporate the lunge into your beginners workout.
The idea is to start out with safer exercises and work up to the challenging but effective forward lunge.
There are some videos on my site that will provide additional technique pointers.