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Conor Johnson of Desert Speed School demonstrates how to properly do lunges.
photos by angela pittenger / arizona daily star
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Start position:
From a standing position, lift one knee to hip height, putting that knee at a 90-degree angle and point the toes up.
Arms are bent 90 degrees, one in front and one in back. Hands are close to the "hip pocket and eye socket, because that's the motion you make when you walk or run," Hicks said.
Take a large step forward with the lifted leg, landing squarely on the foot, and lunge forward.
End position:
The forward knee is at a 90-degree angle and is in a vertical line with the ankle. The tip of the forward toes is just visible over the knee.
The lower knee approaches, but does not touch, the ground.
The torso is in a vertical position with the lower knee, hip and shoulder in line.
Arms are still bent 90 degrees, one in front and one in back.
Use front leg to push up and back to end in the starting position.
Switch legs and repeat 20 times, alternating each time which leg is in front.
Form assessment
Stand while holding a pole or broom handle so that it makes contact with your body at the back of your head and between your shoulder blades and glutes.
Do a stationary lunge while keeping the three contact points.
A loss of contact at any of the points means you're leaning too far forward. Straighten your body so that your lower knee, hip and shoulder are all in a vertical line.
Angles
Rather than lunging only forward, do stationary lunges at different angles.
Step out to 45-degree angles and 90-degree angles on both sides as well as forward and backward lunges. You can do all the angles by lunging in a circular pattern around your start position.
"It's working your body on different planes," Hicks said. "We're not all linear athletes; we're multidirectional in our movements."
Weights
Do a stationary lunge with a dumbbell in each hand and keep your hands by your hips throughout the movement. Don't let the weights swing or sway as your body moves through the lunge.
"If you want to add weight, I like people to use dumbbells," Johnson said. "It's safer than putting weight on the shoulders" with a barbell.
Walking
Do a stationary lunge, but rather than pushing back to the original start position, push up with the back leg and bring the back foot next to the front foot in a standing position while switching the position of your hands.
Alternate legs and continue traveling forward by doing a lunge between each step.
Balance assistance
Do a stationary lunge while using a broom handle, pole or chair for stability and to aid with balance.

Accent

Let's do lunge, correctly

You strengthen leg, hip, glute and core muscles all at once
By Sarah Mauet
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.04.2007
The experts
Murray Hicks, director of athletic performance, and Conor Johnson, head athletic performance trainer at Desert Speed School, in Desert Sports & Fitness, 2480 N. Pantano Road.
Call 731-0276 or go to www.desertsportsandfitness.com.
The exercise
The lunge.
The explanation
The lunge is a common exercise that's commonly done wrong, said Johnson, a nationally certified personal trainer.
"Typically, unless they've had a personal trainer or have read up on it, everyone will make one of the major mistakes," he said. "If it's done incorrectly it can lead to problems. Knee and back problems are most common."
Errors involve allowing the back to bend or lean forward and allowing the front knee to come over the toe and bend past 90 degrees. Both put strain on the body that can lead to injury, said Hicks, also a nationally certified personal trainer.
That being said, lunges are an excellent exercise if done correctly, he stressed. They can strengthen leg, hip, glute and core muscles all at the same time.
"It's one of those exercises that will make you stronger but it will also help you do things like run faster, jump higher, ride a bike longer and everyday things like picking something up off the ground," Johnson said.
Hicks recommended that people start with a stationary lunge done with engaged arms, "because that's the motion you use when you walk or run," he said.
"We're into teaching technique and mechanics and doing things correctly to learn better movement patterns," he said.
Exercisers should move on to the more challenging weighted lunges and walking lunges only after they have perfected stationary lunges.
"That will expose all your weakness," Hicks said. "Do stationary lunges before walking lunges."
● Contact reporter Sarah Mauet at 573-4124 or at smauet@azstarnet.com.
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