Stop F*cking Up Lunges (SAVE A FRIEND!)

FREE Total Body Program Here - http://athleanx.com/tbfree
Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

The lunge is one of the top leg exercises you can include in your workouts, but it is also one of the exercises I see performed incorrectly every day. In this video, I am going to show you how to do lunges with proper form to build bigger quads, glutes, and hamstrings without unnecessarily beating up your knees. It is not just which exercises you do, but how you do them that matters most.

Step 1 of this lunge tutorial is choosing the right direction:

Most people automatically step forward when performing lunges. The problem is that the forward lunge can place more stress on the knee because the lead leg leaves the ground and has to absorb force when the foot lands. If your knees are irritated or you cannot control the landing, this can turn a great leg exercise into a painful one.

The reverse lunge is often the better option. By stepping backward, the working leg stays planted throughout the rep. This lets you control the movement while avoiding the abrupt loading that occurs when stepping forward. You still train the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but with mechanics that are more comfortable and repeatable.

If you prefer forward lunges, consider walking lunges. Instead of stepping forward and then pushing backward, continue into the next rep. This improves the movement pattern, though it does not completely remove the extra stress when the lead foot hits the ground.

Step 2 of this lunge form guide is getting your foot placement right:

One of the most common lunge mistakes is stepping as though you are walking on a tightrope. When both feet remain directly in line, balance becomes the main challenge instead of building your legs. Step back and slightly out to create a wider base of support.

To determine how far back to step, reach with the toe of the back foot. Once the toe contacts the ground, stop moving backward and lower straight down. This creates a repeatable setup based on your leg length while keeping the hips stable.

Step 3 of this reverse lunge tutorial is stabilizing the hips:

As you step backward, rotate your shoulders slightly toward the front working leg. This subtle turn helps lock the pelvis into position and limits wobbling at the hip. A small turn is enough to improve stability so you can focus on training the legs rather than fighting for balance.

Step 4 of this lunge how-to is choosing which muscles you want to target:

The angle of your torso changes the emphasis of the exercise. Keep your torso upright during a reverse lunge to place more focus on the quads. Maintain a tall posture, drop straight down, drive through the front foot, and return to full hip extension.

If you hinge forward slightly at the hips, you create more of a sprinter lunge position. This increases the loading on the glutes and hamstrings. The lean should come from the hips rather than rounding the lower back. The right torso angle depends on whether you want to emphasize the anterior or posterior chain.

Step 5 of this lunge form breakdown is selecting the right weight:

The way you load the exercise should match your torso position. For a glute and hamstring focused lunge with a forward lean, dumbbells held at your sides are a great choice. They let you hinge without forcing the weight away from your body or stressing your lower back.

For a more upright, quad focused lunge, you can use dumbbells, a barbell across your back, or a weight held in a goblet position. The implement should support the mechanics of the variation instead of fighting against them.

Step 6 of this lunge tutorial is knowing how deep to go:

A full-depth lunge allows the back knee to descend toward the floor while the front foot stays planted and the torso remains controlled. The back knee can lightly touch, or kiss, the ground, but it should never crash into it. Control the descent and use the contact only as a depth reference.

Your range of motion may be limited by your hips, calves, Achilles tendon, or ankle mobility. If tightness prevents you from reaching the floor without losing position, stop at the deepest range you can control. Do not pitch your torso forward just to look like you reached greater depth. Work within the mobility you have and improve it over time.

Now that you know how to do lunges correctly, you can build stronger legs while avoiding the mistakes that commonly lead to knee pain and poor balance. Step backward and slightly outward, control the descent, choose the right torso angle.

For step-by-step programs that show you how to perform every exercise correctly, head to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the ATHLEAN-X training system that matches your goals.

For more how-to's and tutorials, be sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it's published. Receive SMS online on sms24.me

Watch on YouTube

Subscribe on YouTubeReaderBot

TubeReader video aggregator is a website that collects and organizes online videos from the YouTube source. Video aggregation is done for different purposes, and TubeReader take different approaches to achieve their purpose.

Our try to collect videos of high quality or interest for visitors to view; the collection may be made by editors or may be based on community votes.

Another method is to base the collection on those videos most viewed, either at the aggregator site or at various popular video hosting sites.

TubeReader site exists to allow users to collect their own sets of videos, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others; TubeReader can develop online communities around video sharing.

Our site allow users to create a personalized video playlist, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others.

@YouTubeReaderBot allows you to subscribe to Youtube channels.

By using @YouTubeReaderBot Bot you agree with YouTube Terms of Service.

Use the @YouTubeReaderBot telegram bot to be the first to be notified when new videos are released on your favorite channels.

Look for new videos or channels and share them with your friends.

You can start using our bot from this video, subscribe now to Stop F*cking Up Lunges (SAVE A FRIEND!)

What is YouTube?

YouTube is a free video sharing website that makes it easy to watch online videos. You can even create and upload your own videos to share with others. Originally created in 2005, YouTube is now one of the most popular sites on the Web, with visitors watching around 6 billion hours of video every month.