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Good Lunge, Bad Lunge: A Guide to Great Glutes by Jean Jitomir
Lunges or "split squats" are an absolutely wonderful, but frequently abused, booty building exercise. Too often, mistakes are made when executing this exercise, which robs the gym-goer of his or her gains and puts the exercise junkie at risk of injury or just regular strength embarrassment. The pictures and text below outline proper lunging technique; build on!
Two examples of good lunge technique:
1. The short lunge; legs are closer together; butt-blasting muscles emphasized:
Please note: the back is straight as a board, the pelvis is tilted forward and the knee does not extend beyond the toe; you are essentially stepping and then allowing your legs to lower your body straight down. Lower your body until the back knee is slightly above the floor.
Good Lunge: Longer stance,
quads emphasized
Bad Lunge #1: Back is not straight, to ensure the back is straight, tilt the pelvis forward, abs tight, shoulders back, and chest high
Bad Lunge # 2: Knee not centered above the ankle, knee extends beyond the toe (also seen in Bad lunge #1 above)
Thanks to Photographer Rez Flores for Images
http://michelangeloflores.com
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About the Author...
Jean Jitomir is a registered dietitian, Master of Science in Nutrition and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Exercise Nutrition at Baylor University. She has experience as a private dietitian and cooking instructor. Jean has competed in figure at the national level and is qualified for national level competition as a light weight bodybuilder.
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© 2004