Q&A for How to Do Lunges

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Why are lunges important?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

The lunge is a foundation exercise because it works the lower body in a highly functional way. That means it is an important movement pattern for daily living. The longer held stride mimics the movement pattern of walking and running but extends the range of motion which focuses even more work on those muscles, the quadriceps and gluteus maximus.

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Question

How long do I hold the lunge?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

How long you hold a lunge depends on your goal. If you want better performance and explosive energy in your lower body, push up and out of the lunge position quickly with no pause at the bottom of the range of motion. If you are trying to build muscle and strength in the lower body, hold the lunge position longer, two to three seconds is good. The longer you hold the lunge, the more fatigued the muscles will become. The movement part of the lunge exercise requires balance and coordination so if that is your goal, do more reps.

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Question

My lower back really hurts after doing lunges. What am I doing wrong?

Community Answer

It is difficult to say what you are doing wrong without seeing you, but here is my advice: put your hands on your hips. This will allow you to better feel your back position, which should be straight, not leaning forward or backwards. Also, in case you are a beginner to lunges, do not force too much. Once you are familiar with this exercise, you can increase the difficulty, but always keep your upper body straight.

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Question

How do you train yourself up to do forward lunges? I can't bend my legs/knees like that, I don't know how to.

Community Answer

It may seem like the left leg that is the leg in the back is touching the floor but it's actually not. It may be that that's where you are having a problem, otherwise it is quite straightforward.

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Question

What type of warm up should we do before running to prevent injuries?

Community Answer

You could do a few stretches to loosen up your leg muscles. After that, try jogging or walking for a couple minutes before running.

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