Why Lunges are Great

I was asked once what my favorite exercise was. Initially, I thought this was a silly question since different situations call for different exercises. However, after some thought and further observation of other personal trainers, I realized that the one exercise that I use the most is the lunge.

Every personal trainer has lunges and its many variations in his/her arsenal. In fact, it is the variations that make this exercise a favorite among professional trainers. First, you can perform lunges in different planes. Most people are familiar with stepping lunges in a sagittal plane. Basically this is where you step forward and then return to the starting standing position. But lunges can be performed by stepping to the sides as well. This is particularly useful when training athletes playing in team sports like volleyball, basketball, football, or soccer. These athletes need to be able to move sideways swiftly, therefore, the side lunges prepare them for such moves. I also like to use a variation of lunges where a client steps to the rear. This exercise requires more balance and stability as we rarely move to the rear in real life. Alte
atively, I combine several planes of lunges within a set by having my client progress through 2-3 planes in a set. This type of exercise is often called multi-plane lunges.

Lunges can also be divided into different movement types. For instance, many clients begin with stationary lunges. The client only moves up and down while the feet are positioned in place. The advantage of this type of lunge is that a client can really work on the control of the motion. Once the motion is performed close to the ideal the client can then move to stepping lunges. Let us not forget that an advanced client can also return to the stationary lunges to retrain stability. After all, over time we develop compensations that distort the quality of any movement. Hence, returning to stationary lunges is a good idea. Another lunge movement type that is very popular among personal trainers is the walking lunge. This exercise is an excellent method of training the stability of transition from one leg to another. Not surprisingly, walking lunges are a very common exercise used by athletes.

Additionally, some trainers have gotten pretty creative with lunges. I like to have my clients do stepping lunges with a bar on their shoulders while rotating their torso as they step. This will work the muscles of the legs as well as the muscles of the torso. Some get even more creative. I have seen trainers having their clients do walking lunges while swinging a kettlebell between their legs as they step. The variations to lunges are numerous, and as personal trainers, we always strive to add an interesting variation to a workout. This is precisely why lunges will never drop out of flavor in the ever-changing fitness world.