Leg Lunges - Giving me hassle.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/DBLunge.html

I basically do it like this with 18's. By the way is that poor? Should I be lunging with more considering I'm 203lbs, 13/14% body fat (I'm working on this getting lower).

I only started them in the last 2 weeks and my knees are both sore from doing them. Any tips?

PS: If I'm lunging, my rear lunging leg's knee does touch the floor, but only very lightly so the impact is not doing it.

brianthebard

I'm confused, what's the problem?

Ooops forgot to mention my problem, my knees hurt from doing them.

celestial

A lunge does not involve having the knee of your rear leg touching the floor - why are you doing that? The emphasis of the movement is on the forward movement - hence the name! Your knees should not be sore and if they are hitting the floor even slightly you risk hurting them.

You should be feeling the movement in your glutes and quads, especially afterwards. As it happens I was doing lots of bodyweight lunges as part of a circuit earlier and I'm feeling it in those areas now and know I'll be feeling it there tomorrow.

Bad form my fitness friend. Bad Form. I misinterpreted the diagram online and my knee was touching the floor. Will eradicate that by next session. Legs are not my forté in terms of exercises but will be due to my recently acquired knowledge of the importance of leg workouts.

LightningBolt

Usual prob with people doing lunges is leaning forward too much which in my experience put pressure on my knees. Once you straighten the back up nicely the pain should go, if not consult a pro.

Colm_OReilly

Are you squatting?

Transform

Agreed - do not touch the floor and no leaning forwards.

Also, and of more importance, make sure the tracking of the knee (of the leg that is lunging forwards) stays over the toes. Its quite common for the knee to drop inwards to your midline. To correct just use a mirror and watch for alignment. This goes for the back knee also

Oryx

I always look out ahead, not at the floor. The link you show the guy looks down. Which might not help your general posture. Dunno if its the right thing to do or not, but when I pick up the weights I roll my shoulders back to make sure my posture is straight and my back not bent.

Roper

That's actually a pretty poor lunge in the video which is strange for exrx. As for weights, if you don't understand how to do the excercise without weight, then don't do it with weight. Master the unweighted version first, then worry about the weights.

Here's a good lunge video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EpattQUwyM&feature=related
YEAH BABY!

I got it, It's not that complicated a lift to perform so I should be ok with the weights next time round. The only mistake I was making was putting my knees on the ground, that's stupidity on my part, I should have read all the accompanied text on the site!!!!!!!!! Thanks for tips.

kevpants

Roper wrote: »

YEAH BABY!

Actually it's YEAH BUDDY!! LIGHT WEIGHT BABY!!

He says it alot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziOhn-rD7Y

Ain't nuttin but a peanut. Gimme dat corn bread!

Roper

Deleted User wrote: »

I got it, It's not that complicated a lift to perform so I should be ok with the weights next time round. The only mistake I was making was putting my knees on the ground, that's stupidity on my part, I should have read all the accompanied text on the site!!!!!!!!! Thanks for tips.

No that's not the point. You wouldn't squat with a bar until you'd gained the strength to do 20 squats without a bar would you? If you're new to an exercise, do it unweighted until you can rattle them off with perfect form, then, and only then to you begin to add light weight. Doing the weighted version first is where injuries happen. The exercises "complexity" has nothing to do with it. It's how your body adapts to the new movement that's the problem.

Roper

kevpants wrote: »

Actually it's YEAH BUDDY!! LIGHT WEIGHT BABY!!

He says it alot

Ain't nuttin but a peanut. Gimme dat corn bread!

Well soooorryy. Didn't realise flase Ronnie quotes were sacreligious!

Roper

Roper wrote: »

No that's not the point. You wouldn't squat with a bar until you'd gained the strength to do 20 squats without a bar would you? If you're new to an exercise, do it unweighted until you can rattle them off with perfect form, then, and only then to you begin to add light weight. Doing the weighted version first is where injuries happen. The exercises "complexity" has nothing to do with it. It's how your body adapts to the new movement that's the problem.

Point taken, thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.

kevpants

Roper wrote: »

Well soooorryy. Didn't realise flase Ronnie quotes were sacreligious!

Everybody wanna quote Ronnie Coleman. Don't nobody wanna get the damn quotes right.


Yeah buddy.

Roper

Light buddy weight! Yeah weight! Buddy...


Baby... and so forth.

Reyman

Transform wrote: »

Agreed - do not touch the floor and no leaning forwards.

Also, and of more importance, make sure the tracking of the knee (of the leg that is lunging forwards) stays over the toes. Its quite common for the knee to drop inwards to your midline. To correct just use a mirror and watch for alignment. This goes for the back knee also

Correct ! But the lower leg should also be vertical. i.e. the knee shouldn't be flying forward over the toes. Otherwise it's very hard on the knees

quirkster

you shouldnt be worried about the weight ur using man.if it makes u grow, it makes u grow. thats all that matters

quirkster

quirkster wrote: »

you shouldnt be worried about the weight ur using man.if it makes u grow, it makes u grow. thats all that matters

I'm not worried, I'm curious. I want to be stronger than other people. Ego helps me work harder than average.

brianthebard

Lunges are hardly an ego lift.

lol I know! I basically want some sort of reference guide to see how I am doing.