When building a fitness programme, it's important to understand the body in its multiple planes of movement. That is to say, the directions in which we function and can produce force. These functional movement patterns are the foundations to the way we move in our daily lives, and come in the form of 7 key patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, twist, and gait. A well-rounded and healthy fitness programme will include all of these patterns. In this series, I examine each of these patterns on their own. This post will look at the lunge pattern.
What is the 'lunge' pattern?
Although probably the least common of all 7 of the key movement patterns, the lunge is still a fundamental function that needs to be trained for all-round health.
The lunge involves stepping forward with one foot until both legs are bent at roughly 90 degrees at the knee.
When performing the lunge pattern, the primary muscles engaged are:
The quadriceps (front upper thigh muscles)
The hamstrings (rear upper thigh muscles)
The gluteals (rear hip muscles)
The core muscles (front, side and back)
How can I train the lunge pattern?
Here are some examples of lunge exercises:
Forward lunge
Reverse lunge
Lateral lunge
Lunge press
Step up lunges
Jumping lunges
Walking lunges
Curtsy lunges
Round-the-clock lunges
What's the best lunge exercise?
Lunges are a great way to build strength in the legs and the core, regardless of the variation being performed. For beginners, a forward or reverse lunge is a good starting point before moving onto the more coordination-challenging walking lunges.
Lateral (sideways) lunges are a good way of targeting the very rarely exercised abductor and adductor muscles (outer and inner thigh muscles, respectively), while round-the-clock lunges combine all of the different planes available for the exercise.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. The information I provide on this website is based on my personal experience and my experience as a Personal Trainer. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. In addition, the information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website. Never rely on information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice.
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