How to do lunges for tight hips and butts

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A detailed analysis of the technique and a huge number of variations of the exercise.

Why lunges are good

There are several reasons to include lunges in your workouts. This exercise:

• Loads the glutes and hamstrings better than squats and deadlifts.
• Strengthens the muscles-stabilizers of the pelvis and core, pumps the sense of balance.
• With proper technique, it is safe for the knees and can be used during rehabilitation after injuries and surgeries.
• It has many variations, allows you to shift the focus to different muscle groups and simultaneously pump the upper body and core muscles.

How to do lunges correctly

We'll show you a few important technical points to help you get the most out of your lunges.

1. Tilt the body with a straight back

This position relieves stress on the lower back, protects the knees from shear forces, and increases tension in the muscles of the hips and buttocks. To test for correct posture, try the squat test.

Lunge, and then, without changing the position of the body and hips, substitute your standing leg behind so that you get a squat. If you're comfortable, the stance was correct. If you were unable to maintain your balance, the body bend in the lunge was insufficient.

2. Do not swing from side to side … Imagine that your shoulders and hips are inside the rectangle. During the lunge, he should remain as flat as in the starting position.

If your hips or shoulders fall to one side and you can't stop it, then you lack the strength, flexibility, or balance to do the exercise correctly. So first try doing it with support. For example, grabbing the rings with your hands.

3. Do not slouch or round your lower back … Keep your neck in line with your back, looking forward, not up.

4. Tighten your abs … A tight abs will help you get into the correct position and protect your body from unnecessary twists and turns.

5. Don't squeeze your buttocks.… By additionally straining the buttocks, you prevent the hips from going back and getting into the correct position. Moreover, you do not allow the muscles to stretch properly at the lowest point, which reduces the effect of the exercise.

6. Do not lift the heel of the supporting leg off the floor.… This is an important rule to help you protect your knees.

It is best to perform lunges with stiff shoes - this will make it easier to transfer your body weight to your full foot, and not just to the front.

7. Don't let your knee curl inward … It must look clearly ahead.

8. Do not spread your legs wide.… If you lunges forward and backward, make sure that the front leg is practically in line with the back leg. You do not need to spread your legs wide: this spoils the form of the exercise and can cause inflammation and pain in the hips.

9. Exercise to the full range, but only so far has the correct technique been preserved. Incomplete lunges reduce muscle stress and prevent joint mobility.

If you do side lunges, squat until you can maintain a neutral lumbar position.

If you lunges forward, backward or crosswise - until about 5-10 cm remains between the floor and the knee behind the standing leg.

How to diversify lunges

We will show you a variety of exercise options, both without any equipment and with weights.

Back lunges

These lunges are considered the safest for the knees due to the reduced shear force. In doing so, they pump the hips and buttocks as effectively as the step forward option.

Split squats

Like back lunges, they have a gentle effect on the knee joint.

Lunges in penetration

These lunges will help you to better load your core muscles, improve your balance and burn more calories, but they lose out to on-site exercises in terms of muscle pumping.

Take your time, try to follow the correct technique and not spread your legs wide. To train yourself to move correctly, find a wide strip and move along it.

Side lunges

The gluteus medius muscles and adductors, the muscles on the inner thigh, pump well. Keep your back straight during the exercise. Fold your arms in front of you or place them on your belt.

Cross Lunge

Such attacks use the gluteal muscles a little more due to preliminary stretching. Do not forget to tilt the body forward so that the buttocks receive maximum load.

Watch

They evenly pump all muscles due to the constant change of positions, develop coordination.

Pendulum

A bunch of lunges forward and backward. First, do the set number of times with one leg, then change and continue with the other.

Lunges sideways and crosswise

This ligament is great for pumping your inner thighs and glutes. To avoid confusion, do the approach with one leg, and then change and continue with the other.

Lunges on one leg

Increases stress on the muscles of the hips and buttocks, but requires a good sense of balance and ankle mobility. To get started, try holding on to the rings or TRX loops.

Jumping lunges

Change your legs while jumping. Do not jump high, lower yourself carefully so as not to hit your knee on the floor.

Backward swing lunges

Exercise with additional stress on the gluteal muscles. Do not strive to raise your leg as high as possible, especially with a sharp movement: this can result in injury.

Make the swing controlled, squeeze the buttocks at the extreme point - this way you will pump the muscles to the fullest. Perform the set number of times with one leg, and then move on to the other.

Twisting lunges

These attacks put additional stress on your core muscles - especially your obliques and hip flexors. Do not press on your neck with your hands, try to twist the body so that you can reach the elbow with your knee.

Cross lunges with knee and elbow joint

Another exercise with a good load on the core muscles. Touch your elbow with your knee, alternate your legs every other time.

Pulse

The exercise will load the muscles to the fullest: throughout the entire approach, they will be in constant tension. Make springy up and down movements in a small range.

Static lunges

An isometric exercise that will make your thigh muscles burn and beg for mercy. Fix the position at the lowest point and hold for a certain time. Start with 20 seconds and work your way up.

Lunges with knee extension

Exercise with an emphasis on the hip flexor muscles. To avoid injury, do not try to overcome your range of motion. The first few times do it gently and smoothly, then do the exercise vigorously, but without sudden jerks.

Lunges with hand touching the floor

In addition to the muscles of the thighs, it loads the core well and develops mobility. Try to turn fully so that your chest is facing the wall to your side.

Jumping in a low lunge

This exercise will seriously stress your muscles and raise your heart rate. Well suited for interval complexes. Try to move at the same level and do not straighten until the end of the approach.

Swing forward lunges

Another option for additional stress on the hip flexors. Touch the palm of your foot at the top point. If the stretch is not enough for you, touch your lower leg or knee.

Back lunges with a circle

Exercise to develop hip mobility. Try to lift your leg higher, but do it carefully so as not to injure the muscles.

Side Lunges

The exercise puts a good load on the oblique abdominal muscles. Bend to the side, not forward, try to touch the floor with your hand.

Split squats with a barbell on the shoulders

Maintain a neutral back position, squat and stand up smoothly and under control. Try the bar split squat first, then gradually add weight.

Lunges with dumbbells or kettlebells in one hand

An excellent exercise for developing coordination, strength in the shoulders and core muscles. Suitable for advanced athletes.

Extend your opposite arm to the side. Through the approach, shift the weight to the other hand to evenly pump the body and avoid imbalance.

Overhead Barbell Lunges

Great exercise for testing shoulder mobility and development. Take the barbell slightly wider than the jog grip and perform back lunges. Be careful with your weight: try a 15kg bar first, and if you can keep your balance, gradually increase the weight.

Lunges with an expander tape

This is a gentle weight-bearing exercise. If, when working with a barbell and dumbbells, the weight is always the same, the elastic allows you to reduce the load when going down and increase it when lifting.

Slip the expander tape over your shoulders, and place the other end under the foot of your front leg. Do split squats while holding the elastic with your hands.

Goblet lunges with kettlebell

The exercise puts additional stress on the arms, especially the forearms. Take the kettlebell, turn it upside down and hold it close to your body. Do not lower the projectile to the floor until the end of the approach.

Twisting lunges with medicine ball in two directions

Such attacks will pump not only your legs, but also your core muscles. Especially the oblique muscles of the abdomen, which are responsible for turning the body. We didn't have a medicine ball, so we got a medicine ball. Medballs are smaller and more comfortable to exercise.

Dumbbell Press Lunges

Exercise additionally loads the shoulder girdle. Lunge forward or backward and finish with a standing dumbbell press each time.

Back lunges from the step

This exercise will help increase your range of motion and put a lot of stress on your muscles. Try no weight first. If you feel confident, pick up dumbbells.

How to train

There are several ways to incorporate lunges into your program. Choose the one that suits you.

Insert lunges into strength training

Alternate lunges with other quads and glutes. For training with free weights, back lunges or split squats are best. Firstly, in such exercises it is easier to maintain balance, and secondly, they are safest for the knees.

Before lifting weights, make sure that you are doing the exercise with the correct technique and that you do not lose your balance during exercise. Then try with the bar and gradually build up the weight until you get to 6-8 hard reps per set. Do 3-5 sets.

Complement your home workouts with lunges

If you practice at home without any equipment, lunges should definitely be part of your program. To get started, try simple options: forward, backward, sideways, crosswise, from an elevation. Include one exercise in each workout and do 10-20 times for each leg in 3-5 sets.

Do lunges as part of interval training

Lunges provide a good load even without any weighting and, when performed vigorously, quickly accelerate the pulse and tire the leg muscles.

For interval training, jump lunges, variations with different swings and body turns, are well suited. Pick one exercise at a time and incorporate it into your intense full-body workouts.