ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
Are lunges an exercise that you typically do? If YES - awesome! You already understand the huge list of benefits from them! If not - that’s ok too - but we’re going to work to change that over the next 21 days. We’re going to have you LUNGING for MORE once you master proper form, and start to feel all the incredible lunging benefits.
Lunges are HARD!! They work all the big muscles of the body - all your leg muscles, your core, lower back, and cardio! And if form is off, many can experience knee or back pain from them. That’s why so many people unfortunately stay away from them. But together, over the next 21 days, we are going to work at perfecting our form and getting so much AWESOME from our lunges.
What exactly is a LUNGE?
A lunge is a functional move that we use so often in daily life. And that’s the main reason they’re so important to train. Think walking, climbing stairs, bending to tie a shoelace, getting down on 1 knee to propose! We need lunges for all of these. A lunge is basically bending the legs to make 90 degree angles at the ankles, knees and hips.
When done correctly, lunges can effectively target your lower-body muscles without placing added strain on your joints. Lunges work strength - they build endurance - they challenge balance, stability and coordination. And there are so many ways to lunge! Tons of variety, and lunging FUN!
So let’s chat about how exactly this challenge is going to work …
Each day there’s a new lunge challenge to do. It’s all listed out in the calendar so you can get a sneak peek. You’ll notice each day of the week we’re lunging in a different way - either static on 1 leg, alternating, balancing, compounding, etc ...
Lunges are HARD!! They work all the big muscles of the body - all your leg muscles, your core, lower back, and cardio! And if form is off, many can experience knee or back pain from them. That’s why so many people unfortunately stay away from them. But together, over the next 21 days, we are going to work at perfecting our form and getting so much AWESOME from our lunges.
What exactly is a LUNGE?
A lunge is a functional move that we use so often in daily life. And that’s the main reason they’re so important to train. Think walking, climbing stairs, bending to tie a shoelace, getting down on 1 knee to propose! We need lunges for all of these. A lunge is basically bending the legs to make 90 degree angles at the ankles, knees and hips.
When done correctly, lunges can effectively target your lower-body muscles without placing added strain on your joints. Lunges work strength - they build endurance - they challenge balance, stability and coordination. And there are so many ways to lunge! Tons of variety, and lunging FUN!
So let’s chat about how exactly this challenge is going to work …
Each day there’s a new lunge challenge to do. It’s all listed out in the calendar so you can get a sneak peek. You’ll notice each day of the week we’re lunging in a different way - either static on 1 leg, alternating, balancing, compounding, etc ...
Here’s a DAILY breakdown:
And - while going through this daily schedule, we’re also bringing in different lunges over the 3 weeks, to target the leg muscles a little differently, and challenge your functional training skills.
Week one: Reverse lunges
Week two: Side lunges
Week three: Curtsey lunges (sometimes called bowlers or cross behind lunges)
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL!
We’re all coming at this challenge from a different place with our fitness. You’ll notice on the calendar I have listed ‘repeat 1-3 times’. For beginners, you’re welcome to stick with the first option and do each day’s challenge only once. But - for most advanced exercisers, there’s a 3 times option! Choose the option that best suits your fitness level. But don’t get comfortable! Nothing great comes from comfort zones. Push yourself and challenge yourself to be better.
FOCUS ON FORM:
Form is SO KEY in successfully lunging. We will talk a lot about it through this challenge, so make sure it’s a focus. Perhaps do your daily lunges in front of a mirror so you can really see your foot placement and leg/knee alignment. Or if you don’t have a mirror, set your phone up and record yourself so you can watch back to see what’s going on.
MODIFICATIONS:
Should you feel any pain or discomfort in your knees or back, please do a check in on your form. Ensure your knees are never passing your toes and your chest is staying lifted. To modify, lessen your range of motion. Don’t go quite as deep. You can also have a chair next to you to lean on, or put your hands on your front thigh (not knee!!) for added support.
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
We’re having FUN through these 21 days. We’re rocking our strength, balance, endurance and coordination. We’re challenging ourselves. We’re going for it - all in. We’re working at each of our own levels - but we’re growing and getting better. And we’re having FUN!
Stay tuned for your day ONE challenge. And ready to LUNGE into AWESOME!
- Mondays: STATIC lunges - while keeping our feet static on the ground, we’re focusing just on lowering and raising through the angles. Really getting out lunge form down without worrying about foot placement.
- Tuesdays: SINGLE LEG lunges - Adding in the step, but still just focusing on 1 leg at a time through the lunge.
- Wednesdays: ALTERNATING lunges - Slowly starting to add in some balance & coordination
- Thursdays: REST! It’s a part of the process :)
- Fridays: BALANCE! We’re upping the balance challenge by adding a knee lift up top!
- Saturday: COORDINATION: After rocking the lunges for the week, we’re adding in an upper body move to do along with the lunge - to challenge coordination!
- Sunday: REST! Take it and enjoy it - getting ready for the next week.
And - while going through this daily schedule, we’re also bringing in different lunges over the 3 weeks, to target the leg muscles a little differently, and challenge your functional training skills.
Week one: Reverse lunges
Week two: Side lunges
Week three: Curtsey lunges (sometimes called bowlers or cross behind lunges)
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL!
We’re all coming at this challenge from a different place with our fitness. You’ll notice on the calendar I have listed ‘repeat 1-3 times’. For beginners, you’re welcome to stick with the first option and do each day’s challenge only once. But - for most advanced exercisers, there’s a 3 times option! Choose the option that best suits your fitness level. But don’t get comfortable! Nothing great comes from comfort zones. Push yourself and challenge yourself to be better.
FOCUS ON FORM:
Form is SO KEY in successfully lunging. We will talk a lot about it through this challenge, so make sure it’s a focus. Perhaps do your daily lunges in front of a mirror so you can really see your foot placement and leg/knee alignment. Or if you don’t have a mirror, set your phone up and record yourself so you can watch back to see what’s going on.
MODIFICATIONS:
Should you feel any pain or discomfort in your knees or back, please do a check in on your form. Ensure your knees are never passing your toes and your chest is staying lifted. To modify, lessen your range of motion. Don’t go quite as deep. You can also have a chair next to you to lean on, or put your hands on your front thigh (not knee!!) for added support.
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
We’re having FUN through these 21 days. We’re rocking our strength, balance, endurance and coordination. We’re challenging ourselves. We’re going for it - all in. We’re working at each of our own levels - but we’re growing and getting better. And we’re having FUN!
Stay tuned for your day ONE challenge. And ready to LUNGE into AWESOME!
Join Us!
Disclaimer
You are responsible for exercising within your limits and assume all risk of injury to your person or property. To the extent permitted by law, Bodyfirst PT and its affiliate disclaim any and all liability in connection with the exercises in online videos and any instructions or advice provided. Consult your medical professional before attempting the exercises in the videos and follow his or her advice. Do not attempt the exercises in the videos if you have a history of chest pain, knee, ankle, wrist, shoulder, joint, or spinal (back or neck) problems or injury. If you feel you are exercising beyond your current abilities, or if you feel discomfort, pain, dizziness, or nausea, you should discontinue exercising immediately