Move of the Month: Lunge Series Fundamentals
Every skill has fundamentals. Over the past year on our virtual platform, we’ve developed lunge guidelines and terminology to ensure good biomechanics and alignment for our students. Individual modifications are given as our body’s history varies greatly.
Baby Lunge:
the narrowest stance of the lunges. Place feet hip-socket width apart, take a small step forward, both knees slightly bent and back heel lifted, bodyweight equally distributed.
Athletic Lunge:
a strong position used commonly in many of our classes. Starting in baby lunge, the rear leg steps further back, bending both knees significantly and stacking the joints. Head, shoulders, and back knee should create a perpendicular line to the floor. Make sure your back ankle is lifted and over the ball of the foot, your back knee lowered to be in line with the back ankle, front knee over the front ankle. Focus on lifting the core and maintaining a neutral pelvic alignment, the weight evenly distributed, and eyes on the horizon.
Row Lunge:
when using tubing or weights in a lunge position. Start in the athletic lunge, lengthen and straighten your back leg, body angled about 45 degrees from the crown of the head to the back ankle. Place the same arm as front leg on your thigh for extra support, keeping your core on. Gesture arm rows with weights or tubing.
Yoga Lunge:
an elongated athletic lunge with a straight back leg. Start in the athletic lunge, let the back leg scoot further back. Keep the back leg straight with heel stacked on top of the ball of your foot, hips square with core lifted and upper body upright, arms are player’s choice.
Twisted Lunge:
a stance similar to a yoga lunge, but with a twisted torso, hand on the ground, and bent knees. From the yoga lunge, bend the back leg, place the same hand as rear leg on the ground in line with the front foot, twist torso towards front leg and raise the other arm.
Kneeling Lunge:
often used as a hip opener during yoga stretches. Beginning in the yoga lunge, place back knee onto the ground and relax the back ankle, hips square with core lifted and upper body upright, arms are player’s choice. Check alignment of front knee—make sure knee joint is stacked over ankle.
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