Lunges can rightly be called not only basic power, but also perfect exercise to perform in any environment: at home, during a break at the workplace, in nature and in the gym. This exercise contributes to the creation of beautiful buttocks and is recommended not only for the beautiful half of humanity to create seductive forms, but also for the strong half.

What swing lunges

When performing lunges, two joints are mainly involved: the knee and the hip. In this case, the following muscles come into play:

• buttocks;
• shins;
• hamstrings;
• quadriceps thighs;
• gastrocnemius;
• synergists;
• soleus;
• abdominal press;
• back.

The main load falls on the muscles of the buttocks. However, it is worth paying attention that with a long step, the gluteal muscles are loaded to a greater extent, short lunges - on the quadriceps of the thighs.

The advantage of lunges is the development of a large number of muscles using light weights. What at correct technique reduces the likelihood of injury, but works well lower part body and promotes harmonious development.

Correct exercise technique

Despite the seeming simplicity of the exercise, it is necessary to do a warm-up before performing lunges in order to avoid muscle strain and injury to the spine.

For a warm-up, articular gymnastics is suitable:

• perform rotations of the head, arms, shoulders, hip and knee joints;
• make all kinds of slopes;
• running in place with high leg raises and jumping in place or with a rope will also not hurt.

First, you should learn how to properly do lunges without weights in the classic version.

Starting position:

1. Feet shoulder width apart parallel to each other.
2. Keep your back straight.
3. The gaze is directed forward.
4. Hands on hips.
5. Head and back in the same plane.
6. Shoulders are separated.
7. Take a couple of deep breaths in and out.

Performance:

1. On an inhale, step forward with one foot.
2. Keep your body perpendicular to the floor.
3. Shift body weight to the front leg.
4. The leg in front rests on the entire foot.
5. The back leg is only on the toes, the heel looks up.
6. The back knee almost touches the floor.
7. Keep both knees at a right angle.
8. Draw in the belly.
9. Reach up with the crown.
10. Raise your shoulders and lower them down.

Return to starting position:

1. As you exhale, shift your body weight onto your back leg.
2. Extend the supporting leg and stand in the starting position.

While inhaling, perform the exercise with the other leg.

Other drop options:

• Lateral (to the side) - include the adductor and abductor muscles of the thighs;
• Reverse (lunges back) - in fact, they do not differ from the classic ones;
• Bulgarian (back to the support on which the leg rests, resting on the instep) - first, all repetitions are performed on one leg, then on the other;
• Walking lunges - maximize the use of stabilizing muscles and develop coordination.

You can also divide the technique into lunges with a return (trampling on the spot) and walking lunges. When walking, it is desirable to use an added step, otherwise there is a high probability of loss of balance, falling and injury.

When performing any version of the exercise, general recommendations should be followed, based on the technique of performing classic lunges.

1. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart so as not to fall face down.
2. Fix the waist.
3. The gaze is always in front of you, do not lower your chin.
4. The abdomen does not touch the supporting leg.
5. At first, you can use the support - hold on with your hand.
6. It is necessary to increase the load gradually.

An acceptable number of approaches is from 3 to 5.

Lunges with dumbbells and a barbell are an excellent addition to, and leg training on the simulator, however, they allow you to work out more stabilizing muscles and achieve harmonious development more quickly.

With dumbbells

If the technique for performing classic lunges is mastered, you can begin to perform exercises with dumbbells.

It is believed that the correct execution of lunges with dumbbells as weights is more suitable for women.

There are two options for doing the exercise.

First: classic - arms with dumbbells are extended along the body, which makes it easier to maintain balance.

Second: dumbbells in bent arms on shoulders. The technique is the same as with a barbell and it is more difficult to keep balance.

Tip: turn the toe of the foot slightly inward, and hold the dumbbells with the whole hand.

With a barbell

It is believed that lunges with a barbell on the shoulders are more suitable for men - with this arrangement of weight, the muscles of the stabilizers of the body are more involved.

The execution technique is the same as with dumbbells, but a lot of concentration is required - you cannot get rid of the bar during execution like dumbbells if something goes wrong. It is necessary to monitor breathing and do the exercise without jerking. Look forward when performing, not down.

In Smith

Well developed quadriceps hips when performing lunges in the Smith machine. Exercise not only pumps the muscle, but also improves strength. Used in training by bodybuilders, powerlifters and other athletes.

The pace is slow with a large number of repetitions.

Thanks to the use of the simulator, the load on the spine is reduced.

Performing lunges in the Smith machine:

1. Given the possibility of displacement during the exercise, it is convenient to place the bench (you can not use the elevation, but with it the load on the supporting leg is higher).
2. Using narrow grip, take the neck and put on upper part trapezoid.
3. Bend your back in the lumbar region. The buttocks should be at such a level that the knee forms a right angle.
4. When bending the leg, make sure that the knee does not protrude beyond the toe.

Fizkult-hello, my dear! And today we analyze the exercise walking lunges.

After reading, you will learn all about the muscle atlas, the benefits and technique of performing the exercise, and we will also find out the degree of its effectiveness and the feasibility of including it in the training program.

So, sit down please, we begin.

Lunge walking. What, why and why?

A parable about how and what a phyton girl got into in a cafe.

… we went to a cafe after a workout with friends, they brought us donuts and ice cream. I see a coach sitting at the next table. Coach: ...eat, eat, you will go home with lunges!

Moral - if you decide to sharpen an ice cream or a pie without pale, going into a cafe, carefully inspect it for the absence of a coach, otherwise you will have to oh how not sweet :).

Why do you think the coach from the parable chose lunge walking as a “punishment”? Do not know? Here we will answer this question further in the text.

Note:
For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Muscular atlas

The exercise belongs to the class of basic / conditionally basic and aims to work out the lower body.

The muscle ensemble includes the following units:

• targeted - quadriceps femoris / quadriceps;
• synergists - large gluteal, large adductor, soleus;
• dynamic stabilizers - biceps of the thigh, calf;
• stabilizers - middle / small gluteal, anterior tibial, extensors of the spine, square muscle lower back, oblique muscles of the press.

Full muscle atlas is such a picture.

Advantages

By doing the lunge walking exercise (with dumbbells), you can expect to receive the following benefits:

• increase muscle mass anterior / posterior thighs;
• giving a more rounded shape to the buttocks;
• increased strength and endurance;
• improved balance/coordination;
• increased calorie consumption;
• development of hip flexibility, lengthening of ligaments;
• muscle development and strengthening of the ligaments around the knee joint;
• elimination, the formation of balanced proportions of the bottom;
• tightening the inner part of the thigh, removing their “curd” (relevant for women).

Execution technique

Walking lunges with dumbbells is an exercise high level difficulties. Step by step technique execution looks like this.

Step #0.

Find free space in the hall to move forward in a straight line. Take a position at the beginning of the segment, picking up (on the sides) dumbbells of the desired weight. Keep your back straight, tense your abs statically, spread your legs slightly narrower than shoulder width, and look forward. This is your starting position.

Step #1.

While inhaling, throw forward, for example, the right leg and perform an eccentric contraction (flexing the hip and lowering down) and a concentric contraction (lifting up while exhaling). Bring your left foot to your right and repeat the same movement for it. Continue moving forward, alternating legs. Perform the specified number of times. Having reached the end of the segment, turn around and “fall out” in the opposite direction.

In the picture version, all this disgrace looks like this.

On the move like this:

Variations

In addition to the standard walking lunges with dumbbells, there are several variations of the exercise:

• with a bar;
• diagonal with dumbbells / barbell;
• with weights in the hands and rotation of the body.

Secrets and subtleties

To get the most out of the exercise, follow these guidelines:

• before starting, make sure there is a clear path ahead;
• maintain angles throughout the movement 90 degrees in both knee joints;
• watch the position of the knees: they should not (but can with long limbs) go beyond the plane of the socks;
• during the lunge, do not touch the floor with your knee;
• keep your back straight throughout the movement, do not lean forward (some slight slope may occur);
• perform an exit up due to a push with the heel;
• in order not to fall to the sides while walking, go not in a straight line, but along a small diagonal, i.e. taking steps a little forward and to the side;
• do not look at your feet, look forward;
• watch the step length and lunge depth, it will be different and depends on the length of the limbs and the degree of flexibility of a particular person;
• breathing technique: inhale - when lowering down, exhale - when straightening up;
• numerical training parameters: number of sets 3 , the number of repetitions - 10-12 .

With the theoretical side finished, now let's look at some practical points.

Which lunges are the most effective?

For the most part, everyone wants to perform the most-most exercises, i.e. those that load the muscles most fully. Researchers from the Department of Physical Education, Seoul National University (Seoul, Korea, 2015 ) , conducted a comparative electromyographic analysis of various lunge variations in order to find out which of them which muscle groups of the bottom are best loaded.

The data showed the following maximum EMG values:

• reverse lunges: hamstrings 0,56 ; large buttock - 0,78 ; rectus femoris - 2,36 1,51 1,36 ;
• classic lunges: hamstrings - 1,42 ; large buttock - 1,1 ; rectus femoris - 2,77 ; lateral broad muscle hips - 1,62 ; vastus medialis muscle of thigh 1,55 ;
• walking lunges: biceps femoris - 0,83 ; large buttock - 0,83 ; rectus femoris - 4,02 ; vastus lateralis muscle of thigh 1,63 ; vastus medialis muscle of thigh 1,43 .

Conclusion: classic forward lunges work best on the glutes and hamstrings, but if you need to shift the focus to the front thigh, then it is best for this purpose fit walking lunges.

How to quickly tighten your hips at home with dumbbells alone?

You do not have the opportunity to go to the gym, but there are “curd” thighs that you want to get rid of, and dumbbells? Then use the following training strategy:

• train your hips at least 2 once a week - Monday/Friday;
• arsenal of exercises - lunges forward / backward with dumbbells, lunges to the side, cross lunges, walking lunges, wide stance squats with dumbbells, legs back and up while standing on all fours with a dumbbell in the hamstring area;
• number of sets / repetitions - 4-5x20-25;
• tie exercises in supersets, perform them one after another without rest.

Follow this strategy and soon (even at home, with only dumbbells) You won't recognize your hips, and they won't recognize you :).

That's all I would like to report, let's move on to ...

Afterword

lunge walking - more + 1 effective exercise to the bottom in our piggy bank. Try it for a “taste”, and tightened hips will be provided to you!

That's all for now, see you soon, i.e. till Friday!

PS: Does your gym allow lunges?

PPS: did the project help? Then leave a link to it in the status of your social network- plus 100 Karma points guaranteed :)

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

This movement is used to strengthen the buttocks and legs. It is known from history that this type of exercise was used in ancient rome for the development of strong muscles in warriors.

Lunges can be long and short: performing long ones, we work out the buttocks, and when doing short ones, we give a load on thigh muscles. These exercises are very effective for tightening the gluteal muscles, contribute to the formation of their beautiful shape.

Exercise "lunges for the buttocks" at home is one of the best of its kind, yielding, perhaps. With regular use, it gives a wonderful effect on the "fifth point". In order to understand why they give such a result, consider which muscles work when performing these movements.

The structure of the gluteal muscles and the effect of exercise on them

The gluteal muscle is a combination of large, medium and small muscles.

Big the muscle is responsible for the shape of the buttocks. If this muscle is poorly developed, it could suffer from the use of low-calorie diets: in this case, the butt will look "saggy". Medium and small muscles are under big muscle: they are responsible for the roundness of the buttocks. Their function is to move the hip back and to the side. When performing lunges, it works and gluteal muscles.

This exercise gives the desired relief, which is cherished dream many women. Performing a complex with lunges, you involve almost all the muscles of the lower extremities. These movements are very effective also because when using their various options, different muscle groups are worked out.

A positive result of such an exercise is also that the abdominal muscles are loaded and worked out, flat tummy! A very attractive result of these exercises is that their regular use gives relief to the muscles of the legs. The legs become slender, and the hips are taut.

Great results can be achieved by using extra weight. But experienced instructors advise you to do this gradually, so as not to harm yourself!

How to do lunges for the buttocks at home?

• Doing the exercise control your breathing! Tension - on the exhale, relaxation - on the inhale.
• If you first decided to do this type of gymnastics, consult a trainer.
• Perform a light, muscle-warming warm-up to stretch those muscle groups that will work (buttocks, front and back of the thigh, lower leg). By warming up, you can avoid injury during the main workout.
• At the beginning of the workout, do not do deep lunges, do not lower the body completely. Stretch the muscles gradually until they adapt to the loads.
• The leg that you put forward is bent only at right angles, and the knee does not go beyond the line of the fingers. Otherwise, the knee will experience the greatest load, which threatens to injure it. The possibility of damage to the knee joint is quite significant if performed incorrectly.

When doing this movement with a solid weight, remember that you are pumping, first of all, the muscles of the legs, not the buttocks.

Top 7 effective execution options (video)

So, the technique of performing lunges for the buttocks without weights - under weight own body and using weights: barbells or.

Attention! The number of approaches and the number of exercises performed is selected individually for each person. (On average - three sets of five exercises).

1. Classic

1. We put the feet parallel to the width of the thigh. We keep our back straight, we follow the correct posture. Then we bend the back a little in the lower back and slightly bend the knees. Do not tilt the body, keep the head straight.
2. We take a step - we push one leg forward, stretch the other leg and lean on the toe. We transfer the load to the leg located in front. We bend it and gently sit down.
3. Lean on the foot of the leg put forward, and smoothly, without jerking, rise. We return to the original position due to the muscles of the leg, put forward. We use the back leg as a support, without loading it.
4. The next step is to change the leg put forward and make a lunge.

See the video for more details:

Important! The leg that you extended is bent at a right angle. The leg located behind should be straightened. We perform the exercise until the knee of the straightened leg is close to the floor. At the same time, we do not touch the floor - in this case, the gluteal muscles will receive the intended load.

2. Jumping

We stand in the classic starting position. We jump with force, and during the jump we change legs.

Exercise is very efficient at burning calories. Recommended for those who want to not only strengthen the gluteal muscles, but also lose weight. This exercise not recommended for beginners, since it is quite difficult to perform, and there is a risk of stretching the tendons.

3. In the process of walking

When walking lunges, choose the widest, but comfortable step width for you. Maintain balance, do not lean to the side. All movements are carried out by muscle tension - walking inertia should not be used.

Do you know about the unique from Professor Neumyvakin? This practice can be found on our website.

4. With dumbbells

Lunges with dumbbells for the buttocks for girls are done with alternate legs. Available in different versions:

• We hold dumbbells on our hands, located along the torso.
• We hold dumbbells on our shoulders. Next, we perform according to the classical technique.

5. With a barbell

It is performed similarly to a lunge with dumbbells. Exercise contributes to the excellent study of the gluteal muscles. We take a step forward, the leg in front smoothly bends at the knee until a right angle. Tense muscles the back and abdomen help keep the body in a balanced position.

Doing exercises with weights, control posture, look forward.

6. With support leg

We put the foot, which is located behind, on a chair. Next, we perform the exercises, as in the previous cases. Such a lunge increases the load on the gluteal muscles and tightens the ass.

7. Side

1. We put our legs a little wider than our shoulders.
2. Take a deep step to the side with one foot. The distance between the legs should exceed the width of the shoulders. We begin to sit down, smoothly bending the leg at the knee.
3. At the end of the exercise, the thigh of the supporting leg should be parallel to the floor, and the other leg should be fully extended.
4. Change legs and repeat the exercise.

Should the “fifth point” hurt after a workout?

If the movement is performed correctly, then there is tension in the gluteal muscles and a slight burning sensation at the moment of their maximum stretch.

The lunge must be as deep as possible in order to maximally load the gluteal muscles. At the same time, the thigh muscles hurt, since the load in this case is directed to them.

Beneficial features

Applying different diets and exercises, it is not always possible to form beautiful and elastic buttocks. Why? Maybe there are some secrets that we don't know about?

Fitness trainers know all sorts of tricks and always include, in addition to a variety of exercises, different kinds lunges. These simple exercises there are many supporters. It is they who help to achieve the goal and get an excellent result.

This exercise helps good study muscles of the buttocks, abdomen and thighs. Perfectly burns calories, speeds up the metabolism, promotes the formation strong muscles. Elastic buttocks, slender legs, tightened hips - you will get such a result by regularly practicing a set of exercises with lunges.

As everyone has already understood, in this material we will talk about exercises under the general name "lunges". Those who have been in the gym at least a few times have heard a lot about this. Walking with lunges still occupies a leading position in the list of exercises, the action of which is aimed at achieving attractive forms.

In addition to this type, there are several more modifications of lunges, among them the following:

• side lunges;
• oblique lunges;
• lunges cross;
• diagonal lunges;
• reverse lunges.

Each of the types, of course, has its own technique of execution. For the fair sex, this exercise is beyond praise, since it can perform not one, but several functions: to give the buttocks elasticity, strengthen the muscles of the front thigh, and also inner part back. If done regularly, you will see results pretty quickly. You will feel for yourself how the tone of certain muscles has increased, and how the shape of the femoral region has changed.

It is quite difficult to come up with an alternative to lunges, no, you can replace it with something, but not so effective and practical at the same time. Lunges are the standard of exercises for the female buttocks, they can be performed equally productively both in the gym and at home.

Along with the ease in the technique of execution, lunges are characterized by many small nuances that cannot be dispensed with. Thanks to their use, the athlete gets the opportunity to adjust the load depending on his physical capabilities and expected results.

One of the varieties of lunges is "Bulgarian lunges"

Cross lunges are suitable for beginners and experienced athletes. For experienced girls, they can be a good tool to support the desired form that has already been obtained.

Side lunges

To perform lunges to the sides, you need to have a pair of dumbbells or a short neck from the bar. In the first case, dumbbells should be held at shoulder level. Starting position - straight stance, legs together. Then the right leg is put forward a step forward a little to the side and squat with the same leg. Left leg at the same time it remains straight, it does not come off the floor and does not bend. Compliance with the correctness of this technique is very important, without it it will be impossible to achieve desired result. You will only waste your time. After the muscles of the right leg have succumbed to the load, they take their original position and the same operations are carried out with the left leg.

Try to take steps to the side as wide as possible, so the effect on the muscles will be much noticeable. The farther the leg is, the more load will be placed on the hips. But it is precisely for their development that this exercise. Along with this, a wide step will help reduce the load on the knee structure. The optimal load for beginners is 10 times for each leg, the number of approaches is 3, the pause between them is 4-5 minutes. Over time, you need to constantly increase the load, for each leg, add a few more approaches or repetitions.

During the execution of side lunges, the body should remain motionless, constantly in an even stance, that is, when bending over, you do not need to pull this area of ​​​​the body along with you. Proper execution disposes that only the muscles of the thighs and legs are involved in the exercise, by no means the muscles of the back.

Side lunges at home

Lunge walking

Here you can not do without additional accessories in the form of a pair of dumbbells. To complete, you will need some free space so that you can take a few steps forward. In a home environment, a corridor is a great place to do the exercise. The working weight on one arm is different for each, it depends on the level of development of the muscles of a person, but, in general, it ranges from 2-8 kg.

You can take steps in different ways, we will pay attention only to the two most popular varieties.

The first option is that the back foot is attached to the front with each movement. In the second option, the back leg immediately moves forward. From the point of view of the complexity of the performance, the latter method wins, since the performer almost does not rest, but immediately moves on to the next movement. In addition, it is more effective through obtaining the maximum possible (with such a working weight) load. The exercise is performed in series, first 10 steps in one direction, and then in the opposite direction, for a total of 20 steps. In a not so long room, the steps are distributed in a slightly different way.

The load on the hips can be individually increased. The effectiveness of the training will be much better if the back leg is held in the lower position for a few seconds with each forward lunge. Also, no one bothers you to increase the number of approaches. In any case, this will definitely affect the result positively.

Lunge walking instruction

Alternate forward lunges

As power items, a short bar from the bar is used here. But, this is only at the beginning, when you get used to it, you can gradually hang pancakes. In the absence of a barbell, and this happens quite often, the exercise is performed with the help of a dumbbell. Weight is selected according to the level physical training specific person.

So let's get started. Take the starting position - the legs are moved together, the bar is placed evenly on the shoulders so that the same load falls on each side (if dumbbells are used, they are taken in hand and held at waist level). Do the first lunge with your right foot, then with your left foot. Always fix in the bottom position for 4-5 seconds, then tighten the muscles and return to the starting position. Jolts and any similar uncontrolled movements should not take place, do everything slowly and moderately. Wrong execution will only lead to wasted time, not the desired physical form. At first, ten repetitions for each leg is enough. Then the number of approaches can be increased.

Alternate jump lunges

Sports and periodical exercise stress will provide a person with beauty and health. Just half an hour of exercise a day will allow you to find attractive forms and keep them as long as possible. Try to develop and perform a comprehensive workout aimed at developing and working out not only the muscles of the thigh and buttocks, but also other groups. Good luck and amazing results!