Lunges is a fundamental exercise that most uf learn before turning 1 year of age, and as babies and toddlers use on a daily basis An exercise most of us also should be using, i.e picking things up from the floor, etc. It should be the primary reason for relearning lunges. Secondly it\s the perfect exercise for your way of walking, step-up, Turkish get-up and other non symmetrical exercises.

To perform the lunges exercise correctly and thereby build one of the fundamentals for optimized movement, ýour mobility and stability should be in order before any weight is added. Even if you feel like you can do lunges correctly, there can still be minor things you’re not aware of, where your body is compensating for poor mobility and stability.

The levels underneath are here to help you create the correct lunges technique. the levels are categorized in 1-5, so forth you master level 1, before moving on to level 2. If you experience a differential in your right or left side underway, your primary focus should be to correct the imbalance, before trying to improve the exercise. And remember; Rome wasn’t built in a day, the first time you were learning lunging, it took almost a year.

Level 1

This program’s exercises will work towards increasing your mobility and stability in the hips and simultaneously help your nerve system to activate the proper work pattern. Therefore the exercises should be done back to back. The success criteria for moving on to level 2 are as follows:

  • That you while performing exercise 1 diaphragm breathing don’t feel troubled by having the proper breathing for 3-5min.
  • That while you are doing a completion of 10 repetitions to each side of exercise 5 & 6, one legged back bridge with controlled knee and locked hip, for all repetitions can lie with a stable controlled knee, which is stretched out, so there’s a horizontal line throughout the body, from supporting knee to the shoulders.

Diaphragm breathing – Complete the exercise by lying relaxed and breathing. What you should be feeling is breathing into your stomach, not your chest. The hand lying on your chest should be moving very little, or not at all. Repeat the breathing for 3-5 min.

Front hip stretch with rotation and lifted foot. – Complete the stretch in 40-120 sec. per side. Find a comfortable position and stay stretched throughout the time period. It’s recommended to do this stretch multiple times daily. The stretch can be done in an easier manner by having your hindmost foot on the surface of the floor, instead of a stool.

Front hip mobilization – Complete 15-30 repetitions per side. You should feeling the outer position of the hip in the front position

Ankle mobilization – Complete 15-30 repetitions per side. You should feel the ankle come into an outer position, in a forward position.

One legged back bridge with controlled knee (outwards) and locked hip. Complete 6-15 repetitions. Your focus should be to come as high as possible while the knee is stable.

One legged back bridge with controlled knee (inwards) and locked hip. Complete 6-15 repetitions. Your focus should be to come as high as possible while the knee is stable.

Level 2

This program’s exercises will work towards increasing your mobility and stability in the hips and simultaneously help your nerve system to activate the proper work pattern. Therefore the exercises should be done back to back. The success criteria for moving on to level 3 are as follows:

  • That you can complete exercise 2 Lunges kneeling line stability for 30 seconds, without losing balance/stability, and keeping the criteria as mentioned in the exercise, in accordance to back position and hib comb position.
  • That you can complete 10 repetitions of hard rolls. With or without a pillow, but where there is contact between elbow and knee under the 10 reps.

Lunges kneeling stability – complete 10-120 sec. by sitting in a lunge position and keeping stability. 1 Lie down and feel your hip comb lie in height on both sides. 2. Keep back and head straight. 3. Hold general stability, so you sit completely still.

Lunges kneeling line stability – Complete 10-120 sec. in the same manner as the exercise beforehand, but with a line from the front most foot, to the hindmost legs knee and foot. 1 Lie down and feel your hip comb lie in height on both sides. 2. Keep back and head straight. 3. Hold general stability, so you sit completely still.

Hard roll – Complete 5-20 repetitions to each side and remember to keep contact between knees and elbows all through the exercise. “It’s allowed to have a pillow up to 10cm (3,93 inches)  if you’re having trouble getting contact without”.

Level 3

This program’s exercises will work towards increasing your mobility and stability in the hips and simultaneously help your nerve system to activate the proper work pattern. Therefore the exercises should be done back to back. The success criteria for moving on to level 4 are as follows:

  • At du under 6 gentagelser i udførelse af øvelserne, med en så stram elastik at du er udfordret på styrken, ikke mærker forskel imellem træk henholdsvis løft, højre og venstre siden imellem.
  • At du under udførelse af de 6 gentagelser kan holde din krop fuldstændig stabil, uden at din overkrop rotere eller at hoften skubbes bagud under udførelsen. Registreres bedst ved at hovedet skal holdes stille i samme højde, eventuel kan du få en til at holde en hånd på dit hovede.

Lunges kneeling axe. – First time doing the exercise make sure to complete the maximum number of repetitions to each side. Stop when the quality of the exercise cannot be upheld. I.e. By rotations in the upper body, balance failing or the hips shoving backwards, etc. Now you know the differentials between right and left side. Complete 1-2 sets on the strong side and 2-4 sets on the weak side per workout. Until your imbalance has sorted out. REMEMBER not to do a single repetition where the body isn’t stable, if this happens, the elastic should be weakened. Otherwise the strength of the elastic should be increased, as you improve.

Lunges lift. – First time doing the exercise make sure to complete the maximum number of repetitions to each side. Stop when the quality of the exercise cannot be upheld. I.e. By rotations in the upper body, balance failing or the hips shoving backwards, etc. Now you know the differentials between right and left side. Complete 1-2 sets on the strong side and 2-4 sets on the weak side per workout. Until your imbalance has sorted out. REMEMBER not to do a single repetition where the body isn’t stable, if this happens, the elastic should be weakened. Otherwise the strength of the elastic should be increased, as you improve.

Level 4

This program’s exercises will work towards increasing your mobility and stability in the hips and simultaneously help your nerve system to activate the proper work pattern. Therefore the exercises should be done back to back. The success criteria for moving on to level 5 are as follows:

  • That you can complete 6 repetitions of exercise 1 – split lunges, where your performance is stable, as you have worked on in the previous levels. i.e. your back is straight, the hips are the same height and the knees don’t swing out on either side.

Split lunges – Complete 10-15 repetitions with the focus on keeping your back straight, that you find an approximately 90 degree angle in hips and knees. Including that there can be drawn a fictional straight line, from the head to the knee on the hindmost leg when you are down.  Alternatively you can complete it like exercise 2 on the side, with help from back focus.

Split lunges with back control – help to exercise 1

Niveau 5

This program’s exercises work towards polishing your exercises with the lunges exercise pattern. The success criteria for completing level 5 are as follows:

  • That you can complete 6 repetitions of exercise 3 – lunges, where your performance is stable, like in the video, which you have been working on in the previous levels. And where the criteria for the exercise are upheld; keeping your back straight, hips in same height and the knees not swinging to either side.

Lunges with back control – Complete 10-15 repetitions, with focus on the bar having contact with 3 areas – Head, thoracic spine ( between the shoulder blades) and the sacrum (between the buttocks) and also finding an approx. 90 degree angle in hips and knees.

Lunges with core activation – Complete 10-15 repetitions with the focus on keeping your back straight, that you find an approximately 90 degree angle in hips and knees. Including that there can be drawn a fictional straight line, from the head to the knee on the hindmost leg when you are down.

Lunges – Complete 10-15 repetitions with the focus on keeping your back straight, that you find an approximately 90 degree angle in hips and knees. Including that there can be drawn a fictional straight line, from the head to the knee on the hindmost leg when you are down.

Now you’ve reached your goal, to do correct and stable lunges. Where you’ve throughout the 5 levels received a knowledge if there are imbalances between left and right hand side that has an effect on your lunges. Now it’s your strength that dictates how much weight you can add to the different variation of lunges. A good progression in the lunge exercises could look something like this:

1. Lunges with hand weights

2. Floating lunges in ladder

3. Front lunges with weight disc

4. Lunges with bar

5. Front lunges with bar

6. Dobbelt overhead lunges