Lunges and lunges are, contrary to appearances, not the same. Exercises are often confused with each other, despite the fact that they differ in the posture of the legs. Depending on the type, they can have different effects and strengthen the buttocks to a different extent. What is a lunge and what is a lunge? How to do lunges and lunges with dumbbells, crosses and turns?

Lungesandlungesare usually not our favorite exercises because they are not easy and require a lot of effort. And yet this effort pays off, because lunges and lunges lead to the firming and slimming of body parts such asbuttocks , thighs and legs. Therefore, they are especially beneficial for women who would like to slim down the lower body parts.

Lunges and lunges - differences

Most practitioners and even instructors mean lunge when they talk about a lunge and vice versa. In fact, however, these exercises, although very similar, differ in a small nuance that can affect their effectiveness.

According to the professional description of the lunge, you cannot do it backwards, because then the exercise is called a lap.

Referring to the professional terminology of physical exercises,stepwill call a step forwardwith both legs bent . In the case oflunging , the step will be backward, forward or to the side, but during exerciseonly one leg is bent,the other one stays straight.

Lunges and lunges - how to do them correctly?

The most important thing for the effectiveness of the exercises is the correct technique of their execution. Only precise and accurate movements activate the right muscles and also make the exercise safe. It is no different in the case of lunges and lunges.

Correct positioning of the knee is very important in these exercises. The knee of the lunging leg should be in front of the toes. In a word - the knee should not "overtake" the entire leg, it must be more or less above the ankle joint.

Maintaining proper body posture is also important in making lunges and lunges. It should be straight: chest stiffened, shoulder blades tightened, torso and pelvis vertical. We remember that when we go down we go down perpendicularly, above the floor. The lowerwe go down, the more effective the exercise will be.

Read also: Exercises for deep back and leg muscles

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Effects of lunges and lunges - what muscles do they affect? ​​

Although lunges and lunges require a lot of effort, they are some of the most effective exercises. Regularly and properly performed, they strengthen the muscles of the legs (quadriceps muscles, broad fascia, hamstrings), as well as the muscles of the buttocks (gluteus great muscle). As they require balance and a straight posture, they also engage the abdominal and back muscles.

Overall, lunges and lunges have the following effects:

  • lift and round the buttocks;
  • firm the skin on the thighs and buttocks;
  • strengthen the muscles of the legs, thighs and buttocks;
  • help get rid of cellulite;
  • improve blood circulation in the legs;
  • strengthen the stabilizing muscles of the torso and legs;
  • they improve the balance.

Lunges and lunges - types

There are at least 6 types of lunges and lunges. Don't limit yourself to the classic variant only - by introducing more complex versions to your training plan, you will more effectively carve your legs and buttocks.

1. Lunges and lunges in the basic version

At the beginning, it's best to start with classic exercises. These should be done on a flat surface. When practicing lunges, from a standing position, move your leg forward while lowering your hips as much as possible above the floor. Both legs are bent at the knees. We keep our hands on our hips.

In a lunge, we can step forward, backward or to the side, while lowering the hips perpendicularly above the floor. In this case, however, the leg with which we are taking the step remains bent, and the other leg is straightened at the knee. Once we have mastered this basic technique, we can begin to increase the difficulty of the exercise.

2. Lunges and lunges with dumbbells

For more advanced exercises, we can diversify the load, e.g. with dumbbells, medicine ball, kettlebell or a barbell. We perform the exercises according to the classic scheme with one small change - the hands are not resting on the hips. In our hands we hold weights (then our arms are straight in the arms), a medicine ball (we hold it above our head), a kettlebell (we hold it at the chest), or a barbell (we keep the barbell on the quadrilateral back muscle). The most important thing is that the weight should be stabilized - for the safety of our joints. If it is difficult for us to balance with the load, it is best to start exercising with the lowest weight and only increase it after some time.weight.

3. Lunges and lunges using step

A way to increase the difficulty of exercises are lunges with one leg raised, e.g. on the step. While standing with both feet on the step, with one foot we move beyond the step, working hard to stabilize the position of the legs. Keep the hips perpendicular to the ground, putting more weight on the leg on the floor. After reaching the maximum lowering of the hips, lift the leg off the floor and bring it back to the step.

When performing lunges with a rise, we need to ensure the correct height of the step. To begin with, let's not exceed 10 cm in height, over time we can raise the step by 5-10 cm. Higher height increases the risk of damaging the knee joints.

Classical exercises are performed in series, at the beginning, e.g. 8-10 repetitions, sometimes 12-15 repetitions in a series. We can also practice the so-called rebound dynamics. Then the number of repetitions in the series is dynamic, e.g. 12, 10, 8, 6, 15. Note - one repetition means performing a lunge / lunging for both legs.

How to lunge correctly?

Familiarize yourself with the practice technique in the attached video!

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Long lunges - perfect for buttocks

We can also distinguish exercises for lunges and lunges in terms of the length of the stride we do. If the stride is short, the quadriceps work the most. In the case of a longer lunge or lunge outside the thigh muscles, the gluteal and hamstring muscles are exercised more.

See also: Training for Brazilian buttocks. Training plan and exercises

4. Lunges and cross lunges

Instead of doing the classic lunges, we can increase the pressure on the gluteal muscles a bit and modify the exercise by doing cross lunges. They differ from the classic ones only in that during the exercise the back leg is not directed in a straight line backwards, but diagonally. If we perform the exercise with the left leg, the right leg stays in place, and the left leg is moved back diagonally so that the knee of this leg is behind the other leg. After returning to the starting position, change the front leg.

5. Lunging lunge, i.e. 2 in 1

Another modification of sentences and lunges is combining lunge with lunge in one exercise.

In this exercise, stand up straight, for example with your arms straight and stretched out in front of you. We make a lunge with the leg to the side, bend the leading leg at the knee, and straighten the other leg (i.e. make a lunge to the side). Then we move the straightened leg back behind the other leg diagonally (as in a cross-legged step) and bend it towards the ground. We push ourselves off the back leg (that ofback) and return to the starting position, i.e. lunging to the side. The exercise is supplemented by changing legs.

6. Lunges and lunges with a twisted torso

The next variation in the exercise is twisting your torso while making lunges and lunges. We do a classic exercise, but while lowering the torso to the ground, we simultaneously twist the torso to one side. We return to the starting position and do this exercise on the other leg, twisting the body in the opposite direction.

How to do lunge correctly?

Familiarize yourself with the practice technique in the attached video!

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Lunges and lunges - who should do them?

Due to its firming and slimming effect, lunges and lunges are ideal exercises for women. After just a few days of training, you can see the difference in the shape of a butt, thighs or legs. However, let's not forget that it is also a strengthening and balance exercise. This advantage is used by athletes training martial arts, various team sports and even skiing.

Category:

Anatomy