Lower Body Focus - Lunge Technique!

LOWER BODY FOCUS

This morning I woke up at 6:30 for the T25 lower body focus workout. This whole business of working out first thing in the morning is something I generally like to avoid. When school’s in session, I prefer to get the kids out the door, and then get my workout in. But with our crazy summer schedule, I know that if I don’t get it done before the kids are up, it’s not going to happen.

Now, I have to admit that it’s nice to have my workout session out of the way before anyone else is awake. That said, my legs feel like lead weights first thing in the morning. I also enjoy my sleep, so there’s no chance I’m going to get out of bed even earlier for a pre-workout warm-up.  So instead, I just get on with it.

Now, the Lower Body Focus workout in T25 is especially rough when you’ve just rolled out of bed.  Everything’s about the legs  – squats, jumps, lunges, more squats, more lunges – you get the picture. It definitely gets your quads and glutes burning.  I haven’t had a lot of muscle soreness in recent months, but I’ll definitely feel this one tomorrow morning.

FITNESS FOCUS: LUNGE TECHNIQUE

T25 forces me pay attention to lunge technique. For example, the lunge-squat progressions in this morning’s workout involve a lunge while facing left (leading with the left leg), a jump to center into a squat position, then a jump into a front lunge while facing right (leading with the right leg). Things to remember when doing lunges:

1) Never, ever let your knee pass beyond your big toe. Ever. This is a recipe for injury. When you lunge, keep your shin perpendicular to the floor. Sink as low as you comfortably can, but don’t let your weight shift forward (which will force that knee out in front of the toe).

2) Keep your weight centered between your feet.  As you sink into the lunge, your body should be in an upright position, with your weight balanced between your feet.

3) When jumping into a lunge position, stay in control. Keep your knees soft when you land, then lower into the lunge in a controlled manner. When jumping or doing any plyometric type moves, your knees need to absorb the impact – don’t land hard, and don’t stiffen the joint. If you are new to these kinds of exercises, start with a low-or no-impact modification until you get used to controlling the movements. Your knees will get stronger over time and be able to handle more work – be patient with your body and avoid injury.

I seriously injured my knee in an accident over 20 years ago. The doctor who put it back together was brilliant, but I wondered how it would hold up when I started Insanity back in February. At first I had some knee pain and swelling, but I decided to invest in a good knee brace. This made all the difference. The added support allowed me to handle the plyometrics, so I was able to do the exercises – and my knee gradually got stronger. Halfway through month two,  I realized I could exercise without the knee brace, and I haven’t needed it since.

So, be patient, protect your knees while exercising, and have confidence that your joints will get stronger with time!