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| Ⓒ Provided by Men's Health |
By Milo F. Bryant, C.S.C.S., Men's Health
FOR FELLAS OVER 40, few exercises pack a more versatile (and important) punch than the lunge.
We lose muscle as we age—that's just a fact of life. Stability and balance become more difficult. Maintaining proper body alignment and symmetry can become more challenging. The lunge, done correctly, can tackle each of those issues head on by honing your balance and strength. Even better, the lunge can be an effective muscle-builder when you add a load, or it can be used in a dynamic warmup if you're using only your bodyweight.
We’ll get really hardcore in another article. For the time being, start smaller with two underrated lunge variations: the lunge with an overhead reach and the lunge with a twist, as a part of warmup for a workout or pickup game.
Lunges get all of your leg muscles involved, using the glutes, quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, and—if you're disciplined—the core. Done correctly, the exercise will help to maintain and even improve your lower body stability and range of motion.
These are two versions of the lunge that will help men over 40 properly prepare the body for everything, from resistance training or sprinting to moving furniture or swinging a pickleball paddle.
Read More: 6 Types of Cardio to Improve Overall Health
How to Do the Lunge with Overhead Reach
- Start in a standing position, feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with your left foot, lowering your body into a lunge.
- Drop your right knee as close to the ground as possible and press your arms toward the ceiling with your palms facing up. Stretch your torso for 5 seconds.
- Using your left heel, push your body back up to the starting position, lowering your arms back to your sides. Take three steps forward, and repeat on the other side. Do 5 reps per leg.
Best Coach Cues for Lunge with Overhead Reach
- Keep the feet shoulder width apart when stepping forward into the lunge position.
- Press the palms skyward. Don’t raise the arms.
- Make sure the torso angle matches the shin angle of the forward leg.
- Own the lunge position before pressing the palms skyward.
How to Do the Lunge With Twist
- Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your sides. Step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge.
- Drop your left knee as close to the ground as possible. Then rotate your torso to the right, placing your left hand on the outside of your right knee to help deepen the rotation, and hold the position for a second.
- Using your right heel, push your body back to the starting position, returning your hands to your sides. Take three steps forward, then repeat on the other side.
- Do 5 reps per leg.
Best Coach Cues for Lunge with Twist
- Own the lunge position before twisting.
- Make sure to turn the head as far as possible (can’t forget cervical rotation).
- Use the hand opposite the forward leg to help pull the body into the rotation.
- Inhale before the rotation. Slowly exhale while rotating.
- Slow down. Yes, this is a warmup exercise, but it should be done with the intention of preparing the body to reach an end range of motion comfortably. You can’t do that if you’re rushing through each movement. Take time and make every movement deliberate.
Read More: 3 Tips to Hammer Your Hamstrings
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