Lunges seem impossible

[ticviking]

So, I've been struggling to do lunges since I started doing the beginner bodyweight routine, I'm maybe able to do 3-4ish on each side and I'm becoming more and more suspicious that I'm doing something wrong.

I'm about 427lbs, but don't have even 1/10th the problem with squats that I do with these.

I often need to lever myself up with my back foot to even get moving at all on these, and feel totally exhausted on them really quickly.

Is it just that those muscles are really weak and need more work.

[Amazon Grimm]

I abandoned beginner bodyweight for angry birds because of the lunges . I weigh abought tge same

[dragonlyre]

Squat more than. No need to do lunges. Maybe add some hamstring lifts? Another good is side leg raises. I had to do them for rehab on my knee. What you do is stand with your feet together, then swing out one leg to about shoulder length. Do it 10 times each side for 3 reps. If you need to I can find a vid on it if my description didn't work for you.

It really works your thighs but has less chance of falling down. Do them next to the couch for a hand hold.if.needed.

[sunrunner]

When you lunge most of your weight is being handled by the front bent leg and so will require more effort on your part to to stand back up. When you squat the weight is evenly distributed between both legs. Try lunging in front of a wall or placing something in front of your foot so that your toes won't go past your toes this will make sure you are lunging safely. Its okay to go slow as long as you are not feeling any pain and you have good form you will see a lot of benefit from doing lunges in addition to your squats. If you are still struggling or feel you cant lunge then try some low box step ups or climbing stairs as this will work the same muscles.

[Shey]

When I started exercising at about 250 lbs, I couldn't do lunges for the life of me. When I first started lifting about 2 months ago, at 205 lbs they were still incredibly difficult. At least now I can manage my own weight and have started doing my lunges with dumbbells. You'll get there some day, but right now I wouldn't feel bad if you need a hand on the back of a couch or something to assist with them. Keep working at it! I know you'll conquer them if you keep trying!

[ScrabbleGirl]

I always had problems with lunges. I hated them. I just thought everyone did. But then I realised I wasn't getting away from them, so I decided to do some modification. I always saw people lunging with one leg in front of the other, which is tough when it comes to balance. But now I go a little wider with my front leg, so balance isn't an issue. Like sunrunner said, it's okay to go slow. It's probably better to find a technique that you feel comfortable with, rather than just getting through your reps/time, you know?

[Toph821]

I'm also doing beginner body weight work out (and loving it, I might add). I have no problem with lunges, but am having trouble with squats. It could just be your build. I'm no pro, but I have a feeling that if you stick to it, it will become increasingly easier for you.

[Waldo]

Lunges and squats have a little different mechnics.

With a squat the center of gravity of your body plus any external load should be over your heel or slightly toward the midfoot. With your knees not tracking out any futher than your toes, the lever arm between the knee and the load is only about the length of your foot.

With a lunge, the center of gravity of your body plus any external load is behind your heel. The lever arm between the knee and load is a good bit longer than the length of your foot. This is why a lunge targets the quads more directly. If you are taking 50% of the load in your back foot, if your center of gravity is the length of your foot behind your heel, the force in your quad should be roughly 2x as high as the forces in a standard 2 leg squat.

I couldn't do lunges when I first started out, I had really bad knee tendonitis and lunges hurt like heck (couldn't squat either). I was able to squat long before I could do lunges. Lunges are not a critical part of an exercise program, a squat is an overall better exercise. Most people can ditch the lunges entirely and just focus on squats.

[ticviking]

Thanks for the tips Gang!

I think I'm going to "do my lunges" as squats for a week and see how I am then. I think adding the reps to squats should help build the strength so I can do them a bit easier.

[Beware_the_Walm]

Thanks for the tips Gang!

I think I'm going to "do my lunges" as squats for a week and see how I am then. I think adding the reps to squats should help build the strength so I can do them a bit easier.

I'm in the same boat I only did two with the assistance of a chair, and the next day I was only sore in my inner thighs. I have zero balance, I'm also very crooked I think that has something to do with my problems. I'm just going to keep doing one or two this week and try for 3 next week, and maybe when I can do 5-10 with a chair start over with 1 or 2 without assistance. Squats are no problem for me either.

[Raincloak]

ticviking, I'm gonna go against what most of the people have said here, and say I believe your problem is right there in your post:

I weigh about 427 lbs

This being the NF way, we welcome everybody at every size. And let me congratulate you on taking that big first step and deciding to begin. Also, I should preface this next bit by saying I'm not a doctor and I'm not trying to be discouraging.

But I think you've got a ways to go before you should even THINK about doing lunges. In fact, if you're gonna do any serious lower-body work, I think you should speak to a doctor, preferably one who specializes in folks like yourself. You have a major (though curable) disability, and you've got to work with that. Would you expect a healthy man to do lunges while carrying his wife on his back, a couple six-year-olds in his arms, and a sack of groceries around his neck? That is about how much dead weight you are bearing at every moment.

I think you should stick to very low-impact exercises (eg, walking and swimming), lift weights with arms and legs (you can improvise weights from anything laying around), and focus on diet until you've shed some pounds. Don't think that just because a move uses bodyweight rather than dumbbells, it is perfectly safe and harmless. To the part of the body being worked, resistance is resistance -- doesn't matter if the resistance you're pushing is elastic, iron, stone, or flesh. Too much resistance will cause injury. And your joints are already under great stress due to your size.

All this can be fixed, there is surely a handsome and healthy man inside you ... but to misquote Michaelangelo (the artist, not the turtle), it's gonna take time to chip off all the marble around him. Be patient. Fitness is a way of life, not a program. You have your whole life to get fit, so don't rush it. You cannot afford to injure yourself.

[rtalencar]

ticviking, I'm gonna go against what most of the people have said here, and say I believe your problem is right there in your post:

This being the NF way, we welcome everybody at every size. And let me congratulate you on taking that big first step and deciding to begin. Also, I should preface this next bit by saying I'm not a doctor and I'm not trying to be discouraging.

But I think you've got a ways to go before you should even THINK about doing lunges. In fact, if you're gonna do any serious lower-body work, I think you should speak to a doctor, preferably one who specializes in folks like yourself. You have a major (though curable) disability, and you've got to work with that. Would you expect a healthy man to do lunges while carrying his wife on his back, a couple six-year-olds in his arms, and a sack of groceries around his neck? That is about how much dead weight you are bearing at every moment.

I think you should stick to very low-impact exercises (eg, walking and swimming), lift weights with arms and legs (you can improvise weights from anything laying around), and focus on diet until you've shed some pounds. Don't think that just because a move uses bodyweight rather than dumbbells, it is perfectly safe and harmless. To the part of the body being worked, resistance is resistance -- doesn't matter if the resistance you're pushing is elastic, iron, stone, or flesh. Too much resistance will cause injury. And your joints are already under great stress due to your size.

All this can be fixed, there is surely a handsome and healthy man inside you ... but to misquote Michaelangelo (the artist, not the turtle), it's gonna take time to chip off all the marble around him. Be patient. Fitness is a way of life, not a program. You have your whole life to get fit, so don't rush it. You cannot afford to injure yourself.

Wow, maybe it's just me but that comes off sounding pretty harsh.

Folks of any size should consult their physician before beginning any kind of new exercises. That being said, many don't. Do you have any existing injuries which would hinder physical activity? Knees, back, heart, anything? If you do you should definitely consult your doctor and ask if your desired plan is safe. Even if you don't you should still talk to your doctor, but again many folks (like myself) don't.

The key, as with most things, is to start of slow. If lunges are painful, don't do them. If you can do squats without the pain, stick with that for now. An exercise that is a lot like lunges is climbing stairs. Try a little bit of that to see how it feels (and again, if it hurts, stop it). Assuming you can do them without pain, do that instead of lunges, then maybe once a month come back and give them an honest shot (of course being careful of injury).

I hate it when folks say I can't or shouldn't do something...that just makes me want to do it more. When I was 315 people told me that I really shouldn't be running or doing anything strenuous until I lost weight because it would cause my knees and ankles to basically commit hara-kiri...so I started doing 10k intervals daily. You know what happened? I got better at running. If you are confident in your ability to perform these exercises safely, then by all means have at it.

[ticviking]

I'm also 6'8". 400-450lbs on 5'7" or even 6'2" is quite different than the same on my height. I'm definitely severely obese, but I'm not morbidly so. I regularly go on 1-2 hour hikes up the canyon, and my evening walk is up to 1.5 miles in about 30 min(I go one house farther down the street every day super simple way to add distance slowly).

I have spoken with a doctor, and she's thrilled that I'm trying something different. My adherence on going to the gym has always been awful, even when it was less than a block away I'd sooner go for a walk than to the Gym. Which is why we began looking for bodyweight exercises to begin with.

Thanks for the ideas though, esp the stair climbs, that's potentially super super useful.

[rtalencar]

Thanks for the ideas though, esp the stair climbs, that's potentially super super useful.

You're welcome, and good luck!

[D_chelyst]

Hey, ticviking! Lunges aren't my favorite either, but I find that

are easier for me to do than the regular forward lunges. So when you feel up to trying them again, give these a try and see if they might be easier for you too. Good luck!

[katscratch]

ticviking, I'm gonna go against what most of the people have said here, and say I believe your problem is right there in your post:

To me this is small-minded and is discouraging, regardless of your disclaimer. Weight on a person's frame is only one factor in body mechanics. I am 5'10" and about 118lbs and couldn't do a single lunge three months ago without falling over.

ticviking, I'm with rtalencar, work on improving the moves you are already finding growth in, and come back to lunges here and there. It took me a few months of squats, building leg strength, and really focusing on keeping my core tight before I could even think about being able to balance properly to get through a lunge without my knees going all crazy on me. I still suck at them

Also I am jealous of your canyon hikes!! Utah is gorgeous, I wouldn't set foot in a gym either!

[RandomWanderer]

I think as someone mentioned about the hamstrings, that lunges are easier when you are loose and flexible in your lower body.. I WILL tell you that at 373lbs I was able to do lunges with relative ease, although obviously not like I can now at 220, but I didn't need to go as deep with 157 extra pounds, now I have to use weights with my lunges.. so the weight is really not 100% the major factor if you have lunge troubles, and as people have said many times, one exercise does not a routine make.

I'm a bit of a lunge fanatic.. in fact I guess that is my "superpower" LOL.. so it pains me to see people have trouble with it. I wish you luck in your battle with the lunge! All I know is that once you become a lunge master.. all the meatheads look at you in awe as you lunge your way down the isle at the gym .

[canaan]

Hey, ticviking! Lunges aren't my favorite either, but I find that

are easier for me to do than the regular forward lunges. So when you feel up to trying them again, give these a try and see if they might be easier for you too. Good luck!

Reverse lunges are a better option to begin with since the load is maintained above the hips and not on the knee joint as when doing a forward lunge. You can also limit range of motion (not descend to 90 degree knee flexion) until your leg strength improves.

[nightlight]

2nding reverse lunges.