Training in lunge exercises is almost equal to what squats do to your lower body. Sprinter lunges are a variation of the lunges that generally work all the muscles supporting the core, including the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and ankles.
Sprinter lunges are part of strength-enhancing exercises that improves the stability and general athletic performance of a trainee.
HOW TO DO SPRINTER LUNGES
Here are the tips you can employ to work out the sprinter lunge like a professional.
- Start by standing upright with your hands hanging loosely and take a stance equal to your hip width.
- With the left leg firmly planted to the ground, lunge your right leg backward assuming the position of a sprinter who is ready to go. At this point, see that your left knee is aligned with your ankle and that your right knee is not touching the ground.
- By engaging your core, thrust up explosively by initiating the move from the heel of your left leg. When you thrust yourself up bring your right leg to its initial position, then immediately lunge your left leg back so most of your weight is supported with your right in the lunge position.
- Your hands should be moving in the direction of your legs such that when you move to land on your left leg, your left arm should swing in that direction, and likewise, when your right arm should be moving in the direction of your right leg.
- Since you have to set a target, you can do 20 lunges per set or set a timer for 45 seconds for the first set then adjust the timer in the preceding sets.
MUSCLES WORKED OUT BY SPRINTER LUNGES
When you do the sprinter lunges, you engage all the muscles of the lower body which works in conjunction with the muscles supporting your core muscles.
Just like in sprinting, sprinter’s muscles work out the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, abdominals, hips, and calves.
When this group of muscles is activated, you will gain power and strength in your lower body which will enhance your general body balance.
BENEFITS OF SPRINTER LUNGES
GOOD BALANCE AND STABILITY
Since sprinter lunges is a unilateral exercise that involves working with each leg individually, it forces each leg to support the weight that two legs should sustain.
The workout becomes more complex when the single leg tries to sustain the weight and stability thereof in motion. In so doing, the stabilizing muscles are activated to enhance your stability and strength.
WEIGHT LOSS
Consider sprinter lunges workout in your training regimen if losing weight is one of your goals. It is a high-endurance exercise that exerts a force on your muscles, thereby trimming down your body fat and building up lean muscles.
MISALIGNMENT CORRECTION
Sprinter lunges are much effective than bilateral exercises in rehabilitating strength imbalances and incorrect alignments of your body to make it uniform.
IMPROVING POSTURE
Since the workout takes on the core of your muscles, it will strengthen your spine and your back alignment thereby making you stand upright with good posture.
ALTERNATIVES OF SPRINTER LUNGES
STATIC LUNGE
The static lunge is a variation of the lunge that works the hamstrings, glutes, and ankles. To do the static lunge, stand straight with your hands akimbo.
Keep your back straight, engage your core then inhale to step backward with your right foot so that both your knees are bent at 90 degrees.
At that point, take a pause and exhale to move your feet back to the initial position. Repeat the move for the other leg.
WALKING LUNGES
The walking lunge workout may seem to be a piece of cake yet very taxing because it requires you to be able to sustain your weight on the motion.
The walking lunges will activate all the lower body muscles which makes you strong and stable. This workout doesn’t require any gymnastic equipment, it can be done in the comfort of your home.
All you need is your body and space to walk. To do walking lunges, stand straight with your legs slightly apart.
With the right leg, take one step forward and descend in that motion until your knee bends at 90 degrees.
You should also move the left leg simultaneously towards the ground until it bends at 90 degrees but it shouldn’t move from its initial position.
When both the right knee and the left knee bend at 90 degrees, pause and again do the drill as in walking yet working out.
REAR-FOOT ELEVATED LUNGE
This lunge variation is a little bit more challenging because it requires good balance and strength in the back leg which is elevated. Elevating the rare leg calls on the less utilized muscles as it stretches the most utilized.
REVERSE LUNGES
The reverse lunge is a variation of the lunges which equates to walking lunges, only that it is done in reverse motion.
It activates the hamstring, quadriceps, calves, and glutes. When the muscles are activated, they help to enhance your stability and help you build strength.
To do it, stand upright and take a step back then descend down into a lunge until your knees are bent 90 degrees.
Pull your body back explosively, initiating the move from the front leg and then back into the lunge.
To increase the difficulty of this workout, you can choose to put on a weight vest or a sandbag to increase the weight that your body is supposed to sustain under motion.
MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DOING SPRINTER LUNGES
Here are some of the common mistakes to void while doing the sprinter lunges.
- You should avoid taking very short lunges because it limits the effectiveness of the exercises.
- Avoid crushing your rare knee on the ground while doing the lunges to save your knee caps pain.
- Maintain your weight at the centerline so as to activate the muscles equally. To avoid this mistake, see that the heels of your front foot take up most of the weight and that your front knee doesn’t project outwards but is in line with your ankles.
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