3 Common Mistakes when Lunging! Avoid these!

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The lunge is undoubtedly one of the best exercises to build strength and also muscle in the quad. It also focuses on the ability to be able to mobilise and bend to your full capabilities. But it is common to see people do this incorrectly. Short and simple - here are the 3 common mistakes when lunging!

1. Collapsing Knee

“My Knees hurt when I Lunge!”

That’s a very common factor when it comes to lunging, and this is also connected to the third point which we will bring  up.

But with this specific point, we are talking about pain in the inside (or medial) part of the knee. It generally hurts when you see your knee go past the midline. Over a long period of time, this can cause pain especially when adding weight too.

Solution: Use lines such as the gym flooring to help you see where your knee is going. Use this as a guide and avoid it from happening to avoid repetitive knee strain from your lunges!

2. Tight Roping

“I struggle to keep balance when lunging”

Always occurs, even when I first started too!
Why does this happen? Simply because our feet are too close and behind one another! I call this “tight roping”.

Solution: Widen your base, and have your back foot go wider away from your hips. As a guide, your hips should always be hip width apart too!

3. Drop of the Back Knee

This one is by far the most common issue I see with people lunging - when they simply don’t feel it in the legs at all.

Now - this could be the fact the people I train at super strong (which isn’t a lie!) but also because the technique is off too. Have a look, does your knee fall far past your toe, and your back knee look too straight?

Look into this, and think about the back knee more than anything.

Solution: Bend that back knee!

But that’s not the solution as much as it is the problem. 

So we fix this through the idea of having a “button” to press on the floor. This will enforce the idea of the back knee bending.

So there you are, the three simple tips that can prevent you from having knee pain, losing balance and the ability to target those quads in your lunges. Remember - it’s not always about loading more weight if you can increase the range of motion correctly and build and develop strength from there.

If you ever need help and support in your training, programming and performance, don’t be afraid to contact Momentum Active Remedy for a consultation. We have a team of University Qualified Exercise Physiologists and high quality Personal Trainers that can provide you with the support you need to achieve your goals.

Call us on 0423 568 356, email sean@momentumactiveremedies.com or book online on www.momentum-active.com to book yourself in!

Remember, #MomentumIsKey. You just need to get started.

Sean Koh

Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Scientist, Personal Trainer & Strength Coach

Post Graduate Diploma (Exercise Physiology) & B.Sc. (Exercise, Sports & Rehabilitation)