by Kyle Brown, CSCS
Now that resistance training is becoming standard protocol for nearly all athletes, it’s time to evolve into sport specific resistance training programs. Endurance athletes should not train like bodybuilders, as a plan focused on gaining muscle mass can actually be counterproductive. Instead, dynamic, sport-specific exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and core stability, like the walking lunge, should be a fundamental component of any successful lower-body workout.
The walking lunge is one of the most beneficial exercises for endurance athletes as it stresses joint mobility, strength, flexibility, core, and challenges the cardiovascular system. Mobility of the ankle, hip, and knee joints are required to maintain perfect alignment as well as to maintain stability. Flexibility is involved as the walking lunge creates a strong hip flexor stretch while working the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and tibialis anterior. Walking lunges can be used for improving hamstring strength and running speed in athletes including young soccer players (1). This exercise can create more hip flexibility and mobility. Moreover, unlike traditional stable resistance training movements, walking lunges challenge your balance while engaging small muscles that are used while performing bilateral lower limb exercises like running or cycling.
How to do Walking Lunges
Begin by standing up straight, and take a large step forward with your right leg, striking with your heel fi rst, bending both knees so that your front knee is aligned over your ankle and the back knee comes close to the fl oor. Your back heel is lifted off the fl oor. As your back knee is heading down to and almost touches the fl oor, push yourself up with your back left leg, forcing the weight of your body through your right heel, simultaneously bringing your left foot together with your right foot. Continue alternating legs for 20 steps without pausing. As you become more advanced, you can transform the walking lunge into an even more dynamic movement. Variation includes the walking lunge with a twist. To add resistance, you can hold a medicine ball or dumbbells. There are also walking lunges into a medicine ball press, walking lunges into a dumbbell bicep curl, and walking lunges into a squat jump to name a few. Overall, the most important factors are maintaining a strong core while focusing on joint mobility, strength, and flexibility.
1. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: May 2009 - Volume 23 - Issue 3 - pp 972 – 978.
nsca’s performance training journal • www.nsca-lift.org • volume 9 issue 3 • page 6
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