Lunges.....
 

Ok so I have been trying to do lunges and I'm not sure if I'm doing them wrong or what but I can't do it! Is there a trick to these most painful exercises?

if there is PAIN don't do them. look on youtube.com for proper form but always make sure your knee isn't further than your ankle upon lunging. if you experience pain rather than muscle fatigue do not continue until you talk to someone who can show you proper form. you may not need to do lunges if you do other exercises. for instance, i find that if i do too many lunges and squats when i haven't done a fair amount of cardio in the week, i will bulk up a lot. my legs are really thick to begin with so i find that doing more cardio has been getting me results while training my chest, abs, back and glutes (rather than quads and heavy hamstring exercises) has proven to help with my weight loss efforts. however, everyone is different. squats and lunges are hard work and always most effective when done with perfect form. don't be afraid to ask someone for help if you are at the gym!

Lunges are not my friend. When I was in my teens I didn't have any problem with those exercises, but 10 years later and a lot of weight gained then lost, my knees just can't handle lunges/squats (they make really creepy crackly noises when I attempt those exercises). So until I build some strength in my knees and legs I've been doing modified lunges/squats. Basically I just use a smaller range of motion lowering only part of the way down. You can try modifying the exercise, or even using the wall/chair to help. :)

Lunges are one of those Necessary Evils, I think :) And, my trainer L-O-V-E-S them. So I end up doing many.

When I first started working out with him, I couldn't do many - maybe a couple reps of 15 each. And they burrrnnn. It has taken some time for the burn to be less while I am doing them.

I agree - if you are hurting while you are doing them, ask someone to make sure your form is correct. If you are hurting the day after, stretching helps quite a bit, or doing cardio on alternate days. I do lunges one day and spin the next.

The good thing about lunges and squats are that they get to that fat spot on your inner thighs and tighten it up nicely. No other exercise really gets at that spot so well.

We also hike quite a bit, on trails that have a high elevation gain and loss, and doing lunges makes it that much more easier.

Good luck :)

Can you do step ups instead?

I've been doing them for years but recently figured out I haven't been stepping forward/back far enough. I'm balanced better if I step out further. Didn't see that one coming. Also I have been leaning my upper body forward, I guess to put the weight on my front foot keeping the weight off the back foot to help that balance thing. Try to make sure you and your body, LOL, are going straight down. My knees felt a lot better immedialty. Hope that helps.

I've never been quite sure about the theory of lunges and I've never had anyone to ask. Is it to build strength in the quad or provide a stretch in the groin, or both? If I drop my knee as far as I think I'm supposed to, I get a SERIOUS stretching in the groin. Is that right?

I do better with the walking lunges than the standing ones. I keep my balance better. On the reverse lunge I often put my foot back a little off track and put too much pressure on the knee. I do prefer DB stepups to lunges.

Stepups?

Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJFqg6-ms6U

You don't have to have a bench. Use a step stool, a sturdy chair, or a stairway.