Since several people have PM'ed me about a lunge repetoire, I thought I'd put some in a seperate thread. I'll get a few done tonight, and add to it later. Feel free to add whatever variations you can think of!

Treadmill Lunges

Set your treadmill on a high incline and low speed. 15% grade and 1.1 mph works for my stubby legs. Start by walking slowly to get the cadence, then start dropping your rear leg down, and bending your leading knee. Just like a regular walking lunge, but the belt moves under you. Be sure to pick up your trailing foot before it rolls off the end of the treadmill. You can lightly hold onto the handles of the treadmill for balance. Suggested tune: Carol King's "I Feel the Earth Move Under my Feet".

Scissors Lunges onto Aeorbic Step

Place a single or douple stacked step in front of you, preferable braced against a wall or other immovable object. Place one foot on the step, and go down into a regular lunge. Jump up out of the lunge and bring your back foot to the front and repeat the lunge, repeat, switching feet each time. Don't do this if you have knee problems.

Jump Squats onto Aerobic Step (ok, it's not a lunge, but just as much fun!)

Take the same step from the previous exercise and move it to a clear area. Straddle the step, with it running perpendiclar to your body. Squat down until your rear end is as close to touching the step as possible. Jump up as high as you can and land on the middle of the step with a soft knee, sinking down into a squat. Jump up and land stradling the step, soft knee, sink back into rear to the step position. Repeat 10-15 times or until you pass out.

More to follow...

Hey Mel Great Idea!!

Funny you sould say the lunge with a step is hard on the knees because, for me, it is the easiest lunge on the knees ... When I have done them in the past on the floor for some reason my knees hurt, walking lunges don't hurt, tread mill lunge doesn't bother my knees at all either, ... I guess this proves, once again, everyone is different...

I typically do three sets of lunges alternating legs (within the set) 24 times (12 each leg). I hold 15 pounds weights. I still think this is easier than my squats-which I have come to detest and do first on "legs day".!

It may be easier, but doesn't it just hit a different muscle group all together and you would need both exercises? Do something different like the leg press instead of squats...

You need one of those aerobic steps. I suggest trying this without any DBs at first to get the hang of the movement.

Start with both feet on the step. Lift one knee up high -- like in a step up -- and then step back off the step into a nice deep lunge. Then back up into a step up and back into a lunge. It's one movement -- the foot in the air doesn't touch the step at all or the ground until you're back into the lunge.

Try 15/side and add weight to make it more challenging.

So I decided to really give these little a go today, since my butt is almost not sore any more from legs on Monday.

Found an open treadmill next to a woman my age, strolling along (2.5 MPH) while reading a fashion mag. Plopped in head phones and set the incline on 10 and speed on 1.5 (volume on what I call 'cardio' ). Woman next to me glancing over and feeling smug since I set my treadmill on such a low speed. Started lunging and lunged for five minutes. Horrified glances from next door. Walked for a minute and raised the incline to 15 and did five more minutes. Walked for another minute and dropped back to an incline of 10 and did five more minutes. Next door scuttles off and starts whispering and pointing.

My conclusion is that treadmill lunges rock and count as cardio as well as legs. They're now definitely part of my week. Can't wait to see how my butt feels tomorrow!

Thanks, Mel!

I am also LOVING the lunges!!

Do we think it's better, as in more effective, to do treadmill lunges at a higher or lower incline?
Cindy

Incline certainly makes you work harder and I get more of a calf stretch along with it. If the incline bothers your knee, tho, don't do it.

It's tomorrow.

My butt hurts.

And my legs.

We must be !

Okay, all the treads were full this AM so I tried the "start with both feet on a stepboard, raise the knee up high then back into a lunge" move that Meg posted. I alternated these with sets regular lunges with dumbells for a total of 3 sets of each kind.

I couldn't do Megs move with dumbells cause I was wobbling so much you would have thought I had been drinkin.

Tiki.




Tiki.

I have today off (but a lot of stuff planned!) so I might go back to the gym today and give those treadmill lunges a shot - Meg/Mel - do you use dumbbells?

(I have a feeling that the first time I try this I'll be wanting to hang onto the rails...)

Mel probably uses a bar with 45# plates, but I just held on for dear life.

45 lb plate? Nope, I hold a 100 in my teeth

(No, I don't use weights on the treadmill lunges. Yet.)

Mel

I got one, I got one.

When I pulled into town I had to drive up this seriously steep hill by my Mom's house and I had flashbacks from 7th grade softball practice. The hill led directly to the baseball park. As part of our conditioning exercises we would have to run hills, or if any of us smarted off to each other, or the coach we all would have to run hills. With 17 pre-teen girls with attitudes we ran that sucker all the time but I had some seriously developed legs. So, when it gets warm enough, find a hill, a good steep long one and get moving.