The importance of Lunges! How can the TRX suspension trainer help?

Normal walking gait is one version of a lunge, and there are many other movements we perform in daily life that also replicate a lunging movement. Therefore, the TRX Lunge is one exercise that should be built into any workout program. Lunges are exercises which make you more functional. This means they impact your natural, every day movements.

Make sure you read till the end as there is a FREE workout for you all!

In General: Important Benefits Of Lunges

• Lunges improve your balance and core stability - the major muscle groups of the legs are all activated during the Lunge exercise, but you also need to recruit your core and other stabilising muscles. 
  Lunges train one part of your body independently from the other at a time which helps you achieve proper body balance and coordination.                                                                       
  A Lunge workout engages your abdominal muscles and your core. It helps you build stability when you move your hips up and down. A stronger core allows you to deal with lower back pain and it improves your balance and posture as well.

• Lunges strengthen legs and buttocks - Lunges target the large muscle groups of your lower body which boosts your metabolism and helps remove fat much faster. Lunges work on the shape and strength of your lower body.

• Hip flexibility and better spinal health - The hip is a very complex structure with multiple muscles and ligaments. Activities such as prolonged sitting can contribute to tight hip flexors and over time become a more significant problem. When hip mobility is compromised, movement can be extremely limited which can affect performance.  Lunges help you make these parts of the body more flexible.    
  While a lot of exercises put load on your spine, lunges give your spine a chance to relax, take load off your spine and make it pain-free.

• Lunges improve bone health – Lunges are a weight-bearing exercise that can help maintain or improve bone density

The TRX Lunge

The TRX Lunge is a must for anyone who wants to improve his lower limb strength, endurance, balance and overall function. The movement is a great functional exercise that works the foot/ankle, knee and hip joints but also the associated muscles, ligaments and tendons.

While the typically prescribed gym-based lunge is performed anteriorly in the sagittal plane, there are a multitude of variations of the lunge that should be trained in addition to this.

While the primary movement observed in an anterior lunge is flexion/extension of the foot/ankle, knee and hip in the sagittal plane, each of these joints is capable and requires movement in the frontal and transverse planes. Often a loss of movement or limitation of the joints to perform in these planes of movement will cause a predisposition for joint injuries. By varying the lunge to incorporate all planes of movement through bottom-up drivers (the foot) and top-down drivers (the trunk), you can greatly enhance function and reduce the likelihood of injury.

In Detail: The TRX Reverse Lunge (Step Back Lunge)

The TRX Reverse Lunge is a lunge variation that is performed using the TRX Suspension Trainer. The Reverse Lunge can be an easier exercise for beginners, and the TRX will help increase the stability of the body as it works against its own resistance.

How to do a TRX Reverse Lunge (VIDEO TRX REVERSE LUNGE HERE)

TRX straps are at Mid Length. Hold one handle in each hand and step away from the anchor until the bands are in line with your forearms. Your feet will be about shoulder-width apart. Your arms will be at the sides of the body with a 90-degree bend in the elbow.

1. TRX straps are at Mid Length. Hold one handle in each hand and step away from the anchor until the bands are in line with your forearms. Your feet will be about shoulder-width apart. Your arms will be at the sides of the body with a 90-degree bend in the elbow.

2. To start, take a step backwards with one leg so that you create a 90-degree angle in the front and rear knees. Your arms will elevate, and elbows will extend as you perform the movement.

3. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the same leg. Remember to switch legs once you have completed your reps.

Key points to remember when performing the TRX Reverse Lunge in order to achieve the proper form:

• Keep your knee in line with your ankle

• Keep your shoulders down and back

• Avoid lateral bending of the torso

• Maintain a neutral spine

• Ensure that your weight is distributed through the mid-foot

• Look forward

 Some of the benefits of regularly completing the TRX Reverse Lunge include,

• Increased muscular strength and endurance

• Increased balance

• Engagement of the Abdominal muscles

• Increase the range of motion and mobility at the hip.

TRX Reverse Lunge will work the following muscle groups,

• Quadriceps

• Hamstrings

• Glutes

• Calves

• Abdominals

• Hip Flexors

TRX Lunge Progressions and Variations: you’ll never get bored !
View the playlist here OR watch them individually with the links below

• TRX Reverse Lunge                                                 

• TRX Balance Lunge                                              

• TRX Cycle Jump                                               

• TRX Crossing Step Side Lunge                                 

• TRX Crossing Balance Lunge                                           

• TRX Skaters                                                              

• TRX Lunge, both hands touching floor                                        

• TRX Lunge, one hand touching floor                   

• TRX Lunge                                                          

• TRX Lunge with Hop                                     

• TRX Lunge with Hold                  

• TRX Side Lunge                                      

• TRX Step Side Lunge                                  

• TRX Abducted Lunge                                           

• TRX Forward Lunge with Y-Fly                                                

• TRX Forward Lunge with T-Fly  

• TRX Forward Lunge with I-Fly                    

• TRX Sprinter’s Start                

• TRX Split Squat           

• TRX Split Squat (SFA) with M-T-and Y-Deltoid Fly  

Since we just love treating all our readers, here is a FREE WORKOUT!
TRX ADVANCED LEGS & LOWER BODY WORKOUT 18 mins

There are more lower body workouts with lots of lunges for ALL LEVELS available on the On Demand Platform.

Most of the Lunges are also available in the TRX Exercise Library – with voice over instructions - on the On Demand Platform.