CORE (LP) HANDBOOK
LUNGES

ANATOMY OF LEGS

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEG MOVEMENT

  • Leg moves backward from the hip (hinge at the hip)

    • Deadlifts

    • Bungee

    • Skating

    • Hip Thrusters

    PRIMARY MUSCLES:

    • Glute Max

    • Hamstrings

  • Leg moves forward/upward from the hip

    • Plank Crunch

    • Plank to Pike

    PRIMARY MUSCLES:

    • Iliopsoas

    • Rectus Femoris

    • Sartorius

  • Hips move out to the side away from the midline

    • Single Leg Squats

    • Skating

    • Standing Lateral Kick

    • Side Kicks

  • Legs move toward the midline

    • Inner Thigh Work

  • Bending the knee

    • Hamstring Curls

    • Hamstring Bungee Curls

    • Lunges (eccentric phase)

  • Straightening the knee

    • Squats

    • Lunges (concentric phase)

    • Single Leg Press

    • Footstrap Press

GLUTES

  • Glute Max: largest/strongest muscle group in the body - start at pelvic bone move to back of the femur

  • Glute Medius & Minimus: starts at the pelvic bone and moves to the side of the femur (abduction)

  • IT Band: connective tissue that helps move the leg away from the midline 

ABDUCTORS

The 4 hip abductor muscles

  • Glute max

  • Gluteus medius

  • Gluteus minimus

  • Tensor fascia lata

Function: abduct/separate the legs from the midline. Side to side motion.

ADDUCTORS

Function:

  • move the leg towards the midline

  • Stabilize the hip joint

  • balance/equilibrium 

  • They attach at the pelvic bone and attach along the femur

HAMSTRINGS

3 Muscles

  • Biceps femoris

  • Semitendinosus

  • Semimembranosus 

Live under the glute max on the pelvic bone and attach to the tibia

Fast-twitch muscles that respond to low reps and power movements

Function: flex the knee & extend the hip as well as to decelerate the lower half of the leg when responding to gravity (walking/running)

QUADS

4 Muscles that sit on thigh:

  • Vastus medialis (side quad)

  • Intermedius

  • Lateralis

  • Rectus femoris (hip)

Attach at the front of the tibia and start at top of the femur. Rectus femoris crosses the hip and attaches at the pelvis

Function: Knee extension & as a hip flexor

HIP FLEXORS

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Hip Flexors: (an honorary mention in the leg muscles): The hip flexors are a group of muscles at the front of the hip, primarily including the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and sartorius. Their main function is to allow the bending (flexion) of the hip joint, which brings the thigh toward the torso. They are involved in movements like walking, running, and lifting the legs, as well as maintaining stability in the pelvis.