CORE (LP) HANDBOOK
LUNGES

PLATFORM LUNGE SERIES

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SPRINGS: 1W // 1Y

SET-UP: 

  • Stand on the front platform and face the mirror

  • Keep your primary foot on the platform and step your secondary toe back to the first line with feet hip width distance apart

  • Bring primary hand to pole if needed or bring hands to hips/prayer

  • Bring chest upright

MOVEMENT:

  • Press into both feet as you lengthen your primary leg for 1, drag your back leg up and in for 2, lengthen your primary leg for 3, drag your back leg up and in for 4

  • Bend your front leg for 1, keep your back leg long for 2, bend your front leg for 3, bend your front leg for 4

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

  • POLE SHOULD BE ON PRIMARY LEG SIDE TO MINIMIZE QUAD/HIP FLEXOR TENSION IN BACK LEG

  • Look for feet being too close together -> make sure feet are hip width distance apart (about 4 inches)

  • Watch for hip of back leg to sink -> lift the back heel high and squeeze through heels as you stand to stabilize glutes and core

  • Look at knees turning inward -> push thighs slightly out help contract and create stability in outer glutes

  • Exhale as you stand to engage the low abdomen as well as the glutes

TIME: At least 1 minute

ACTION: Pulling with the tension

MUSCLES WORKED

  • Primary Movers:

    • glute max (hip extension on the back leg and drives upward motion)

    • quads (front leg)

    • hamstrings (resist carriage in)

    • hip flexors

  • Assisting Muscles: Adductors, Calves, Glute med/min, Core (Transverse Abdominis, Obliques, Rectus abdominis - maintain upright torso and pelvis control)

  • Stabilizers: Pelvic floor (neutral pelvis), Multifidus & QLs (spinal stability),

  • Relaxed Muscles: upper body

VARIATIONS:

  • Carriage Kick

  • Hamstring Kick

  • Split Squat

  • Twist Spine towards primary leg

  • Straight Leg Hold

    • Leaning Long Jump Arms

    • Arms Behind Head

    • Arms Out By Ears

    • Weights in Arms with any arm variation

  • Hinge Spine up and down

  • Straight Leg Pulses

  • Split Squat Pulses

  • Combos

  • Crossover

  • Lunge & Hinge // Stand & Lift Chest Upright

MODIFICATIONS

  • Keep hand on pole

  • Walk back foot towards the front of carriage

  • Adding additional yellow/white spring

  • Limit range of motion (not going quite as low)

  • Soften back knee if quads/hips/low back feel tension

  • Slightly hinge spine as needed

ADVANCEMENTS

  • Bring hands to prayer/chest

  • Walk foot further back on carriage

  • Straighten back leg to create more flexibility

  • Keep chest directly upright

PREGNANCY MODIFICATIONS

  • 2w // 2Y

  • If stabilization has been an issue during pregnancy, go to Front Lunge or Floor Lunge

PLATFORM LUNGE: CARRIAGE KICK

SPRINGS: 1W // 1Y

SET-UP: 

  • Stand on the front platform and face the mirror

  • Keep your primary foot on the platform and step your secondary toe back to the first line with feet hip width distance apart

  • Bring primary hand to pole if needed or bring hands to hips/prayer

  • Bring chest upright

MOVEMENT:

  • With an upright chest, bend your back knee towards the mirror for 1, hold your hips stabile for 2, bend your back knee towards the mirror for 3, pull your knee in for for 4

  • Keep your front leg stable as you extend your back leg straight for 1, extend your back leg straight for 2, extend your back leg straight for 3, extend your back leg straight for 4

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

  • POLE SHOULD BE ON PRIMARY LEG SIDE TO MINIMIZE QUAD/HIP FLEXOR TENSION IN BACK LEG

  • Look for feet being too close together -> make sure feet are hip width distance apart (about 4 inches)

  • Watch for hip of back leg to sink -> lift the back heel high and squeeze through heels as you stand to stabilize glutes and core

  • Look at knees turning inward -> push thighs slightly out help contract and create stability in outer glutes

  • Exhale as you stand to engage the low abdomen as well as the glutes

TIME: At least 1 minute

ACTION: Pulling with the tension

MUSCLES WORKED

  • Primary Movers:

    • glute max (hip extension on the back leg and drives upward motion)

    • quads (front leg from hold & back leg from pulling knee)

    • hamstrings (resist carriage in)

    • hip flexors

  • Assisting Muscles: Adductors, Calves, Glute med/min, Core (Transverse Abdominis, Obliques, Rectus abdominis - maintain upright torso and pelvis control)

  • Stabilizers: Pelvic floor (neutral pelvis), Multifidus & QLs (spinal stability),

  • Relaxed Muscles: upper body

VARIATIONS:

  • Platform Lunge

  • Hamstring Kick

  • Split Squat

  • Straight Leg Hold

    • Leaning Long Jump Arms

    • Arms Behind Head

    • Arms Out By Ears

    • Weights in Arms with any arm variation

  • Hinge Spine up and down

  • Straight Leg Pulses

  • Split Squat Pulses

  • Combos

  • Crossover Feet

MODIFICATIONS

  • Keep hand on pole

  • Walk back foot towards the front of carriage

  • Adding additional yellow/white spring

  • Limit range of motion (not going quite as low)

  • Slightly hinge spine as needed

  • Bring fingertips to the front edge of the high bars and flick tailbone back

ADVANCEMENTS

  • Bring hands to prayer/chest

  • Walk foot further back on carriage

  • Straighten back leg to create more flexibility

  • Keep chest directly upright

PREGNANCY MODIFICATIONS

  • If stabilization has been an issue during pregnancy, go to Front Lunge or Floor Lunge Carriage Kicks

  • 2w // 2Y

PLATFORM LUNGE: HAMSTRING KICKS

SPRINGS: 1W // 1Y

SET-UP: 

  • Stand on the front platform and face the mirror

  • Keep your primary foot on the platform and step your secondary toe back to the first line with feet hip width distance apart

  • Bring primary hand to pole if needed or bring hands to hips/prayer

  • Bring chest upright

MOVEMENT:

  • With the back leg and quad contracted, press your front leg straight back for 1, press your front leg straight back for 2, press your front leg straight back for 3, keep your chest upright for 4

  • Pressing through both feet and heels, pull your front knee back over the heel for 1, bend your front knee towards the mirror for 2, pull you front knee back over the heel for 3, bend your front knee towards the mirror for 4

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

  • Watch to ensure carriage leg is strong and the back glute is just as engaged as the front so the back leg presses the carriage back naturally as the front knee presses back

  • POLE SHOULD BE ON PRIMARY LEG SIDE TO MINIMIZE QUAD/HIP FLEXOR TENSION IN BACK LEG

  • Look for feet being too close together -> make sure feet are hip width distance apart (about 4 inches)

  • Watch for hip of back leg to sink -> lift the back heel high and squeeze through heels as you stand to stabilize glutes and core

  • Look at knees turning inward -> push thighs slightly out help contract and create stability in outer glutes

  • Exhale as you stand to engage the low abdomen as well as the glutes

TIME: At least 1 minute

ACTION: Pulling with the tension

MUSCLES WORKED

  • Primary Movers:

    • glute max (hip extension on the back leg and drives upward motion)

    • quads (front leg from hold & back leg from pulling knee)

    • hamstrings (resist carriage in)

    • hip flexors

  • Assisting Muscles: Adductors, Calves, Glute med/min, Core (Transverse Abdominis, Obliques, Rectus abdominis - maintain upright torso and pelvis control)

  • Stabilizers: Pelvic floor (neutral pelvis), Multifidus & QLs (spinal stability),

  • Relaxed Muscles: upper body

VARIATIONS:

  • Platform Lunge

  • Carriage Kick

  • Split Squat

  • Straight Leg Hold

    • Leaning Long Jump Arms

    • Arms Behind Head

    • Arms Out By Ears

    • Weights in Arms with any arm variation

  • Hinge Spine up and down

  • Straight Leg Pulses

  • Split Squat Pulses

  • Combos

  • Crossover Feet (carefully)

MODIFICATIONS

  • Keep hand on pole

  • Walk back foot towards the front of carriage

  • Adding additional yellow/white spring

  • Limit range of motion (not going quite as low)

  • Slightly hinge spine as needed

  • Bring fingertips to the front edge of the high bars and flick tailbone back

ADVANCEMENTS

  • Walk foot further back on carriage

  • Straighten back leg to create more flexibility

  • Keep chest directly upright

  • Bring hands to prayer/chest

PREGNANCY MODIFICATIONS

  • If stabilization has been an issue during pregnancy, go to Front Lunge or Floor Lunge Hamstring Kicks

  • 2w // 2Y

PLATFORM LUNGE: SPLIT SQUAT

SPRINGS: 1W // 1Y

SET-UP: 

  • Stand on the front platform and face the mirror

  • Keep your primary foot on the platform and step your secondary toe back to the first line with feet hip width distance apart

  • Bring primary hand to pole if needed or bring hands to hips/prayer

  • Bring chest upright

MOVEMENT:

  • With back knee under hip, bend your back knee towards the floor for 1, bend your back knee towards the floor for 2, bend your back knee towards the floor for 3, bend your back knee towards the floor for 4

  • Keep the carriage still as you stand up for 1, stand up for 2, stand up for 3, stand up for 4

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

  • POLE SHOULD BE ON PRIMARY LEG SIDE TO MINIMIZE QUAD/HIP FLEXOR TENSION IN BACK LEG

  • Look for feet being too close together -> make sure feet are hip width distance apart (about 4 inches)

  • Watch for hip of back leg to sink -> lift the back heel high and squeeze through heels as you stand to stabilize glutes and core

  • Look at knees turning inward -> push thighs slightly out help contract and create stability in outer glutes

  • Exhale as you stand to engage the low abdomen as well as the glutes

TIME: At least 1 minute

ACTION: Pulling with the tension

MUSCLES WORKED

  • Primary Movers:

    • glute max (hip extension on the back leg and drives upward motion)

    • quads (front leg from hold & back leg from pulling knee)

    • hamstrings (resist carriage in)

    • hip flexors

  • Assisting Muscles: Adductors, Calves, Glute med/min, Core (Transverse Abdominis, Obliques, Rectus abdominis - maintain upright torso and pelvis control)

  • Stabilizers: Pelvic floor (neutral pelvis), Multifidus & QLs (spinal stability),

  • Relaxed Muscles: upper body

VARIATIONS:

  • Pull carriage in as you stand from Split Squat

  • Platform Lunge

  • Hamstring Kick

  • Carriage Kick

  • Straight Leg Hold

    • Leaning Long Jump Arms

    • Arms Behind Head

    • Arms Out By Ears

    • Weights in Arms with any arm variation

  • Hinge Spine up and down

  • Straight Leg Pulses

  • Split Squat Pulses

  • Combos

  • Crossover Feet

  • Lunge & Hinge // Stand & Lift Chest Upright

MODIFICATIONS

  • Walk back foot towards the front of carriage

  • Adding additional yellow/white spring

  • Limit range of motion (not going quite as low)

  • Slightly hinge spine as needed

  • Keep hand on the pole

ADVANCEMENTS

  • Walk foot further back on carriage

  • Straighten back leg to create more flexibility

  • Keep chest directly upright

  • Bring hands to prayer/hips

PREGNANCY MODIFICATIONS

  • If stabilization has been an issue during pregnancy, go to Front Lunge or Floor Lunge Carriage Kicks

  • 2w // 2Y