Welcome back to another Training Tip Tuesday! Today we are talking about Pendulum lunges!
Pendulum lunges are an excellent way to improve balance while building lower body strength. Studies have also shown that pendulum lunges can increase your vertical jump!
However, these can be a bit tricky to master – and VERY easy to cheat.
So, for today’s training tip, let’s ensure our pendulum lunges are up to snuff and make us curse the DWL coaches as much as they should! 😜
How to Perform Pendulum Lunges
Pendulum lunges differ from regular lunges because they create an isometric hold in your supporting leg.
This is achieved by keeping your body low, throughout the exercise. So, imagine you are underneath a low ceiling to maintain that bend in your standing leg.
Start by stepping forward into a deep lunge – both legs should be around 90 degrees.
Keep your back flat and abs engaged.
From here, swing your front leg back into a reverse lunge. This is where you’ll be tempted to stand up a bit to relieve the tension on your quad and glutes. But resist the urge!!!
Forward and back is one rep. Make sure your knees are tracking directly over your middle toes and be careful not to let your knees wobble out or in. And remember, keep that head from bouncing up and down- stay underneath that low ceiling!
If you do this correctly you’ll be feeling *quite* the burn in your supporting leg’s quads, and glutes.
Want a visual reference? Check out this form video. Just don’t forget we warned you! These are not for the faint of heart!
Want more form and fitness tips? Give these quick reads a glance: Training Tip Tuesday: The Palloff Press, What is a Drop Set and Why Should I Try It?, Training Tip Tuesday: Bear Row
