[quote]TQB wrote:
Mix in Bulgarian split squats, too. I’m doing them as superset with step-ups, while yelling “Alwyn Cosgrove! You’re gonna die!”;-)[/quote]
Cosgrove’s “New Rules” strength routine I, routine A: Squat Day.
Superset Bulgarian split squats and step ups; 3 rounds of 15, each leg.
Separates the men from the mice.
As I said that day, “Squeak, squeak.”
[quote]SamsonsSon wrote:
Gosh - I am ashamed to admit to how LITTLE weight I can manage when doing lunges. This coming from a guy who regularly squats with 300+. All these years I have ignored lunges as a “girlie” exercise but recently decided to give them a try and I can report that I am feeling new muscles in my butt and elsewhere that I haven’t felt before.
Along with dumbbell step-ups I am finding that I am really enjoying new variety in my leg training. And there are some interesting variations I plan to try with lunges once I gain some respectable strength in the “static lunge”.
If you haven’t given lunges and step-ups a go - I would highly recommend incorporating them into your leg routine![/quote]
Lunges may be popular w/ the ladies b/c they quite pointedly do kick one’s ass, but the fact is that lunges have been a major staple to serious strength training in competitive sports for as long as I can remember.
The classic barbell lunge, if performed properly, is more a power movement than one of strength, which explains why a person doesn’t necessarily move as heavy a load when performing lunges as he/she uses for squats. It’s somewhat equivalent to peforming a typical barbell squat -v- a barbell squat & jump w/ regards to the cross-over in loads used.
If you’re finding balance to be difficult, work on taking a slightly abducted lunge forward (ie. lunge forward and slightly outward w/ your lunging leg, so as to increase your base of support).
For some additional lunge variation, the Step-Up lunges are awesome (as you’ve discovered), reverse lunges, side-step lunges, walking lunges (I once tried to go 100 yards w/ 135 on my back…good thing I was much younger at the time), Smith Machine reverse lunges (w/ these, you keep your non-active leg wholly off of the floor so it essentially turns into a one-legged sissy squat of sorts; a misleading name for that kind of squat, by the way),
split jump squats (essentially, you’re in a forward lunge position, but instead of reversing to an upright position, you explosively power upward and, while airborn w/ both legs off of the ground, you “scissor-switch” your legs so that you land w/ your other foot forward; eccentrically lower yourself, and then repeat); etc, etc.
enjoy - chris
[quote]rbnlaw wrote:
TQB wrote:
Mix in Bulgarian split squats, too. I’m doing them as superset with step-ups, while yelling “Alwyn Cosgrove! You’re gonna die!”
Cosgrove’s “New Rules” strength routine I, routine A: Squat Day.
Superset Bulgarian split squats and step ups; 3 rounds of 15, each leg.
Separates the men from the mice.
As I said that day, “Squeak, squeak.”
[/quote]
The bastard put that in the Hypertrophy I programme as well, following on Squats AND Deadlifts.
I went home afterwards, took one look at the stairs up to the bedroom,and thought “I wonder if there is a way to get up there that does not involve legs.” “Squeak”
[quote]on edge wrote:
wfifer wrote:
But you don’t even break parallel with a lunge. I can lunge and split squat more than I can squat.
Bullcrap[/quote]
Seconded.
Take a look at this excellent article if you haven’t already:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=473323
Stuff here that won’t let you walk for a week.
[quote]duke wrote:
on edge wrote:
wfifer wrote:
But you don’t even break parallel with a lunge. I can lunge and split squat more than I can squat.
Bullcrap
Seconded.[/quote]
I’ll 3rd it. He needs to put up a video for us to watch. How the f… can you split squat more than you can squat.
I think you guys misunderstood me…my total split squat is better than my squat. Obviously one leg can’t do more than two. Use some common sense.
[quote]Lockwood wrote:
If you’re finding balance to be difficult, work on taking a slightly abducted lunge forward (ie. lunge forward and slightly outward w/ your lunging leg, so as to increase your base of support).
[/quote]
This is really good advice and will solve the balance problems for most people who have trouble with lunges. If you watch a lot of people who have trouble keeping steady while lunging, you will notice that their feet are often almost directly in line with each other when viewed from the front or back. Try to keep a hip width stance as you do whatever lunge variation you like.
Buddy was watching me throw the shot last weekend, and commented I wasn’t getting a lot of leg drive. He suggested I throw step-ups into the mix.
Good call, I start by doing 10 reps of the backsquat at BW+20#, then grab
two 35# dumbbells and immediately do a set of 10 step-ups to a 20 inch box.
My legs love-hate it. Have spent the last couple of months doing lots of
SLDL’s off blocks (10x5), then heavy rack pull singles. Only reason I mention that, just saying I’ve been working the hammies pretty good.
Lunges? After the New Year. I start throwing in meets every weekend in January, so one thing at a time.