How to Do Jump Lunges

Опубликовал Admin

7-11-2016, 19:58

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The jump lunge – also known as an alternating split jump lunge or a scissors lunge – is a great exercise for strengthening your lower body and improving coordination. To begin, assume a lunge position by placing one foot in front of the other and bending at the knees. Use your legs to push off in a jump. While in mid-air, switch the position of your feet, placing the forward leg behind you and the formerly rear leg in front of you. Land gently. Always practice workout safety when trying lunge jumps or any other exercise.

Performing the Jump Lunge

Plant your feet. The lunge position requires you to stand with your feet pointing directly ahead hip-width apart. Place one foot about half a meter (two feet) forward of the other. It doesn’t matter if you put your right foot forward of your left or vice versa. Your back foot should be bent at the toe, and your heel should be up at about a 45 degree angle relative to the ground.
- Find a soft surface, such as a patch of grass, some carpeted or padded floor, or a rubber track. Avoid doing jump lunges on cement.
Angle your knees. Drop your hips until both knees form right angles. Push your front-most knee out slightly to the side. Keep your back knee and thigh parallel with your body. Do not allow your forward-most knee to extend beyond the ends of your toes.
- Place your hands on your hips, head, or at your sides.
Jump up. The lunge position enables you to jump with tremendous force. From a lunge position, move as if to stand, but do so quickly. Summon a lot of power to explosively push yourself off the ground with your feet. Pop straight into the air. Once in midair, quickly move your back foot to the frontal position and your front foot to the back.
- For instance, if -- in your initial lunge position -- your left foot was behind you and your right foot was in front of you, you should move your right foot behind you and place your left foot in front of you.
- Jump up, not forward.
Land your jump lunge. Place your feet at the same distance that you did when assuming the initial lunge position. You should land on your toes without bending your knees further. In other words, since you’ve already adjusted your legs to assume the lunge position in midair, your landing should simply drop you down to return to the position you started in.
- Your landing should be quiet. This indicates your body is absorbing the shock of the landing and not stressing your joints.
Repeat the jump lunge. Hold the lunge position for about two to three seconds after you land before heading into your next one. You should be able to do eight in about 15 to 30 seconds.
- When you first begin doing jump lunges, do three to five. As you improve your technique, slowly add one jump lunge each week until you’re doing about eight jump lunges.
- You could also increase the difficulty of the jump lunge by making your lunges slightly deeper as you get better.

Staying Safe

Take care of your knees. Lunges can put a strain on the knees. If you have a history of knee pain or problems with your knees, look for another exercise. Alternately, keep your feet closer together when you try a lunge. The closer your feet are together when you lunge, the shallower your lunge will be, and the less likely it is that you’ll hurt yourself.
- You could also try a reverse lunge. In this variation, instead of putting one foot forward, you put one foot behind you before dropping into the standard lunge position.
Pay attention to your body’s feedback. If your forward leg hurts, increase the angle of your knee. In other words, don’t bend as deeply or lunge as far as you have been. If you continue to experience pain or have trouble balancing yourself, try to add some support by using skiing poles or leaning against a chair or weight rack to help you maintain balance.
Don’t sacrifice proper form for speed. Many people find that one way to increase the challenge of lunges is to increase their speed. If you’re training to build endurance during climbing or skiing, for instance, increasing the pace at which you perform your jump lunges can be beneficial. If your knees twist, then you might hurt yourself. Always keep your knees, toes, and hips facing in the same direction when you are doing lunges.

Trying Variations

Do an outdoor lunge. Outdoor lunges are not only a great way to get some fresh air, but can also prepare you for the real-world conditions you might face. If your lunges are a way to prepare for climbing or cross country, you would benefit from practicing your lunges on terrain that resembles the terrain you will spend most of your time on. Find a semi-empty nature trail or hilly area where you can practice.
Lunge with weights. You could lunge with hand weights or ankle weights. Choose a weight level that is appropriate for your body type and strength level. Start slowly by adding just one pound in each hand or on each ankle, then adding weight slowly to each limb in half-pound increments. When 8 to 12 reps produces a significant strain, you’re at your maximum weighted lunge limit.
- Free weights, dumbbells, and ankle weights are available at most fitness and sporting goods stores.
Go deeper with your lunge. Depending on how deep your lunge was to start with, you might not have much room to deepen your lunge. If you do, though, you can strengthen your butt or improve your range of motion. Just make sure that you do not extend your front knee beyond the tips of your toes. Keep your shin vertical.