Heavy walking lunges

[Manofsteel319]

I have seen other people at the gym doing walking lunges with 20 lb dbells. I use the EZcurl bar and have a total of 145 on there and put it on my shoulders. I'm not saying I'm super strong or anything but if other people are only using the 20 lb dbells are they really not working?

After I do my lunges I'm tight sore and I love it. People make way for me when I'm doing them obviously because they have to but I get stares. I sweat and I'm very concentrated and focused.

When I do lunges I don't stop, I don't bring my feet as to me standing I go straight to the other lunge without stopping thinking that works better. Usually lunges are right before the end of my leg workouts and I feel they are amazing but I never see others using any weight with it or even really doing it at all.

Do I know something they do not?

[stuward]

Do I know something they do not?

Yes, you know that exercise has to be challenging to be effective. Most people think that going through the motions is good enough.

[Manofsteel319]

Hmmm haven't really thought of it like that I just assumed that was common sense. No wonder people look at me like I'm crazy. I get the same thing when I dead lift I have only seen two other people not including my workout partners ever do dead lifts at my gym. That's crazy.

What makes me laugh is the people doing leg presses like they're awesome. LOL They just keep adding on plates like they're big or strong or something but you don't see them deadlifting or doing heavy lunges.

In the words of my workout partner who had to quit during lunges last week cause he couldn't take it " You are the most intense hardest working person I know" I took that as a compliment.

[Chris_A]

Everyone is different. The amount of weight each person can handle varies. Not to mention many people are a bit weary of lunges as it can be a bit awkward when you first start. As such, some people may use less weight.

Think about your Deadlift totals. Now think about typical powerlifting competition totals that are 800lbs or better. I don’t think a powerlifter would tell you that your weight isn’t good work…..it is for YOU. But that weight is too light for them other than a warm-up.

To do 145lb lunges is pretty good, especially depending on how far you go. The last time I did walking lunges it was with 55lb DBs and I walked around my house once. Thought I was gonna die. Maybe I should get a smaller house.

Ronnie Coleman does 185lb lunges with an O-Bar in the parking lot. He walks the whole length of the lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EpattQUwyM

Darrell Hobson does single lunges with 585lbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Uk_vEw1zw

Here’s a guy that might be Stuward! He does lunges up and down his yard with a 200lb log on his shoulders, and then finishes the walk (no pause) with a set of 15 squats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM0vTeV-wls

[stuward]

Thanks for the idea Chris.

[Stephen Johnson]

I have seen other people at the gym doing walking lunges with 20 lb dbells. I use the EZcurl bar and have a total of 145 on there and put it on my shoulders. I'm not saying I'm super strong or anything but if other people are only using the 20 lb dbells are they really not working?

The overwhelming majority of people (at least at my gym) who do walking lunges are women. They're sold on it as a hip/thigh toner. I don't expect to see many women do walking lunges carrying a 145 pound barbell.

Because of the movement, walking lunges are a precarious choice for a hypertrophy exercise. They work better as either a warm-up or a finishing exercise.

[KPj]

When I do lunges I don't stop, I don't bring my feet as to me standing I go straight to the other lunge without stopping thinking that works better. Usually lunges are right before the end of my leg workouts and I feel they are amazing but I never see others using any weight with it or even really doing it at all.

Do I know something they do not?

This is how I do walking lunges, too (without stopping). That's how they're supposed to be done, it adds a different element to the exercise, in the sense that if your doing them correctly, if feels like your thighs are going to burst through the skin!

I hear what your saying. Lunges are one of the most butchered exercises you will see being performed in a commercial gym. They're amazing though, and they take a lot out of you.

Due to a knee injury, i've not done any bilateral exercises for about 2 months, but still gained a few pounds and all I did in my lower body days were pistols and lunges... Not walking lunges, as you normally need to progress to them if you have knee pain, mostly reverse lunges.

KPj

[TimD]

Hey MOS, you want to get crazy, grab a 75 ;b DB, hold it over your head, and do walking lunges. BTW, lunges with the bar overhead or on the front of the shoulders used to be staples for OL types before the squat technique caught on.Most good heavyweights (back then that meant over 220) could do 4-5 hundered lbs that way
Tim

[pdellorto]

Yeah, "Waiter Walks." Hard stuff, haven't done them in a while. I've also seen a workout somewhere that was doing X reps or X meters of walking lunges with a pair of dumbbells, then stopping for 10 reps of clean-and-pressing, then repeat repeatedly. Do it for time, distance, total reps, whatever...sounds like it starts easy and gets brutally hard. Good strength-endurance builder.

[pdellorto]

Technique question - is it bad form to touch your knee down when you do walking lunges (or any other lunges)?

I often do, especially on high-rep walking lunges when I just can't touch-and-go or come-close-and-go. I'm assuming it reduces "time under tension" but otherwise it's not a problem. I'm not talking about dropping forcefully, just lowering until you touch and de-weight before tensing back up and going again.

[KPj]

Technique question - is it bad form to touch your knee down when you do walking lunges (or any other lunges)?

I often do, especially on high-rep walking lunges when I just can't touch-and-go or come-close-and-go. I'm assuming it reduces "time under tension" but otherwise it's not a problem. I'm not talking about dropping forcefully, just lowering until you touch and de-weight before tensing back up and going again.

I wouldn't advise 'de-weighting' at the bottom. Not that i'm saying it's hugely dangerous, just unnecessary stress on the knee joint. It's fine to gently touch the floor. Recommendations say to either gently touch or stop just above the floor... I like to gently touch to make sure form is super strict...

KPj

[Manofsteel319]

I'll tell you guys something. When I do my lunges I take long steps. I feel it everywhere in my leg really in my glutes and hamstring along with the calves.

I wanted to make a variation of the walking lunges but my crazy self can't even do what I'd like to!

Normal lunges you step forward knee down then come up using forward quads calves and back legs calve if I'm not mistaken but you keep your feet relatively flat.

What a killer workout would be is if every time your coming up from having a knee down the front leg not only pulls the weight up but does a calf extension too! I tried it only only was able to do two steps before not being able to continue. Balance is key but it would be an AMAZING workout. Now that to me would be a great overall workout with a focus on the calves. Opinions?

[Manofsteel319]

Also Tim would that be holding the d-bell overhead with both arms? I hope so. If thats the case I'll do that next week and see how that feels. I'm thinking it will hit the triceps and delts just holding the weight there.
Good stuff.

[stuward]

Also Tim would that be holding the d-bell overhead with both arms? I hope so. If thats the case I'll do that next week and see how that feels. I'm thinking it will hit the triceps and delts just holding the weight there.
Good stuff.

Part of the value of this variation is holding an unbalanced weight. Hold it in one hand for one set, and switch hands the next one. You will feel like you have never worked your obliques before.

[Manofsteel319]

If that's the case then I'm not sure I'd be able to do it! 75 lbs lopsided would be tough as hell. I'll try it though next week with 65 lbs then 70 then 75 and see how it goes.