<--- Lunge retarded

[Tweak]

Okay, so on Mondays I have a killer leg circuit of:

-Walking lunges (12-15 per leg)
-static lunges (12-15)
-Squats holding a plate (12-15)

Three times through in a row.

Soooooo here's my question.

I do my static lunges with my right leg first and it feels totally normal and I feel a good burn. But when I do my left leg ones, my right leg fricking BURNS in through my quad and my calf-- the the point where it almost hurts. That does NOT happen to my left leg when I'm doing right-legged static lunges.

So what am I doing wrong? I appear to be going just as deep no matter which leg I'm on, my ankle/knee alignment is fine... is my stance too far apart or something? Am I doing these wrong? I think I keep most of my weight in through my heel on the leg that's forward.

[Killer]

Do you have any muscle imbalance or tightness issues? How is the wear pattern on both of your shoes? Any chance one leg is longer than the other?

[Pixie]

What happens if you change the order of doing them? Like starting with your left leg, rather than your usual right. I know some exercises, like 4-way hip, there seems to be a difference in "pain" in the legs simply because you chose to do the first leg first.

[Tweak]

Originally Posted by Killer

Do you have any muscle imbalance or tightness issues? How is the wear pattern on both of your shoes? Any chance one leg is longer than the other?

Shoes are new, and I think my legs are the same length. I guess I've never measured! lol My right leg is a lot stronger than my left leg, so that's another reason why I'm confused by it.

Originally Posted by Pixie

What happens if you change the order of doing them? Like starting with your left leg, rather than your usual right. I know some exercises, like 4-way hip, there seems to be a difference in "pain" in the legs simply because you chose to do the first leg first.

PIxie, I've tried it but the same thing happens. I'm wondering if maybe I'm pushing up on the ball of my right foot when it's behind me. I don't think that you're supposed to let much BW be on that but maybe my balance is so bad that it just instinctually happens.

[Pixie]

Could simply be that your right is stronger than your left, as you say. Although the exercise looks similar throughout and on both sides, you can find small compensations that allow your stronger side to overcome/overpower your weaker side (unless there's an unknown injury involved in this).

I think until you can pin point the exact cause of this, you should choose one form of lunges and see if the "pain" changes. You know? Make sure that you're stronger right isn't doing the work for your weaker left and then start another form of lunges.

[Tweak]

Originally Posted by Pixie

Could simply be that your right is stronger than your left, as you say. Although the exercise looks similar throughout and on both sides, you can find small compensations that allow your stronger side to overcome/overpower your weaker side.

I think until you can pin point the exact cause of this, you should choose one form of lunges and see if the "pain" changes. You know? Make sure that you're stronger right isn't doing the work for your weaker left and then start another form of lunges.

If you look at my progress pics I posted yesterday, my right and left thighs are shaped differently from the front. I think that my right leg might have more muscle than the left.


The walking lunges don't seem to produce the same phenomenon. I don't get it. I'm broken.

[Pixie]

I cheat like crazy on lunges... let me start there. LOL. I know that my balance with my left foot is horrific, so I push sideways, forward... anything to help myself come up right, and make it look relatively normal. I'm pretty good with the perception. LOL. So, I have to work REALLY hard to not allow myself to cheat. I can do lunges in place and be totally fine, but when I start walking or those dang circles one, I fall over if I don't cheat.

That being said, I'd find the one that works better and use it. The one where there isn't pain and you know your form is spot on. If the static ones get to a point of pain, I'd stay away from them, period. Pain is your body's signal that something isn't right... note: pain, not discomfort.

I saw your progress pictures, but I guess I didn't look hard enough at your thigh differences. I'll check it out again. Ever do anything to that left leg, particularly the knee, thigh, hip area that might have caused this difference? Think long ago even.

[Tweak]

Originally Posted by Pixie

I cheat like crazy on lunges... let me start there. LOL. I know that my balance with my left foot is horrific, so I push sideways, forward... anything to help myself come up right, and make it look relatively normal. I'm pretty good with the perception. LOL. So, I have to work REALLY hard to not allow myself to cheat. I can do lunges in place and be totally fine, but when I start walking or those dang circles one, I fall over if I don't cheat.

That being said, I'd find the one that works better and use it. The one where there isn't pain and you know your form is spot on. If the static ones get to a point of pain, I'd stay away from them, period. Pain is your body's signal that something isn't right... note: pain, not discomfort.

I saw your progress pictures, but I guess I didn't look hard enough at your thigh differences. I'll check it out again. Ever do anything to that left leg, particularly the knee, thigh, hip area that might have caused this difference? Think long ago even.

Yep. I was a breast stroker in college (insert dirty jokes here) for swimming and my kick form was totally off. I ended up kinda screwing up my left knee to the point where I had to stop being a breast stroke sprinter and switch to distance. So it's possible it's an issue related to that.

also at your lunge-cheats... I think we all must do something like that. I think that my walking lunges are ridiculous because I wobble a lot. I probably step too far forward. I should just start crab walking up and down the aisle with a plate balanced on my stomach.

[Pixie]

LOL... I'm a really sneaky cheater.

I would say that your swimming probably did play a part if your knee got messed up. Because of the knee difference, which most likely equates to a muscle difference, you're probably compensating (like how I cheat) and you can't tell. For that reason, I'd stick with the ones that don't cause the problem... at least for now. If there's a point where you want to try them again, go for it to see if the problem is still there. If not, look, you have a new exercise. If the problem is still present, keep working the other lunges and other exercises to bring up the leg strength on that left leg.

Hope this helps...

[trivial]

My right leg and right arm are my weakest, lunges are horrible when I work my right side. I think it comes from years of holding kids on my left so my right arm was free to do tasks. Not helpful, lol. Just typing at random here.

[Tweak]

No, Triv, that's totally relevant to what we're talking about. I think dominant sides play a huge part for reasons X Y Z for most of us.

[J. Adams]

I hate the days after Lunge circuits. I can't seem to find a comfortable seating position.

[Mrs Croft]

tap tap tap...hmmm didn't t-cake tell you to change this set??? She misunderstood what is done. There is NO static lunges. The reason I don't do static lunges is exactly what you have state..first leg all good..second leg is a pain as the first leg is still bitchin

I do this in a large area so you have room to do the full double lunges in one direction..then singles back to start..then squats

goes like this

12 (each leg) double walking lunges
12 (each leg) single walking lunges
12 squats

so you never to more that two lunges on one leg in a row. I find it MUCH kinder on the knees and it still hurts the next day BUT you can give each leg equal attention

[Killer]

Many times the leg that has some flexibility issues will be screaming when it is the back leg.

In general, I like walking lunges the best out of all the lunges as it seems to be the most natural movement and causes less issues. Dynamic lunges seem to be the worse. And with a walking lunge you can really drive off the lead leg, making sure that it is doing most of the work.

[GTLifter]

My knees/ankles always hurt when I try to do lunges.