The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (32 page)

FAQ:

Isn’t the lunge nothing more than a fancy second-rate exercise?

ANSWER:

When done correctly, lunges are actually one of the best leg exercises you can do to both build and strengthen the entirety of your leg muscles.

FAQ:

If squats can be dangerous, what about lunges?

ANSWER:

Any exercise can be dangerous if you don’t pay attention to proper form, anatomical alignment, and exercise technique. with squats, because both feet are planted on the ground, both areas of the lower back become vulnerable. Also, because the lower back muscles (Errector Spinae) are working to hold your lumbar curve, they can become considerably exhausted during the exercise.

Lunges, on the other hand, work one leg at a time. This independent work also affects the lower back muscles-but differently than the squat. In other words, while one leg is working, the other side of your body is actually being guarded from exhaustion. Remember, muscular endurance is just how long a muscle can endure under tension. With squats, it’s all or nothing. With lunges, you can pace yourself.

Lunges also really emphasize the negative (lengthening) phase of the exercise. The range of motion required to perform a lunge correctly is also usually much greater than with squats. Make sure to step in slowly with the lunge; going too quickly can be very dangerous to your lower back, knees, and many other areas of the body.

Leg Press

The leg press machine is a great exercise for all of the leg muscles. It can be used in place of the traditional barbell squat or to supplement your leg routine. If you are in a rush to get through your workout, this would be an opportune time to use the leg press exercise over the squat, due to the decreased set up time for the leg press exercise.

There are two ways to perform this exercise: One leg at a time or both legs at the same time. In this book we will discuss the more common two-legged version. However, the execution for the exercise remains the same for both versions. The leg press can also be performed on a plate-loaded machine. Note: Please make sure not to attempt to use very heavy weights if you decide to try the one-legged version of the exercise.

PROPER ALIGNMENT

Sit on the machine with your back on the padded support and align your feet evenly on the platform. The height placement of your feet on the platform will zone in on different areas of the quadriceps. The higher your foot placement on the platform the less intense the quad contraction and the less knee involvement.

The lower your foot placement on the platform, the more intense the quad contraction will be; but you will put a lot of stress and shear force on the knees.

Make sure that your back and head are kept flush against the back pad and that you are seated securely in the seat.

Take hold of the release lever handles and disengage the lock pins.

TECHNIQUE & FORM

Immediately take hold of the secured handles, which are usually located to the sides of you. If the handles are placed in an awkward position, you can also take hold of the seat edge. This can help take some stress off the lower back.

With the feet spaced evenly apart and flat upon the platform, slowly lower the sled towards you.

Once again, do not grip the handles too tightly.

Let the sled come down to a point just before your thighs would touch your chest. Depending on your condition, you might not want to bring the sled this low. Monitor your individual situation. Too many trainees don’t allow the sled to go deep enough to sustain any type of quad muscle involvement, and they’ll pack on the weights. Lighten the weight and tone!

When you have reached the bottom portion of the exercise, return back to the starting position by slowly pushing the platform evenly with both feet. Do not lock your knees! This could injure your knees and will also take the resistance off of the quads, distributing it directly to the knee joints.

FAQ:

If I have a lower back injury, is the leg press a good choice for a leg exercise? I assume this is the case because it’s a seated exercise
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