Lunges are a key exercise for runners because they are a unilateral movement - ie. one leg is dominant and so replicates the running gait.
When we run, we use just one limb at a time to continuously propel ourselves forward, which requires strength, balance, stability and coordination. So, the more unilateral exercises we can include in our strength workouts, the stronger and more stable we will be when we run.
'With lunges, the front leg does most of the work and the back leg is used mainly for balance and control,' explains Graeme Woodward, a UK Athletics Level 3 performance coach, UKSCA accredited S&C coach and We Run coach for West Yorkshire. 'The muscle action involved in lunges is also eccentric in nature, which is like running downhill, and the front leg can be loaded to a similar intensity as when doing squats but with lower loads. By lunging to depth, the runner can also develop strength across an increased range of motion, which helps with flexibility and injury risk reduction.'
Sets/reps: Two sets of 10-15 lunges.
Sets/reps: Two sets of 10-15 lunges.