Tip Strong Legs Ready-For-Anything Knees Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Strong Legs Ready-For-Anything Knees Use these two lunge variations to build your legs AND protect your knees by Dave Bonollo September 12, 2019May 25, 2022 Tags Training Sure, some version of the squat and the deadlift should be staples of every program, but they only make you move in the sagittal (forward and backward) plane of movement. They don't require you to go from side to side. This is a huge missed opportunity for athletes and weekend warriors. No one wants a blown ACL. You want to be able to trust your knees if you need to change direction sideways playing basketball or making a cut on the football field. And you never know when you'll slip on ice or find yourself having to catch your balance when you're in an awkward position. Adding simple exercises like the lateral lunge or the goblet variation will help your knees and keep your legs more balanced. Stand with your knees and hips slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your head and chest up, take a slow side-step to the right. Keep your toes pointed forward. Keep the left foot in place and shift your weight to the right leg. Flex the right knee and hip into a lateral lunge. Keep your upper body upright or slightly bent forward. Pause at the bottom. A straight line should form between your right foot, knee, and shoulder. Push your body back to the starting position. Tip: You might not be able to get all the way down like you would with a normal squat. Cool. Go as far down as you can. Once you get a little better at it, add some weight with a kettlebell or a dumbbell. Use the same starting position and movement as the lateral lunge. Keep the weight tucked under your chin like you would for a goblet squat. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Motor Units and Mad Libs While waiting at the DMV for my moped license renewal form, I decided to kill some time with one of my favorite childhood pastimes. No, not chewing tobacco and throwing rocks at whores. I'm talking about that crazy little word game known as Mad Libs. Training Chad Waterbury September 8 Training Tip Smith Machine Dead-Stop Barbell Row This Smith machine has its uses, like with this dead-stop drop set for back. Back, Bodybuilding, Exercise Coaching, Tips John Meadows October 6 Training Tip The Truth About Pulldowns Two studies tell us the truth about grip width and whether pulling to the chest or the neck works better. Back, Bodybuilding, Tips, Training TC Luoma November 27 Training Gutting the Glute-Ham Raise The glute-ham raise sounds like a winning butt-builder. But will it even do that? Here's what the glute-ham raise is good for and what it isn't. Glutes, Legs, Training Bret Contreras December 19