The Caveman’s Essential Exercises #5: Squats and Lunges
Chances are, most of your Rockheads out there have been neglecting to add squats and lunges into your workout routine. And believe me, that’s understandable. You look silly when you do them, it can feel awkward, and a lot of people don’t actually recognize the importance of squats and lunges when it comes to exercising your lower half. The fact is, most trainers agree that squats and lunges are actually among some of the best exercises that you can do! Let’s take a look at how you can better improve your technique so that you can reap the benefits of these amazing exercises!
The Squat
When it comes to your lower half, squats are a power exercise. They work out your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves all at once! So how exactly are you supposed to pull off this amazing exercise?
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keep your toes facing forward, and slowly bend your knees and lower your hips towards the floor. Be sure to keep your torso straight and pull your abs in tight as you descend. Keep your knees behind your toes as you descend. Don’t go any lower than 90 degrees. Try for 12-16 reps and watch your legs and glutes improve!
The Lunge
Like squats, lunges are a great way to work most of the muscles in your legs. This means that your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves are all engaged while you’re lunging. Advanced lunge technique is also a prerequisite for Rockheads considering a career with the Ministry of Silly Walks.
So how does one master this essential exercise? First, stand with one leg forward and one leg back (known as a split-stance), bend your knees, and lower your body into a lunge position. Be sure to keep your front knee and back knee at 90-degree angles. Keep the weight on your heels and slowly push back to starting position. Make sure not to lock your knees at the top of this move and don’t let your knee bend past your toes. As with lunges, try this exercise for 12-16 reps.
If you still have questions about how to perfect these exercises or if you just need a little more help visualizing how it’s done, take a look at this video.
Have any tips or suggestions for an essential exercise? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!