Lateral Lunge with Front Rack Resistance

Front Rack Lateral Lunge and Progressions:

1. Ask the client or patient to carry the resistance in Front Rack Position.
2. Have the client or patient take a lateral step.
   • Note, before performing any progression of a lateral lunge, it is recommended a few reps of a static or dynamic lunge are performed to determine the step width that results in ideal alignment in the bottom position.
3. Cue the client or patient to maintain the tibia and torso angle parallel.
4. Once the client or patient has achieved the bottom position, have them perform the drawing-in maneuver, squeeze the glute of the target leg, and attempt to thrust that hip forward to attain the original standing position.
5. Have the client or patient perform a “form/posture check” and make any necessary adjustments.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Regressions and Progressions

• In Sequence: This exercise can be performed as a static lateral lunge with front rack resistance, a dynamic lateral lunge, and then a dynamic lateral lunge to balance.
• Progressions: Increasing load, bilateral to unilateral, and the addition of unstable surfaces are appropriate progressions (depending on the patient/client's goal and the current phase of training).
• Favorite Mini-progression: The lunge can be initially performed by having the patient/client return the foot of the non-target leg to the starting position. However, the exercise is much more challenging when the patient/client is cued to not permit the non-target leg to touchdown at the starting position, and instead, the non-target leg performs "triple flexion" at the end of the concentric phase, and the repetition ends as a single-leg balance. In this progression, the contralateral leg does not return to the starting position until the end of the set, so the glute complex of the target leg and balance is continually challenged.