Lunge and single leg exercise
Walking Lunge
Load the legs eccentrically while moving, which is closer to how rugby actually loads them.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Sides
- One leg at a time
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- 30X0
Setup
Clear 20m of floor, dumbbells at your sides or a barbell on your back.
How to do it
- Take a long stride, keep your torso tall and lower your back knee towards the floor, then step through into the next rep rather than pushing back.
- Do 3 sets of 10 to 20m.
- A short stride shifts the load onto the knee, so err long.
Coaching cues
- Long stride, tall torso
- Step through, don't push back
- Control the descent every rep
Common mistakes
- Short stride loading the knee instead of the hip
- Trunk pitching forward as you tire
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Heavy dumbbells | 3 to 4 | 8 per leg | 2 min |
| Size | Moderate dumbbells | 3 | 10 to 20m | 90 sec |
Tempo 30X0: Take 3 seconds to lower it, no pause, lift it as fast as you can, no pause before the next rep.
Related exercises
- Step-UpBuild concentric single-leg drive for the first step off a standing start.
- Lateral LungeLoad the frontal plane: strength moving side to side, not just forwards and back.
- Copenhagen AdductionBuild eccentric adductor strength to protect the groin.
- Rear-Foot-Elevated Split SquatBuild heavy single-leg strength with almost no spinal load.
- Split SquatLearn the single-leg pattern and expose side-to-side differences.
- Back SquatBuild maximal bilateral lower-body strength, the foundation of scrum drive and contact.