Today’s video tutorial for The Fighter’s Lunge exercise is the first of several training videos I was lucky enough to shoot with south FL photographer, Ryan Loco, and figure athletes: Kate Grevey Blankenship, Deanna Avery and Stacey Schaedler.
We did the big video and photo shoot for my website and for Jaco Clothing. We shot at The Institute of Human Performance (IHP) the day before the 1st Annual Strength Cruise, which I just did a full recap of the Strength Cruise here.
Here’s one of my favorite pics we took that day. This one was just for fun:
Anyway, as you’ll see in today’s video (and the others, soon to come), Ryan Loco does amazing work, which is why many MMA magazines, Pro MMA fighters and Jaco Clothing use him as a go-to guy for film and photography.
How to do The Fighter’s Lunge!
Alright, check out this video showing you how to perform what I believe to be one of the best Lunge Variations I’ve ever devloped: the Performance U – Fighter’s Lunge!
Don’t let the name fool you – The Fighter’s Lunge isn’t just for fighters. It’s for everyone looking for a fast and super effective upgrade to their Lunge training. And, anyone looking to spice up their workout with a new lunge variation!
Quick Form Correction!
There’s one thing in the video Stacey did, which differs from the way I’d prefer the Fighters Lunge to be performed, which has to do with the positioning of the dumbbells at the bottom position of the lunge.
If you’re stepping backward with your left leg – Hold the dumbbells like this:
Notice the difference between how I’ve positioned each dumbbell. In that, my right hand is positioned in the traditional manner. But, my left hand is placed in-front of my left thigh, to set up for the knee lift (by flexing my hip) against the weight of the dumbbell.
The dumbbell should be resting at mid thigh level when you flex your hip (lift your knee up).
Of course, when you do the other leg, you’ll reverse your hand positioning with the dumbbells. DUH!
Sets & Reps!
The sets and reps we use for the fighter’s lunge are no different than any other strength training exercise.
So, if you want to build strength; go heavy ! If you want to get bigger; go a bit lighter and slower. If you want better explosiveness; explode into the weight on each rep! And, if you want a bit of everything, alternate the reps and loads you use each workout!
As I like to say, “this stuff ain’t rocket surgery!” 🙂
Don’t forget to check out my Recap of the 1st Annual STRENGTH CRUISE!