Focus: Glutes, Quads
Secondary Focus: Cardio
Equipment: Barre
Coaching & Options:
Upright Lunge: Set up facing the barre about forearms distance away or a little less. Find the barre with an overhand grip. From feet parallel and under the hips, step on leg back long. From this split stance, bend both knees, bringing the front knee over the front ankle and the back knee under the back hip, Maintain an upright posture, and drive through the front heel to stand. This move is usually accessible for most members once they are coached to use correct form, but if they have knee issues or need another option you can coach them to work a squat or a split squat.
Knee Lift with Rotation / Upright Lunge: From the bottom of the lunge, draw the back knee forward. Bring the toe to the opposite knee as you drive the knee toward the barre. As you bring the knee forward, reach the same arm back, rotating through the torso. Exhale as you drive the knee and rotate and inhale as you return to the upright lunge.
Heel Lift: From the bottom of the lunge, lift and lower the front heel. Come to the ball of the foot as you intensify the work in the front quad. If the heel lift is too much, coach your members to find an isometric hold on the lunge.
Reverse Lunge Combo: Alternate sides, stepping back into the same long lunge that was used in the previous two blocks of work.
Reverse Lunge Pulse with Cross: We progress the reverse lunge by adding a cross back. Step back into a long lunge and cross the back leg toward the midline. Bring the back leg back to hip distance parallel and return to standing. Focus on stabilizing through the front knee as you cross the leg, keeping both hips square to the barre.
Reverse Lunge Pulse with Cross / Back Extension: We progress the previous combination by lifting the back leg as you stand and diving over the barre. Be sure to hinge forward as you lift and brace through the core to protect the lower back.
