incorporating dumbbell lunges

[tarun]

Any ideas on sets/reps? I'll be using it as an assistance exercise.

[lovestolift]

What is your current program?

[tarun]

I'm on Starting Strength 3x5, with some assistance exercises like reverse crunch, prone bridge, farmer walks (once a week), turkish getups (once a week), and I'm hoping to add in lunges.

[bkklift]

Don't overthink it, do 3x10 or 4x8 if you want to go a bit heavier.

I prefer barbell lunges, the higher position of the weight means more stability control is needed.

If lunges are hard on your knees, consider reverse lunges. Do them off a platform for an extra treat

[lovestolift]

More importantly, why do you need them? Are they addressing a specific problem?

[tarun]

More importantly, why do you need them? Are they addressing a specific problem?

Yes, glute activation and hamstring strength.

[lovestolift]

You feel you aren't getting these through squats, deadlifts and power cleans?

[tarun]

You feel you aren't getting these through squats, deadlifts and power cleans?

I'm high bar squatting which takes emphasis off of my hamstrings (compared to the low bar that is). And I'm having an issue with my high bar where when I'm coming out of the hole (ass to grass), my butt seems to shoot up first and then my upper body is having to play catch-up. I think I need to work on more glute activation (past like supine bridges and other bodyweight glute activation exercises)

[lovestolift]

I'm high bar squatting which takes emphasis off of my hamstrings (compared to the low bar that is). And I'm having an issue with my high bar where when I'm coming out of the hole (ass to grass), my butt seems to shoot up first and then my upper body is having to play catch-up. I think I need to work on more glute activation (past like supine bridges and other bodyweight glute activation exercises)

Wouldn't it be more efficient to just switch back to low bar squats, rather than add superfluous exercises to Rip's program? (Indeed rendering it not his program at that point). I would point out that if your butt shoots up first, then you probably don't have a glute activation problem. That's probably hip drive - a remainder from when you used low bar squats (I believe you did before).

[tarun]

I'm high bar squatting which takes emphasis off of my hamstrings (compared to the low bar that is). And I'm having an issue with my high bar where when I'm coming out of the hole (ass to grass), my butt seems to shoot up first and then my upper body is having to play catch-up. I think I need to work on more glute activation (past like supine bridges and other bodyweight glute activation exercises)

Wouldn't it be more efficient to just switch back to low bar squats, rather than add superfluous exercises to Rip's program? (Indeed rendering it not his program at that point). I would point out that if your butt shoots up first, then you probably don't have a glute activation problem. That's probably hip drive - a remainder from when you used low bar squats (I believe you did before).

You are probably correct. It seems to happen at my heavy worksets and not in any of my warmup sets. Hmmm.

[jwhal]

Interesting article:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/dispelling_the_glute_myth?utm_source=weekly_dose&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tmuscle

-Jon

[muddy]

Great article, thanks for passing that along.

[RobCosimo]

I'm surprised I haven't seen the barbell thrust before.

[tarun]

Interesting article:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/dispelling_the_glute_myth?utm_source=weekly_dose&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tmuscle

-Jon

thank you Jon... maybe I'll do that instead of lunges. hmm.

[jwhal]

No problem. I originally found it elsewhere last week, but then saw that it was posted on another thread here just after I submitted my post.

I too have recently begun incorporating some of those exercises (ala Mehdi's mobility articles) into my evening schedule. I've had to lay off Stronglifts due to my lower back. Some of the exercises are the same as what a PT suggested I do, so this article is a goldmine for me.

I've been anxious to get to it.

Jon