|  Lunging for Success One auxiliary exercise that BFS has always promoted is the lunge, and we are always pleased to see research studies that reinforce our endorsement. Among the many benefits of the lunge is that it helps to decrease patellofemoral pain, also known as runner’s knee. A recent study from the University of Plymouth, England, found that a lunge variation called the split squat (in which the trainee simply drops their hips straight down rather than lunging forward) helps decrease pain by correcting muscle imbalances between the vastus medialis oblique and the vastus lateralis, thus increasing knee stability. For more details, here is the reference: Irish, S., Millward, A., Wride, J., Haas, B., Shum, G. The effect of closed-kinetic chain exercises and open-kinetic chain exercise on the muscle activity of vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning. 2010. 24(5):1256-1262. Related BFS Products: BFS Dumbbells, Kettle Bells, Bars and Collars Learn More about setting goals and breaking records with the BFS Total Program! |