trouble with lunges

[KiZa_32]

hey

ever since i started i've always had trouble with my lunges...i always seem 2 fall ova no matter what....my teacher sed 2 keep my arms out 2 keep my balence but it doesn't work....any tips on how i can do a lunge wif out falling ova....I NEED HELP!!!!

KiZa

[russiet]

I had problems with lunging when I first tried. More often than not I didn't get low enough, and when I did I toppled over.

You have to get the blade entirely off of the ice and only drag the boot.

A friend told me to stop worrying about proper form until I got it. She had me bend my leg and intentionally drag my knee. That way my blade HAD to be off the ice, I was really low AND I felt more stable.

After doing that over a few days, doing a proper lunge became easy.

Let me know if that helps you.

Jon

[cassarilda]

Are we talking drag type lunges (what Jon is talking about?)... I call lunges the thing that you call a lunge off ice... leaning weight onto one bent leg.. I think everyone else calls them hockey glides 8O :?: No idea ;)

Just wanted to clarify. :)


Piece of advice that will help in all situations? Practise the position off ice :)

[russiet]

Are we talking drag type lunges (what Jon is talking about?)... I call lunges the thing that you call a lunge off ice... leaning weight onto one bent leg.. I think everyone else calls them hockey glides 8O :?: No idea ;)

Just wanted to clarify. :)


Piece of advice that will help in all situations? Practise the position off ice :)

As quite often pointed out to me by my wife, I don't always know what I'm talking about.

I suspect she's right, but I'm in denial.

[russiet]

Is this what we're talking about?:

http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_recog/recog_g_lunge.htm


That's what I had in mind.

[cassarilda]

Oh... no, I was using you as an example.... I didnt mean "what is Jon talking about?! 8O " type thing... I was asking Kiza which lunge they meant? "lunges" as you were describing (the leg drag type) or the "lunges" as I see lunges (as you would do off ice... leaning weight onto one leg - often call hockey glide?)...



I probably didnt write that post very well.. :)

[russiet]

Nah, I understood what you were talking about.

Now my wfe, she rides horses. If I mention lunging to her, it will be something entirely different!

[dooobedooo]

Are we talking drag type lunges (what Jon is talking about?)... I call lunges the thing that you call a lunge off ice... leaning weight onto one bent leg.. I think everyone else calls them hockey glides ...

I think the thing you call "hockey glides" must be what the skating world terms a "drape". That is, similar to a half swizzle, but on a curve, with skating knee bent (on tight outside edge), and a gliding free leg extended out to the side (gliding on a loose inside edge). These are sometimes used in teaching to help improve the outside edge of the inner skating foot, in which case they are often practised on alternate feet. I've also seen them used in a spiralling movement as a precursor to hooking into an upright spin, to get a tight edge on the preceding three-turn.

"Lunges" are as per Russiet's link ie. the free foot leg extends back with the toe pointed out, the free inside ankle slides on the the ice, and the free blade does not touch the ice (Lunges are called "drags" in the UK).

There are two types of drag/lunge - one with the free hip turned out, the free leg relaxed but more or less straight, and inner ankle dragging on the ice, with toe slightly pointed; for the second type the free hip is closed, free knee is bent at right-angles, and the free knee and free toe drag on the ice. Personally, I prefer the look of the former, which is more of a classic drag/lunge.

Regarding original question, you need to be fit to do a good lunge - practice it off-ice in front of a mirror, and also after each practice, to get a really good stretch. You need to keep your hips forward, and you can check your position in a mirror. You also need to be able to do a really good forward glide, with your weight on the heel of the skating foot. You may need to flex your free foot ankle inwards, in order to glide on inner ankle without the blade catching.

[SkatingOnClouds]

Despite my age and size I can get down into a lunge without too much trouble, but getting up again I always catch my blade.

The neatest way I can get up is to do the 3turn arms to turn me around, and that automatically catches my blade to bring me up to standing again. Which is not what I want to happen.

Any hints on the best way to get up again?

[VegasGirl]

Strengthen your tigh muscles since that's what's getting you back up!
Just practice lunges off ice making sure to push yourself straight up on the standing foot.

Really getting up from a lunge is just the reverse of getting down into it...

[Isk8NYC]

For tipping lunges, start by keeping one arm on each side of the SKATING foot. So, if you lunge with your right foot behind you, your chin should be over your LEFT knee and your arms should be on either side of the LEFT foot.

The "dragging" foot does NOT go out to the side - it should be BEHIND you. Don't use the blade - use the side of the boot, which means you MUST bend your skating knee more deeply than ever.

Any hints on the best way to get up again? Try to lift your "dragging" foot before you start the push-up, so your weight shifts to the skating foot, where it belongs. (Actually, your weight should be on the skating foot/leg throughout the maneuver.) If you're really struggling, use your hands to push up off your skating knee carefully.

[doubletoe]

By the way, this would probably be a good time to tape the side of the trailing boot, before it gets too torn up from dragging on the ice! ;)

[sunshinepointe]

Here's a question about lunges -

I'm pretty flexible and when I do lunges I go pretty far down - but someone told me that this is not correct, that the leg should be at a 90 degree angle - mine is much deeper than that. Should I not go down as far?

[crayonskater]

To keep the back leg from catching on a lunge, here's what worked for me:

Think of the lunge entry as like a basic spiral entry. On a spiral, you'd have the wait off your back foot because you were lifting it up. On the lunge, think of 'lifting and setting back' the foot rather than pushing forward. Off-ice, think of it as sinking and stepping back.

If you're having problems getting up out of it, it's due to weak hip flexors and butt muscles. Off-ice lunging practice will help, or squats if you do weight lifting.

[BatikatII]

By the way, this would probably be a good time to tape the side of the trailing boot, before it gets too torn up from dragging on the ice! ;)

A very good idea. I didn't and I love doing lunges so ended up wearing the leather almost right the way through on the side of the boot - it turns pink! - and wearing away a lot of the side of the leather sole too.

The key to getting back up is practice - on and off ice. I never thought I'd be able to do a lunge when I started but now they are a favourite move. In my version I often do a lunge then an inside 3 in lunge position to bring the back of the blade around and spin back to upright.

[VegasGirl]

In my version I often do a lunge then an inside 3 in lunge position to bring the back of the blade around and spin back to upright.

That is one of my favorite moves and since mastering it I've used it in a couple of programs. In my FS1 Artistic I come out of a 1/2 flip-toe loop combination connect with a couple of forward crossovers and then go into the forward-backward lunge which is followed by a waltz jump. In my FS1 Spotlight (the one with the inflatable horse costume if you've looked at my photos) I come out of a mohawk-1/2 flip-1/2 flip combination connect with a couple of crossovers, go into the forward-backward lunge followed by a couple more crossovers and into a spiral.

[KiZa_32]

hey everyone

just wanted 2 say thanks 2 every who posted in the thread it helped me alot and was able 2 do a lunge finally!!!!!:lol:

THANKS A HEAP!!!!!

[doubletoe]

hey everyone

just wanted 2 say thanks 2 every who posted in the thread it helped me alot and was able 2 do a lunge finally!!!!!:lol:

THANKS A HEAP!!!!!


Yay!!! Now I hope you've taped your boot to keep all the leather from getting scraped off! ;)

[VegasGirl]

Yeah, congrats!

[SpiralSweetie09]

when i first started doing a lunge, my knee popped out! I was a little afraid to do one after that, But I found out really bending my knee helped me with my balance. Other than that, just keep practicing, thats what i do whenever i cant do something right. It helps a lot, because when you finally nail it, you feel great, and you start to think, "I can't believe I could never do that before."
-Lauren

[KiZa_32]

Yay!!! Now I hope you've taped your boot to keep all the leather from getting scraped off! ;)


i didn't tape it up but i bought some boot covers which have helped keep them nice and white

[Skittl1321]

A very good idea. I didn't and I love doing lunges so ended up wearing the leather almost right the way through on the side of the boot - it turns pink! - and wearing away a lot of the side of the leather sole too.



So if I'm wearing away more of the side of the sole, and not so much of the boot- am I not doing my lunge right? We don't do ours with a bent leg, and the instructor has been more insistant on upper body, than really talking about the lower body.

[BatikatII]

Depends how low you get with a straight leg. My back leg is straight but it is the whole side of the boot that goes on the ice - so foot is sort of twisted so it's flat to the ice sideways on:?? The edge of the sole does get rubbed off up to the edge of the blade. My front knee is bent at >90 degree angle and then of course I do a twizzle round thing to get up from there and that rubs more off!8O

If you ever want to do a backwards lunge then you do need to be able to get your boot flat or you risk catching the blade edge and that is not good! - as you will fall! For a back lunge I 'think' about getting my knee to the ice (althought that is not what I actually do) as that seems to ensure that my boot hits the ice on the side and not the blade.

[Skate@Delaware]

Make sure you are really warmed up before attempting lunges. Once you are, do some lunging over at the boards first, just to get the knees good and limber.

When you go down, remember to keep your chin up, shoulders squeezed back, back arched! It will be uncomfortable, but that's when it's good! Your body should feel as it does when you are going into a spiral-with tension.

Get some speed up (not too fast if you are just learning, but enough for some momentum). Get a good straight flat line going then put your arms out to the side, extend your free leg directly behind you (you almost push it back). You want to make sure that your foot is flexed so your boot will drag flat. Push your skating leg through the heel and bend down while keeping your upper body upright and back arched. Keep that back leg straight. You want to really keep the muscles in your back leg tight enough to maintain some tension (I always tighten up more on the inner thigh muscles). When you are ready to come upright, push through the inner thigh of the dragging leg while really pushing through the heel of the skating leg. For ISI, you are taught to lift up the dragging leg and lift up on the skating leg only 8O which is harder.

Some people can do 3-turns while down and go backwards. It's cool to watch. A good lunge is a beautiful thing!!!!!

[sk8_4fun]

A very good idea. I didn't and I love doing lunges so ended up wearing the leather almost right the way through on the side of the boot - it turns pink! - and wearing away a lot of the side of the leather sole too.


I must be doing it right then- I went right through my boot covers!

[Skate@Delaware]

Some of the girls at my rink use either skate tape or the white electrical tape; while others use boot covers or over-the-boot tights. I don't bother since I don't lunge very often. If you go through boots (as in outgrow them) then it's really not an issue. Some people don't mind scarring up their boots...it's sort of like wearing battle scars 8-)

[black]

By the way, this would probably be a good time to tape the side of the trailing boot, before it gets too torn up from dragging on the ice! ;)

Definitely; its fine if they have just cut the ice, but after that it will quickly tear into the leather. I use several layers of 2" electical/gaffer/duct tape to cover the side of boot which is much tougher than boot covers.

Tip: Get two different colours of tape: one the colour of your skate and the other a contrasting colour. Put the contrasting colour tape on first and then several layers of the boot colour tape over the top. That way you can easily tell when you've worn down to the last layer.