Lunge and Lift

on January 25, 2010
in All Posts

It’s still so rainy outside.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it clears up!

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I get nervous about biking in rain or through puddles!  The last thing I need is a crash – whether it’s in the car or on the bike.

 

Lunch was leftovers:

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I cooked 1/2 cup (measured dry) bulgur and doused it in low-sodium soy sauce.  On the side, I had baked tofu, carrots, and parsnips (from Friday… Twitter friends assured me that 3-day old veggies were safe).

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The Lunge and Lift

 

I wanted to share with you my favorite move from the Intro to Iron Pumping Challenge so far… the Lunge and Lift from Gina.

 

I did 3 sets of 12 reps (for each side) yesterday, and my butt BURNS today!  To do the intro level move, you simply drop into a lunge:

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And then you straighten up, lifting your back leg as you go.  Squeeze your butt!

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(Excuse my personal messiness and pajamas… I work from home.)

 

Gina has a cute video with tons of modifications of this move, including ways you can make it harder.  Why you would want to do that, I have no idea.

 

What’s your favorite strength training move?

{ 81 comments }

 

  • JAG January 25, 2010, 12:08 pm

    My favourite strength training move is either walking lunges or squats & deadlifts with a barbell.

  • Jessica @ How Sweet January 25, 2010, 12:10 pm

    I love squats with an overhead press using the stability ball, supersetted with a wall sit and hamstring curl on ball..killa!

  • Lindsay @ cookingforaveganlover.wordpress.com January 25, 2010, 12:11 pm

    messinesss? i don’t see any mess!

    • caitlin January 25, 2010, 12:12 pm

      haha i meant my personal messiness. ie my pajamas and dirty hair.

  • Angela (Oh She Glows) January 25, 2010, 12:11 pm

    Messy?! I was thinking…her place looks so cute and tidy! lol.

    I love that move too…I should try it again.

  • Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story January 25, 2010, 12:15 pm

    You excuse for messiness and I see none? You and your home are perfectly un-messy! 🙂

    That looks like a great move!

  • Molly @vegandorm January 25, 2010, 12:22 pm

    My coach says a key strengthening move for running is single-leg squats. Prop up one foot on a chair or something behind you, and sink down, kind of like you’re doing a lunge but with your booty moving like you’re sitting in a chair. Hurts so good!

  • Denise (the apple hill adventurer) January 25, 2010, 12:24 pm

    hey there! its my first time to your blog, and i like it!!
    I love yoga for strength training … i cant stand doing free weights!

  • Gen January 25, 2010, 12:25 pm

    Hi Caitlin,

    I was wondering if you (or any of your readers) can help me–I am going to a “potluck” dinner party and I am pretty much a pescatarian (seafood only, i.e., no ground animals)–the main dish will be some sort of beef/chicken/lamb dish, so I want to bring a vegatarian dish (preferably with a protein, but not sure how receptive this particular crew would be to tofu or beans)–do you or anyone else have a good potluck dinner-worthy recipe that I could get some ideas from?

    Thanks so much and thanks for such a great blog!

    Gen

    • caitlin January 25, 2010, 12:28 pm

      Hi Gen!

      I’m interested to see what others suggest, too!

      I really like this Santa Fe Casserole. http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/2008/10/time-to-par-tay-and-santa-fe-casserole.html It is a good main dish or a side dish for your meat-eating friends.

      • Jessica January 25, 2010, 1:01 pm

        or try catlins corn casserole…..its the sneaky tofu way.

      • Holly January 25, 2010, 8:44 pm

        I made the Santa Far Casserole for dinner tonight- It’s absolutely wonderful with salsa over the top! I think it will be included over greens for lunch tomorrow :o)

        When looking for healthful, tasty recipes my guy will like I always immediately consult HTP and Carrots ‘n Cake. Thanks Caitlin!

        • Caitlin January 25, 2010, 9:16 pm

          YAY i’m glad you liked it! it’s so easy too.

  • Madeline @ greensandjeans January 25, 2010, 12:25 pm

    I love doing crunches with weights and doing pressouts when I crunch up!

  • Karen January 25, 2010, 12:27 pm

    My favorite strength training move is push-ups. I feel so strong when I complete my sets and never would have thought I’d be able to do them! I also like push-ups because I saw progress quickly when building up my reps and ability to go down lower.

  • Heather (Heather's Dish) January 25, 2010, 12:29 pm

    i’m a huge fan of lunges, but love any shoulder move as well! my hope is to have gorgeous, toned shoulders at all times 🙂

  • The Hot and Fit January 25, 2010, 12:30 pm

    That’s such a hard question. I think squats and push ups are awesome equipment free exercises that work almost EVERYTHING. At the moment I love the Prone Hip Extension. I can definitely feel it the next day1

  • Alisha January 25, 2010, 12:31 pm

    Honestly, I’ve really been enjoying doing OhSheGlows Whittle my Middle program. I love doing planks and the jack knife plank – they are so simple, yet very challenging. I very proud to be able to hold my planks for well over a minute 🙂

  • Tay January 25, 2010, 12:31 pm

    Cinnamon is BY FAR my favorite. I go through a container at least every other month!

  • Kelly January 25, 2010, 12:31 pm

    My favorite strength training move is also lunges! I love feeling the burn in my butt the next day! SO good!!

  • Tay January 25, 2010, 12:32 pm

    And then I realize I clicked on the wrong post to leave my comment because I’m an idiot 🙁 Whoopsie!! But my favorite strength move is the basic squat. Effective, and I love to see my muscles in the mirror 😉

  • Christie @ Honoring Health January 25, 2010, 12:34 pm

    Since I do yoga, I will say half moon, headstand or wheel pose. All my favorites!

  • Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers January 25, 2010, 12:37 pm

    my fav strength training move is the lateral shoulder raise! it feels like it works the whole arm. a move i hate??? squats. they’re the worst!

  • Mama Pea January 25, 2010, 12:38 pm

    Ugh, lunges! Not my favorite but I do them anyway! I like ab work and any sort of bicep work (curls, hammers, etc.). The bad part is that my lower body needs more work than my upper. Shoot!

  • Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) January 25, 2010, 12:40 pm

    the lunge and lift looks intense. I’ll totally try it out today though!

    I love doing dead lifts, squats and anything Jillian Michaels throws at me doing the 30 day shred.

  • Shannon (The Daily Balance) January 25, 2010, 12:41 pm

    kettlebells are my favorite strength training exercises!

  • Mary @ Fit this girl January 25, 2010, 12:42 pm

    The squat or the clean and press hands down!!

  • Jenna January 25, 2010, 12:42 pm

    Great lunch!

  • brianna January 25, 2010, 12:46 pm

    gen-
    what about a cold pasta salad with cheese tortelini, veggies, and some kind of italian dressing or something? don’t have an exact recipe but i’m sure google would have a bunch!

  • Lauren @ Eater not a runner January 25, 2010, 12:48 pm

    Anything with soy sauce is delicious in my opinion!

  • Danielle (Coffee Run) January 25, 2010, 12:48 pm

    I’m terrible about eating things that have been left in the fridge for days. I just don’t like wasting food 🙂
    My favorite strength training move would have to be bicycle crunches. They really work!

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing January 25, 2010, 12:49 pm

    I used to do that move a lot and it is a killer… really works!

    Your lunch sounds good! I need to broaden my whole grain horizons..

  • Laura @ FindingAHealthyBalance...after a 100+ POUND weight loss! January 25, 2010, 12:50 pm

    SQUATS!!!

    They always leave me sore and are so great for the “butt & back of the legs”! =)

  • Jane January 25, 2010, 12:52 pm

    Thanks for displaying proper lunge form, Caitlin! I will try a few tonight.

  • Lily @ Lily's Health Pad January 25, 2010, 12:54 pm

    If you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have known those were your PJ pants. From a distance, it looks like you’re wearing workout attire.

    My favorite strength moves is the plyometric lunge. It hurts so good!

  • Paige (Running Around Normal) January 25, 2010, 12:57 pm

    Ooh, love the lunge in lift! I happen to love ALL things bosu, too 😀

  • Nicci@NiftyEats January 25, 2010, 1:00 pm

    I love the ”lunge and lift” classic move from ”The Firm”…expect good tush results.

  • Claudia @...and so I ran January 25, 2010, 1:04 pm

    I HATE Lunges and Squats cause and I loved them because they work and I love seeing the results. So I guess they are my favorite.

  • Karla January 25, 2010, 1:05 pm

    I eat left over food that’s about a week old… hope that’s not bad. I guess I’m still alive and kickin’ so it can’t be that bad right?

    Recently, I’ve really been enjoying the Plank! I used to hate it but I started doing Angela’s whittle my middle and I’m appreciating it’s simplicity and effectiveness!

  • megan January 25, 2010, 1:13 pm

    my favorite is either push-ups or squats. push-ups are so hard, but I like how you can see a difference in your ability so quickly

  • Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com January 25, 2010, 1:18 pm

    I really like lunges and squats (especially jump ones), I find them really satisfying 🙂
    Haha! I’m about to cook tofu, parsnip and bulghar wheat! Great minds must think alike :p

  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg January 25, 2010, 1:18 pm

    I love good old fashioned pushups!!!

    It’s raining up North too…BLEH! 🙁

  • Evan Thomas January 25, 2010, 1:28 pm

    Hehe, I’ve totally had veggies older than 3 days. I’m glad I eat a lot of yogurt or I don’t know what the bacteria in my stomach would do.

    Ps. I definitely want to hear more of you vs. Peta 😀

  • Laura Georgina January 25, 2010, 1:39 pm

    I love planks of all kinds–60 seconds of plank seems to do so much more than dozens of endless other crunches and ab moves!

    LOOOVE the new profile pic, Caitlin! Much more like sassy you 🙂

  • Matt January 25, 2010, 1:47 pm

    I bought some of that pre-cubed tofu that you recommended for Nasoya. What is your all time favorite recipe with that tofu?

    • Caitlin January 25, 2010, 1:50 pm

      under my lunch/dinners tab on the recipes tab, check out perfect baked tofu. can’t go wrong.

  • Jasmine @ Eat Move Write January 25, 2010, 1:49 pm

    My favorite strength training move is probably a good old ab crunch. It makes me feel so strong to have a strong core.

    That’s a move I’ve never tried though. It looks cool/hard/painful all at the same time. I think I’ll give it a whirl.

  • Tyler Ramey January 25, 2010, 1:52 pm

    I am ALL about some lunges/squats. In my Total Body HIIT
    (High Intensity Interval Training) we hit all body parts plus incorporate cardio burst segments. Last week we did a 20×10 workout where we did 20 of something, then added on each set. Ended up doing 200 squats, 180 lunges, 160 deadlifts, etc. It was a sweat-fest for sure!!!

  • Jasmine (Sweet and Fit) January 25, 2010, 1:54 pm

    this moves looks like it really gets those muscles that are hard to work out – one of my fav moves is doing a wall squat with the big exercise ball between my back and the wall – works wonders =)

  • Miriam January 25, 2010, 2:00 pm

    By favorite you mean : when you FEEL the BURN and that you are sore for the next 3 days? I love weight training so don’t know about one favorite move. However, I like super setting/circuit like training. I actually ENJOY when I am sore the next day, means that I did it right, that it WORKED! Last week I did a circuit of lunge, squat and dead lift, a sure way to have ALL your legs muscles sore the next day!! 🙂

  • Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life January 25, 2010, 2:05 pm

    Awesome move!

  • gina (fitnessista) January 25, 2010, 2:12 pm

    thanks for the shout out <3
    your lunge and lift is perfect!! fab form, mama
    have a wonderful day!

  • Jessica January 25, 2010, 2:16 pm

    cute new side pic with your “top gun” glasses…I might try this lunge tonight…

    sadly my favorite is just plain jane pushups….

    • Jessica@fitchickwannabe.com January 25, 2010, 2:23 pm

      I wish I could do push ups! I have so much trouble with them. They take a toll on my wrists. Any pointers?

      • Caitlin January 25, 2010, 2:35 pm

        sometimes if i do push ups with closed fists that helps.

      • Courtney January 25, 2010, 3:01 pm

        Try starting by doing a wall push up to build up strength first, or do a pushup with your hands on the bar on a Smith machine or even a chair and work up to it. Pushups use a lot of different muscles that can be built up slowly!
        Courtney
        adventures in tri-ing

        • Jessica January 25, 2010, 4:34 pm

          try doing them up against a wall instead of on the floor…
          that is what i do sometimes….

    • Jessica @ Fit Chick Wannabe January 25, 2010, 5:56 pm

      thanks for the tips ladies – The only time they don’t hurt me is when I do them on the bar on a Smith machine like Courtney suggested. Maybe the fist thing would help then. When you do them against a wall, do you angle your body at all to make them harder?

      • Jessica January 25, 2010, 6:43 pm

        I do and I stand on my toes kinda….to work my legs too…

  • Jessica@fitchickwannabe.com January 25, 2010, 2:21 pm

    I think my favorite strength training move is a plank. I love working on my core. I also love deadlifts (probably because I can lift a lot of weight and it makes me feel strong lol).

    My LEAST favorite, by FAR, are step-ups. I cannot STAND doing them. They are not difficult for me or anything. I just hate them for some reason.

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) January 25, 2010, 2:58 pm

    My favorite strength training exercise are these modified plank/mountain climbers exercises I learned at PT. They wear out my entire body.

  • emily January 25, 2010, 3:03 pm

    i like basil, if i cant get it fresh, dry can work!
    emily

  • Courtney January 25, 2010, 3:03 pm

    I LOVE lunges and squats because they work…you can see results pretty quickly from doing squats. I recently incorporated a similar move into one of my leg workouts and fell in love with it. I do a reverse lunge with a lift holding 2 15 lb dumbbells. LOVE IT!! Feel the burn!!!
    (I’m enthusiastic about strength training in case you can’t tell!!)
    Courtney
    adventures in tri-ing

  • Tina January 25, 2010, 3:15 pm

    vagies and grain look yummy although I’m not a tofu fan. I love that move, helps keep a nice tight toosh (especially after you had bebe’s and your backside just isn’t the same as it was before). LOL

  • Haleigh January 25, 2010, 3:58 pm

    You can see immediate results with moves like that one! No judging here considering I am in my PJ’s too 🙂

  • Katie@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle January 25, 2010, 4:11 pm

    I’ve been doing the Intro to Iron plan too and agree about this move- it is TOUGH! My buns ache!

  • Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) January 25, 2010, 5:00 pm

    I love leftovers for lunch. Less work, easy and delicious.

  • Guen January 25, 2010, 5:32 pm

    I do something I cal “Around the World Lunges”. Basically lunges in all directions with 10lb weights. Right leg forward and curl. Right leg to side lunge/squat and lateral raise. Right leg back in reverse lunge and row. Left leg back and row. Left leg to side lunge/squat….you get the idea. You hit alot of muscle groups that way.

  • Guen January 25, 2010, 5:33 pm

    I do something I call “Around the World Lunges”. Basically lunges in all directions with 10lb weights. Right leg forward and curl. Right leg to side lunge/squat and lateral raise. Right leg back in reverse lunge and row. Left leg back and row. Left leg to side lunge/squat….you get the idea. You hit alot of muscle groups that way.

  • Sarah January 25, 2010, 7:30 pm

    This one! http://www.shapefit.com/abs-exercises-medicine-ball-leg-raises.html

    I love the fun of switching the ball between my feet and arms because I actually feel slightly athletic! Ha!

  • Jenn (j3nn.net) January 25, 2010, 7:43 pm

    I am a HUGE animal lover and animal right’s supporter (we have 6 cats after all), but I do not like PETA. Don’t get me wrong, they have good intentions, but I don’t believe it’s right to hurt humans to make a statement, even if their cause is wonderful. After their “save the whales” campaign, I just can’t take anything they say seriously because it’s just so vicious and tasteless.

    Humans are animals, too. Many meat-eaters aren’t trying to purposely hurt a living creature or doing it for sport, we do it for survival.

    I’m not a vegetarian, but I’ve been trying to cut back on my meat intake for moral reasons and I’d be much more willing to support PETA if they took human’s feelings and rights into consideration, too.

    Jenn

  • Mary (Food Fit & Fun) January 25, 2010, 7:43 pm

    Your lunch looks SO good!!! I love bulgur! yum. yum. yum. Also I tried the Lunge & Lift after seeing it on Gina’s blog…I do love it!

  • Jenn (j3nn.net) January 25, 2010, 7:44 pm

    Ack, I just commented in the wrong post. That’s supposed to go on the other one — sorry 😀

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) January 25, 2010, 7:49 pm

    I love bench pressing 🙂 But it has to be with hydraulic weight machines – I am too scared to do it with free weights.

  • Nicole January 25, 2010, 8:26 pm

    Lower body: squats.
    Upper body: flys.

  • Rachel January 25, 2010, 9:38 pm

    I’m terrible with strength training, but I’m lucky enough to take a pilates class twice per week to get some of that in! Still need to do something for my arms though.

  • Jess January 26, 2010, 12:15 am

    I’m currently complaining to anyone who will listen that I am sore from weight training! I’m actually kinda proud that I was able to make myself this sore. 😉

    Lunges are my hate hate hate exercise. But they definitely give you the results! I generally wait until my PT makes me do them though.

    I love leg press, bench press and medicine ball twists for the abs. 🙂

    • Caitlin January 26, 2010, 7:28 am

      you are awesome!!! great job 🙂

  • Amber K January 26, 2010, 10:29 am

    I’ve been working on my arms and abs, so pushups have become my mainstay.

  • Angela January 26, 2010, 7:45 pm

    Burpies! Kind of a cardio move, but kills my abs and legs! I still can’t do more than 15 at a time, on a good day!

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