Train Your Body to Move with More Stability

Strong legs are the engines that power you through all kinds of movements and workouts including golf.

If you want strong legs capable of powering you through your swing, we have two words for you: forward lunges. The fundamental bodyweight exercise strengthens your core, glutes, hamstrings, calves and the tiny muscles around your knees and ankles all while correcting imbalances. That means that over time, you won’t just upgrade your ability to handle heavier loads, you’ll also boost your balance and stability, which benefits all kinds of movement.

Change the direction, speed, or explosiveness of the forward lunge and you fire additional muscles, tap into cardio benefits, and prime your legs for serious power that’ll transfer to golf or any sport.

Not sure how to branch out? No sweat. These variations on the lower body staple from Nike Master Trainer Kristy Godso will train your body in fresh new ways.

Three Things to Do Before You Get Started

1. Warm up. Take a few minutes to wake up your legs and hips. Try a runner’s lunge stretch on both sides, fire hydrants and giant circles on all-fours or mountain clumbers to activate your glutes and core and loosen your hip joints for better range of motion.
2. Consider your speed. If your goal is to fully activate as many muscle fibers as possible to build muscular strength and endurance, move through each rep slowly and with control. Brace your core to stay steady. If you’re looking to crank up your heart rate, power through reps as quickly as you can, or even add a jump out of the bottom to switch legs. As long as you can maintain proper form (more on that in a second), there’s no need to hold back.
3. Master the OG: The forward lunge. You can’t (well, you shouldn’t) move on to more advanced variations if you can’t execute the foundational movement pattern with proper form. So here’s how to do it: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides, to start. Brace your core and bring your hands to your hips as you step one foot forward. Bend both legs to form 90-degree angles. Make sure your front knee doesn’t extend past your toes. Keeping your weight in your front leg (your back leg should help maintain balance), press through your front foot to return to the starting position. That’s rep 1. Switch legs and repeat.

For the next steps and to unlock other insider training trips download the NTC app today.