It’s Patriot’s Day today in Boston.
What’s Patriot’s Day you ask?
Multiple choice:
1) A civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775?
2) Tom Brady’s birthday?
HINT: It’s the former.
Patriot’s Day is also the day the Boston Marathon is held, and the city more or less shuts down to cheer on the thousands upon thousands of participants. As a matter of fact, my apartment is located around mile 24 of the course and the elite runners will be passing by shortly.
I need to make this post quick so I can go watch.
1-Arm Landmine Reverse Lunge
**Technically this exercise could be labeled “1-Arm Landmine Reverse Lunge – Perpendicular Grip” since you’re not facing the barbell itself. But that’s too long of a name. So, whatever.
Who Did I Steal It From: Megatron.1
But for real, I can’t recall who I stole this one from. Clifton Harski perhaps? I saw him perform a more advanced variation of this exercise with the barbell itself resting in the “crook” of his elbow – Zercher Landmine Reverse Lunge.
What Does It Do: Reverse lunges in general are a more “joint friendly” single-leg option since the tibia can stay more vertical, and because there’s less deceleration involved (as opposed to a forward lunge where one has to “decelerate” their entire bodyweight).
They’re an excellent choice for people struggling with chronic knee discomfort or pain.
Too, the landmine reverse lunge provides an added core challenge due to the “offset loading” involved. There’s a massive rotary stability component, which makes it a nice fit for those looking to get a little more bang for their training buck.
Key Coaching Cues: I always err on the side of being conservative when it comes to single leg training. Far too often I find trainees playing “hero” on their single leg work, going too heavy, and missing out on all the benefits (hip stability/strength, knee stability, foot strength, grip strength, training multiple planes w/o compensating (knee valgus), core strength, hamstring/quad strength, overall level of sexiness, to name a few).
QUALITY of movement is important here.
Load barbell up with plates (those with longer arms may need to use smaller plates; not bumper plates as shown in the video), “cup” the barbell with your hand, and step back making sure to gently tap the knee to the floor.
Be sure to finish each repetition at the top by squeezing the glute of the working leg (the one that’s not moving).
Fist pumps optional.2
ADDENDUM
From Mr. Landmine himself, Ben Bruno:
“I LOVE this exercise a lot with the women I train and get them to go heavy.”
This makes a ton of sense…especially for those who may feel a bit intimidated at first at the notion of deadlifts and squats.
