Today I did a poor job of using the lunge matrix to help my running. I was taking big lunges and my body simply hurt. My back got tight and my hamstrings (my current weak link) were a bit painful. But I keep doing a few more lunges until the light went off the I was doing harm, not good.
There is an easy remedy for this. Baby steps. Take a lunge half the distance you normally do. Same on the other side. Then take another one at half the distance your normally lunge on the first side and another on the second side. Then take one that is 60% of normal on both sides. Then take one at that is 70% normal on both sides. If that felt good, then 80% on both sides. That’s five lunges, one on each side. Repeat that mentality – or percentage, how ever you want to think about it – through the next four lunges of the lunge matrix.
This isn’t rocket science. The lunge matrix is primarily a warm-up activity and you should feel good doing it. But if I’m the guy in the video and I screwed it up then there is a decent chance that someday you’ll do the same. Don’t.
Baby steps when you’re tight, baby steps when you’re out of shape and baby steps when you’re running easy having crushed a workout the day before.
