Fun with Furniture Sliders: The Lunge Matrix

Fun with Furniture Sliders: The Lunge Matrix
Written by Michele Vieux

Are you limited on space, equipment or time? Need some ideas for travel workouts? Or maybe you’re just looking for something new to incorporate into your routine.

Behold, the furniture slider!

It’s not just for moving furniture anymore! These babies are inexpensive, take up only a sliver of space in a suitcase, and pack a punch when it comes to the things you can do with them.

Today we will discuss the Furniture Slider Lunge Matrix. As you probably know, walking lunges are the key to the universe. What you might not know is that lunges done with furniture sliders are their first cousin. Why use a slider to do lunges instead of just doing your typical lunge without? Well, it provides a slightly different stimulus because it forces you to keep most of your weight on the planted foot instead of equally distributing it between the two. It also activates the muscles on the moving leg a little differently than regular lunges because instead of lifting and planting the foot with each step, you are forced to drag it back to your body – contracting the muscles as you do so.

This complex can be used for a warm-up or you can use its individual components as a piece of your workout, with or without holding extra weight. For a warm-up, repeat each position at least three times for each leg.

Step 1 – Forward Lunge: Place a furniture slider under one foot – this is the foot that will slide forward into a lunge position. The planted foot is the back foot in this lunge and the knee on this side will touch the ground as you slide the other foot forward. Instead of stepping forward with your back foot, slide your front foot back to its starting position.

Step 2 – Lateral Lunge: Place a furniture slider under one foot – this is the foot that will slide laterally into a lunge position and this leg will remain straight. The knee of the plant foot will bend and you should focus on keeping it back (shin vertical) as you sit into the lunge. Slide your straight leg in and out of the lunge.

Step 3 – Reverse Lunge: Place a furniture slider under one foot – this is the foot that will slide backward into a lunge position and the knee on this side will touch the ground. The plant foot is the front foot in this lunge and the knee on this side will reach a ninety degree angle as your reach back with the opposite leg. Instead of stepping forward with your back foot, slide it back to its starting position.

Step 4 – Bonnie Blair: This lunge is named for the famous Olympic speed skater and you’ll soon see why. Set up this lunge just like the reverse lunge except instead of sliding your foot straight back, reach back and around your body as far as you can in a half-circle motion then back to the starting position.

Amazon.com sells 4-packs of the large sliders for $10 so this is a cost-effective solution for equipment. Stay tuned for more Fun with Furniture Sliders in the upcoming weeks!