The placement of the weights while doing lunges and squats do make a lot of difference provided when done in the right manner. Like many others, you must have not paid much heed to the fact whether you are holding the weight in the right way while performing any of these exercises or if it is good to keep your arms straight or be on your forearms when you are doing planks. When you adopt different variations in lunges, squats, and planks, you are able to target a different combination of muscle groups which is considered to be much better provided you are thinking about losing weight and improving your endurance level.
However, the key to performing these multiple muscle targeting exercise is to seek the assistance of a qualified personal trainer with fitness trainer certification. The main reason behind this is that the wrong placement of the weight while performing these exercises can lead to unexpected injuries. Hence, it always wise to train under the supervision of someone who has experience in the fitness industry and who have completed their training.
Here are some of the weight placement changes that are usually suggested by an expert personal trainer:
SQUAT: FRONT AS OPPOSED TO BACK WEIGHT
Front weighted squats basically help in targeting the front part of your body — specifically the quads and abdominal muscle groups. The best part is that by taking the weight in the front you actually shift force of the exercise more toward the toe side of the foot, which definitely improves your ability to thrust the body forward-as suggested by the personal trainer with fitness trainer certification
On the flip side, back weighted squats also help you in targeting your quads, as well as, your glutes and your lower back. It exerts an added pressure on your spine which in turn is beneficial for making your spine stronger, but it could be dangerous as well provided you have a weak core or had previous spinal injuries.
PLANKS – STRAIGHT ARM Vs FOREARM POSITION
Technically speaking, the forearm planks mainly targets your core muscle group, so this form of the plank is definitely good for someone who wants to focus mainly on their weak core and has not that strong arms and shoulder to take body weight, as per personal trainer with fitness trainer certification.
On the other hand, straight arm planks target more muscle groups and hence can help you strengthen your overall body. Besides, this variation of the plank helps you prepare for doing push-ups.
LUNGES: WEIGHT ON THE SIDE Vs AT SHOULDERS
When you perform lunges while keeping weight on your sides, the gravity is closer towards the ground which means it will inhibit your body movement and reduce the involvement of the core.
On the flip side, when you hold the weight on your shoulder, then your legs have to take the complete pressure so you will have to make the use of your core muscles which is considered effective and challenging.
