Set-Up:
Stand with one foot on the carriage, heel resting against the box, and the opposite foot behind you with the leg long and extended. Hands placed on the top of the jumpboard. Engage your core, lengthen through your spine, and keep your hips facing forward. (this can be performed with or without the box).
Movement:
Inhale: Press the carriage back to fully extend the supporting leg while driving the opposite knee forward into a high knee lift.
Maintain a long spine, an upright torso, and a stable pelvis throughout the movement.
Exhale: Draw the carriage back in with control as the lifted leg extends back to the starting position. Return smoothly to the lunge position and repeat, maintaining controlled, continuous movement.
Main focus:
Core strength, lower-body stability, balance, and single-leg control, with an emphasis on maintaining pelvic alignment and control through the transition.
Primary Muscles Worked:
Abdominals (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis): stabilise the trunk and pelvis throughout the movement.
Quadriceps: support the standing leg and control the carriage as it moves.
Gluteus maximus and gluteus medius: provide hip stability, power, and control during the single-leg movement.
Hip flexors: drive the lifted leg forward into the high-knee position.
Hamstrings: assist with hip control and stabilise the standing leg during the lunge and return.
Shoulders (deltoids): support the upper body through the hands and help maintain shoulder stability as the carriage moves.
Triceps: assist in maintaining the arm position and supporting the upper body.
Serratus anterior: stabilises the shoulder blades and helps maintain strong, controlled support through the arms.
Jumpboard required
1. Ball: With the leg lifted, place the ball behind the knee and keep it in place throughout the movement for an extra challenge. Leg in the air will have to stay bent.
2. Weighted straps: Option to place on wrists or ankles for an extra challenge.
1.Back foot on the box: Place the back foot on the box to increase the focus on the front leg. Add pulse drops at the bottom of the lunge as a finisher to further challenge lower-limb strength and endurance.
2.Clock leg: Sweep the top leg in a straight line around to the side of the reformer, lowering it towards the floor to challenge balance, hip stability, mobility, and lower-limb control.
3.Oblique twisters: Place both heels against the box toes facing the side of the room, legs crossed and perform oblique twists to increase trunk rotation, oblique activation, and core stability.
1.Pulses of the extended leg: Perform small pulses with the extended leg while maintaining pelvic stability to increase hip strength, muscular endurance, and core control.
2.Core crunches: Add controlled trunk crunches while maintaining the knee tuck position to increase abdominal activation and challenge core stability.
1B.
Regression:
Increase spring resistance: Add more spring resistance to provide greater support and make the movement easier to control.
Progression:
Feet on the box: Place the supporting foot on the top of the box rather than on the carriage to challenge core stability and control.
Modification:
Kneeling ab roll-out: Remove the box and kneel on the carriage with the arms straight. Perform an Ab roll-out while maintaining a neutral spine and controlled core engagement throughout.