Revolved Lunge

A lunge with a twist across the front leg. Back-leg hip flexor, thoracic rotation and the standing glute, all at once.

· 2 min read

yoga · twist · rotation · spine · hip-flexor · glute · standing · lunge

The lesson

  1. 1

    Build the lunge first

    Right foot forward, knee stacked over the ankle. Left leg long behind. Back knee down to start — lift it later if you want more.

  2. 2

    Hands to the chest, stand tall

    Palms together in front of your sternum. Lengthen up through the spine before you turn — you cannot rotate a spine that is already slumped.

  3. 3

    Turn from the ribs

    Rotate your chest toward the front leg and hook the opposite elbow outside that knee. The elbow is a place to rest, not a lever to crank on.

  4. 4

    Keep the back hip square-ish and long

    Let the back leg stay long and heavy. The twist happens above the pelvis, so resist letting the back hip swing forward to make the turn easier.

  5. 5

    Deeper, if you want it

    Bottom hand to a block or the floor outside the front foot, top arm straight up. Lift the back knee for the full version.

  6. 6

    The test

    You should feel three things — a stretch across the front of the back hip, a turn through the middle of your back, and the front leg working to hold you there. Sharp in the low back or the front knee means come out and lower the back knee.

Revolved Lunge

How to do it

Step the right foot forward into a lunge, knee stacked over the ankle, left leg long behind with the knee resting on the floor. Bring the palms together in front of the chest and lengthen up through the spine. Rotate the chest toward the right leg and hook the left elbow outside the right knee, turning from the ribs rather than pulling with the arm. Keep the back leg long and heavy. To go deeper, lift the back knee off the floor, take the bottom hand to a block or the floor outside the front foot, and reach the top arm to the ceiling. Hold and breathe, then switch sides.

Why it's good for runners

Almost everything that rotates in this method happens lying down or kneeling. This is standing rotation under load, which is what running and swimming actually ask for — the trunk resisting and returning rotation while the legs are working. It is also the only shape that combines back-leg hip extension with a spinal twist, so a body that sits at ninety degrees all day gets the front of the hip opened and the mid-back turned in the same breath.

It is built on the lunge you already do every morning, so there is one new instruction on top of a position you know rather than a new shape to learn.

Common mistakes

Don't crank on the elbow. Levering against the knee turns a rotation into a shoulder shove and the spine stops moving. Don't let the back hip swing forward to buy an extra few degrees of turn — the twist is above the pelvis, and a hip that rotates with you is a hip that got out of the work. And don't chase the full version with the back knee lifted before the supported one is comfortable; knee down is the pose, not a lesser copy of it.

Related

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World's Greatest Stretch

Deep lunge, elbow down toward the instep, rotate open and reach up, then straighten the front leg. Three positions, one shape.

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Thread the Needle

From hands and knees, sliding one arm under the body and resting on the shoulder. Rotation through the upper back, plus the back of the shoulder.

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Crescent Lunge

Long split stance, front knee bent, back leg straight with the heel lifted. Hip flexor, calf and sole of the foot in one shape.

Back to Yoga poses