Lunges are great because they are really challenging, even though I definitely don’t enjoy them in the middle of the exercise when my leg muscles are burning! 90-90 lunges are one of my favorite barre thigh exercises when teaching a class. You can do them with or without a barre or other props, so there are many variations possible.
For this set of 90-90 lunges, kneel with one leg back so both legs form 90 degree angles with your front thigh parallel to the floor and knee over your front ankle and your hips in line with your back knee. Stay low in this position with your back knee only hovering a few inches off the ground.
From this position, slowly pulse up and down a few inches, never fully straightening your legs - you will really feel the burn, but try to resist coming out of it! Speed up the pulses and make them smaller.
Next, hold at your lowest point and raise and lower your front heel. If this is difficult to balance, you can gently hold onto a wall or barre for support, but avoid leaning all your weight into it. Begin the pulses again while keeping your front heel lifted.
Finally, raise both arms over your head and hold the position for a count of 8. Now do the other side!! For an additional challenge, you can hold weights during this exercise, or you could even add some shoulder or bicep work at the same time.
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