I have taken over 100 Yoga classes. In Yoga they teach us to always align the back heel with the front foot in the lunge. In addition, when we lower the front leg (so the knee is at a 90 degree angle) the back leg is perfectly straight. We know this pose as "Warrior 1":
However, in body building the instructions are to stand with feet shoulder width apart, step forward, lower the back leg while bending the front knee like this:
I've found the body building lunge method strains my knee while the Yoga method does not. So here's my question. Is it safe to do Yoga type lunges (straight back leg, legs in alignment) with heavy weights where the back foot is slightly turned or 90 degrees to the body? I've never done the Yoga lunge with weights. Lunges really add bulk to my legs but I don't want to risk injury.
i would think it would be perfectly safe as long as you don’t let your kneecap extend past your ankle in the lunge. the back leg being straight usually helps with this, but the more flexibility you gain, the more careful you need to be. generally, the thigh of the bent leg is not quite parallel to the ground in the yoga version for most people.
however, that said, if you do want to do a deeper lunge to better stretch the hip attatchments, you can come to a pose similar to the weight lifting example, only lower the rear knee all the way to the floor. in this case it is usually okay to let the kneecap extend beyond the ankle (sometimes referred to in yoga as a crescent lunge). i would try this variation first without weights and do so slowly and with mindfulness and respect for your body’s limits.
I am a coach with U.S.A. Weightlifting as well as a Crossfit coach. In both we use variations of lunges. Crossfit uses the Samson Stretch during warmups, which is quite similar to the Warrior Pose. The sport of weightlifting (not to be confused with bodybuilding or weight * lifting or powerlifting) does many variations of lunges in training and in competition. Competitive weightlifters are among the most flexible of all athletes, especially in the hips and shoulders, behind only gymnasts. They also know a thing or two about lifting weights.
In weightlifting, lifters are instructed to NEVER let the back foot become perpendicular to the front foot. In fact, most use an ever-so-slightly toed-in stance. This is said to reduce strain and injury to the back knee. Note that not all lifters manage the toed-in stance, but most are close.
3-time Olympic medalist Norb Schemansky, world record holder at age 38, doing a split snatch:
Note the good flexibility of the hips and well-above average shoulder flexibility. Note the posture is more vertical than the warrior pose example from the post above, with the hands, ears, shoulders and hips in the same line. Lining up the spine vertically under the bar is essential for heavier weights. His shoulder flexibility is superior to the following example of the warrior pose:
This would be considered a serious head alignment and shoulder flexibility error in weightlifting. It would have to be fixed if the trainee wishes to progress beyond the 2 lb. pink dumbell phase, no ifs ands or buts.
We would prefer to see this alignment of the upper body:
This position would allow the potential for big weights safely overhead. The foot position would be considered less than desirable, however.
Video of 3-time gold medalist Naim Suleymanaglu: http://mikesgym.org/gallery/video/suley.wmv
Watch as he puts the bar overhead. That's a 140 lb. man with a more than 400 pounds. Probably knows what he's doing.
Here is a Crossfit woman in action doing a split clean:
