Side-to-side lunges arrive: 12 calf raises, 12 lunges and 12 side-to-side lunges, in sequence, 2 minutes rest, 3 to 5 sets by level. The new exercise is a deep lateral lunge - one leg bends and takes the weight while the other stays straight out to the side - and you shift from one side to the other without standing up in between. Twelve means six shifts to each side.
Forward lunges train the leg in the direction you run; side-to-side lunges train it in the direction you do not. The inner thighs, the outer hips and the glutes all work to move the body sideways and to stop it, and those are the muscles that keep the knees tracking straight and the pelvis level over thousands of forward strides. Strengthen them and the forward running gets cleaner. Calf raises open the circuit, as they have every week.
In the side-to-side lunge, keep both feet flat, point the toes forward and push the hips back as you shift, so the bent knee stays over the foot rather than folding inward. Stay low through the transition. Forward lunges keep the vertical front shin; calf raises keep their full range and slow lower.
The legs now lunge forward and sideways in the same circuit - running straight gets easier when the sides are strong.
Make it Harder: Hold the low position at the end of every side-to-side shift for a two-count before moving across.
Make it Easier: Stay higher in the side-to-side lunges - a half-depth shift trains the same pattern with less load.
