Hi guys:

I am currently training to complete my Calgary Fire Department CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) and purchased a weighted training vest to help me intesify my existing weight routine.

I have been doing my regular leg work out with the vest and have worked up to 60lbs of weight. I recently added standard stationary lunges and they are KICKING MY BUTT. I normally do 4-5 sets of 12 reps of squats and piles (dbl side lunges) with the vest (as some of my glute/quad exercises) - but heard that regular lunges are great for increasing strength in gait movements (ie: stair climbing with a hose bundle) so I threw the lunges into the mix.

Any ideas as to why the lunges are killing me even though I do squats and side lunges (note: this is muscle soreness not joint pain or anything resulting from form-issues) - aren't the muscle groups are essentially the same???

Also - as I perform my test on the 15th of September - I hope to be up to 75lbs by then (in the weight vest) - is 5lbs/week too much of a jump? can I go to 10lbs/week? (I am just shy of 160lbs)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

they kick your butt cuz you've not been doing them before

try walking lunges too.