The FMS Inline Lunge - A Neuro Perspective| Faster Results

Every coach has seen the client whose Inline Lunge refuses to budge. You cue alignment, mobilize joints, strengthen stabilizers, and still the score hovers low.

The temptation is to think something is “broken.” But what if the issue is not about fixing, but about adding?

When we apply a brain-first lens, we give the nervous system clearer information to work with. Vision, vestibular input, and proprioception are sharpened, and the brain interprets the lunge as safe instead of threatening.

The result is often an immediate improvement in movement quality and FMS score.

This does not replace biomechanics; it sets the stage for it.

With the brain settled, the body finally accepts the corrections we’ve been trying to make. That is the power of blending applied neurology with traditional training.

Here’s the truth: the lunge isn’t just testing strength and mobility.

It’s testing the brain.

Vision, vestibular input, and proprioception must all cooperate to give the nervous system a sense of safety.

When they don’t, the brain clamps down with protective outputs like stiffness, wobble, or breath-holding. That’s why biomechanics alone often plateaus, and why applied neurology gives faster, stickier results.

This is a brief synopsis of the neurology of the Inline Lunge.

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What the In-Line Reverse Lunge really measures

The FMS version of the lunge demands:

• Mobility: ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion and extension, thoracic extension.

• Stability: pelvic control, core anti-rotation, foot tripod strength.

• Control: clear gaze, robust vestibulo-ocular reflexes, proprioceptive accuracy.

Common breakdowns include front heel lift, torso sway, valgus collapse, and rapid balance loss.

Traditionally, these are blamed on tight calves, weak glutes, or poor core strength. But often, those are symptoms of an overprotective nervous system.

Why biomechanics alone can fall short

Tissue changes are slow. Neural adaptations are fast. If a pattern feels unsafe, the brain will block range or stiffen muscles, no matter how much you stretch or strengthen.

That’s why you can mobilize an ankle for months yet still see the same heel pop under fatigue or head movement.

The nervous system—not the joint—is the gatekeeper.

The brain-first lens

Applied neurology focuses on improving input quality and lowering perceived threat.

• Vision: Blurry or unstable gaze forces the brain to brace. Watch for darting eyes, blinking, or staring at the floor.

• Vestibular: Inner ear detects head movement. Poor tolerance shows up as sway or panic when the head moves.

• Proprioception: Fuzzy joint maps create shaky ankles, clawing toes, or reliance on vision to check foot position.

• Threat modulation: Pain history, concussion, or fear tags the pattern as unsafe. Breath-holding is often the tell.

When you clean up the inputs, the outputs improve immediately.

That is why a 15-second eye drill or breathing cue can change the lunge in one session.

Quick assess–reassess experiments

These take less than a minute and point you to the right neural drill.

1. Visual anchor test: Have the client fix on a dot at eye level. If balance improves, vision is the limiter.

2. Head motion test: Small nods or turns during the lunge. If stability crashes, vestibular tolerance is low.

3. Eyes closed or fingertip test: If fingertip contact calms the wobble, proprioception needs work.

4. Breath test: Watch for breath holds. Cue a long nasal exhale. If range increases, threat was blocking output.

Always retest the lunge immediately after. Keep the drill that helps.

Micro-drills that change the lunge today

Use each for 15–30 seconds, then reassess.

** Learn more about our assess-reassess process in our FREE Masterclass here.

Vision

• Smooth pursuits: track a thumb side to side.

• Near-far focus: shift from fingertip to wall dot.

• Gaze fixation: hold a dot steady during the lunge.

Vestibular

• VOR drill: keep eyes on a target while turning the head.

• Nods in half-kneeling.

• Head turns in split-stance isometric.

Proprioception

• Toe spreads and short foot.

• Ankle CARs.

• Light joint compression with a mini band.

Threat regulation

• Box breathing for one minute.

• Tongue to roof of mouth with nasal exhale.

• Gentle jaw glide or swallow.

How to integrate with correctives

Think stack, not swap.

1. Warm up with mobility plus one neural drill.

2. Groove three slow lunges with cues for eyes and breath.

3. Load with split squats, reverse lunges, or anti-rotation holds.

4. Between sets, repeat the drill for 10–15 seconds.

5. Finish with two clean lunges per side to consolidate.

Case Studies

Powerful athlete who wobbled
A former rugby player crushed big lifts but scored a 1 on the left lunge.

Traditional glute and core work failed. Neuro testing revealed instability with head turns and eye strain.

After a VOR drill and near-far focus, her heel stayed down for the first time.

Four weeks of pairing drills with split squats brought her score up and her confidence with it.

Runner with anterior knee pain
A recreational runner felt pain in the front leg. It eased when she touched a rack and disappeared with gaze fixation and a nasal exhale.

Breathing plus ankle tilt prep cleared discomfort in session one.

Within weeks, lunges were pain-free.

Troubleshooting guide

• Heel still pops: add gaze fixation and long exhale.

• Knee valgus with head turns: vestibular tolerance is low.

• Client looks down: give stable dot plus foot drill.

• Wobbly under load but not warm-up: repeat drill between sets.

• Eye drills make it worse: switch to vestibular or proprioceptive input.

  ** How do you know if a drill makes the screen worse? Rescreen.  It counts as an assessment/reassessment. See here to learn more. 

Why this works

You are not just stretching or cueing. You are teaching the brain that the position is safe.

Clearer vision, vestibular, and proprioceptive input lowers threat.

The nervous system releases range and stability.

When you then load the new pattern, the brain locks it in. Quick wins become durable upgrades.

The FMS In-Line Reverse Lunge is less about muscles and more about maps.

Traditional biomechanics matter, but they move faster and last longer when paired with neural resets.

For coaches and therapists, the process is simple: assess, drill, reassess, load.

You stop chasing symptoms and start building confident movers.

Want a full library of neural drills and progressions for screens like the lunge?

Watch our workshops and explore the Next Level Neuro mentorship.

You’ll learn how to integrate applied neurology into your system so your clients get faster results that actually last.