How to Lunge
What are Lunges?
The lunge is the perfect unilateral exercise for targeting your legs, glutes and lower body. While typically targeting glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves, lunges also help you engage your core; improving posture and reducing back pain.
Ready to target everywhere below the belt? Get down with some of our favorite lunge moves.
LUNGE EXERCISE TIPS
- Feel it in the heel. Keep the weight in your heel and knee directly above your toes.
- Chin up. Keep your chin parallel with the floor with your back and shoulders tall as you perform the exercise.
- Pace yourself. Start with just your bodyweight and add weight as you get more comfortable.
LUNGE VARIATIONS
FORWARD LUNGE
Level: Beginners to Advanced.
Equipment: No equipment necessary. To make this exercise more challenging hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you are adding weight, have a dumbbell in each hand.
- Step forward with one leg into a long stride and lower into a lunge, bending both knees and keeping your posture upright while ensuring your knees don’t travel over your toes.
- Drive through your front heel to return to standing.
- Repeat by stepping forward with the opposite leg into another stride.
REVERSE LUNGES
Level: Beginners
Equipment: No equipment required. To make this exercise more challenging hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then step backwards with your right leg until your knees are at 90-degree angles —your right knee should be pointing towards the ground, your left knee should be in line with your toes.
- Push yourself forward to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.
- Repeat for the required amount of reps.
JUMPING LUNGES
Level: Intermediate
Equipment: No equipment required. To make this exercise more challenging hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then jump into a lunge position with your right leg forward and left leg back so your knees are at 90-degree angles —your left knee should be pointing towards the ground, your right knee should be in line with your toes.
- Jump up and switch legs so your left leg is forward and right leg back and land in the lunge position.
- Repeat for the required amount of reps.