How to perform a lunge

The lunge is an excellent full-leg work out that strengthens the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, hamstring, calves, and the muscles and the front of the thigh. Lunges can be performed without weights or with weights to increase difficulty (dumbbells or barbells). They are a great exercise for improving balance as well as strength. There are several variations of lunges such as the Front lunges and the Back lunge.

Front Lunge

To perform a front lunge, stand with your feet hip-width apart and step forward with one leg into a wide stance, keeping your feet hip width apart. The wider the stance, the more the lunge focuses on your gluteal muscles. Make sure to keep your core muscles tight throughout the entire movement and do not bend forward. At the bottom of the movement, both knees should have a 90° angle with your back knee nearly touching the floor. Make sure you keep your knee behind your toes, but if your knee extends beyond your toes, then widen your stance to avoid damaging your knee joint.  As you rise back to standing, push off the front foot keeping your weight in your heels. It may help to have a spot on the floor in front of you where you can aim to place your foot.

Back Lunge

To perform a back lunge, stand with your feet hip-width apart and rather than stepping forward, step back. While the general form is the same, the back lunge enables you to protect your knees if knee problems are a cause for concern. Again, make sure to keep your core muscles tight throughout the entire movement and do not bend forward. At the bottom of the movement, both knees should have a 90° angle with your back knee nearly touching the floor keeping your knee behind your toes. It may help to be in front of a large mirror so that you can keep an eye on your form. But in the event that you do not have a mirror, keep an eye on your front knee and foot position.

Other variations

Once you have perfected your form the front and back lunge, you can try other variations of the lunge exercise. Some of these include, adding weight to your lunge (which is the best step up to try first), single leg lunges, side lunges, traveling lunges, step up lunges, plyometric lunges, etc.

Lunges are a great exercise that should be incorporated into your workout regime. Make sure to allow yourself adequate rest time to recover in between workouts. For example, perform lunges every other workout. Happy lunging!

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