Type: Legs · Difficulty: Intermediate
Muscles worked: front of the thighs, glutes, back of the thighs and calves.
Lunges work one leg at a time. That is their strength: each leg has to provide the full effort, and balance joins the work. They complement the squat, which works both legs together. Do them two or three times a week, in a leg session or a full session.
The position
The steps
- Start standing, feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips or at your sides.
- Take a long step forward with one leg and plant the foot flat. The other foot stays in place, its heel lifts.
- Lower yourself by bending both knees, torso upright, until the front thigh is parallel to the floor or nearly so. The back knee moves down toward the floor without touching it.
- Keep the front knee over the ankle, pointing in the same direction as the foot.
- Push through the middle and heel of the front foot to rise back to the top position. Complete your reps on the same leg, then switch sides.
Common mistakes
- The front knee caving inward: keep it pointing in the direction of the toes through the whole movement.
- Too short a step: the knee travels far past the foot and the front heel lifts. Take a longer step.
- The torso leaning forward: keep your chest upright and your eyes ahead.
- The back knee banging the floor: stop the descent just short of it; the way up should stay a controlled effort.
- Losing balance at first: rest one hand on a wall or a chair while you get the hang of it.
Adjust the difficulty
- Easier: shorten the descent to halfway, and keep a support for balance. Start with 4 to 6 reps per leg.
- Harder: go deeper, slow the descent to three seconds, or pause for one second at the bottom before rising.
- The pace: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per leg, with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets. Both legs done count as one full set.
