Sure, the forward lunge seems like a simple exercise—you’re literally just putting one foot in front of the other. In truth, though, it’s a compound movement that requires so many muscles (big and small) to work together in order for you to keep your balance and work one side of your body in isolation of the other.
Because of this, forward lunges are a staple lower-body exercise that’s great for beginners and advanced fitness levels, alike. It can be used to build strength and muscle using nothing but your own bodyweight or holding a pair of dumbbells for an added challenge once you get a hang of the move.
No matter, which version you choose, to pull one off properly, your legs, butt, hips, and core all have to work together, which only really happen with proper form. So, before you dip down into your lunge, here’s everything you need to know about the move: technique, benefits, modifications, and more.
How To Do A Forward Lunge
Reps/sets for best results: three sets of 12–15 reps on each leg.
Form tips: Think train tracks, not tightrope, with your feet in order to stagger your stance and create a solid foundation. Keep your knee tracking over your second and third toes and maintain an upright posture with your torso even as you lunge forward.
Benefits Of A Forward Lunge
Forward lunges target the large muscle groups in your legs, including your quads, calves and hamstrings the most, but you’ll also be working your abs, especially those internal stabilizer muscles.
They’ll also light up those glute muscles, which means you’ll be looking at a toned butt in no time. Plus, mastering this single-leg movement will improve your balance and overall hip flexibility.
Modifications Of A Forward Lunge
- Bring in a prop for support: Lunges can be a bit of challenge for people who have knee problems or difficulty balancing. It’s totally okay to use rest your hand on the back of a chair or on a wall to take some of the instability out of the move.
- Try it as a split squat: If stepping in and out of the move proves to be too difficult, you can try a split squat. It’s similar to the lunge, except you’ll start in the lunge position and move your body up and down while keeping your feet in place rather then stepping forward and back for each rep.
How To Add The Forward Lunge To Your Workout
- Do it as warm-up: If you’re just using your bodyweight, the forward lunge is the perfect move to wake up your ankle, knee, and hip joints, which will prep you for a ton of other exercises.
- Add it to a circuit: The forward lunge is a great move to round out a dumbbell circuit. Adding a load to this move will make it more difficult and put some variety into your resistance training, especially if most of the other dumbbell exercises are upper body focused.
- Play with tempo: I’ll usually add pulses at the bottom of the lunge to further stimulate the glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
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