Walking lunges are a challenging lower body exercise and you can do them with body weight alone or with additional resistance. To perform a lunge, stand with your legs slightly apart. Stabilize your torso and then take a large step forward with your right foot. Bend your right knee as you transfer your weight onto your right leg and lower your hips toward the floor. Continue down until your front thigh becomes horizontal then push through your right heel to take your body back to the upright position while bringing your left leg up to your right leg. Repeat the movement with your left leg and continue to alternate legs as you work several muscles in your upper and lower body.
Glutes
You work all three gluteal muscles during walking lunges. The gluteus maximus is the major extensor of the thigh and is activated as you move from the lunge position back to the standing position. The larger your steps, the greater the use of the gluteus maximus. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles work to stabilize the pelvis, keeping it from sagging downward on the side of the moving leg.
Quadriceps
Taking smaller steps during walking lunges works the quadriceps muscles more intensely. The quadriceps muscles are powerful knee extensors and are used eccentrically to control the lowering phase of the lunge. They also act in a powerful contraction to straighten your lead leg in the upward phase of the walking lunge.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are a group of muscles on the back of the thigh that work with the gluteus maximus to extend the thighs and are also the primary flexors of the knee. As with the gluteus maximus, larger steps during walking lunges work the hamstrings more intensely.
Calves
Both calf muscles, the gastrocnemeus and soleus, get a workout during walking lunges when you push off the floor with your back leg. They also help stabilize the ankle and knee joints during the exercise.
Core
Keeping your torso upright and stable is important when doing walking lunges. The muscles of the abdomen and back, which together form the core muscles, work continuously to achieve this upright posture during the exercise.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy, Second Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2006
- American Council on Exercise: Forward Lunge
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