The lunge is an excellent full-leg workout. The primary muscles engaged include the quadriceps, the muscles and the front of the thigh, and the hamstring, which runs up the back of the leg. In addition, lunges work the calf and gluteal muscles. Front lunges differ from back lunges in more than just direction. Use the lunge that works best for you.
Front Lunge
In a front lunge, you stand with your feet hip-width apart and step forward with one leg into a wide stance. The wider the stance, the more the lunge focuses on your gluteal muscles. Keeping your core tight, descend so that your back knee almost touches the floor and rise back to standing, stepping back in to your starting position. Glance down as you descend, checking that your toes stay in front of your knee. If your knee extends beyond your toes, widen your stance to avoid damaging your knee joint. Also avoid bowing as you descend because that can put excessive stress on your lower back.
Back Lunge
In a back lunge, rather than stepping forward, you step back. While the general form is the same, the back lunge enables you to protect your knees if knee problems are a worry. Because you're stepping back, you keep an eye on your knee and foot position in your front foot from the start of the exercise. This enables your stance to be sufficiently wide when you step back to avoid over-extension of the knee joint as you descend.
Considerations
If you have knee problems, use a back lunge without additional weight when you're starting out to avoid stressing your knees. Add a barbell or set of dumbbells as you become fitter and if you don't experience knee pain. If balance is an issue, add dumbbells rather than a barbell because you hold dumbbells next to your body rather than lifted at the shoulder, making it easier to balance.
Strength-training
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two days of strength-training as part of a weekly workout routine. Give your legs a break and avoid working out two days in a row with lunges. Your body needs at least 24 hours to recover from a workout to avoid injury and overly fatiguing the muscle, according to MayoClinic.com.
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