Add variety to your leg workout by incorporating one of the dozens of different lunge variations into your routine. Alternating front lunges are a basic lunge exercise; traveling -- also called walking -- front lunges involve forward motion while you perform the exercise. You can add weights to either exercise to increase the intensity of the movement.
Alternating Front Lunges
To do an alternating front lunge, stand upright with your feet together. Step forward with your right foot, rolling heel to toe to reduce the impact, and bend both knees to drop down into the lunge. Stop when your right thigh is about parallel to the floor. Press explosively through your right heel to power yourself back up to a standing position. Repeat, stepping forward with your left foot.
Traveling Front Lunges
The first part of the traveling front lunge is the same as the alternating front lunge. However, you do not push yourself backward during a traveling front lunge; you pull your rear leg forward. Start with your feet together, step forward with your right foot and drop down into your lunge. Press through your right heel, extend your knees and hips and bring your left leg forward. Finish in a standing position one step forward from where you started. Step forward with your left foot and continue alternating legs, moving forward across the floor.
Function
The traveling front lunge and alternating front lunge work the same lower-body muscles. They work your quadriceps on the front of your thighs, your hamstrings on the back of your thighs and your gluteus, or buttocks, muscles. Both types of lunge allow you to work each leg individually -- unlike a squat, which works similar muscles but works both legs together. The lunge exercise also challenges your balance and coordination.
Considerations
You can hold a barbell, dumbbells, medicine ball or other weight to increase the difficulty of either type of lunge. If you use the same weight, alternating front lunges are more challenging than traveling front lunges, because you have to propel your bodyweight back to a standing position from a lunge position. For traveling front lunges, you pull your rear leg forward, which requires less effort.
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