Your fitness goals may include building strong, toned legs with a specific lower-body workout routine. The workout is composed of various exercises, including the lunge – a functional exercise that develops lower-body strength and fitness. The lunge is an essential exercise for building leg strength in the thighs and buttocks.
Basics
The basic movement of the lunge resembles a normal walking stride where you drop your hips and legs to activate different muscle groups. Common variations of the lunge include walking, stationary and reverse lunges. Most leg workouts should contain one to three different lunge exercises to activate the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, hip flexors and calf muscles. For example, start the leg workout by performing squats and deadlifts before finishing with diagonal and side lunges.
Athletes
Athletes can use lunges as a sport-specific movement to develop lower-body strength, power and endurance. For example, runners can use lunges as a basic strength-training movement, while football players can use it as a supplementary exercise to the other strength-training exercises. Additional benefits for athletes include improved balance, agility and coordination that result in improved performance.
Advanced
After mastering the basic lunges, progress to advanced lunges that increase the intensity and overall demand of the exercise. An example of an advanced lunge is the weighted lunge while carrying dumbbells or holding a barbell. Other advanced lunge variations include lateral lunges or lunge jumps. Only perform the advanced lunges for leg strength after developing a foundation of strength and fitness.
Safety
While lunges have numerous strength and fitness benefits, they may lead to pain or injuries if not performed correctly. As a result, always use proper form and technique during every repetition. Basic technique standards include controlled movements while keeping your torso upright, tracking your knees over your feet and keeping your front foot planted firmly into the floor. Consult a certified personal trainer at your local fitness club if you have specific questions regarding technique.
References
- BodyBuilding.com; Advanced Athletic Leg Training; IDS Sports; May 2003
- WomenFitness.net: Lunges: "The Queen of Exercises" for Women
- Synergy Athletics; Build Leg Muscle “Mix Up” Lunge Complex; Joe Hashey; May 2010
- Georgia State University's Exercise and Physical Fitness Page: Lower Body Strength Training Exercises
