Benefits of Lunges Exercise
the lunge is one of the best exercises for strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, and core.
It builds strong legs but also increases functional strength, balance, and stability.
if you struggle doing regular squats or lunges, try to start with a very small range of movement then slowly increase that range of motion as you see your strength increase from the exercise.
you can do a lunge with a barbell, dumbbells, or bodyweight only.
lunges are a great lower body exercise that will give you a lot of bang for your buck as far as strengthening many different muscles and increasing balance and stability throughout the entire movement.
the lunge is a basic lower body exercise that targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but it can also be easily modified to target your inner thighs as well.
lunges are a great exercise for building strength in your legs, hips, and core.
the lunge is an effective way to strengthen all three major leg muscles: the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
the lunge is a great exercise for strengthening your legs while improving your balance and stability.
the lunge is a great exercise for working your lower body and strengthening all your leg muscles: the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
lunges are one of the best exercises for strengthening your legs and hips while improving stability throughout the entire movement.
How to do lunges:
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1. stand with your hands on your hips.
2. take a long step forward with one foot and lower into a lunge position by bending both knees until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
3. push-off with your front foot and rise to starting position.
4. repeat, alternating legs each time you lunge forward.
5. work your way across the room, moving as quickly as possible to increase the intensity of exercise.
Lunges are one of the best lower body exercises you can do. They can be done with or without weights, and they work your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.
The lunge is a basic movement that many people are fearful of performing for fear of injury to the knee or back. This needn’t always be the case though, as long as you use good form.
If you have a history of knee or back problems, I recommend having a spotter or using a raised surface to step on so that you can concentrate on moving your body as efficiently as possible without worrying about falling over.
There are 4 different lunges that I will cover in this post:
– The forward lunge
– The split squat
– Reverse lunges
– The walking lunge
These 4 variations work the whole body and target a different set of muscles. I find it best to focus on doing 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps for each variation, but you can do as many as 12 or as little as 6.
Forward Lunges:
Forward lunges are a great exercise to build power in your legs and hips, while also helping to create balance. They work the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. If you have tight hamstrings or poor proprioception (balance) this may be a little more challenging for you at first and you may want to try some of the other variations.
Split Squat:
The split squat has the same motion as the forward lunge, however, one foot is placed on a bench or box behind you. This takes away any need for balance and allows you to focus more on pushing your body up and down as quickly as possible. This works the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Just like with the forward lunge, if you have tight or inflexible hamstrings this may be a little more challenging for you at first and you may want to try some of the other variations.
Reverse lunges:
Reverse lunges are done by stepping backward with one foot while keeping your opposite leg straight. The opposite knee will bend slightly, however, the majority of the motion is done in the hip and not the knee.
Reverse lunges work more of your hamstring than forward or split squats because you are pushing back harder than you would be pushing forward or up, therefore, you need to use more of your hamstring.
Walking lunges:
Walking lunges are probably the most challenging variation that I will cover because you are moving forward while doing them. This means that when one leg is pushing you up, the opposite leg is pushing your body forward. If you have very inflexible ankles you may have trouble with these. They work the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.
As mentioned before, you will want to do 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps for each of these variations and focus on moving as quickly as possible while maintaining proper form and balance.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to start out slow with lunges. Do one or two sets of 8-10 reps until you are confident that you have mastered the motion, then increase the number of sets and reps as necessary. You do not want to hurt yourself, so starting out with the correct form is key.
The most important thing is that you are able to keep your back straight and stand up nice and tall (shoulders over hips). Your knees should always point in the same direction as your toes.
Start by standing straight with your feet together and arms at your sides. Step forward with one leg (heel first) and then step down until that foot is flat on the floor with both legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
The back knee should be almost touching the floor, however, you may need to adjust accordingly depending on your flexibility. Push yourself back up to a standing position and switch legs. Typically, you will want to focus on one side at a time rather than alternating.
Benefits of lunges with dumbbells:
1. They offer an improved range of motion
2. They give your shoulders and arms a break during workouts that focus on the lower body
3. They strengthen your legs, hips, glutes, hamstrings, core, and back muscles
4. They help to improve balance and coordination
5. They can be done in high-intensity circuits for fat loss and conditioning
Benefits of lunges for weight loss:
1. Lunges can be done anywhere
2. They require very little equipment and no gym membership
3. They burn a lot of calories and can help to increase your metabolic rate
4. They create so much lean muscle mass which boosts your metabolism even more!
5. There are many different lunges you can do, some of which are more difficult than others. This means there is always room for improvement!
6. If done correctly, they are very safe for your back and knees
7. They give the lower body a good workout on both sides
8. You can include them in strength training circuits, interval workouts, and even HIIT routines
9. You can do them anywhere and anytime: at home, on vacation, during a TV show, etc.
10. They build strong legs and glutes which help you to run faster and jump higher
11. Lunges are inexpensive!
12. They help to improve athletic performance (running, jumping, cutting, etc.)
13. They increase your leg strength and power
14. Lunges are functional because they mimic everyday movements like walking up stairs or up hills.
15. You can do them with weights to increase the intensity
Lunge benefits for females:
1. Strengthens the legs, hips, glutes, and core muscles
2. If you’ve got a favorite pair of high heels, lunges will help to tone your calves and thighs more quickly!
3. Improves balance and coordination
4. Helps you to feel more comfortable in high heels
5. Lunges work the same muscles as squats, but you are less likely to overload your spine because the load is distributed across both legs
6. If done quickly, lunges can increase heart rate and calorie burn more than squats or other exercises
7. They are very low impact which means they are very low risk for those with knee problems
8. Improves athletic performance (running, jumping, cutting)
9. Great for conditioning and weight loss by keeping your heart rate elevated
Benefits of lunges and squat:
1. Increases overall leg strength and power
2. Greater muscle mass helps to burn more calories (even at rest)
3. They can help you to achieve those skinny jeans
4. Great for athletes because they mimic the movements used in sports like running, cutting, jumping, etc.
5. Helps to strengthen the hips and glutes which helps with running, jumping, and lifting heavier weights
6. Lunges help you to develop a “runner’s body” because they mimic the movements used in most lower body sports such as track, basketball, soccer, etc.
7. Improves athleticism and coordination
8. Lunges can be done anywhere with no equipment
9. Improves balance and stability
10. If you have knee problems, lunges are a better option than squats because they distribute the load more equally across both legs.
11. They help to tone your glutes and hamstrings more quickly than leg extensions or leg curls
12. Easier on the back and knees
13. They can help with weight loss, but not as much as some other exercises because they only work the lower body
14. Lunges are functional which means they mimic everyday activities like walking upstairs or up a hill
15. They can be done quickly for fat loss and conditioning