Lunge
The forward lunge is a single-leg bodyweight exercise: you step forward, sink until both knees are bent to about 90°, then push back to standing. It works the quadriceps and glutes of the front leg, with the side-hip muscles holding the pelvis and knee in line, and it builds single-leg balance and control.
Also called: Bodyweight Lunge, Bodyweight Forward Lunge, Front Lunge, Forward Step Lunge · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or by your sides.
- Take a long step forward with one foot, keeping your feet hip-width apart side to side, and land with your whole foot flat.
- Bend both knees to sink straight down until your back knee is just above the floor and both knees are bent to about 90°. Your front shin stays close to vertical.
- Keep your torso upright and braced, with your front knee in line with your middle toes and your weight spread across the whole front foot.
- Push through your front foot to drive back up and step back to the starting position.
- Alternate legs each rep, or finish all reps on one side before switching, and keep the same step length every rep.
- Front knee in line with your middle toes
- Drop the back knee straight down
- Chest tall, trunk braced
- Push the floor away with your front foot to return
- Feet hip-width apart, as if on train tracks
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus intermedius | Prime mover | D |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | D |
| Adductors | Secondary | C |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Stabiliser | C |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Front knee caving inwards
Fix: Push your front knee out so it stays in line with your middle toes.
Step too short
Fix: Step long enough that your front shin is close to vertical at the bottom.
Feet on a tightrope
Fix: Keep your feet hip-width apart side to side as you step.
Torso tipping forward
Fix: Keep your chest tall and your trunk braced as you sink.
Crashing the back knee down
Fix: Sink under control until your back knee is just above the floor.
Pushing off the back foot to return
Fix: Drive back up through the whole of your front foot.
What the research says
General fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceRehab & prehabSport performanceFat loss & conditioning
- Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, although very light loads have produced less growth. Bodyweight lunges suit higher-rep sets and endurance work.
- Effort — With light loads, studies find sets taken close to failure produce more growth than sets that end well short.
- Progression — Research finds adding reps and adding load give similar growth when effort is high, while strength favours heavier loads. Many lifters add dumbbells or a barbell once bodyweight sets run long.
- Range of motion — Research on leg training finds full range of motion produces more muscle growth and strength than partial range.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Lunges are often counted alongside squats towards weekly leg volume.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the lunge in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.