Lunges focus on strengthening the lower body, in particular your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. In the basic lunge, one leg goes forward with the other behind the body. You lower your body straight down so the front knee forms a 90-degree angle. Your upper body remains straight as you raise and lower yourself. Variations to the basic lunge add more strengthening components and keep your lower-leg workout fresh.
Side Lunges
This variation of the lunge uses a side-to-side motion rather than a front-and-back motion. Your inner thighs and glutes get a workout with this version. Start with your feet together. Take a large side step to the left, squatting down into a lunge position as your foot lands. Your toes should face forward throughout the move. The left knee forms a right angle at the bottom of the lunge. Your right leg is straight. Stand back up, bringing your left leg back to the starting position. Switch legs and do the exercise on the right side to complete a rep. Repeat the move eight to 12 times on each side.
Jumping Lunges
This variation adds an intense burst with each lunge. Instead of simply raising your body up from the lunge position, jump up as high as you can with both feet off the floor. Switch your legs in the air so that the opposite foot is forward when you land, going right into the next lunge. Repeat the jumping lunge on the opposite leg to complete one rep. Perform jumping lunges for one minute.
Walking Lunges
The basic move involves lunging forward and moving back to the starting point. In a walking lunge, you continue moving across the room with each lunge. When you come up from the lunge, you draw your back leg forward and lunge down again instead of stepping your front leg back to the starting point. You're essentially walking across the room with a lunge thrown into each step. For more of a challenge, do the walking lunge in reverse, taking steps backward across the room. The reverse-walking lunge is more complex because you can't see where you're going and must rely on your own body awareness and balance. Do eight to 12 repetitions of the walking lunge.
Dumbbell Lunges
Dumbbells work with any form of lunge to incorporate an upper-body workout. For more resistance, hold the dumbbells down at your sides as you lunge. Add biceps curls with each lunge for more of a workout. As you lunge down, curl the dumbbells up, bending your arms at the elbows. As you raise back up, lower the dumbbells. Repeat on the opposite leg for one rep. Complete eight to 12 reps of the dumbbell lunge.
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