Of all the leg exercises you can perform, lunges are one of the best. Training one leg at a time, lunges will increase your hip mobility, improve your balance and also address any left to right strength imbalances. The locomotive movement pattern of lunges means that they simulate activities like walking and running, which makes them ideal for sportsmen and for anyone looking to improve lower-body functional strength. There are numerous variations of the lunge exercise.
As a body-weight exercise, the difficulty of lunges is largely limited by how much you weigh. As you become more proficient at performing lunges, you may find that your body weight does not provide a big enough challenge. You can temporarily increase your body weight to make lunges more challenging by holding dumbbells in your hands, holding a barbell across the back of your shoulders, holding a weight disc or medicine ball to your chest or above your head, or wearing a weighted vest. As using a weight will make lunges significantly more challenging, start with a light weight and increase the load gradually as your strength improves.
Lunges are usually performed in the sagittal plane, which simply means forward and backward. While this is an effective movement pattern, sports and many everyday activities involve multidirectional movements, such as lunging to the side to catch a baseball. Lunges can be performed sideways, diagonally and backward to challenge your coordination and agility along with your leg strength. One effective lunge variation is called clock lunges. Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips. Imagine you are standing in the center of a large clock. Lunge forward so your lead foot lands on the 12 o'clock position. Return to the start position. Leading with the same leg, lunge out to one o'clock and back. Work your way around the clock and then swap legs but, after the 12 o'clock position, work in the opposite direction from 11 back to six.
Performing lunges on a flat surface means your range of movement is limited; you cannot lower your knee any farther than the floor allows. Lunging onto or off of a sturdy elevated surface increases the range of movement and subsequently increase the difficulty of the exercise. Start with a relatively low platform, around 4 inches is ideal, and increase the height gradually to avoid muscle soreness or injury. Start with both feet on the platform and lunge off or with both feet on the floor and lunge onto the platform; both options are very effective.
Lunges normally involve stepping out and then returning to your start position between repetitions. Sets are performed for a specific number of repetitions, for example, 10 reps per leg. Walking lunges involve performing a lunge and then stepping straight through into your next repetition and are often performed for distance rather than reps. For a more challenging workout, perform walking lunges with weights.
Plyometric or jumping lunges develop leg power. As they are explosive and involve a high degree of impact, this variation is not for beginners. Stand with your feet together and step out into a lunge. Jump up into the air and, at the apex of your leap, switch legs so when you land your foot position is reversed. Immediately spring into another repetition.
Sports such as tennis and squash often involve lunging in one direction but turning your torso in another. This skill can be replicated by performing twisting lunges. Stand with your feet together and your arms extended in front of you. Lunge forward and turn your upper body over your lead leg. Turn as far as your flexibility and balance allow. Return to the start position and perform your next repetition to the opposite side and leading with the opposite leg. Continue alternating legs for the duration of your set. You can make this exercise more demanding by holding a medicine ball or dumbbell in your hands or starting each repetition with your arms above your head. You can also perform this exercise using the walking lunge variation.
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