No, not squats! These 4 lunge variations are your secret to explosive lower body and glute strength

You’re likely familiar with a classic lunge — a lower body exercise that challenges every muscle in the legs and glutes. But, are you taking full advantage of this fundamental move?

Rather than just doing forward lunges, several other varieties of lunges will target the lower body, with some focusing more heavily on certain muscles over others.

As a personal trainer, I not only include lunge variations into my workouts, but I also make sure the people I’m training do them too.

The benefits of lunges

Where do I begin? The lunge is a unilateral move, which means one leg is being worked at a time. Lunges really help to work your balance and stability, which is essential for everyday life, not just in the gym.

It’s not uncommon to find that the balance on one side of your body is better than the other, and there’s no better move than a lunge to help you discover this! Knowing which side is more balanced can encourage you to do the work to correct this.

Research in the journal Physical Activity and Nutrition found that lunges helped improve muscle function and balance in middle-aged women. If you are looking to work on your balance, lunges completed on an unstable support surface, such as a Bosu ball, balance board, or even a pillow, for example, were more effective at improving balance.

Lunges are also great at helping to build strength in the leg muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. They are a compound exercise, which means they work multiple muscles and joints in one go. Some lunges variations will target your glutes a little more than others, which is what we’ll get into later.

Adding resistance to lunges is the best way to build muscle, and if you’re hoping to ‘tone up,’ then you do need to build muscle while burning the fat that lies on top of the muscle.

Your core will also be working hard during lunges to help maintain your balance. While core-specific workouts are great, I do always remind people that you can work your core during other exercises too, including lunges. Working your core also helps to improve your posture and overall balance.

How to do a forward lunge

Not sure how to lunge? It’s best to nail a basic forward lunge before learning the other variations.

• Start standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a big step forward with your left foot and then bend both knees until they’re both at 90 90-degree angle.
• Your back knee should just tap the floor, and your front knee should be stacked above your foot. Don’t let your front knee go past your toes.
• Then, push up through your front heel to come back to standing.
• Aim for 10 forward lunges on each leg.

4 lunge variations to sculpt strong legs

Now you know how to lunge, give the below lunges a try. All of them can be done using just your bodyweight, dumbbells, or a barbell. To warm up and prepare your body for the move, I recommend doing a set of 10 bodyweight exercises. Then, add resistance to challenge your muscles further, which will help them grow and get stronger.

1. Reverse lunges

These tend to be kinder on the knees, so you might find that you can, and they’re great at targeting your glutes and hamstrings, on the back of your legs. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg:

• Start standing tall, feet hip-width apart. If you’re holding dumbbells, hold one in each hand, arms down by your side.
• Step one leg back, then bend both knees so your back knee just touches the floor and your front knee is stacked over your ankle or foot.
• Keep your chest upright, then push up through your front heel to stand upright.
• If you want to get into a deeper reverse lunge, try placing your front foot on a step.

2. Curtsy lunges

An ideal lunge for your glutes and inner thighs, this will also test your balance a little more than usual. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg.

• Stand tall, then step your right leg diagonally behind your left leg, almost as if you were taking a bow
• Bend both your knees, dropping into a lunge.
• Make sure your front knee stays aligned over your foot and keep your chest upright.
• Push back up through your front foot to return to standing.

3. Wide walking lunges

These are a variation of forward lunges, but as you’re moving forward, walking lunges add a conditioning element to your workout. Making them wider targets your glutes a little bit more. To remove the glute focus, avoid stepping out wide to the side. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg.

• Stand tall, making sure you have space ahead of you. Step your right foot forward and out to the side a bit wider than hip-width.
• Lower into a lunge with your front knee over your ankle and back knee lowered at a 90-degree angle.
• Push through your front heel to bring your back foot forward and out wide again.
• Keep repeating, alternating legs as you move forward, until you’ve hit your rep count. Keep your chest upright throughout.

4. Split lunges

These are static lunges, in that they’re still and simply require you to drop up and down. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg.

• Stand tall with your left foot in front of your right. Your stance should be fairly wide.
• Staying in this stance, bend both knees until they’re both at 90-degree angles.
• Your front knee shouldn’t go past your toes — if it does, simply adjust your stance.
• Then push up through your front heel to come back to stand before going again.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget planks — this dumbbell workout tones and strengthens core muscle in just 15 minutes
• Goodbye sit-ups! This 10-minute workout will help you build a stronger core and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles
• All you need is 5 minutes to build core strength and stability, according to a certified Pilates instructor