18 Best Lunge Variations
18 Best Lunge Variations
A reminder, for each exercise you can play around with the speed of the reps. You can lunge slowly, then come back up quickly, you can perform rapid lunges, you can go down fast, up slow etc. Just change it up to your liking.
Precautions: if you have knee or hip pain these lunge variations may not be the best choice of exercise for you to perform. Start with strengthening the glutes and foam rolling the calves.
Lunge
Emphasis on the front leg, keep your front knee behind your toes. Drive up through the heel and focus on engaging your hamstrings and glutes on the front leg. You will feel your quadriceps engaging on the back leg. Keep toes pointing forward.
Angled Lunge
Similar to a regular lunge, instead of stepping straight forward step at an angle.
Platform Lunge
You can use any platform to perform this exercise. Biggest pointer is be sure to keep that knee behind the toes. Think about simply dropping that back knee straight down as opposed to just bending at the waist.
Bosu Ball Lunge
Similar to the platform lunge. The Bosu ball will force you to use more stability because it is an unstable surface.
Single leg Lunge on Stability Ball
Back leg will be placed on stability ball. Same lunge technique applied. This exercise will challenge your balance.
Single Leg Lunge on Bench
Similar to Lunge on stability ball but the surface is more stable.
Reverse Lunge
Step and lunge backwards as opposed to lunging forward. You may feel more front leg quadricep activation when performing this exercise.
TRX Reverse lunge
Reverse lunge while holding TRX bands. Great lunge variation for beginners.
Iso hold then rep
Hold the lunge position, then perform repetitions.
Curtsy Lunge
Feet facing forward, curtsy into a lunge by bringing your leg behind the other. you will feel this in your forward leg glutes and back leg quads.
Platform Curtsy Lunge
Curtsy lunge on a platform. Get as much depth as comfortable.
Alternate Lunges on Platform
Using a platform lunge technique, step and lunge with one leg. That same leg that’s on the platform will become the back leg as you bring the other leg forward and perform a lunge.
Lunge on lunge off platform
Lunge w/knee ups
After you lunge, drive the up side knee up. You’ll feel your hip flexors get extra work while performing the knee drive.
Dynamic Lunges
These are lunge variations that involve other body parts and multiple movements.
Reverse lunge with Press
Perform a reverse lunge and shoulder press on the way up.
Barbell/Dumbbell Overhead Lunges
Hold your arms above your head with either a barbell, dumbbells or kettlebells, then lunge.
Lunge w/ leg lift
Raise your back leg after you come up from the lunge, focus on activating your glutes to bring your leg up.
Dumbbell Lunge w. Rotation to knee up side
As you lunge, rotate to the knee up side. We are targeting the obliques during this exercise.
Equipment Needed:
