Lunges to tone your legs: forward, side and weighted
Lunges are one of the most complete and effective exercises for working the lower body.
Not only that: lunges, in their endless variations, allow a highly functional movement that mirrors an effort very much like those we face in many situations of everyday life.
The number of muscles involved is considerable and includes:
- Quadriceps
- Gluteus maximus
- Hamstrings
- Adductor muscles
- Paravertebral muscles
…and more.
Lunges, especially weighted ones, are also an ideal exercise for those who, for various reasons, can't activate their glutes properly with the Squat (or don't feel the effort localized in that area) and therefore need to do movements that involve more muscle isolation.
They also require decent stability and strengthen not only the muscles but also the tendons and ligaments.
Given the nature of the exercise, they also let you use moderate weights and still be effective.
Often, in complex multi-joint exercises like the Squat, many people feel the need – real or imagined – to load a huge amount of weight in order to make the muscles work hard. Needless to say, this kind of behavior can cause a lot of postural, muscular and joint damage.
In this sense, the lunge lets you train the lower body in a controlled way, harmonious and perfectly effective.
THE BENEFITS
As we said, lunges do important work on the lower body. Specifically, lunges train the quadriceps and, if performed correctly, part of the work will also be done by the glutes, hamstrings and calves. It's a great exercise for those who do activities like running and jumping, because it helps develop strength and speed in these movements. In the recovery days after training, we won't be able to avoid feeling muscle soreness in the areas just mentioned, and as a result nutrition and supplementation will play a key role in recovering quickly and getting back to training.
HOW TO DO FORWARD LUNGES WITH DUMBBELLS
It's important to do dumbbell lunges correctly so as to avoid putting needless stress on the knee joints and to perform the exercise in complete safety:
- Stand up with your torso upright and pick up two dumbbells, holding them at your sides.
- Breathing in during this phase, take a big step forward, placing your right foot (if you choose to start with it) in front of your torso, far enough to let your body lower toward the ground while always keeping your spine straight. You need to form a right angle between the thigh and the calf, taking care not to let your knee go past your foot.
- Pushing through your foot and especially your heel, contract your quadriceps to release the force needed to let your body rise back up and return to the starting position, breathing out during this phase.
- Repeat the same movement with the other leg.
HOW TO DO BODYWEIGHT SIDE LUNGES
- From a standing position with your feet together, take a step to the side about two and a half times shoulder width, with both toes pointing straight ahead throughout the exercise (or slightly outward);
- At this point bend the hip, knee and ankle of the leg that has moved at the same time, going down until you form an angle of slightly less than 90° between the lower leg and the thigh.
- From this position, push into the ground with the bent leg, as if you were about to "sink" down, and return to the starting position by extending the hip, knee and ankle. The trunk should be kept as straight as possible with the pelvis in anterior tilt (rotated forward) and the lower back with its normal lordosis.
Besides consistent exercise, we always remind you of the need to maintain a balanced diet.
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