What are your favorite lower-body exercises at the gym? Squats? Hip-thrusts? Deadlifts? Leg presses?

All of these are solid choices, but many personal trainers point to lunges as the most beneficial workout you can add to your leg day.

Continue reading this blog to learn about the benefits of lunges, the muscles they target, and a few variations you can try at our gym in Thornton, Colorado.

The Benefits of Doing Lunges at the Gym

Lunges are a strength training exercise that targets almost every muscle in the lower body including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and hips.

In addition to toning and sculpting your lower half, lunges also improve your overall fitness and enhance your athletic performance. On top of that, lunges boost your mobility, flexibility, balance, and stability. They are ideal for gym members who want to get stronger, as well as athletes like runners, skiers, and cyclists who wish to improve their game.

Let’s take a closer look at why lunges are a must for gym members looking for results.

Lunges Help with Weight Loss

Lunges work large muscle groups in your lower body. This will help you build lean muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories and reduce body fat.

Lunges Improve Stability and Balance

Since you work each side of your body independently during lunges, they are a unilateral exercise. The single-leg movements involved with lunges activate your stabilizing muscles to develop your balance, stability, and coordination.

In other words, when you work one leg at a time with lunges, you cause your body to be less stable. This forces your spine and core to work harder to stay balanced. By doing so, you’re targeting the very muscles that keep you balanced.

Lunges Promote Better Posture

Lunges are great for strengthening your core and back muscles without putting too much strain on your spine. A stronger core and back reduces your chance of injury and improves your posture.

Lunges Correct Muscle Imbalances

Unlike bilateral exercises like squats and deadlifts, lunges work one side at a time. That means you can use lunges to correct muscle imbalances and misalignments in your body, making you more symmetrical.

If one side of your lower body is weaker than the other, spend some extra time at the gym working that side with lunges. This will help you avoid overcompensating or overusing your dominant side to make up for your weaker side during bilateral exercises.

Lunges Boost Flexibility and Range of Motion

The flexor muscles in the lower body are often ignored during exercise. Walking lunges increase the flexibility of the hip flexor muscles, which often become tight due to prolonged sitting and the sedentary lifestyle many of us lead.

Lunges Make You More Functional

Many people credit lunges with being the ultimate lower-body functional exercise. That means lunges directly improve your performance during natural, everyday movements like walking, picking up something off the floor, and climbing stairs. Lunges can also assist with rehabilitation after an injury or surgery.

Lunges Strengthen Major Muscle Groups and Build Bone Density

One of the best benefits of lunges is that they work several large muscle groups at the same time. This builds strength, maintains muscle mass and bone density, and increases muscle definition in the lower body.

If you’re hoping to improve the appearance of your derrière, legs, and core, then lunges are a can’t-miss exercise. Lunges target the following muscle groups:

Glutes
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Calves
Abdominals
Back muscles

One small study published in ACE Fitness found that the forward lunge is one of the most effective exercises for working the hamstrings, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus. The study found that the forward lunge targeted these muscles better than leg presses, bodyweight squats, and hip extensions.

Types of Lunges You Can Do at the Gym

The lunge has many variations, making it an accessible exercise for beginners at the gym, as well as advanced athletes wanting to challenge themselves. Here are a few types of lunges to get you started.

Assisted Lunge

With an assisted lunge, you can hold onto a stationary object like a chair or wall for better balance. This allows you to focus on your form without worrying that you’ll tip over.

Stand in a split stance with your right foot forward and your left foot back.
Tighten your abdominal muscles, straighten your back, and look straight ahead.
Place one hand on a chair, wall, or other sturdy object.
Bend your legs to 90 degrees to lower your hips toward the floor.
Continue down until your left knee nears the floor.
Press through your right heel and return to the starting position.
Complete the desired number of reps, and then repeat the exercise with your left leg forward.

Stationary Lunge

Stationary lunges are very similar to assisted lunges, except with a stationary lunge, you won’t be holding onto anything for balance. This puts more work on your abs to keep your body balanced. Stationary lunges are the foundation for all other lunge variations.

Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart.
Take a large step forward with one foot.
Your forward foot will be flat on the floor, and your back foot will be flexed so you’re standing on your back toes. Keep your chest and eyes forward. This is your starting position.
Lower your back knee so both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Your forward knee should be directly above your ankle and not above your foot.
Then, press up to the starting position and repeat.
After completing the desired number of reps on one side, switch legs and work the other side.
To increase the difficulty of the exercise, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand.

Half Lunges

To place less stress on your knees while keeping good form, you can perform assisted or stationary lunges by lowering down only half as far, stopping well before your front knee is at a 90-degree angle.

Side Lunges

Side lunges help develop stability, strength, and balance. They also work your inner and outer thighs.

Stand straight with your hands together in front of your chest.
Step to your left to a position that’s comfortable for your range of motion.
Squat down by bending at your left knee, keeping your right knee straight and both feet flat on the ground.
Then, move your left foot back to your right foot and return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps with your left foot, and then do the same movement with your right foot for the desired number of reps.
You can also perform this exercise holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest to increase the difficulty.
If you’re an advanced athlete, you can perform this exercise holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your arms extended in front of you. This will work your shoulders and requires more balance and coordination.

Walking Lunges

To perform walking lunges, you’ll need coordination and balance. These lunges target your hips, glutes, and core. They also help improve your everyday functional movements and increase your range of motion.

First, stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
You can keep your hands by your sides or on your hips.
Step forward with your right leg, putting your weight into your right heel.
Bend at the right knee 90 degrees, lowering down so that your knee is above your ankle but not past your ankle.
Your left leg will be extended behind you with your left knee very close to the floor.
Pause for a second, and then without moving your right foot, move your left foot forward, repeating the lunge movement with your left leg.
Pause as your left thigh is parallel to the floor, your left knee is bent at a 90-degree angle, and your left knee is directly above your left ankle.
Repeat this movement with the right leg, “walking” forward as you lunge, alternating legs.
Do 10-12 reps on each leg. Perform 2-3 sets.

To make walking lunges more difficult, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Or, add a torso twist every time you’re in the lunge position.

You’ll Learn to Love Lunges at AFAC Gym

Once you add lunges to your gym program and do them consistently, you’ll love how strong they make your lower body and core. They’ll also help improve your performance with other exercises. Lunges are definitely an exercise that gives you maximum bang for your buck!

If you’re looking for a gym that has highly credentialed personal trainers on staff, we hope you’ll consider joining Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. The team at AFAC gym is here to give you a tour and show you why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado. Our team of personal trainers can assist you with perfecting your lunges, as well as tailoring a strength training and cardio program that will provide maximum results for your efforts.

If you’re not a member of AFAC gym but would like more information, please stop by and speak to our team. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.