Forward Lunges: For the Quads and Glutes

Forward lunges are a quintessential lower-body exercise. They work the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, and improve your balance and coordination. Lunges also have a high ceiling in terms of progression and variants, so you can target different minor muscles and keep building support for the hip and knee.


How to do forward lunges

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Engage your core. Brace and tighten your abdominals, lats, paraspinal muscles, hip flexors, and glutes. In the mirror, you should see a neutral spine position and a full-looking belly (contrary to the belief that sucking your stomach in is what engages the core).
  3. Take a big step forward with your left leg. As you do so, shift your weight forward so your heel hits the floor first. Try this a couple of times to gauge how far you should step for a safe and comfortable lunge. 
  4. Lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Ideally, your knee shouldn’t go past your toes. If your mobility allows, lightly tap your right knee on the floor while maintaining your weight on the left leg. 
  5. Press into your left foot and push yourself back into the starting position.
  6. You can do this exercise continuously on one leg or switch legs every rep. 
  7. Complete 3 sets of 8 reps per leg. As you progress, you can gradually add reps and dumbbells. 


Tips for a safe, stable, and muscle-activating lunge

  • Maintain the hip-width distance between your feet as you lunge. Trying to lunge while aligning your forefoot and back foot adds unnecessary instability.
  • Keep the heel of your front foot firmly planted on the floor throughout the lunge until you are pushing off. 
  • Start with just your body weight to get a better feel for the exercise. You can increase exercise intensity later. 

 

Support your forward lunges

Man doing forward lunges in the living room. He is wearing Bauerfeind's GenuTrain Knee Brace for added support

GenuTrain Knee Brace 

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If you are recovering from a knee injury or just want to improve your stability, the GenuTrain knee brace can help!

  • The patella pad relieves pain and stabilises the kneecap.
  • Compression reduces the rate of muscle fatigue and improves your awareness of how you activate your leg muscles.
  • The knee brace protects the knee from injury and re-injury.


Other lunge variants to try 

  • Lunge and twist to contract the glutes for a more intense glute workout
  • Walking lunges to test your balance and coordination further
  • Step up lunge for a deeper lunge and greater glute engagement
  • Slide lunges to test stability and for greater focus on the working leg
  • Clock lunges to test balance and coordination, and work more areas of the legs and glutes

 

More information

If you require assistance selecting the right product for your needs or wearing the brace, call us on 098015660 or contact us via live chat.

Do you have private health? Most private health extras will cover Bauerfeind Products. Check to see if yours is included. Bauerfeind Private Health Insurance Inquiry.  

 

Bauerfeind was founded in 1929, and since then, we've worked tirelessly to develop and improve our extensive range of braces, insoles, and compression products. Our mission is to provide you with top-of-the-line supports so you can reach your fitness goals or live life without pain holding you back.

Every product is produced entirely in our facilities in Germany with the guidance of doctors, clinics, and orthopaedic technicians.

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