Lunge: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The lunge works your quadriceps as the main mover, straightening your front knee as you push back up. Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hip, and your calves help you balance, making the lunge a single-leg exercise that also challenges stability and coordination.
- Primary muscle:
- Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings
Muscles worked
Your quadriceps do most of the work in the lunge, straightening your front knee as you rise back to standing.
Your glutes and hamstrings extend your front hip alongside the quads, and your calves help stabilize your foot and ankle on each step, since the lunge is done one leg at a time.
Log Lunge in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- Stand with your torso upright holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides. This will be your starting position.
- Step forward with your right leg around 2 feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down. Note: As in the other exercises, do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, as this will put undue stress on the knee joint. Make sure that you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground.
- Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.
Form tips
- Step forward far enough that your front shin stays close to vertical at the bottom.
- Lower straight down rather than letting your front knee drift forward past your toes.
- Keep your torso upright and your core braced throughout the movement.
- Push through your front heel to return to standing.
- Alternate legs evenly, or complete all reps on one side before switching, depending on your program.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Dumbbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do lunges work?
Lunges work your quadriceps as the prime mover, with your glutes, hamstrings and calves assisting each step. Because you train one leg at a time, they also build balance and help even out side-to-side strength differences.
Lunges vs Bulgarian split squats: which is better?
Both train the same muscles: quads, glutes and hamstrings. The Bulgarian split squat elevates your rear foot for a more stable, more demanding version, while the standard lunge is easier to learn and lets you move through space.
More quadriceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
