Lateral Lunge
Why it matters
The Lateral Lunge builds strength and size in your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and rectus abdominis. As a compound movement, it trains several muscles together and carries over to real-world strength and power.
How to do it
- Take a stride long enough that both knees can reach about ninety degrees.
- Set your torso tall and your ribs down before the first rep.
- Step into the stride and lower straight down rather than forward.
- Lower until your back knee is just off the floor.
- Drive up through your front foot to return to standing.
Coaching cues
- Stay tall through your torso — leaning forward turns this into a hinge.
- Keep your weight balanced over the middle of your foot.
- Let your knees track in line with your toes.
- Keep your chest up as you descend and stand.
- Drive through your knees and feel the front of your thighs work.
Watch out for
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Taking a stride so short the front knee travels well past the toes.
This takes work off the target muscle and reduces what you get from the set.
Instead Lengthen the stride until your front shin is close to vertical at the bottom.
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Letting the knees cave inward.
Knees caving in is a weaker position and takes force off your glutes.
Instead Push your knees out toward your little toes as you descend and stand.
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Letting the heels lift off the floor.
On your toes you lose your base and shift the squat onto your knees.
Instead Keep your whole foot planted and your weight over the mid-foot.
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Cutting the depth short above parallel.
A shallow squat trains a fraction of the range and much less of your legs.
Instead Lower until your hip crease drops below the top of your knee.
The detail
- Tempo
- Lower under control for about two counts, then stand with intent.
- Breathing
- Breathe in on the way down, exhale as you stand.
- Range of motion
- Lower to at least thighs-parallel and stand up tall each rep. Take the quadriceps through its full working range each rep.
- If you are new to it
- Lower to a box or bench behind you to learn consistent depth.
- Once it is easy
- Slow the descent or add a pause at the bottom to increase the challenge.