The side lunge is an effective lower body exercise that strengthens your quads, glutes and hamstrings while also targeting both the inner and outer thighs. A stronger core allows you deal with lower back pain and improves your balance and posture as well. Both of these exercises have value, benefits, and even drawbacks. Therefore, utilizing lunges for light leg workouts, or as a complementary exercise on heavy workouts, gives your spine some much-needed rest. Note: exercises like the glute bridge, glute-ham raise or cable pull through should also be used if glute activation is a primary goal. By moving in a side-to-side motion rather than the traditional lunge motion of forward and back, you recruit your thigh muscles and also work on your balance and stability. One of the key benefits of lunges is that the exercise develops your … Lunges, no doubt fall into the functional category because – think about it – you're training the movement of walking (albeit by taking huge steps)! Better balance The reverse lunge is an incredible exercise that is safe and effective. When this excess fat is removed, lunges work on the shape and strength of your lower body. Concluding Thoughts – Reverse Lunge Exercise Benefits. Alternative Exercises to the Lunge. The result is that your body is in a position where you're able to isolate and activate the glutes. This workout engages your core and abdominal muscles. Not really interested in the stability aspect. But it's a good start! Improve Balance and Stability. Side lunges can help you burn anything between 10 to 100 calories in 10 minutes. Lunges help you strengthen your lower body, increase core strength, muscle tissue and help you get the perfect buttocks you always hoped for. In other words you don't need a large space, because you can simply … Lunges are quite effective in terms of strengthening legs and buttocks. Read more. Lunges are one such exercise which makes you more functional. Bilateral leg exercises like the squat and deadlift are best for overall strength and muscle building purposes. *FREE BONUS* Click here to download my top-rated leg day workout featuring lunges and other great leg exercises. For a more complete solution to your flexibility woes, implement a well-structured stretching and mobility routine. If you’re looking for an exercise that has multiple benefits that it can add to your workout, lunges are an excellent choice. I started this website back in late 2009 during college, and it has been my pet project ever since. It is important to tone the inner and outer thigh muscles as it promotes hip stability, boosts athletic performance, and adds to the overall thigh mass. 2. In contrast, if you are interested in balance, sports performance, and … Flexor muscles are usually ignored in other forms of workout. Required fields are marked *, Hey! It is important to practice lunges properly. A wonderful leg exercise is the reverse lunge or rear lunge, which concentrates more on the hamstrings and glutes but also stimulates the quads and core. For doing this leg-strengthening exercise, you should have adequate ankle and hip mobility, without which flexing the foot can be difficult and you may get stuck at the ankle while doing the lunge. The best part about lunges is that it does not require any equipment, is incredibly safe and easy-to-learn. EXERCISE BENEFITS. Lunges can help you make these parts of your body more flexible. However, these overactive muscles are neutralized when performing lunges (with proper form). This lunge variation is essentially a jumping curtsy lunge. Performing the lunge while holding and rotating a medicine ball from right to left engages the quads, glutes, and core while improving balance and proprioception, though using.How to work different muscles with lunge variations Walking lunge. Your email address will not be published. The number of calories you burn depends on your current weight, exercise intensity, and sets and reps you do. The Benefits of Lunges. Discover the benefits of lunges and how this popular leg exercise can help you reach your goals. Great For The Butt. This can help you achieve proper body balance and coordination. Mental Strength. The lunge with a twist exercise is a great core exercise that builds lower body strength. The lunge is an easy-to-learn, safe and incredibly effective exercise. The benefits of lunges include increasing your flexibility, stability, and strength. Training one side at a time vastly improves your balance and coordination. Nevertheless, the output of lunges makes this workout worth the pain. Lunges train one part of your body independently from the other at a time. The curtsy lunge is a modified version of the standard lunge that incorporates different leg muscles into the lunge position. The lunge works several muscle groups simultaneously, speeds up the metabolism and helps with weight loss. Lunges can help you achieve all of this. When they start to get too easy, you can always grab some dumbbells and make the exercise more challenging. Here's how you must do a proper lunge: 1. Lunges strengthen your lower body and increases core strength. Nicole Campbell: To do a stationary lunge, start by standing up comfortably. While most exercises put load on your spine, lunges help in reducing that load; they give your spine a chance to relax. Most people think the squat is the ultimate lower body exercise, but lunges have some benefits squats don’t have. Even if your arms hang by your sides and you hold dumbbells, the weight still compresses your spine. This compound leg exercise is hailed by many as the ultimate lower body "functional" exercise. The lunge technique forces you to stretch your hip flexor muscles, which are chronically tight for many individuals in today's increasingly sedentary world. Especially if you are … #4 - They are also great for building mass. Side lunges allow you to work your hips, glutes, and thighs a bit differently than the standard squats and lunges while still targeting the same major muscles of the lower body. Make lunges part of your daily workout routine. Do they make you more muscular though?? Additionally, there are a variety of reverse lunge variations that you can use if you would like to challenge yourself more. But they simply can't deliver the balance and stabilization benefits that lunges do. The stabilization benefits achieved from lunges is much better than what you get from squats and deadlifts. Here are a few benefits to consider: Improves core stability Also read: Leg Exercises: Top Health Benefits Of Leg Exercises You Never Knew. There are benefits to completing lunges as part of your lower body workout routine. Learn more. Hip Mobility. Not doing so can put too much pressure on your joints and may result in an injury. First, start off with your body weight. As a result, it emphasizes … Benefits Of A Forward Lunge Forward lunges target the large muscle groups in your legs, including your quads, calves and hamstrings the most, but … This exercise helps to tone your inner and outer thighs as well as the rest of your legs and glutes. Also read: 6 Reasons Why Cardio Exercises Are Best For Weight Loss. Lunges train one part of your body independently from the other at a time. They’re a great leg builder. They are a modified version of stationary lunges. My name is Alex, and I'm the owner and author of King of the Gym. Your email address will not be published. After some thinking, I was able to come up with seven lunge benefits (though I might have missed some). Start with basic lunges; then try different variations or lunges with weights. The reverse lunge, unlike the traditional forward lunge, is done by extending one of the legs backward. Possibly the best benefit of the lunge exercise is that you can "even out" strength and muscular imbalances by bringing your weak side up to par with your stronger side. Lunges are one of the best exercises for targeting the muscles in the lower body. This can … Home > Blog > Exercises > 7 Benefits Of Lunges That Will Make You Rethink Leg Training. Increased Hip Flexor Flexibility. There are many potential advantages to including lunges in your routine. For brute strength and building muscle and might, squats are probably your best choice. If you thought that squats and leg presses were the big … Lunges strengthen your backside and core while increasing hip flexibility. (Note: I don't have a barbell lunge guide yet. I see people doing this at the gym and never understood (apart form the benefit of stretching) why. The muscles used during the lunge exercise include: Glutes; Quads; Hamstrings ; To complete a lunge with proper form, be sure to check out this step-by-step guide before you start. A workout which makes you more functional is one which impacts your natural, every day movements. Lunges are an awesome exercise to tone the muscles of the lower body. Make sure that the other knee does not touch the floor. However, lunges make most of these exercises appear insignificant in this regard. It is one of the options for classic lunges, but it has certain features. As an experienced lifter, you're physically capable of introducing greater compressional pressures on your spine compared to novices. Okay let's admit it, we do not quite like leg days at the gym. However, deloading is beneficial for giving your spine some rest and recovery especially if you've been training for a while. Exercises like squats do the opposite. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com. Lunges target large muscle groups of your lower body; this boosts your metabolism and helps you lose weight much faster. 3. the ability to control spinal and pelvic position, particularly during movement). They can also reduce your chances of injury throughout your day and while exercising. Make sure that your knee is in line with your ankles. Yes, they do. Use split squats and incorporate different weight shifts to make a difference with your athletes. Lateral (side) lunge is an effective exercise for the legs and buttocks, which can be performed with or without dumbbells. If you buy through a link on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Finally, it's a perfect leg exercise to use if you have train at home and only have a pair of adjustable dumbbells. In effect, this can improve your strength on squats and deadlifts because you eliminate the "weak link" that would otherwise hold back your progress. Lunges target the quadriceps, but involve additional muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, calves and core muscles, making them an important exercise for toning the lower body. Nearly every form of lunges can be used to strengthen and increase one’s hip mobility … It helps you build stability which when you move your hips up and down. You can target hips, glutes, and thighs all in one simple motion. Benefits Of Side Lunges Also read: The Best Butt Toning Exercises You Must Include In Your Fitness Regime. Skater Lunge. Keep one leg forward, lower your hips till both knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Reverse Lunges Benefits. Although the true definition of a functional exercise is a hotly debated fitness topic, it is essentially an exercise that directly improves your performance of natural, everyday movements. How does lunge deload your spine? Benefits of Lunges The most important benefits of lunges include increasing core strength, boosting hip flexibility, improving balance, toning your buttocks, strengthening the knees and working out your quadriceps, among others. Lunges are one of the most effective lower body exercises you can do. It's easier said than done. Also read: Workout Results: 7 Simple Things That Enhance Your Workout Results. And one of the most defamed leg workouts of all time are lunges; they truly give you a hard time. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams! You can say that nearly all weight lifting exercises improve your core stability (i.e. And the benefits of doing them for just 10 minutes are immense. No matter your gender, it’s safe to say that a nice butt is something we all strive … ................................ Advertisement ................................ 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How to work different muscles with lunge variations Walking lunge. They can be done at home, because you don't have to do walking lunges. The lunge, especially the dumbbell variation, deloads your spine. I have listed them below. EXERCISE BENEFITS. The lunge exercise certainly isnt't the end-all, be-all for hip flexibility. Stand straight, keep your upper body straight, shoulders relaxed and chin up. Thanks for the information. Walking lunges are an excellent way to strengthen your lower muscles. The exercise demo, programming notes, and benefits of such a movement are discussed below. It targets the quadriceps and the glutes most intensely, but also hits the hamstrings, calves and core. A walking lunge works the same muscles as a basic lunge, but it may help elevate your heart rate from the... Lunge with a torso twist. A proper lunge posture can help you achieve a stronger and more stable core. Lunges and deficit-style options are not the only lower body exercise that can help improve knee health and challenge ankle mobility. Additionally, I recommend looking into the split squat and bulgarian split squat if you're looking for leg exercises with similar benefits. If you want to maximize the benefits of lunges, ensure you're using proper form by reading my dumbbell lunge guide. They help tone, strengthen and shape your legs and glutes, and improve the flexibility of the hips. You think about how lunges workout are related to the mental strength but did you … While working on other parts of your body, lunges take load off your spine, make it flexible and pain-free. Use what works in your situation and be selective. Benefits of Lunges. Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. Reminder: Proper Technique Is Required To Reap The Rewards, Click here to download my top-rated leg day workout featuring lunges and other great leg exercises, Kabuki Strength Power Bar Review: New Generation Power Bar, Force USA Monster G12 Review: All-In-One Gym, Force USA Monster G9 Review: All-in-One Gym, Force USA Monster G6 Review: All-in-One Home Gym. The lunge is a great conditioning exercise for many sports, especially those that involve lunging movements, such as tennis, basketball or soccer. Follow our special coverage of Coronavirus pandemic in India and get news updates from around the world. However, the barbell lunge form is the same as what I describe in the dumbbell lunge link; except, of course, you hold a barbell on your upper back instead of dumbbells at your side). Check 'em out below... Lunges are unilateral exercises, meaning that they train one side of your body independently from the other. Spinal loading isn't a bad thing in and of itself. Either you are spreading misinformation or you don’t even understand it yourself. They are also back-friendly, because of the need to keep your back straight and your chest lifted, so you have little risk of back strain. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. The right one really depends on your goals. This and a sedentary lifestyle are the reasons why that part of your body tends to become tight. The lunge technique forces you to stretch your hip flexor muscles, … With lunges, you have to work hard to keep your torso upright - without using spinal extension to compensate for poor pelvic position - as you lunge up and down. They offer a really good workout and place less burden on the knees, reducing the risk of injury. Jumping Lunges Exercise Demo Below is a brief video demonstration on how to perform jumping lunges. Efficiency: The reverse lunge is a compound exercise that works multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously. All in all, unilateral exercises are a great way to improve flexibility and balance. Versatile: The best thing about lunges is that they can be done in various ways. Lunges use your body weight to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles, and they can be made more challenging by holding weights. Best exercises for targeting the muscles in the lower body ; this boosts your and. Joints and muscle groups simultaneously, speeds up the metabolism and helps with weight loss deal with back! They offer a really good workout and place less burden on the knees, reducing the risk injury... Flexible and pain-free works several muscle groups simultaneously, speeds up the and. A stronger core allows you deal with lower back pain and improves your balance and stabilization benefits that do., gives your spine cost to you reps you do other at a 90 angle. 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Exercise can help you reach your goals compared to novices you Rethink leg.. Are a variety of reverse lunge is a compound exercise that builds body. Buy through a link on my site, I was able to and...