Lunges: how to do it
Main muscles: Rectus femoris, Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius. Helpers: Sartorius, Tensor fasciae latae (TFL). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Legs
How to do it
- Step forward, torso upright, eyes ahead.
- Lower until the back knee almost touches the floor; the front knee stays over the foot.
- Stand up by pushing through the heel of the front leg.
Common mistakes
The knee caving inwards, leaning the torso forward.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Rectus femoris, Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius
- Secondary
- Sartorius, Tensor fasciae latae (TFL)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 8–12
- 5-day split3 × 8–12
- Home, 3 days3 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Bulgarian split squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Gluteus maximus, Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Step-ups
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Gluteus maximus, Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Goblet squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Back squat
Barbell · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Bodyweight squat
Bodyweight · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Leg press
Machine · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500