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Forward Lunge (Male)

A bodyweight forward lunge that trains quads and glutes one leg at a time while challenging deceleration and balance on the step out.

LegsBodyweightLunge
GoLightWeight mediaforward-lunge-male

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

QuadricepsGlutes

Secondary

HamstringsAdductorsCalvesCore

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Lunge

Setup

  1. 01Stand tall with feet hip width apart.
  2. 02Place hands on the hips or let them swing naturally.
  3. 03Brace the trunk and fix your eyes forward.
  4. 04Clear enough floor space for a full stride ahead.

Execution

  1. 01Step forward with one leg into a long, stable stride.
  2. 02Lower until the rear knee hovers just above the floor.
  3. 03Keep the front knee tracking over the toes and the torso upright.
  4. 04Push off the front foot to drive back to the start, then alternate legs.

Checkpoints

  • -Both knees reach roughly 90 degrees at the bottom.
  • -The front heel stays flat on the floor through the push-off.
  • -Hips stay square to the front rather than twisting.
  • -The torso stays tall with only a slight forward lean.

Common mistakes

  • -Taking a short stride that slams the front knee far past the toes.
  • -Crashing the rear knee into the floor.
  • -Letting the front knee dive inward.
  • -Pushing back with a rounded torso and lost balance.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg for volume work.
  • -Progress to dumbbell or barbell lunges once bodyweight reps are stable and pain-free.
  • -Slow the lowering phase to 2 seconds to sharpen knee control.

Related exercises

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