Lunges are the perfect exercise for a firm butt. We explain how to do them correctly and what variations are available.
Perform lunges correctly
In the starting position, place your legs about hip-width apart and put your hands on your hips. Then make a big lunge forward with your right foot and bend your legs until your left knee almost touches the floor. Your right thigh should be parallel to the floor and your right knee should be perpendicular above your heel.
Make sure your back is straight and stays still throughout the exercise. Then push yourself back up and repeat the exercises in a fluid motion. After 20 repetitions you can change legs.
What muscles are worked with lunges?
First and foremost, lunges work your glutes, so lunges are great for sculpting a tight butt. Also, with lunges, you work the muscles in your thighs and strengthen your core muscles.
Lunges: Common Mistakes
If your lower and upper legs are at an acute angle to each other, this will cause your knees to extend past the tops of your feet and strain the knee joint. To avoid this, you should not go below a 90-degree angle.
Also, many athletes make the mistake of having their upper body sway back and forth during lunges. However, only your legs should move throughout the exercise.
Different variations of lunges
When you have mastered the lunge perfectly, you can increase the difficulty level a bit. However, make sure that you continue to perform the exercises correctly and that your upper body remains upright.
Variation 1: Lunges with weights
To intensify the workout, you can add a kettlebell or dumbbell to your workout. Hold them either in front of your chest or let your arms hang down next to your body with the weights in your hands. The weights shouldn't be too heavy because the heavier the weight, the more stress it will put on your knee joint.
Variation 2: Side Lunges
Inside lunges, you take a big step to the side, shift your weight to your right leg and lower your buttocks. Then push off the ground with your right leg and return to the starting position. With this exercise, you train especially the inner side of your thighs. Change legs after 20 repetitions.
Variation 3: Reverse Lunges
In this exercise you do the lunge backwards. This means that you do the lunge backward instead of forward. Again, make sure your back is straight and your legs are not at an acute angle to each other.
Variation 4: Lunges crossed
For this lunge variation, stand shoulder-width apart and take an angled step backward with your left foot so that it crosses your right leg. Go down until your knee almost touches the floor and then return to the starting position. Then repeat the lunge on the other side.
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