Sculpt Your Legs and Booty With Lunges

Lunge variations that are sure to sculpt your legs and booty!

Smith Machine Lunges: The assist on the smith machine allows you to lift heavier so you can push yourself harder. It’s difficult to get enough weight when using a barbell or training without a training partner to spot you.

• Start standing with one foot in front of the other, hips pointed forward.
• Keep bar on your shoulder, over your hips and core tight.
• Lower down into lunge position creating a 90 degree angle with your front knee.
• Don’t allow your knee to go over your toe.
• Push back up with majority of your weight on your front heel (puts your booty to work).
• Do one complete set then switch legs.

Side Lunges: These lunges really hit the quads, glutes, inner and outer thighs.

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Keep toes pointed forward.
• Take a lateral step with one foot, making sure your hip, knee and toes are all in line.
• Make sure your knee doesn’t go over your toes.
• Push back into starting position with your weight on your heels.
• Keep chest up and abs tight.
• Repeat on opposite leg.

Split Lunges: These really isolate the leg that is being worked. Kills my quads!

• Find a bench and grab dumbbells or a barbell.
• Place back foot on the bench and tighten your abs.
• Bend your front leg until your knee has a 90 degree bend and don’t let your knee go over your toe.
• Straighten your front leg pushing off your heel.
• Do one complete set then switch legs.

Lunge Jumps: Great plyometric exercise that I put in my circuits to get my heart rate up. Really hits glutes, hamstrings and quads. Before performing this exercise you need to have strong knees and hips, if not leave this one out until your legs get a little stronger.

• Start in lunge position.
• Jump vertically using your arms to assist switching legs to land back into lunge position.
• Make sure abs are tight and knees do not go over toes.

Curtsy Lunge: Again, make sure you have strong knees for this exercise. This will hit a different part of your glutes (minimus) along with quads.

• Start with your feet shoulder width apart and abs tight.
• Take one foot and cross it behind the other keeping your hips forward.
• Bend knees to a 90 degree angle into a “curtsy” position.
• Push back up using your front leg, weight on your heels.