To complement the lunge and reverse lunge, the lateral lunge is an exercise where you lunge your legs out to the side.
The lateral lunge works your muscles differently than most other leg exercises, so you will probably be hurting quite a bit after doing these the first time!
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms at sides.
Step 2: Lunge your left leg out laterally and squat down, with your feet flat on the floor. I like to bring my hands together in front of my chest. Go far enough out that you can sink down into the lunge position, but not far enough that you lose your balance and can’t push back up.
Step 3: Push back to starting position.
Step 4: Then lunge out the other side (in this case the right side) and squat down.
Push back to the starting position yet again. Keep repeating, alternating legs each rep.
If you need to make it tougher, hold a medicine ball or light dumbbells.
Lateral Lunge video:
See more exercise guides in The Bodyweight Exercise Collection.
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
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