Lunge
A single-leg movement where you step forward and bend both knees to lower your body.
Overview
The lunge trains one leg at a time. From standing, you take a step forward and bend both knees to lower your body, then push back to the start. Working each side independently makes it useful for building balance and evening out differences between the legs.
Lunges can be done on the spot, walking forward, or stepping back, and they can be loaded by holding dumbbells. They mainly develop the thighs and hips while the core and smaller stabilising muscles work to keep you steady.
The movement
- 1Stand tall, then step one foot forward into a split stance.
- 2Bend both knees to lower your hips straight down.
- 3Keep your torso upright and your weight balanced between both feet.
- 4Push through the front foot to return to standing.
Beginner notes
- A wall or chair alongside you can offer a light touch for balance while learning.
- The front knee generally tracks in line with the front foot.
- Beginners often master stationary lunges before trying walking versions.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
Running
The most accessible endurance sport — no venue, just shoes and the open road or trail.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Functional Fitness
Varied, whole-body training built around everyday movement patterns like squatting, lifting and carrying.
Related exercises
Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
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Movement patterns
- GaitThe cyclic, alternating single-leg pattern of walking and running that carries the body across the ground — the base of most field and endurance sport.
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
- LungeA split-stance, single-leg-emphasis pattern: stepping or dropping into a staggered stance and pushing back up to build single-leg strength, balance and stability.
- AccelerationThe athletic pattern of building speed from a standing or slow start by driving large horizontal forces into the ground to project the body forward.
- BoundAn exaggerated, horizontal springing stride that transfers from one leg to the opposite leg with a long flight phase, amplifying the mechanics of running.
Movement comparisons
- Crossover Step vs LungeCrossover Step vs Lunge: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Hop vs JumpHop vs Jump: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Lunge vs SquatLunge vs Squat: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Hinge vs LungeHinge vs Lunge: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Lunge vs ReachLunge vs Reach: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Exercise
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-06
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