Challenge Yourself with Reverse Lunges

It’s bathing suit season! If your legs and butt could use some toning then reverse lunges can do the trick. Reverse lunges suit any fitness level and work the quadriceps, hamstrings, butt, and calves. Reverse lunges also put less stress on your knees than regular lunges, so they are great for people who may not have the strongest knees, or are recovering from an injury. Finally, reverse lunges stretch out your hip flexors, which can become tight and cause lower-back problems, particularly if you are a runner.

How To Do a Reverse Lunge:

1. Plant your feet shoulder-width apart, straight and firm torso, arms hanging loosely by your side
2. Take a medium-long step back with your left foot and contract your left glute muscle
3. Lower your torso until your front (right) quadricep is parallel to the floor, keeping your knee over your ankle at 90 degrees
4. Meanwhile, your left knee is also bent 90 degrees and your left heel is lifted, but your left knee does not touch the floor
5. When your left knee is almost touching the floor, hold for a moment, then push your left knee back until both your legs are nearly straight. This completes one reverse lunge.
6. Once you have completed 10 reverse lunges, return your feet to the starting position and then step your right foot back and complete 10 more reverse lunges.

• Alternatively, you can complete one left lunge, return to start, complete one right lunge, repeat
• Try for 2 sets of 10 reps per leg, then slowly increase the number of sets / reps

Mastering the Reverse Lunge

For the reverse lunge to be effective you need to keep your torso straight, perpendicular to the ground, and go slowly into and out of each rep. Don’t go too deep into the lunge until your body is more accustomed to the movement. The more you try to press your front foot into the ground, the more you will work your glutes. Try to not push on your front knee when you are coming up, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the lunge. Once you have mastered the reverse lunge you can increase the difficulty by holding dumbbells in each hand, or a medicine ball with both hands. You can also combine reverse lunges with normal lunges or squats to get a full lower-body workout.

Challenge Yourself to Reverse Lunges Every Day for One Month

Want to challenge yourself? Do reverse lunges every day for one month. You'll notice stronger legs and glutes in no time! Beginners: Do 20 reverse lunges per leg every day. Advanced: Do 40 reverse lunges per leg every day.