Dumbbell Lunges || How to do Lunge

The dumbbell lunge is basically a giant step forward. Although this exercise can be done without weights, using dumbbells provides additional work for the upper leg and buttock muscles. This functional exercise is a great addition to any lower body strength routine as well as circuit training workouts.

Source: Extreme Fitness

How to Do a Dumbbell Lunge

You will need an area where you can take a big step. Choose dumbbells of the right weight so that you can complete the exercises you have chosen.

If you’re new to exercise, start with light weights.

Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand. Hang your arms at your side. Palms toward thighs (hammer grip) and feet slightly less than shoulder width apart.

1. Inhale and take a big step forward with your right foot, landing on your heel.
2. Bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the ground, but don’t let your right knee go over your toes.

3. Left foot bent at knee and balanced on toes in lunge position.
4. Step right foot back on exhalation to return to starting position.
Repeat the movement with the left leg.

Benefits of Dumbbell Lunges

The quadriceps (front of the thigh) muscle is the main target of the lunge. One of the four quadriceps — the rectus femoris — also acts as a hip flexor, pulling your torso toward your thighs.

You use quads to straighten the knee from a bent position and help keep the kneecap in the proper position. Being fit improves balance and mobility. You use these muscles when cycling, climbing stairs, and walking (especially uphill).

When your balance is challenged during the lunge, the stabilizing muscles of your back and legs also come into play.3 This combo exercise even utilizes the glutes maximal of the glutes, the inner thigh and calf muscles. Add this together and you get a much more functional workout.

Athletes in sports that involve running need to strengthen their quads for balance with the hamstrings.4 As a weight-bearing exercise, the lunge can help maintain bone health.

Other Variations of Dumbbell Lunge

Dumbbells can be done in a variety of ways to make them more accessible to beginners or provide a way to progress as you get stronger.

No weight for beginners

Practice the lunge without weights until you can do it with good form, especially if you have balance problems. When you can perform the movement correctly with only your body weight, add light weights. You can increase the weight when you can perform the exercise correctly.

Longer steps

Taking shorter steps forward makes this exercise primarily a quadriceps exercise while taking a longer step will also work the glutes to the maximum.

Change Weight Position

The barbell exercise can also be performed with a dumbbell held in front of the shoulder or a dumbbell above the shoulder, behind the neck. These are more advanced versions and should only be done if you have no balance issues.

Dumbbell Walking Lunge

Another challenging variation is the lunge walk (picture without weights). Instead of returning to a standing position, bring your back foot forward into another movement and continue this movement as you move around the room.

Dumbbell Lunge with Biceps Curl

Get more power out of the dumbbells by adding biceps curls while in the crouch. To do it, step into a lunge, hold the position while rolling the dumbbells up, lower the dumbbells, then return to standing.

Common mistake

It should be noted that these errors can lead to injury or reduce the effectiveness of this exercise.

Extend knee in front of toes

Be careful that the knee of your front leg doesn’t extend past your toes as you bend your leg. This can aggravate the knee joint and lead to injury.

Lean forward

Keep your back straight and torso upright as you plunge. If you find yourself leaning forward or rounding back, pull in your abs before taking a step. Use lighter weights or no weights until you can maintain a standing position.

Knee dislocation

The back knee should be in line with your body and facing the floor at the bottom of the lunge. If you have balance problems or lack of flexibility in your hip flexors or flexors, you can rotate your knees outward or inward.

This can lead to knee pain. If you find yourself doing this move, shorten the pose until you can do the swing with correct form.

Inappropriate stance

If your feet are too close together, this force will put more force on the knees than on the thighs. If they’re too far apart, you won’t be able to flex your back as much and your swing will be less stable. Adjust the width of your stance to find the right distance.

Safety and Precautions

Avoid swinging weights if you have pelvic instability problems or an ankle injury. 1 If you have knee or hip problems, do shallower swings rather than deep dives and use lighter weights. Keeping the knee from extending past the toes is important to prevent injury.

If you feel joint pain in your knees, hips, or ankles, end the exercise. Since swinging requires balance, you can avoid it during your third trimester or do it with one hand in contact with the wall for balance.

If you’re new to the exercise, start slow and do only a few repetitions until you build strength in your sets. Then work your way up to two or three sets of eight to 12 shakes each.