Side lunge for toned legs and a crisp butt

Time for leg training! Side lunge made easy - that's what really matters with the side lunge and how to do it correctly - I'll show you!

If you want to strengthen your legs, then a side lunge should not be missing from your training plan. This will improve your Leg powerstrengthen the inner Thigh and also train your Balance. 💪

Also your Po benefits from this exercise.

But the best thing about the Side Lunge is that you can none Training equipment you need. A mat isn't even compulsory - although I recommend one because I don't want you to end up doing the splits unplanned 😄

You probably remember this exercise from your school days. At least we used to have to warm up with side lunges before PE lessons. I wasn't a big fan of the exercise back then. Today, however, I'm even more so, because now I know that the Strength exercise can work wonders.

Let's take a look at the exact miracles. I would like to introduce you to the side lunge in detail. I'll explain how to perform it correctly, what you need to look out for and what the most common mistakes are.

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

Why side lunges enrich your training

Are you looking for an effective exercise to strengthen your legs and bottom? Then side lunges are just the thing for you! This exercise is not only easy to do, but also brings great results.

With the lateral lunge, you mainly train the Thigh musclesyour quadriceps, and the inner thigh muscles, the adductors. But that's not all: your Gluteal muscles is put under a lot of strain, especially if you come from the deep Position come back up again. This not only strengthens your muscles, but also improves your Balance and Coordination.

And the best thing? You don't need any special equipment. All you need to do is take a big step to the side, shift your weight to your side leg and squat down low. Make sure that your upper body remains upright and that your knee does not extend beyond the tips of your toes. This will prevent injuries and make the exercise more effective.

Lateral lunges are also super variable. You can make them lighter or heavier depending on how low you go or whether you use additional weight such as dumbbells. They're perfect for beginners and intermediates and a great addition to any workout plan.

Try them out and feel how your legs and bottom become stronger and firmer! 💪 Now let's take a look at this in detail!

The basics of the side lunge

Remember one thing: if you feel a slight burning sensation in your bent thigh and a pulling sensation on the inside of your straightened leg, you are on the right track 😊.

But of course a little more is needed if you want to strengthen and tone your legs.

Also good to know: Your legs should be warmed up for a side lunge. So don't do it directly as the first exercise, but as the fourth or fifth exercise. Great warm-up exercises are, for example, jumping jacks or running a little at the stand.

The exercise at a glance:

• Equipment necessary: no
• Difficulty: light to medium
• For beginners suitable: yes
• Designations: Side lunge, side lunge, side lunge
• Claimed Muscle groupsThighs and bottom

By the way, if you don't want to do the exercise to the side, you can do it with Reverse Lunges or Walking Lunges try. You bring even more momentum Jumping Lunges into your workout!

Performing side lunges: how to do the side lunge correctly

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your hands together in front of your body at chest level or place your hands on your hips.
• Make sure that your upper body is upright. Straighten your spine and tighten your stomach.
• Stick your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
• Form a slight hollow back in the lower back - this protects the intervertebral discs from too much stress.
• Inhale through the nose and take a wide step to the side.
• The leg that performs the step, you bend at the knee. In this case it is the right leg.
• Bring your upper body to the right side and squat down as low as possible.
• Stretch the left leg through.
• The knee must always point in the same direction as the toes.
• Exhale through the mouth and press your body back to the starting position over the heel of the right leg.

Always train to one side first. For example, eight repetitions in one direction - then take a break. This break should last between 30 seconds and one minute. Then do the exercise on the other side. 💪

It's always effective when you 8-12 repetitions per side, followed by a break and a total of 3 passes do.

Now you have the several possibilities of execution. Thus, a normal exercise provides a lot of variety.

1. You do the exercise again in the same way - for example 8-12 times in one direction.
2. However, you can now also decide to do the exercise alternately to the left and right.
3. In both cases, you can pause in the position for a short time or stay in the position longer and make slightly rocking movements.

Side lunge - tips for beginners

As a beginner, your aim should be to do the exercise as as cleanly as possible. Therefore, pay particular attention to how your upper body is positioned, what your knee is doing and where the tips of your toes are pointing.

To keep the strain on the knees and thighs low, you should alternate between left and right with the execution and not go too deep into the knees.

Lateral lunge for advanced

If this is too boring for you, you can of course vary the exercise and make it more difficult with equipment.

If you want to do advanced side lunges, you should use a Dumbbell or Kettlebell to help you. The weight makes it harder to return to the starting position - the muscles have to exert much more force to do so.

Advanced users can also bobbing Movements when they are in the side lung. This is particularly strenuous for the thighs.

Or you go like this squat really low. Until your bottom and knees are at the same height. There is also a variation with a barbell, but you really need to be very fit for this.

Want to do more? Try the lunge with dumbbell!

What to look for in side lung

As with any exercise, make sure that you do it clean and Correct perform. The point is not to do as many repetitions as possible, but to do them slowly and deliberately.

Let's take a look at the most common problems and difficulties.

Legs

A side lunge is only effective and gentle on your knees if you make sure that both knees are pointing in the same direction as the tops of your feet.

The knee should never be pushed beyond the tip of the toes. If it does, then take a wider step.

The following applies to both legs: make sure that the heels of your feet remain on the floor. As soon as you notice that the heel lifts off the ground, you have reached your maximum flexibility. It will get better over time. That's a promise 🙂.

Momentum is out of place in this leg exercise. Use the power of the heel to push yourself over the thighs to the starting position.

Back

If you are still relatively untrained, you probably lack stability in your core - i.e. your lower back and abdomen. Beginners tend to arch their backs when they squat to the side.

Pay attention! Because your back always remains straight when you do a side lunge. You can tilt it forwards, but don't bend it. It should be in a natural hollow back.

Poor

Where to put the arms? There are exercises where I ask myself that all the time.

A side lunge is a classic example of this. What do you do with your arms in a side lunge? You have three options, all of which are perfectly fine. Find the variation that you feel most comfortable with.

1. Place hands on hips
2. Fold your arms in front of your body
3. Stretch your arms forward - i.e. straight away from your body

Whatever you like best is allowed. I recommend making a fist and clasping your fist with your other hand. That way I can keep the tension in my upper body better and concentrate on my abdominal muscles.

What you shouldn't do is rest your arms on your bent thigh, because then you are guaranteed to cheat when you return to the starting position and push yourself up. And that's not what we want - because we want our thighs to have plenty to do.

The shoulders are loose during the exercise, do not pull them up and do not tense them.

Feel like toning your legs? Try these 11 exercises!

Which muscles do I train with the side lunge?

You already know that you are strengthening your legs and bottom with this exercise, but let's look at it in detail now. The muscles targeted in the side lunge are the

1. Thigh muscles (quadriceps): These muscles on the front of your thighs are used a lot when you do a side lunge. They help you to bend and straighten your knee.
2. Inner thigh muscles (adductors): These muscles on the inside of your thighs are particularly challenged when you step sideways. They help to pull your legs together and stabilize your movement.
3. Gluteal muscles (gluteus muscles): Your buttocks are put under a lot of strain during the side lunge, especially when coming up from the lunge position. These muscles are important for the stability of your pelvis and hips.
4. Posterior thigh muscles (hamstrings): The muscles on the back of your thighs are also activated to maintain balance and support the movement.
5. Core muscles: Your abdominal and back muscles are also used as they help you to keep your balance during the exercise and keep your upper body stable.

So a lateral lunge is primarily aimed at the lower body - and here at a whole range of your thigh muscles. But the torso is also involved to some extent. It ensures that you don't lose your balance.

That's why you should stretch your legs now!

Why are side lunges so effective for runners?

A lateral lunge is a Typical runner exercise. Who wants to run fastershould definitely include side lunges in their training plan. This is because you need to tense your core muscles and fully extend your hips at the same time to keep up a brisk pace.

You need strong pomus muscles so that the hip joint can be extended to the end of the movement when running. Weakly trained legs in combination with hardly any pomus muscles cause typical running complaints such as a Runners Knee.

Beware of the most common mistakes with the side lung

This exercise is also good for beginners. Unlike other fitness exercises, you can't do much wrong here. Essentially, there are only two sources of error, but with a little practice you can quickly get a handle on them.

The legs and the knee

Beginners in particular tend to turn their knees inwards or outwards. If you want to do a nice side lunge, then always point your knees forwards. This is important so that the ligaments are not overstretched or injured.

Also, make sure your bent knee does not extend past the tops of your feet.

To do this, do a test run before each round. Note exactly where you need to place your leg to find the optimum foot position. Beginners can also mark the spot with tape. After a while, you will develop a good feeling for the best place to put your foot during the side lunge.

It also often happens that the knee pushes over the toe at the end of the bend. This is because the lunge to the side was too small. Increase it by 10 cm and observe whether you now succeed.

Step length too short

If you choose a stride that is too short, you will create an acute angle between your thigh and lower leg. This puts enormous strain on the front knee.

You are doing it correctly if your lower leg remains vertical and your knee is above your heel.

The upper body

Your upper body is upright. Be careful not to tilt forward too much or even lean on your thigh. Tighten your abdominal muscles, which is easier at the beginning if you form a fist with your hands in front of your body. This hand position automatically tenses the torso.

So you can lose weight on the thighs!

What are the best complementary exercises for lunging?

Lateral lunges are a fantastic exercise for the legs and buttocks. But for a balanced and effective leg workout, you need more than just lunges. You need to combine them with other exercises. These are my personal favorite exercises:

• Squats (squats): These are ideal for strengthening the thighs, buttocks and hips. Train squats Similar muscle groups to lunges, but with a different movement pattern.
• Glute BridgesThis exercise specifically targets the glutes and helps to stretch the hip flexors, which is especially important after lunges.
• Leg press (Leg Press): If you have access to a gym, the leg press is a great addition. It allows you to train your legs with more weight, which increases muscle strength and mass.
• Lunges to at the back (Reverse Lunges)This variation of the lunges focuses more on the back thighs and buttocks.
• Calf raise (calf raises): To ensure a holistic leg workout, you shouldn't neglect your calves either. Calf raises can be performed standing or sitting.
• Lateral Leg lifterThis exercise strengthens the lateral thigh muscles and the hips, which is important for good balance and stability.
• Deadlifts (deadlift): An excellent exercise for the entire posterior muscle chain, including the thighs, glutes and lower back.
• Step-ups: This exercise on a bench or step board is great for training the leg muscles specifically and individually.
• PlanksAlthough they mainly train the core muscles, help Planks tostability and Improve core strength, which is important for effective lunges.
• Hamstring CurlsThey target the hamstrings and are a good complement to promote muscle balance between the front and back of the legs.

FAQ - the most frequently asked questions about the side lung

Can I lose weight with side lunges on my legs?

You've heard or read that you should do side lunges to tighten up your inner thighs and get rid of those love handles? Oh dear, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Because it's not that simple.

If you want to lose weight on your legs, then you must Reduce body fat. But not just on the legs, but on the entire body. Because getting rid of body fat in just one area is unfortunately impossible. You're doing everything right with exercise, but start building muscle in other parts of your body too.

Indeed, strength training is much more efficient than any miracle diet. Muscles consume a lot of calories and they like small power plants. So your body fat starts to melt away. A lateral lunge can help you do this, after all, you are training the thigh muscles - they are among the largest muscles in the human body.

If you now start to move more overall and pay attention to your diet, then nothing will stand in the way of your desire for toned legs.

Why should the side lunge not be missing from any workout?

Side lunges are so popular and can be found in pretty much every training plan because they target many muscle groups at the same time. First and foremost the thigh muscle - the largest muscle in the human body. This exercise can also be adapted for advanced users with equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells or barbells.

You not only improve your muscle strength, but also your balance and mobility.

I have pain in my side lung - what should I do?

As soon as you feel pain - whether in your knee, hips or muscles - don't do the exercise. Sore muscles are fine, but sharp pains are your body's warning sign. Have you recently had an injury or have you been struggling with pain for a while? Make sure you have it checked out by a sports doctor.

Until then, avoid all exercises that put pressure on the knees. As a beginner, it may be worth investing a few hours in a professional trainer. They will show you whether you are doing the exercise incorrectly or suggest great alternatives.

Our conclusion

A side lunge strengthens your legs and butt. Beginners must pay special attention to a clean execution of the side lunge. Advanced users can make this leg exercise even more effective with a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell. In short: An absolute classic that should not be missing in any workout!

To browse further:

• Mega abdominal workout with scissor kicks
• Lunges with dumbbells - how to do them correctly
• Squats: How deep do they really need to be?

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