Exercises / Walking Lunge

Walking Lunge

Also known as: Dumbbell walking lunge, Forward walking lunge, Walking lunges

A stepping lunge. You step, drop the back knee, then walk through into the next stride.

Primary muscles
Quadriceps, Glutes (gluteus maximus)
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings, Calves, Core
Equipment
Dumbbell (pair of dumbbells, clear floor)
Pattern
Lunge
Difficulty
Beginner
Line diagram of a Walking Lunge.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Line-art dumbbell lunge at the bottom of the step.
Walking-lunges-2.png by Everkinetic, CC BY-SA 3.0. License: CC BY-SA (share-alike). Source.

Cues

  1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, then take a long step forward.
  2. Lower until the front thigh is about parallel and the back knee points at the floor.
  3. Keep the front knee tracking over the mid-foot; the torso stays tall.
  4. Push through the front foot and step through into the next lunge; do not reset to a static stance every rep.

Common mistakes

  • Taking such a short step that the front knee shoots past the toes and it becomes a choppy squat.
  • Letting the front knee cave inward.
  • Staying in a split stance and pulsing instead of walking.

Safety

  • Keep the front knee over the mid-foot. Use a clear path.