Target your hips and set fire to your leg day with these lunges for glutes! Lunges are a unilateral exercise that focuses on the muscles of the lower body. And though the classics like the reverse lunge are great, there are lots of lunge variations out there!
With these lunges for glutes, there's a style of lunge for every body and every level. So scroll through, pick a few new ones to try, and get your legs working!
In addition to squats and deadlifts, lunges are one of the main exercises to strengthen your legs. In fact, lunges help improve:
- balance
- strength
- performance
While implementing different squat variations can help bring your workouts to a new level, lunges train the body unilaterally.
Thus, they provide a whole new element of results (learn more about unilateral training and why you need it), and as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist are one of my favorites to use.
Depending on the lunge variation you choose and the placement of your torso, they can place more emphasis on hamstrings and glutes (back of the legs) versus the quadriceps.
How To Target Glutes In A Lunge
Lunges require a lot of stability from the glute and place a great stretch on the hip flexors. This position naturally fires up the glutes.
However, to maximize glute activation in your lunges, instead of keeping your torso upright, you want to lean slightly forward at the hips slightly (learn how to hip hinge in three easy drills).
It's this hip hinge that places the most emphasis on the glutes.
And though there are some lunges that are more geared toward strong glutes naturally (like reverse lunges), this one hack will take any lunge variation and put more emphasis on the glutes.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing A Lunge
There is literally a lunge that can suit everyone and their ability. Some things to think of when choosing lunges are:
- which equipment do you have access to?
- is there any pain when performing the movement?
- are you strong enough for the exercise?
- can you perform bodyweight lunges with good form?
Regardless of your goals, be it weight loss, strength, performance, or maintenance, lunges can easily have a place in your training program.
That said, like most exercises; before you move onto any lunge variation you need to have mastered the basic form and learn more about how to lunge().
This means a basic stationary lunge and a reverse lunge.
Not only do you need to be able to perform these exercises confidently, but you need to be able to stabilize the front knee and truly activate the muscles of the lower body (specifically the glutes) before progressing.
Likewise, you should be able to perform ten bodyweight lunges on each leg before moving up to more challenging variations.
Deficit Lunge
Oh, the burn you’ll feel with these beauties! Deficit lunges give you a larger range of motion and thus they’re much more challenging.
My tip with these lunges is to decrease the length in which you step back in order to increase the depth in which you move down (see them in action here).
Using the strength of your front leg to pull your body up to a standing position (versus pushing off the back foot) at a greater range than normal with be hard as hell... but worth it.
Deficit lunges target the back of the legs, superficially the glutes quite a lot. They also require a stretch. So, if you're new to them know you might be a bit sore the next day.
They can be done loaded or with just your bodyweight- making them a great at-home option.
Lunges With A Parlof Press
This lunge variation is a fun one but deceptively hard one.
It not only requires far more core strength to press the dumbbell away from your body, but you’ve also got to hold a static lunge to do so.
Instead of targeting your strength through movement, this lunge boosts your stability by having you hold the contraction during the hardest part of the lunge (the bottom).
You’ll shake, vibrate, and be fatigued after few reps.
Training with pauses is a widely underused technique but a great one to improve form and boost strength. I love paused reps and you can read more about them here.
How To: hold the dumbbell at chest height, step back with your left leg and lower into your lunge. Hold the lunge while pressing the weight out in front of you. Return the weight to chest height and step the left leg back to standing.
Barbell Reverse Lunges
Training with a barbell on your back is fun- but hard. Because the barbell extends so far from your body this type of lunge requires a lot of balance.
Since you’ll be stepping back with each lunge, work with a light load (just the bar) until you get used to the movement and firing your core muscles to stay upright with the bar.
The mechanical loading of the barbell is a great way to target the lower body but also prevent osteoporosis in the spine- double win.
Curtsy Lunges
Curtsy lunges target the glutes more than anything else, but they also require you to pay a lot of attention to your front knee and stabilizing it.
This lunge variation can be done using just your bodyweight, in a deficit (with a riser), or using dumbbells or barbells.
Loading up with a barbell is an awesome way to really hit the glutes and challenge stability given you need to step back slightly sideways to hit them properly (check them out)
To perform it: Stand upright in a comfortable position. Step the left foot back and across the line of the left leg. Lower the knee toward the floor while hinging slightly at the hips. Keep the foot of the right leg fully on the floor.
Push through the right foot and return the left foot back to a standing position.
Sliding Lunges
These lunges can be done with a regular stance or a curtsy one and I use them most for clients who are working out a home and don’t have a lot of options for equipment.
For this type of exercise, all you need is socks on a hard floor or a small towel. Likewise, paper plates work on carpet too!
Sliding your leg backward and having to pull it forward gives a bit of resistance in your lunge and the pull hits your hamstrings nicely.
Front Loaded Barbell Lunges
This variation is for fitness junkies. For those of us who have mastered all other lunge variations and feel comfortable with a barbell.
Having a strong barbel reverse lunge is key.
Holding the barbell in front of the body and moving not only requires a lot more stability and glute strength but also mobility in the thoracic spine (you must keep the elbows up to keep the barbell in place) and more stress on the anterior core.
Out of the bunch, this is one of the hardest variations but it’s worth trying when you’re at that point. They feel awkward and wobbly the first time you do them- but with practice, focus, and proper muscle contraction they progress you nicely through plateaus.
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Step Out Lunge
Targetting the outside of legs and your outer glutes! This one requires a bit of hip and ankle mobility to nail down but is a great hit hit for the glutes.
To perform a side lunge:
- Hold a dumbbell with your arms bent at chest height.
- Step out laterally (to the side) with you right leg. Once the leg touches down, hinge toward that foot by bending the right knee and sinking the hips down until they’re in line with the knee. The left leg remains straight.
- Pause briefly and push up through the right foot, unbending the knee and bringing the foot back to a standing position.
Perform 8-10 repetitions per leg.
Lunges With A Hop
This lunge is an unloaded one (no weight) as it requires a plyometric component (the hop). It can be done strictly with a step-back reverse lunge or a sliding lunge (video demo).
Adding the hop to the front leg and driving the knee through is a nice way to train power and fluidity.
It requires focus and balance. It’s also not a great option to start out with or as a new mom even though it’s a bodyweight exercise (read more about why you should avoid jumping as a new mom).
The truth is, you need to already be strong in order to jump. Otherwise you’ll just hurt your joints, you won’t be able to stabilize, and you’ll kill your knees.
Use this variation if you need to get your heart rate up, train more for performance or power and you’re already comfortable with heavy loaded lunges.
Uneven Lunges
This type of lunge variation can be done a few different ways. Regardless of the placement, you chose it’s a great option to train through instability.
When training with only one weight you challenge your body to hold you upright and not give in to one side (anti-lateral flexion).
You can hold the weight down like you would dumbbells, rack a kettlebell on your arm, and hold at shoulder height or for the toughest lunge variation you can opt for one weight overhead.
Yes, your legs are worked in this variation but so are your core muscles- intensely.
TRX Lunges
If you have a pair of TRX straps at home (which is one of my favorite pieces of at-home workout equipment) then this lunge is great!
TRX lunges require a ton of stability and with the rear foot elevated lots of control. Likewise, they force you to use all your stabilizer muscles (especially those glutes) to keep you upright.
Walking Lunges
They can be done loaded, with bodyweight, overhead... you name it! Regardless, they're a great type of lunge for the glutes.
Make sure to make the transition smooth as you step the back leg up through to the next lunge (versus stopping ans standing upright).
On top of that, hinge forward slightly as you drop the back leg down to really set fire to the glutes!
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The workouts build off one another, challenge you, and help you sculpt and lift the one area you've been neglecting.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Types Of Lunges
The best type of lunge is one that you can perform through a full range of motion, doesn't cause pain, and that you'll do consistently! Since you can tweak lunges to target the back (glutes and hamstrings) or the front (quadriceps) of the legs, each lunge is slightly unique. Choose one that best suits your goal.
Both exercises target the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Neither is necessarily better just different. Both exercises can and will target the glutes but you can tweak the form and variation of the exercise to place more emphasis on a specific muscle. Lunges are a unilateral exercise that has been known to hit the quads, however, if you lean slightly forward, they place more emphasis on the glutes.
If you only had to choose three, deficit lunges, curtsy lunges, and side lunges are the best lunges for strong glutes!
The best part is that many of the lunge variations can be combined (overhead walking lunges for example) to create even more options.
If your training is feeling a bit stagnant or your legs have hit a plateau, using different lunges variations can provide great results.
Ensure your basic stance is solid, strong and you’re able to engage all necessary muscles and then start playing with new options!
This helps boost results, performance, and strength. Plus, it keeps you from getting bored in your workouts!
Kiran Dodeja Smith
Way to work those legs, girl! So many good variations to hit the different muscles. Pinning!
fitasamamabear
Yes! There's so many lunges to chose from- it's hard!
Summer
Thanks for these. I've been doing more leg workouts and needed some more variety.
fitasamamabear
Amazing! Leg workouts are my favorite- I hope you enjoy the variations! I also have one on squats too if you need some inspiration there ๐