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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Lunges with dumbbells - video

Weight and reps for beginners

Load by muscle group

Restrictions for injuries/illness/pain

Description of the exercise

Main features

When working in the gym and wanting to achieve certain results, it is important to know and understand the essence of the exercises in order to effectively work out all the muscles.

In today’s article we will talk about the exercise “lunges with dumbbells”, determine the need to introduce it into your workout, and also find out which muscles work.

This exercise - one of the most effective for the development of the quadriceps and gluteal muscles of the thigh. The muscles of the lower back, abs and forearms are also included in the work.

The exercise “lunges with dumbbells” is great for the buttocks, tightens them and makes them round. Great for both beginners and experienced athletes. Also, due to the shift in the center of gravity, the load on the lower back is less than in lunges with a barbell.

Warm-up is considered very important. It is performed before each workout and involves simple, rotational movements in the joints (this exercise works the ankle, knee, and hip joints) and 5-10 minutes of any cardio exercise (running, jumping rope).

This is necessary in order to warm up the body as a whole, make joints mobile and muscles more elastic and prepare them for further work. After training, you should do some stretching, which will “calm” the muscles and contribute to a milder course of post-workout syndrome.

In order to get maximum benefit from exercise and not harm yourself, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Before performing this exercise, familiarize yourself with the technique, try to feel the working muscles, rehearse the execution in front of a mirror, remember the correct position of your back and legs. If necessary, use the help of a trainer.

The wider the step, the more the gluteal muscles are involved in the work. A short step transfers the main load to the quadriceps!

You can get acquainted with another, no less effective exercise for working the muscles of the legs and buttocks in the article “Squats with a barbell”.

Possible lunge options

Lunges are a basic exercise but belongs to the category of “relief”. Lunges are essential for defining the middle and lower quadriceps. To effectively work out the muscles of the legs and buttocks in one workout, We recommend doing squats before lunges, since this exercise is designed to a greater extent for gaining mass in the muscle corset of the whole body and for increasing strength.

The huge list of options for performing “Lunges with dumbbells” can only be limited by the limits of your own imagination. Below are the 7 most common ones:

Classic forward lunges with dumbbells in hands

Place your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and step wide forward, lower into a lunge, maintaining right angles in the knee joints. Return to the starting position, pushing through your heel. Perform a certain number of repetitions on one leg, then switch legs, repeat on the other leg and then rest.

Alternating lunges with dumbbells

Unlike classic lunges, return to the starting position and perform each subsequent repetition on the other leg. Here, a lot of energy and calories are spent on changing legs, which is great for losing weight. These lunges with dumbbells are suitable for girls.

Walking lunges with dumbbells

Do not return to the starting point, but after lunging with one leg, lunge with the other.

Reverse lunges with dumbbells

From the starting position (feet hip-width apart), lunge wide back, arms with dumbbells along the body. Remember to keep your knees straight as you lower into the lunge. Keep your back straight.

Static lunges with dumbbells

Starting position: take a wide step forward, place your back foot on your toes, and lift your heel off the floor. Transfer your body weight to your front leg. As you inhale, lower yourself down to right angles at the knee joints and rise as you exhale. Place one foot next to the other only after completing the specified number of repetitions and then switch legs. This variation of lunges with dumbbells is good for men when gaining muscle mass.

Bulgarian lunges with dumbbells

Place your supporting (back) leg on a hill (bench, ball).

Side lunges with dumbbells

Starting position: feet hip-width apart. Inhale and take a wide step to the side. Don’t forget: the knee of the supporting leg is in the projection of the foot; to do this, you should move your pelvis back. Return to the starting position.

Technique for performing the exercise “lunges with dumbbells”

Finally, let's get to the fun stuff!

• Place your legs slightly wider than your pelvic bones, bend your knees slightly;
• Take a dumbbell in your hands, hold them loosely along your body;
• Keep your back straight throughout the exercise, chest in a wheel, look in front of you or up;
• As you inhale, take a long step forward. Slowly lower yourself down until your knees are at a right angle;
• When lowering down, your legs should be bent at the knee joint 90°, without touching the floor with the knee of the back leg;
• As you exhale, dynamically rise up, push off with the heel of your front leg and return to the starting position.

Perform the specified number of repetitions, do the same with the other leg, then rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes and repeat the required number of approaches.

To begin with, use lighter dumbbell weights or work only with your body weight. For varicose veins, it is better to perform an exercise with alternating legs, but after consultation with a doctor. Listen to yourself.

You should stop the exercise if you feel sharp pain in your knees or back! Make sure that your back is always straight, your abs tense, the knee in front of the front leg does not go beyond the projection of the foot, and the knee behind you does not touch the floor.

Keep the correct execution technique in mind, imagine that you are performing the exercise correctly. No matter how strange it may sound, visualization plays an important role in building the body.

Exercise “lunges with dumbbells” – video

In the presented video you can visually familiarize yourself with the technique of execution, the muscles involved, variations of the exercise and possible errors.

Lunges with dumbbells have been and remain an indispensable exercise among athletes, both amateurs and professionals. The effectiveness of this exercise is difficult to overestimate! Listen to the advice of professionals, choose the option that is convenient for you and make your muscles beautiful and sculpted.

Do you include lunges in your workouts? Which option do you like better? Share your experiences and impressions in the comments.

Lunges with dumbbells can rightfully be called one of the most effective basic exercises for developing the muscles of the thighs and buttocks. Compared to squats, lunges allow you to concentrate the load on one leg and work the muscles more thoroughly. Using dumbbells as weights allows you to better maintain your balance and puts less strain on your spine than lunges with a barbell.

Emphasis on quadriceps and glutes

If we analyze which muscles work during lunges with dumbbells, we get the following picture:

• The quadriceps (quadriceps muscle of the thigh, occupies its anterior surface) is one of the two main working groups. This muscle extends the leg at the knee joint when we rise from the lowest point.
• The gluteus maximus muscle (makes up the bulk of the buttocks) - along with the quadriceps, experiences significant stress when extending the hip when lifting up.

In addition to the quadriceps and gluteus maximus, the following muscles take part in the work: the abdominal muscles, gluteus medius, hamstrings, back muscles, calf muscles, etc. The main function of the listed muscles in this exercise is to stabilize the position of the body and legs. It’s not for nothing that the movement is called coordination complex - it’s really not always possible to maintain balance the first time. You can also mention the arm muscles with which you hold dumbbells - they work statically.

By varying the width of your step when performing lunges with dumbbells in your hands, you can shift the load towards the buttocks or towards the quadriceps:

• The step is wider, the supporting leg has an angle at the knee of more than 90 degrees - the gluteal muscle stretches better and works more. This is the best option for most girls. However, the wider the stance of the feet, the less comfortable it is to step and walk back.
• The step is narrower, the supporting leg is bent at a right angle - the front surface of the thigh is more involved.

The technique of lunges with dumbbells in hands allows for different step widths, with the only caveat that the legs should not be too close to each other or, conversely, too wide. Too close is when the working leg begins to extend the knee beyond the line of the toe. Too wide is when the supporting leg is almost straight. In a wide position, with good stretching, you can do lunges in place, but not dynamically.

Avoiding injuries

Lunges with dumbbells, like any other type of lunge, place increased stress on the ligaments of the knee joints. In this regard, they are more dangerous than, say, squats. This is explained by the fact that during squats, the weight of the body and weights are distributed on two legs, and when doing lunges, you focus the entire load on one leg. Of course, the muscles are delighted with this, but weak ligaments may suffer.

Therefore, to prevent injury, use the following recommendations:

• Avoid lunging with dumbbells if you have a recent knee injury. If there were injuries, but for a long time, do the exercise extremely carefully and stop if the slightest discomfort occurs. Health, you understand, is more expensive.
• Before you start training, you need to warm up the muscles and provoke the release of joint lubrication (synovial fluid). To do this, we squat and do lunges without weights, rotate our feet and shins, bend forward, etc. It will take five minutes, but the effect of the workout will be much higher, and the likelihood of getting injured is lower.
• When working with heavy weights, do not take steps. That is, both legs remain in place and your lunges with dumbbells automatically transform into.
• If you have not practiced lunges before, practice the technique without weight first.
• If pain, discomfort or any other signals occur that should not normally exist, stop the exercise.

If, due to problem knee joints, lunges are not suitable for you, then you can try replacing this exercise by abducting your legs (swings) while standing back, forward, or to the sides. This can be done in a special simulator or on a lower block. To work the buttocks, lunges can be replaced with a gluteal bridge. But, since every injury is individual, there are no universal recommendations, and therefore it is better to consult a doctor.

Actually, let's move on to a description of how to do lunges correctly.

Technique

What is called “breaking in” the exercise is better without weight or with nominal dumbbells or weights. If the test is successful, take on a more serious load.

The technique is as follows:

1. Take dumbbells in your hands and stand straight. Feet hip-width apart, back straight, shoulders straight, gaze directed forward. This is the starting position.
2. As you inhale, take a step forward with your working leg, transfer your body weight to it and bend your knee. Try to place your foot softly and elasticly, do not fall forward with your entire weight. The width of the step should be such that the knee of the working leg does not extend beyond the projection of the toe. The angle at the knee of the working leg is 90 degrees or slightly less. The supporting leg stands on the toe.
3. As you exhale, push the heel of your working leg off the floor and return back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement the required number of times.

Lunges with dumbbells, as mentioned earlier, are a basic exercise. It can be placed after squats, leg presses or deadlifts.

The number of repetitions and sets depends on your individual goals:

• To gain muscle in your legs and buttocks, do 8-12 repetitions with each leg in 3-4 sets. The weight should be so heavy that the last repetitions are difficult. However, to get results, doing the exercise correctly is much more important than adding weight.
• If your goal is fat burning and definition, do 20-25 repetitions, but with light weights and at a faster pace. In this mode, you can do the exercise with weights.

As variations you can do:

• Back lunges. In this case, you do not step forward with your working leg, but backward with your supporting leg. What is the difference? There is no moment of lowering the foot of the working leg to the floor and, accordingly, the impact load on the joints is reduced. But the working leg is always under tension and is not fully unloaded as in the classic version of the exercise. Choose the execution option that is most comfortable for you. Lunges forward and backward can be alternated.
• Working leg on the platform. This version of the exercise allows you to stretch the gluteal muscle more strongly and work it out more efficiently.
• Support leg on a bench (Bulgarian lunges). Relieves the load from the supporting leg as much as possible and concentrates it on the working leg.
• Walking or dynamic lunges. This variation of performing lunges with dumbbells or weights is great for fat-burning workouts. You not only have to do the exercise, but also constantly stabilize the position of your body.

Forward lunges with dumbbells have a large number of variations, suitable for both men and women. When done correctly, in combination with other exercises for the hips and buttocks, you will make your workout as effective as possible.

Reverse lunges with dumbbells are a basic, multi-joint exercise aimed at developing the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles and calf muscles.

A variation, reverse lunges, takes most of the stress off the knee joint.

Main working muscle group: thighs, buttocks.

Accessory muscle group: calf muscles, arm muscles, abs.

Reverse lunges with dumbbells - execution technique.

1. Take a dumbbell of the desired weight in each hand and stand straight. This is your starting position.

2. Take a step back with either leg, keeping the other leg in place. As you inhale, perform a squat, keeping your body straight. The knee of the leg that is in front should remain in line with the foot and not go back, forming a wide angle at the knee joint. The shin of the leg that stands in front should be perpendicular to the floor.

3. As you exhale, push off the floor with your back leg and return to the starting position. Place half the weight on the heel of your front foot, thereby engaging your glutes and quadriceps.

4. Perform the required number of repetitions, then change legs and do the same on the other leg, or perform the exercise alternately with each leg.

You can also perform split squats with one leg already in front. In this case, you will only need to perform an up and down motion, lowering and rising with the weight.

Lunges can also be performed using a barbell on the shoulders.

September 16, 2016

The lunge is one of the main leg exercises that engages the gluteal and thigh muscles. Depending on the length of the lunge, you can pump up certain leg muscles. The world famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave this exercise second place in his training.

The history of the exercise is not entirely clear. Some researchers claim that lunges were “invented” quite recently, during the era of fitness. Others claim that they were actively used back in the days of Ancient Greece for the physical training of warriors.

Nowadays, lunges are widely used by professional athletes to train their legs, as well as by many women to make their thighs and buttocks attractive.

CLASSIC LUNCHES performed without any weighting agents. However, many athletes use a barbell or dumbbells to increase the load.

• Lunges are a core exercise that primarily targets the leg muscles (along with squats and presses). They perfectly “outline” the quadriceps, making them as sculpted and powerful as possible. The longer (deeper) the lunges, the more they affect the buttocks area.
• In addition, lunges are also great for training stability and coordination of movements, as the athlete has to learn to support the weight of the entire body (and additional weights) on one of the legs.
• The lunge is an excellent compound exercise that uses a huge number of large and small muscles in the body. It is extremely popular among experienced bodybuilders who want to make their legs even more powerful and strong. Lunges are widely used in modern fitness, in particular, for women who dream of beautiful and attractive hips.
• According to recent medical research, this type of exercise also has a beneficial effect on the joints and ligaments of people in adulthood.

How to perform this exercise correctly? What should you pay special attention to?

• At the very beginning, you need to straighten your body and place your legs slightly wider than your hips, parallel to each other.
• Before starting, you should “tighten” your stomach and buttocks, and bend your knees slightly.
• The step forward should be as wide as possible, and the body should be kept straight when lunging.
• The body weight should be completely transferred to the forward leg.
• At the bottom of the exercise, it is important to keep the muscles of the back leg tense.
• You need to hold your breath for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.

Lunges can be performed either without weight or using weights (barbells or dumbbells). In the first case, the barbell is held at the top behind the athlete’s head, and in the second, the dumbbells must be held in the hands.

Lunge options

There are several variations of performing lunges.

LET'S LIST THE MOST BASIC OF THEM:

1. Promenade lunges with barbell
2. Reverse lunges with barbell

In this variation, you should alternate lunges with the right leg in front and with the left.

LUNCH IN PLACE

LUNCH WITH STEP

• If an athlete performs an exercise with a barbell, then you need to do a certain number of lunges on one leg (8-12), and then the same number of repetitions on the other leg (8-12).
• Number of approaches: 3.

This option is significantly different from the classic lunge.

Here, after completing the exercise, you do not need to return to the starting position. Pull your back leg forward and straighten, then perform the next lunge on the other leg. Obviously, to fully perform this exercise you will need free space in the room.

• For this exercise, it is recommended to do three sets of 8-12 repetitions on each leg.

Reverse lunge with barbell

In this case, the exercise begins with a step back with the right foot. After this, you need to perform a classic, standard lunge. It is necessary to perform a certain number of repetitions on one leg, and then on the other. Alternating lunges are allowed, when the supporting leg changes each time.

• For this exercise, it is recommended to do three sets of 8-12 repetitions on each leg.

REVERSE LUNGE WITH BARLES

REVERSE LUNCH WITH DUMBBELLS

This variation allows you to significantly increase the load on your legs. This exercise is actively used in the Cross Fit circuit training system, because with its help you can effectively develop the calf and gluteal muscles. With the same effect, lunges with jumps train the body's endurance.

The specificity of the exercise is that the change of legs between lunges is performed by jumping. To achieve maximum results, lunges with jumps are performed with dumbbells in your hands.

• In one approach you need to perform 20-30 jumps (number of approaches: 3-4).

Side lunges allow you to effectively develop the muscles of the inner thighs. The exercise should be performed with dumbbells or a bar.

From the starting position, you need to take a step to the side and sit down, lowering your arms with the weight down. In this case, the supporting leg should be extended straight. Returning to the starting position, you need to repeat the lunge on the other leg.

• Do the exercise 10-12 times (for each leg), the total number of approaches is 3.

The Bulgarian lunge is a rather difficult exercise, both physically and technically.

The technique for performing it is essentially the same as for a standard lunge. But there is one “but”: the trainee’s back leg is on a low bench. Thus, the Bulgarian lunge specifically loads the muscles of only one leg, and not two.

• When performing this exercise, you need to do 10-15 lunges on each leg.
• The number of approaches is 3 or 4, depending on the athlete’s physical fitness.

This lunge variation is also one of the more difficult ones. But it will allow you to quickly tighten your leg muscles and remove their sagging.

The technique for performing such lunges is as follows:

1. We assume a standard lunge position: the front leg is bent at the knee at a right angle, the back leg almost touches the floor with the knee.
2. Leaning on the front leg, pull up the back leg and, without stopping, lift it to the elbow. The higher you can go, the better.
3. Straining your abs as much as possible, hold in this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
4. You can use dumbbell weights and help yourself with your hands. The main thing is to tense your abs and keep your back straight.

• The exercise must be repeated 10-12 times on each leg (the total number of approaches is 3 or 4).

Before you begin testing this exercise, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the technique of its implementation.

• So, the step forward when lunging should be as deep as possible. Otherwise, the body weight will be projected onto the knee joint, which is not very beneficial for the latter.
• You need to thoroughly prepare for performing lunges: warm up well and thoroughly warm up the body muscles. This will significantly reduce the risk of injury during training.
• Beginners should also not work with weights.
• Girls are not recommended to perform lunges with a weight over 15 kg, as this can negatively affect the athlete’s internal genital organs.