Pulse Lunge
The Pulse Lunge is a stationary lower-body exercise that keeps constant tension on the quadriceps and glutes by using a shortened range of motion at the bottom of a lunge. It builds muscular endurance and stability without requiring heavy weights.
Pulse lunges rely heavily on time-under-tension rather than heavy load, creating significant metabolic stress. The AI analyzes your RPE and recent leg training volume to ensure you are pushing close enough to failure to trigger adaptation without overtraining. If your recovery data (HRV or sleep) indicates high fatigue, the AI may reduce the duration of the pulses or swap this for a stable isometric hold to protect your joints while still stimulating the muscle.
Form Cues
- Keep your torso upright and core braced tight
- Drive your weight through the front heel
- Hover your back knee just above the floor
- Pulse up and down only 2-3 inches
- Maintain a hip-width stance for balance
- Don't fully extend your legs at the top
- Don't let your front knee collapse inward
- Don't lean your chest forward over your knee
- Don't bounce the back knee off the floor
- Don't lift your front heel off the ground
Common Mistakes
- Standing up too high between reps
- Step stance is too narrow (tightrope walking)
- Shifting weight to the toes
- Arching the lower back excessively
- Rushing the tempo
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes by maintaining constant tension (hypoxia) through a restricted range of motion. It also heavily engages the core and stabilizer muscles to maintain the split stance position, while the hamstrings assist in controlling the descent.
Primary
Secondary
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