Walking Lunges
Walking lunges are a dynamic unilateral lower-body exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings while challenging balance and coordination. Unlike stationary lunges, this variation involves continuous forward movement, increasing the metabolic demand and functional carryover to running and daily locomotion.
Walking lunges place a significant demand on your central nervous system and metabolic recovery due to the dynamic stability required. The AI optimizes this by analyzing your HRV and sleep data; if your recovery scores are low, it may suggest reducing volume or switching to a stable regression like static lunges to prevent injury. Additionally, by tracking your RPE and rep consistency, the system learns your endurance threshold, ensuring you stop the set before fatigue compromises your stability or knee tracking.
Form Cues
- Step forward far enough to create 90-degree angles at both knees
- Keep your feet hip-width apart like you are on train tracks
- Drive through the mid-foot and heel of the front leg to pull yourself forward
- Maintain an upright torso with your chest proud and core braced
- Control the descent gently so the back knee hovers just above the floor
- Don't let your front knee collapse inward past your big toe
- Don't slam your back knee into the ground
- Don't walk on a tightrope with feet in a single line
- Don't lean excessively forward or round your lower back
- Don't push off the back toes excessively; focus on the front leg
Common Mistakes
- Taking steps that are too short or shallow
- Narrow stance causing loss of balance
- Front knee caving inward (valgus collapse)
- Hyperextending the lower back
- Rushing the movement and using momentum
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily builds strength and endurance in the quadriceps and glutes, with significant assistance from the hamstrings during the forward pull phase. Because you are moving through space on one leg at a time, your core, adductors, and hip abductors are heavily recruited to stabilize the pelvis and maintain balance.
Primary
Secondary
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