Dépense estimée selon votre poids
Mouvement polyarticulaire · 4 s par répétition
| Répétitions | Dépense estimée |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0,53 kcal |
| 10 | 5,3 kcal |
| 20 | 10,5 kcal |
| 50 | 26,3 kcal |
| 100 | 52,5 kcal |
Estimation à partir des équivalents métaboliques (MET) du Compendium of Physical Activities. La charge, le tempo et la durée des repos font varier le résultat du simple au double : à lire comme un ordre de grandeur, pas comme une mesure.
Front lunges: which muscles do the work
The front lunge is a single-leg exercise: one leg works while the other stabilises. The quads on the front leg do most of the job. Next come the glutes and hamstrings, which fire hard on the way back up.
But it isn't only about the thighs. Your abs and lower back keep the torso upright, and your calves handle balance on the floor. One movement, several muscle groups: that's why the lunge shows up in almost every program.
- Quads: main driver on the front leg
- Glute max: hip extension on the way up
- Hamstrings: braking on the way down
- Core: abs and back holding the position
The more vertical you keep the torso, the more the work stays in the thighs. A slight forward lean (a few degrees is enough) shifts the load toward the glutes.
How to do a front lunge properly
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides. That's your starting position. Take a long step forward, roughly 70 to 90 cm depending on your height.
Drop straight down until the back knee almost touches the floor. The front knee stays in line with the foot, at close to a 90-degree angle. Then push through the front heel to get back to the start.
Split your bodyweight between the front heel and the ball of the back foot. Wobbling? Cut the range of motion before you add difficulty. Five minutes of warming up before lifting is enough to get the hips ready.
In the gym, nine lifters out of ten lose their balance because their step is too short, not because they lack strength.
Common mistakes
- Step too short: the knee travels way past the foot
- Torso tipping forward at the end of a set
- Front knee caving inward
- Bouncing off the back knee when it hits the floor
Front lunge vs reverse lunge
The question comes up constantly. Both versions hit the same muscles, just not in the same proportions. The front lunge demands more control on the way down. The reverse version is more stable.
| Criteria | Front lunge | Reverse lunge |
|---|---|---|
| Quads | High | Moderate |
| Glutes | Moderate | High |
| Balance needed | High | Medium |
| Knee stress | Higher | Lower |
| Beginner | No | Yes |
Cranky knees? Start with the reverse version, no hesitation. Move to the front lunge once your form holds up for 12 reps per leg.
Variations to keep progressing
Bodyweight is enough for the first few weeks. After that you need to add load or volume to keep moving forward.
Dumbbell front lunges
A dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging by your sides. It's the simplest way to add difficulty without complicating the movement. Start with 2 x 6 kg and go up in 2 kg jumps.
Barbell front lunges
With the bar on your shoulders you can go genuinely heavy, but your balance has to keep up. Save this one for lifters who already handle the barbell squat.
Alternating and walking lunges
In the alternating version you switch legs every rep. Walking lunges chain the steps together without returning to the start: the cardio demand climbs sharply.
How many reps, and how to program them
For strength and size, aim for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg, with 90 seconds of rest. Light or walking versions, go up to 15 or 20 reps.
Put lunges after a heavy exercise like the squat or deadlift. Two sessions a week is plenty for most programs. On a leg-focused session, running lunges at the end covers the single-leg work without eating into your heavy sets.
Knowing these numbers is the easy part. Holding them week after week while adjusting the loads, much less so. A training program built around your level and the days you actually have sorts that out, and MUSCU generates yours with video for every variation.
Fitting lunges into your week
Front lunges fix imbalances between your right and left leg. If one side gives out first, set your rep count on the weaker side.
They pair well with hip thrusts, leg curls and Romanian deadlifts. Progress tracking and the video exercise library are covered on the software features page.
That leaves the cardio question, which always comes up with this kind of exercise. Order matters: see cardio before or after lifting so you don't show up to your leg sets already tired.