High Lunge for Beginners and Men | A Step-by-Step Tutorial

No matter your fitness level, try to perform this lunge every single day. This full-body exercise combines hip mobility, core strength, balance, and body control to reduce your risk of injury in the knees, ankles, hips, and spine. This also builds lower-body strength and endurance for improved athletic performance.

High Lunge Target Areas

HipsCoreSpineLower Body

High Lunge Benefits

Improves hip strengthRelieves stiffness caused by sitting and inactivityImproves hip mobilityImproves basic balance

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High Lunge – Steps 1 and 2High Lunge – Step 3

How to Do High Lunge

Stand at the top of your mat with your feet about 6in (15cm) apart.Take a big step back with your left foot and rise up onto the ball of the left foot. Bend your right knee until the shin is perpendicular to the floor. Press the right heel into the floor to engage your right glutes and hip, and level your hips.Squeeze your legs toward each other to engage inner thighs and core. Reach your arms straight overhead,keeping the ribs drawn in to prevent chest from splaying open. If front knee passes ankle, shift front foot forward, keeping shin perpendicular to floor. Hold the posture, inhaling as you lengthen the spine and maintain the stance, and exhaling as you sink deeper into the lunge. Repeat on the other side.

Cues for High Lunge

Elongate spinePlace hands on hips to level themKeep knee behind or above ankleSqueeze thigh to straighten legKeep weight in both hips and legsStack shoulders over hipsLift ribs away from hipsPull navel to lower backPress firmly into heel, ball of foot, and toes

WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL

Engagement of quadriceps, hamstrings, inner thighs, and hip flexorsEngagement of glute of front legStretch in shoulders and left hip flexors

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL

Lower-back pain; if so, bring feet closer, and increase hip and core engagement

High Lunge Pro Tip

Use your breathing to work deeper into the pose. After the first 2 or 3 breaths, it is easier to sink deeper while maintaining good technique, so push yourself deeper the longer you hold it.

High Lunge Alternate View

If it’s difficult to maintain stability, start with Low lunge (see p58) instead. Bring feet closer toward each other, and rest your back knee on the floor. Once you gain more stability in your legs, you can progress to High lunge.

High Lunge Modification

FAQs