Muscles worked
The lateral lunge moves sideways, which few leg exercises do. The quads and glutes of the bent leg do the main work, and your inner thighs work hard, both as the step is braked and as you push back. On the straight leg, the inner thigh is stretched. The outside of your hip stops your pelvis tipping. The deeper you sit and the further back you push your hips, the more your glutes have to do.
Common mistakes
- The straight leg bends. The exercise then turns into a lopsided squat and your inner thigh loses the stretch. Keep the straight leg straight and the whole foot on the floor.
- Your back rounds as you chase depth. The step is often too wide for your mobility. Take a shorter step and only go as deep as you can with a flat back. Many people get more mobile over time.
- The heel of the bent leg lifts. Your weight then shifts onto your toes and the knee is pushed forward. Keep the whole foot down and push off through the heel and midfoot on the way back.
Variations and alternatives
- The Cossack squat goes deeper to the side from a wide stance and needs more mobility, a step up once the lateral lunge feels easy.
- The curtsy lunge steps diagonally back behind the other leg and gives your glutes and the side of your hip more work.
- Skater hops train sideways movement explosively, when you want to raise your heart rate.
Sets and reps
Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side at a steady pace. The lateral lunge trains both strength and mobility, and a few slow reps per side also fit well into a warm-up before squats or running. The guide to sets and reps shows how many suit your goal.
Go deeper before you go heavier. Once you reach full depth with a flat back, you can hold a dumbbell or something else heavy against your chest. That order, depth first and load second, is progressive overload in an exercise that demands mobility. If your groin or knee hurts, rather than just feeling heavy, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.