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Forward Lunges

You step forward into a split stance, lower until both knees bend to roughly 90 degrees, then push back to standing. The forward lunge is the foundational single-leg pattern — nearly every leg session Maddy writes uses it or one of its close cousins. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Quads · quadriceps Glutes · gluteus maximus Hamstrings Inner thighs · adductor magnus Outer glutes · gluteus medius

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength4 sets × 4-6 reps per leg (add load via backpack or dumbbells)2 min
Muscle3-4 sets × 9-12 reps per leg60-90 sec
Endurance2-3 sets × 18-27 alternating reps30-45 sec

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Beginner

Beginner pattern, lifetime tool — clean bodyweight reps come first, loading comes second.

Proper form — 5 cues

  1. Take a stride long enough that the front knee stays behind the toes at the bottom.
  2. Drop the back knee straight down toward the floor, not forward.
  3. Keep the hips facing forward like a pair of headlights.
  4. Push through the whole front foot — big toe, little toe, heel — to travel back.
  5. Stay tall through the chest with the eyes ahead, not on your feet.

Breathing: Inhale as you step and lower, exhale as the front heel drives you back to standing.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Landing with feet in a tightrope line. A narrow base leaves nothing to balance against, so the knee wobbles and the rep becomes a balance test. Fix: Step on train tracks — front and back feet on their own hip-width rails.
Striding too short. A cramped split drives the front knee far past the toes and shifts strain to the kneecap area. Fix: Lengthen the step until the front shin stays near vertical at the bottom.
Pushing off the back toes to stand up. The rear leg quietly steals the work that the front leg was supposed to do. Fix: Think of the back foot as a kickstand and drive exclusively through the front heel.

Common questions

Is it true the knee must never pass the toes?

No — that old rule is a simplification. Some forward knee travel is normal and safe in trained knees; the real faults are a collapsing arch, a wobbling knee, or a stride so short the joint takes all the strain at once. Keep the shin near vertical while learning, then let range grow with control.

Lunges or squats — which builds legs better?

They are teammates, not rivals. Squats load both legs together and take heavy weight easily; lunges train each leg alone, expose imbalances, and demand balance and hip stability squats never ask for. A complete lower-body plan almost always carries one squat pattern and one lunge pattern per week.

Why do lunges make me sorer than squats?

Two reasons: each leg handles a larger share of bodyweight than it does in a squat, and the lengthened position of the rear hip and front glute produces more of the muscle damage associated with next-day soreness. The soreness fades sharply within a few weeks of consistent lunging — a well-documented repeated-bout effect.

Related exercises

Easier: Forward Lunges (Modified)  ·  Harder: Dynamic Lunges

Low Lunges Front TapQuads · Glutes LungesQuads · Glutes Reverse LungesQuads · Glutes Reverse Lunges (Modified)Quads · Glutes Wall Support Reverse LungesQuads · Glutes

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