Standing with your feet about three feet apart in a split stance, bend the back knee until it almost touches the ground. This movement will force your front leg to make a ninety-degree angle and the heel from your back foot to lift from the ground. Do not let the front knee pass the front toe. The more upright your torso, the better your form will be. Straighten the knees to the initial position and repeat fifteen times with each leg.

There are several alternatives in doing this basic lunge. For example, to work more on glutes, take a larger step on the split stance. Create more challenge by stepping forward and coming back to an initial standing position.

To concentrate on quadriceps, do walking lunges by striding forward while alternating legs with each step. I recommend doing twelve strides for beginners and thirty for experts. You can add dumbbells once you feel more confident with this move. If your goal is to increase muscle size, work your weights up to thirty pounds on each hand. In order to tone up, use twelve pounds. I usually have my running clients do lunges in between sprints. Talk about runners’ legs! Their thighs look fabulous!

Lunges have made noticeable improvements on my clients’ and my own legs. For rock hard legs, try the many variations on this exercise. There may be a bit of soreness, but you will be thankful for the results!