Need one great exercise idea to help you get fit this year?
Don’t get side-tracked and fooled by super crazy exercises you see on Instagram. They might look cool, but most of the time they’re all hype and only somewhat-useful for people who are really strong and need more of a balance and coordination challenge.
Sticking with the basics – like lunges – will be much more effective in the long-term. Everyone talks about squats for a better body, but what about lunges? Nothing quite leaves my booty burning for a few days like lunges do. They hit all those trouble areas for women – inner thighs, butt, calves. But these aren’t just an exercise for women, they’re perfect for men as well for building strength, size, and athletic ability.
Unlike squats, lunges help you work your legs independently of each other, which improves imbalances and doesn’t let the stronger leg take over. Also, because you’re in that split stance, it requires much more balance than exercises like squats or deadlifts, so it will enhance your core strength and balance.
Personally, I can do bodyweight squats for days and not be very sore the next day. A few passes of walking lunges, however, and it’s a guarantee I’ll have trouble sitting down the next day. 
Additionally, when it comes to exercises like squats and lunges, there are only a few variations you can perform. Lunges, on the other hand, have many more options: Stationary, reverse lunges, alternating, walking curtsy lunges, lateral lunges….so you can hit the muscles in different ways each time, and workout your body in every plane of motion, not just the sagittal plane.
If you’re already used to doing lunges and need to make them harder, just add weights – dumbbells in your hands, a barbell on your back, or a medicine ball in front of you or a weight plate overhead. And change how you do them to make them more of a full-body exercise for extra calorie burn. Add a shoulder press when you stand up, a bicep curl as you lunge, or a rotation in the bottom position- there are so many kinds!
Try one variation for a week or two, then move on to a new variety to hit ALL the muscles. Plus, that up and down will tax your cardio system as well for an awesome calorie-burner!
Need more workout ideas or extra help getting started with your weight loss journey? Contact me for online training: [email protected]
