Side lunges are one of the most popular exercises for the hips and buttocks. There are various variations of this movement, adapted for beginners and advanced athletes.
Anatomy exercises
What muscles are used by lateral lunges? Unlike classic lunges, lateral lunges allow you to additionally work the inner thigh and gluteus medius muscles.
If we analyze the work of the main muscles during the movement, we get the following:
- The initial abduction of the leg to the side is the gluteus medius and minimus muscles.
- Squat on the abducted leg - hamstrings.
- Squat rise (extension) – quadriceps (extends the knee), gluteus maximus (extends the hip).
- Returning the leg back to the body is the adductor muscle.
Additionally, the calves, abdominal and lower back muscles work.
Separately, it should be said about the outer surface of the thigh and the riding breeches area. Side lunges are often used to correct this problem area. We should be clear here. Fat deposits do not disappear due to muscle training as such. To get rid of them, you need an energy deficit, which, in particular, can be created by intense muscle training.
But 70% of success depends on reducing caloric intake. The complexity of the impact of physical exercises on the riding breeches area is also due to the fact that the outer surface of the thigh is not a muscle, but a tendon, on top of which there is fat.
You should train in a fat-burning mode to lose weight on your thighs. That is, with a large number of repetitions (from 20), at an above-average pace. Number of approaches – from 3. Cardio exercise will be an excellent help for speeding up metabolism. For visible and rapid weight loss, it is advisable to do cardio for 30–40 minutes 3–4 times a week.
If your goal is to improve the shape of your legs and buttocks, left-right lunges are a great tool, as they involve several muscle groups at once. Use 8-12 repetitions, a slow pace and preferably additional weight. Number of approaches – 3–4.
Execution technique
Side lunges are performed from a standing position, with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Spread your toes slightly apart and straighten your back. You can bend your elbows in front of your chest, place your palms on your belt, or extend them along your body - whichever is more convenient for you. Tighten your abs. The knees are soft, the stance is springy.
- As you inhale, take a wide step with your left foot to the side. Bend your working knee slightly, gently lower your foot to the floor, transfer the center of gravity to this leg and squat to a right angle at the knee. Try to keep your back straight. Only light is allowed. The second leg is absolutely straight - extended to the side.
- As you exhale, vigorously straighten your knee and return to the starting position. You should feel your glutes and quadriceps working.
Do the desired number of repetitions with each leg. Take a break by doing some light muscle stretching and do 1-2 more sets.
Complication options
Practice shows that side lunges are quite easy to master. It is possible that after a few months you will notice that when performing the exercise without weight, you no longer feel the necessary muscle work. This indicates that it's time for you to move on to a more difficult version of lunges.
In addition to increasing the number of sets, a good way to increase the load is to use weights. The lateral lunge with dumbbells is performed exactly the same as the classic version of the exercise. You can lower your arms along your body, raise them to your shoulders, or take one heavier dumbbell and hold it with bent arms in front of your chest.
You can combine lunges with biceps curls. In this case, the dumbbells are taken with a reverse grip. In the starting position, your arms are extended down in front of you. When performing a lunge, you bend your arms, bringing the dumbbells closer to your chest.
You can also do . In this case, you additionally load your back and abs. In addition, this movement with weight on the shoulders helps develop a sense of balance.
Lunges with a barbell are the most effective version of this exercise for muscle development. But it’s better to start training with regular lunges. This way you will master the technique and be able to avoid many mistakes. Once you have mastered the movement and your muscles have strengthened, you can do lunges with additional weight.
Correcting errors
Lunges are considered a basic exercise and are recommended for everyone from beginners to experienced athletes. In order to achieve maximum results, you should eliminate all possible mistakes and hone your movement technique:
- Do the exercise smoothly. Sudden movements prevent the muscles from reaching peak contraction and can cause knee injury.
- Look straight ahead and don't slouch. Rounding the back and lower back can negatively affect the condition of the spine.
- Don't lean your body forward too much, don't push your knee past your toe line, and don't lower your pelvis below knee level. Usually these mistakes are made simultaneously, because if you make one, others will automatically happen. For this reason, pay attention to the position of your torso, pelvis and knees.
- Don't take too short or too long a step. You will have difficulty maintaining your balance, making the movement less effective.
Try doing the exercise in front of a mirror. This way you can better control your actions.
Incorrect technique is especially dangerous when you are working with dumbbells or a barbell. If you do a weight training exercise incorrectly, you will not only not achieve good results, but you may also get injured.
Regularly performing side lunges strengthens the muscles of the lower body. You can combine them with regular lunges, squats and other exercises for the legs and buttocks.
During the exercise, the adductor and quadriceps muscles of the thigh are included in the work, which are easily pumped up during regular intensive training. Additionally, lunges work the gluteus maximus muscles and the back of the thigh. With this exercise you can tone the muscles of the thighs and partly the buttocks. Gradually they become stronger and more elastic, and also create a pleasant and noticeable relief.
Correct technique
Lateral lunges are difficult exercises because they require the athlete to have a good stretch in the hip joints. It is also desirable that the overall muscle tone is normal, otherwise problems may arise when rising from a lunge.
So, performing side lunges is as follows:
- You need to step one foot to the side so that both feet are at a distance that is twice the width of your shoulders.
- Then you need to slowly lower your body, bending your knees. The bend angle should always be 90 degrees.
- The downward movement stops until the thighs become parallel to the floor.
- Return to starting position.
- Repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Safety
Lateral lunges are advanced exercises that require good stretching and normal coordination. The fact is that while performing a lunge, you can accidentally stretch the ligaments, since the legs are placed very wide. To prevent this from happening, you need to wear non-slip shoes during training or choose a place in the gym with a special coating.
It is also advisable to perform basic stretching exercises while preparing for side lunges. You can do 10-15 squats at a fast pace. They will help stretch your hip joints. In addition to them, bends are performed with a straight back forward, which allow you to warm up the back of the thigh.
If you perform lunges with weights, you should take only your optimal weight. When lunges are performed with weights, the athlete’s body activates stabilizer muscles that are responsible for maintaining balance. For beginners, they are poorly developed, so it is advisable to practice the exercise technique without weight.
Common mistakes
During lunges, novice athletes often round your back. Most often this happens because the back and legs are not accustomed to this kind of load. To protect yourself from possible back injuries, it is enough to increase the bend angle in the knee joints. If according to the technique it should be straight, then 135 degrees is suitable for people with weak backs.
You can also notice that novice athletes hold wrong stance in this exercise. Many people transfer their body weight to the toe or heel, trying to simplify the execution. Unfortunately, this reduces the effectiveness of the exercise significantly, so it is advisable to distribute the weight evenly across the foot.
In no case don't lift heavy weights, if you are not sure that you can complete the approach to the end. Heavy dumbbells or a bar without weights makes it much more difficult to perform lunges, as you need to maintain balance.
Equipment
Side lunges can be performed with or without weights. Ordinary dumbbells that need to be held in your hands or a bar located on your back can be suitable as additional weight. Some athletes additionally hang weights on the bar, based on their capabilities.
While performing this exercise, the athlete must wear shoes with reliable soles. This is necessary in order to avoid spraining the ligaments during possible sliding of the legs on a slippery surface.
In order for side lunges to help effectively pump up your leg muscles, you need to listen to the following tips:
- when performing a side lunge, you need to straighten your back as much as possible, since the spine should be in a neutral position;
- the chest should be level and the shoulders should be straightened;
- when bending, the knees should in no case extend beyond the line of the big toes, as this is fraught with rapid wear of the kneecap and ligaments;
- body weight should be evenly distributed over the foot;
- at the beginning of the exercise, take a shallow breath, and at the end, exhale;
- Beginners should not perform the exercise without first stretching, and it is also not advisable to lift weights that are too heavy.
Conclusion
Lateral lunges are a basic exercise used to train the legs. They involve the gluteal muscles, hip adductors, and rotator cuff muscles. In addition, the athlete trains the abdominal muscles, the quadratus lumborum muscle, and the erector spinae muscle. Due to such a large set of muscles involved, the exercise is considered difficult for beginners.
A beautiful, pumped-up body is great, but only if equally beautiful legs complete the overall picture. Unfortunately, often both men and women believe that legs are the last thing to move on in the process of building an ideal body.
This is the wrong decision, given that the legs are the support for most strength exercises, and without spending time strengthening the legs, it is unlikely that you will be able to move forward at the intended speed.
Let's talk about what lunges with dumbbells on the sides are, how to do them correctly, whether dumbbells are used in this exercise and, most importantly, about the effect it will have.
What muscles are used by lateral lunges?
The main muscle that lateral lunges train is the quadriceps. The adductor muscles of the thigh also receive an active load. The exercise is classified as a basic exercise that must be included in leg training. You can do it with different weight options:
- fingerboard;
- barbell;
- dumbbells;
- bodybar.
Options without weights are also possible, especially at the initial stage of mastering the exercise technique. What version of the projectile 
Yes will be chosen later, will largely depend on the level of physical fitness of the athlete and the goals set.
Regular training including lateral lunges will allow you to work the quadriceps and adductor muscles, in addition, they will help pump up the buttocks and the back of the thigh. By the way, it is the hips and buttocks that, due to such lunges, will eventually become elastic and beautiful, noticeably more prominent.
How to do the exercise correctly?
Considering that lateral lunges are a difficult exercise in terms of coordination, only people with certain training and stretching in the hip joints can do it.
It is very important that the muscle tone is in order, otherwise problems at various stages of execution are inevitable!
Side lunges - correct technique:
- Step sideways with one foot so that the distance between your feet is greater than shoulder width.
- Lower your body smoothly and without sudden movements, bending your knees until a right angle is formed.
- Squat until parallel surfaces form between the floor and your thighs.
- Return to the starting position and work with the other leg.
What you need to know about security?
Lateral lunges, although they look easy, are actually quite a difficult exercise, as noted above due to the need for good stretching. If the muscles are not ready for this kind of load, then it will be very difficult to avoid sprains during lunges! You can play it safe by following certain safety rules.
First. During training you need to wear only special shoes with a non-slip surface. 
Second. Before you start performing lunges, you will definitely need to warm up your muscles and thus prepare them for work. A good option is quick squats and forward bends.
If you plan to do oblique lunges using dumbbells or other types of weights, then you need to warm up by performing an exercise with your own weight. When working on lunges with weights, stabilizer muscles, which will be responsible for balance, will take an active part in the process. For beginners, they are quite weak, so before you start working with weights, you need to master the exercise perfectly with your own weight.
Basic mistakes
Not everyone knows how to do lunges with dumbbells to the side correctly. The most common mistakes are listed below:
- During the exercise, the back is rounded due to the unusual load on the back and legs. You can correct the error and thereby protect yourself from injury by increasing the bend angle in your knees. At the initial stages, when the back is still quite weak, it is allowed that the angle is not the required 90 degrees, but 135.
- An incorrect stance is another serious mistake. Some people place their weight on their heel or toe to make the exercise easier. Perhaps in this case, doing lunges with dumbbells really becomes easier for someone, but the problem is that the effectiveness of the exercise decreases noticeably! If you can’t follow the execution technique, then it’s better to stop using weights for a while, honing the process.
Lunges with dumbbells to the sides with weights will be done correctly with special equipment. In addition to the shoes mentioned above, this should be a special athletic belt, and also, in certain cases, knee pads. 
During the exercise, it is very important to maintain a straight back so that the spine is in the correct position, the chest does not bend, and the shoulders remain straight.
When working on lateral lunges with dumbbells, your knees should not extend beyond your toes, as in this case the maximum load will be placed on your kneecaps!
During lunges, the weight should be evenly distributed along the foot, constantly monitoring compliance with the breathing technique: exhale while making an effort, inhale while bending the knees.
In conclusion, we note that lateral lunges with dumbbells are an effective exercise for the buttocks and thighs, which also allows you to use the abdominal and lower back muscles. Athletes can perform it at any stage of preparation, both at home and in the gym, under the supervision of a trainer.
This is another technique to incorporate into your lower core workout today. Side lunges develop the strength of the thigh muscles, tighten the adductor muscles, and relatively correct the shape of the buttocks. It is for these reasons that girls are required to add them to. Practice especially suitable for women with “pears” with a narrow waist and “breeches” on the hips.
The principle of the exercise is based on bending the legs at the knees and hip joints, alternately abducting them to the sides and shifting the center of gravity.
- the accentuated load is received large gluteal and inner thigh areas;
- in the role synergist quadriceps protrude;
- function stabilizers performed - hamstrings, ankles, lumbar, gluteus minimus, obliques.
How to train
Despite the fact that the exercise does not remove fat from the sides, the adjusted hip line visually reduces the volume. It is possible to remove “bear ears” from the sides only with a combination of diet and dumbbells and side lunges. Therefore, on free days, include a 40-minute fat-burning program in the program.
With this strategy and training twice a week with weights and 10 repetitions in 3 sessions literally in a month you can “cut off” excess and get rid of sagging internal areas. After adaptation perform training techniques in a multi-repetition mode - 20 x 4 sets, combining with , .
They work according to this plan men, but they pick up heavy dumbbells or place a barbell on the trapeze.
Practice suitable for everyone athletes, regardless of training level, who know how to control the body. Proceed only after stretching the thigh muscles.
Side lunges for girls: technique
The exercise is quite easy to master. Main, maintain balance and coordinate movements.
- Take IP: place your feet at shoulder level, spread your toes to the sides, straighten your spinal column.
- Find a comfortable position for your hands - place them behind your back or lower them along your body.
- Tighten your abdominal and gluteal muscles.
- As you inhale, step your right foot to the side.
- Next, shift your body weight, bend the knee of the remaining limb at an even angle and place your foot on the floor. The supporting leg remains straight and follows the movement of the hips.
Keep your body position the same throughout the set. To maintain balance You are allowed to slightly bend forward.
Some people bend low, trying to further stretch the gluteus maximus muscles, but this risks dislocating the hip joints.
Perform each movement under control, feeling the tension of the adductor muscles.
Comments
To get the most out of it, listen to the advice of the pros.
- At first experiment with step width. Important determine a comfortable distance for yourself so as not to overstrain your knees and maintain a straight bend at an angle of 90°. If you leave the supporting limb further, the emphasis will shift to the buttocks, but the load on the ligaments and joints will increase.
- Rehearse lunge depth. When bent, the working leg is always parallel to the floor.
- Shift your center of gravity to your heels.
- Follow the motion vector. Do not step strictly to the side, but move your foot slightly forward.
- To avoid knee problems, start the lunge by throwing your hips out and only then bend your joints.
Complications: Side Lunges with Dumbbells
Muscles quickly adapt to the same load, so they need to be shocked periodically. This will help:
- dumbbells, weights;
- increasing the number of repetitions;
- speed.
The principle of doing it with weights is the same, only hold the projectiles in your palms with a reverse grip and hold them in front of your torso with bent arms and lift them to your shoulders at the moment of the lunge.
- Grab the base with both hands and hold it in front of your torso, close to your body.
- Perform a side lunge and, using the force of the supporting leg, return to the IP.
The exercise is variable. Perform with two kettlebells at your chest, lift them above your head, and combine them with presses. If you want to load your back and abdominal group, perform lunges with a barbell.
Side lunges in video format
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Video side lunges for girls
Analysis of the exercise
Anatomy exercises
Side lunges are aimed at working the muscles of the inner thighs and buttocks. But the quadriceps and the back of the thigh are actively involved in the work.
The obliques, extensor spinae, quadratus lumborum, and, depending on your arm passes, may also work the muscles of the upper back and shoulders. Truly this exercise can be considered basic.
Side Lunges - Common Mistakes
Traditionally, when performing exercises, athletes make technical errors, especially for beginners. Incorrect movements lead to a significant decrease in the effectiveness of the exercise as a whole, therefore, part of the workout is wasted. Therefore, you need to avoid technical mistakes:
Another mistake is underestimating the effectiveness of side lunges. The exercise puts a load on the muscles located deep in the body and engages the rotators and extensors of the hip joints. This work allows you to create an impressive margin of strength for the muscles that are most at risk of being injured. In addition, the exercise allows you to quickly turn problem areas of the body into strengths. This is especially true for the inner thigh and lumbar region.
How to properly use the exercise in the training process
The specificity of lateral lunges allows you to do them at every workout in the general physical training block after the main load, or as a “supplement” after strength exercises. Side lunges are most effective when combined with other movements aimed at working the legs, back, and abs.
The recommended number of repetitions is 15–20 for both legs for beginners and 30–30 for more experienced athletes. Approaches, no more than 4. Regardless of the athlete’s experience, you need to start mastering the exercise with a light weight and gradually increase it.
