Can’t Do a Lunge? Here’s What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You

Weak glutes and lack of strength or mobility are among the top reasons why you can't do a lunge.
Image Credit: kali9/E+/GettyImages

For all the good they do, forward lunges create issues for many people. Top complaints often include knee pain, instability and trouble reaching the full range of motion.

Advertisement

That's a bummer, as this move not only builds single-leg strength, balance and stability, but it also recruits large muscle groups in the legs and core. In other words, the forward lunge packs a variety of benefits into every rep.

Video of the Day

Advertisement

If the forward lunge makes the list of your most problematic exercises, it's worth your time to figure out a solution. Thankfully, recognizing where your issues lie can go a long way toward setting them right.

We turned to a few fitness experts to drill down on the most common problems people encounter when performing forward lunges. Plus, how to fix them.

If You: Feel Unstable

You Might: Need to Widen Your Stance

Ever feel like you're going to fall over when you step into a lunge? If you're new to strength training, lunges will probably feel tough and unnatural — and that's perfectly OK.

Advertisement

"The idea behind the lunge is to train your balance, so a little wobbling is good," Lance Goyke, CSCS, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, tells LIVESTRONG.com. It means your body is learning and adjusting to the instability, leading to greater balance over time.

You may also be using a "tightrope" setup, meaning you have a very narrow stance, George Branford, CPT, certified personal trainer and founder of Intent91, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Advertisement

Fix It

If you're a newbie, hold onto a dowel stick, broom, wall, or chair for added stability while performing the lunge, Branford says. Once you’re ready to let go, practice doing the lunge with just your body weight before gradually adding weight with dumbbells or kettlebells.

And instead of lunging as though you’re walking a tightrope, with one foot directly in front of the other, pretend you’re stepping along either side of a train track. “A wider stance will provide you with greater stability through the knee and ankle and help with balance,” Branford says.

It may sound counterintuitive, but the best thing you can do to improve your balance during lunges is to relax.

“When your body stiffens up, your brain has trouble hearing what the muscles are saying,” Goyke says. “Relaxing allows us to access our proprioception, or sense of where we are in space, to deal with the balance challenge lunges present us.”

If You: Feel Knee Pain

You Might: Have Weak Glutes

Knee pain is fairly common in forward lunges — either in the knee of the front or back leg. If you feel pain in the front knee, there's likely an alignment issue. When you bend or straighten your knee, your kneecap glides gently up and down through a groove in your thigh bone.

Advertisement

"As the knee bends, the pressure between your kneecap and the groove increases, and if the kneecap isn't tracking properly through that groove, it causes inflammation," Grant Radermacher, DC, PT, sports chiropractor, physical therapist and owner of Ascent Chiropractic, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Advertisement

The most common reason the kneecap falls out of alignment is a lack of glute strength, Radermacher says. Weak glutes often cause the hip and knee joints to shift too far inward, which adds stress to the kneecap and creates pain.

Advertisement

However, if your discomfort in the back knee, it often means you're putting too much weight on that leg, Goyke says. Shift more of your body weight onto the working leg and see if that solves your problem.

Fix It

Radermacher suggests sticking with reverse lunges, as this variation provides all the benefits of forward lunges while emphasizing the glutes more.

“Also, consider adding banded glute bridges to your workouts to help target your glutes,” he says. Once you build more glute strength, give forward lunges another try.

If you’re still experiencing discomfort or pain in either knee after testing these fixes, try shortening your range of motion (don’t bring your knee to the floor) and/or performing the exercise more slowly. If neither of these modifications work, hit pause while you consult a physical therapist.

If You: Can’t Go Low Enough

You Might: Lack Strength or Mobility

Getting your front thigh parallel to the floor (or close to it) and then pushing up to stand requires plenty of strength, mobility, stability and movement awareness. If you struggle to achieve a full range of motion during lunges, it may mean that one or more of these skills aren't up to snuff. And that's OK! It takes time to be able to perform lunges at full range of motion.

Advertisement

"Starting slowly and not going as deep is still performing a lunge," Aaron Guyett, CSCS, director of education at LivingFit, tells LIVESTRONG.com. "It takes time for our tissues to adapt, so be patient and stay consistent. You will eventually be able to do the lunge and reap a lot of benefits on the way."

Fix It

Instead of trying to force yourself into a full range of motion — and risking pain or injury in the process — take it slowly. Guyett recommends gradually increasing your range of motion each week so your muscles and tissues can adapt to the new demands. But never go so deep that you feel discomfort or pain.

Adding mobility exercises into your routine may help, too. While there are many to choose from, one of Goyke’s favorite exercises to start with is one he calls the rockback with abs. Do this exercise as part of your strength warm-up, prioritizing days when lunges are on the schedule.

You’ll know your issue has more to do with muscle weakness if you feel like you’re going to collapse at the bottom or if you struggle to push up to standing. In either case, hold onto a chair, wall, countertop or other object for support. As you get stronger, loosen your grip or remove your hands at different points during the movement until you’re able to lunge without assistance.

If you have plenty of strength, mobility and stability to do lunges but still struggle to get to the bottom, you may need to tweak your form.

“People will often bend over at the bottom of the movement to use their lower back instead of their hamstrings,” Goyke says. Doing this will limit how far you’re able to go. Instead, focus on staying tall from the top of your head to your tailbone throughout the movement.

Lastly, try different variations of lunges as you work up to full depth. Lateral lunges will work your glutes more, reverse lunges can help you focus on driving through your heels and walking lunges are a fun, dynamic exercise, Guyett says.

Rockback With Abs

Type Flexibility
Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Core
  1. Start on the floor on your hands and knees, palms directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips. Take a deep inhale.
  2. As you exhale, pull your bellybutton up toward your spine.
  3. While holding this position, push your glutes backward, stopping just before you rest on your heels.
  4. Hold this position for 5 slow breaths in and out through your nose. Exhale fully and pause for 5 seconds before inhaling again.
  5. Try to direct your breaths toward the bottom of your glutes while you maintain tension in these muscles.

How to Do a Forward Lunge With Perfect Form

Type Strength
Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Lower Body
  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Keeping your chest up, shoulders down and back and core tight, take a big step forward with your right foot.
  3. Bend both knees to lower your hips until your front thigh is parallel (or as close to parallel as you can get) to the ground. Your back foot should flex and your back knee should be bent 90 degrees.
  4. Pause briefly. Then, push through your front foot to straighten both legs. That’s 1 rep.
  5. Repeat the movement by stepping forward with your left foot. Continue alternating legs with each rep.
  6. Once bodyweight lunges feel easy, you can increase the difficulty by holding weights. Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and sandbags are all great options.

Tip

Many people do lunges with their torso leaning back. “This arches the low back and shuts off the abdominal muscles, reducing our ability to balance and placing unnecessary stress on the spine,” Goyke says.

Hold your torso forward slightly (but don’t bend over at the waist) during lunges. Aim for a straight line from ears to back knee that passes through the shoulder and hips. “This indicates a neutral spine position and will help you load the front leg,” Goyke says.

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top