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Lateral Lunges: Train the Side You Usually Skip

Stepping out to the side loads one hip in a different direction from a forward lunge. It asks the glutes and adductors to share the work.

Lateral lunge front view: start, lunge to side, and return — Lateral Lunge movement illustrations

The prescription

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 6–8 reps each side
Rest: 1 min
Time: About 10 min

Equipment. Bodyweight

Muscles. gluteus maximus, adductors. Also quadriceps, gluteus medius

Starting position

Stand tall with feet together and space on both sides.
Hands can reach forward lightly for balance, or hold one dumbbell at the chest.

How to move

Step wide to one side and sit the hip of that leg back.
Keep the stepping foot flat and the other leg long, with the foot still planted.
Push back to the start through the stepping foot.
Alternate sides or complete one side at a time.

Common mistakes

Letting the knee collapse inside the foot.
Rounding the back to reach lower.
Taking a step so wide that the heel lifts and the groin feels yanked.

Variations

Goblet lateral lunge
Slider lateral lunge

Progressions

Hold a dumbbell at the chest.
Pause at the bottom.

Regressions

A shorter step
Supported squat to a box

Safety

Stop if you feel sharp pain, joint pinch, or symptoms that are not ordinary muscle effort.
This is general technique education, not a personal clearance to train through an injury.
Shorten the step if the inner thigh or knee feels unhappy. Range is optional. Pain is not.

All Cheeked Up publishes general fitness education. It is not medical advice, physical therapy, or a promise that your body will change. Stop any exercise that causes pain and talk with a qualified professional about injuries, pregnancy, or health conditions before you train.

Related exercises

Programs that use it