0
DN4GE2F0Q5

Burn Fat With Lunges!

Burn Fat With Lunges!

Losing weight in a linear and calculated way depends on tailor-made diet plans and strict exercising regimes like lunges and burpees besides HIIT and Pilates. Even though you might not appreciate these exercises, you should still include them in your workout regime to achieve faster results.

Here’s a blog post that explains how you should do lunges the expert way to derive better results for your weight loss goals. We have supplemented it with quality advice from our fitness professionals to offer you an in-depth analysis of the process.

If you are serious about losing weight or developing leaner muscles faster, then you should consider adding lunges to your workout routine. It is an excellent exercise that involves a lot of muscles and thus causes a faster rate of fat burn. Just like squats, lunges also work most of the muscles in your legs including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Many people hate this aerobic exercise because they find it hard. Yes, every single round of lunges is indeed a tough cookie to crack but then there are positive sides to it as well. Apart from making you lose more fat per unit time, it also prepares you for the hard work ahead and engages your whole body.

Tip: Just 30 minutes of cardio and a 15-minute session of lunges can burn up to 400 calories for a 150-pound person.

What muscles do lunges work on?

Infographic:

Lunges work on several muscles, often at the same time. This is why you may expect this exercise to help you build strength and tone the focus muscles in your body, especially those on the upper and lower midsection and legs.

You can achieve great results by doing lunges for the following target muscles:

  • Abdominals

  • Back muscles

  • Glutes

  • Core

  • Hamstrings

  • Calves

  • Gluteal muscles

  • Quadriceps

Benefits of doing lunges

Infographic:

Our virtual fitness experts advise their clients to stick to a certain workout plan for lunges. The latter is a good option to build up physical strength, tone the midsection and abs, and lose weight faster. It also helps in improving body posture and agility.

Here are some other benefits of doing lunges every day:

1. Builds strength in the core and lower body

Besides being an excellent warm-up exercise, lunges play a major role in strengthening your lower body. The basic lunges strengthen your leg muscles, especially the quadriceps of your front thigh, the posterior of hamstrings, and the gastrocnemius and soleus of the calf.

It targets your core muscles like your abdomen, back, chest, pelvis, and buttocks. So working on it would help you maintain your lunge position without losing your balance.

2. Makes you more flexible and agile

Most people just think of fitness as the one-stop solution to boost their physical appearance and to develop six-pack abs. The truth is further from it because by doing this highly focused workout regime, one also develops more flexibility and agility.

This is also an antithesis to sedentary lifestyle patterns because one can either remain lethargic and non-committed, or one can simply get out of bed and work for one’s fitness.

3. You can do them to tone your muscles faster

Doing lunges regularly would help you in strengthening and toning your quadriceps and your glutes. Along with hip extensions, squats, and step-ups, lunges are also a good option for your workout especially if you want to tone your buttocks.

4. They help you improve your posture

If you slouch or stand with your shoulder bent inwards, chances are your posture isn’t that great. Doing lunges at least three days a week can help you get into better shape by strengthening your spinal cord. As your midsection is worked out properly, you would start getting better results faster.

Types of Lunges

As much as helpful this set of exercises are, they still need to be done under proper guidance. This is just why adhering to the traditional model of working out in a gym or exercising at home with a virtual trainer is so important, especially if one is working out at home.

One may choose from the following different types of lunges:

  • Stationary lunges

  • Walking lunges

  • Lunges and squats

  • Curtsy lunge

  • Reverse lunges

  • Twist lunges

  • Side lunges

How to do lunges the expert way?

While you may do several variants of lunges simply on your own, it is always better to get expert guidance for every part. You could see them working, learn some tips and tricks, and some extra information that could help you get better results.

Here are some expert ways to do this aerobic exercise:

1. Bodyweight Lunges

Before moving forward with variations, it is really important to master the basic lunge. The simplest and perfect way to do bodyweight lunge is –

  • Place your hands on your hips, and stand tall with your shoulders pushed back.

  • Step forward with your left leg.

  • Slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees.

  • Pause, then push yourself to the starting position.

2. Bicep Curl Lunges

This variant needs dumbbells. The right steps to do it are –

  • Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm’s length next to your sides, your palms facing each other.

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.

  • Step forward with your right leg and lower your body.

  • As you lunge, curl both dumbbells up to your shoulders.

  • Lower the dumbbells and then return to the starting position.

  • Repeat the same with the left leg.

Tip: Having some coffee before these hard workouts would help!

3. Goblet Reverse Lunges

  • Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest, with both hands cupping it

  • Step backward with your right leg and lower your body into a lunge

  • Pause, then return to the starting position.

  • Repeat on the other side.

4. Dumbbell Lateral Lunges

  • Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length next to your sides.

  • Lift your left foot and take a big step to your left.

  • Push your hips backward and lower your body by dropping your hips and bending your left knee.

  • Pause, then quickly push yourself back to the starting position.

  • Repeat on the other side.

5. Forward Lunges

  • Brace your abs

  • Stand in the Superman pose with your hands on either side of your waist.

  • Now put one foot forward and push yourself to stand on one knee.

  • Drop your butts straight down

  • Now try to get back up in the reverse motion

  • Repeat for both legs.

6. Reverse lunges with dumbbells

  • To make the Forward Lunges more challenging, you should take two dumbbells

  • Now stand straight with the two dumbbells

  • Now work on the Forward Lunges in the opposite manner

  • Stretch one foot backward as further you can, keeping your hands straight and parallel to your body

  • Now come back to the original position

  • Repeat for the other leg

What muscles do lunges work on?

Abdominal muscles.

If you are looking for a one-stop solution to burn some excess belly fat faster and to develop abs, lunges are your safest bet. However, you may note that you would need to back up the process with a matching diet and supporting exercises too.

Expert tips to do lunges

Here are some tips that will help you to do this exercise in the best way and also maximize the benefits you get from including it in your workout sessions:-

  • Keep your back straight and avoid leaning forward to avoid injuries.

  • Remember to keep your shoulders in line with your hips throughout the exercise.

  • Refrain from extending the knee of your forward leg past your ankle.

  • Keep your head up, facing forward.

  • It is just as important to have a nutritious diet and proper sleep patterns.

We also recommend consulting a wellness expert online if you think you are obese and might have some trouble believing in yourself. It is incredibly important to be sure of yourself before you attempt any fitness plan and then leave it midway.

Side effects or demerits of doing lunges

Lunges can also hurt you just as badly if you are not doing them properly. We recommend that you do not make these mistakes:

  • Offer any sudden movement while doing these exercises

  • Landing on your toes or knee faster than you should

  • Putting undue stress on your toes or knees

  • Working immediately after an illness, a fracture, or an injury

  • Working obsessively to the point of hurting yourself

Bonus: Online Fitness Software for professionals

If you are a fitness coach or expert, we welcome you to go for a software-based approach to extend your visibility beyond geographical boundaries. Using this approach, you can springboard your availability to reach out to thousands of existing and prospective clients worldwide, and translate the same lead in monetary terms. We hope to see you as a virtual health service provider very soon!

Category