As you go about your workout program plan, one particular lower body exercise that you should be sure to including regularly in the sessions is the lunge.

The lunge is a great movement for working the glutes, the hamstrings, the quads, and it’ll also work the calves as well as the core, so is pretty much a full lower body exercise.

Because the lunge does require more balance and agility control than some other exercises, this does make it ideal for strengthening those core muscles.

This said, it’s important that you don’t allow yourself to always stick with just one lunge variation throughout the course of the plan. Ideally you want to mix it up every so often, performing different lunge variations as time moves along.

Let’s look at a few of the top lunge variations that you should consider for optimal progress.

Walking Lunge

The very first lunge variation is the walking lunge. This one is great for glute development as they’ll be called into play slightly more than other variations. Be sure while walking that you never allow yourself to break at the waist however as that would place excessive strain on the lower back.

Keeping the head up will help you with this.

Stationary Lunge

Next, don’t overlook the stationary lunge. Many people forget about this lunge variation because they just don’t see people doing these as often.

This lunge variation is great for those who are working out in small spaces or those who want to really test their core strength. It takes a little more abdominal strength to do these since you’re not allowing momentum to move you forward at all.

Reverse Lunge

The reverse lunge is an advanced variation of the lunge that is excellent for those who want to build up their quads. When doing a reverse lunge, you’ll be training your muscles in an entirely different manner due to the fact that you’re moving in the opposite direction.

Just do be sure that you have enough open space behind you before doing this variation so you don’t risk injury. You need to be confident in your foot placement or your knees may not move over the toes as they should and you could wind up in pretty significant pain.

Lunge With A Twist

The lunge with a twist is the final exercise to consider doing throughout your workout program. This is yet another one that’s great for the core muscles and will also test your agility as well. For anyone who is involved in sports of any type, it’s a fantastic one to consider.

To perform it, move down into a standard lunge movement and once there, twist to one side of the body. Pause and then twist back as you rise up again.

So keep these different lunge variations in mind and make sure you are adding them to your program every so often. They will bring you fantastic results.