When we train our legs, we usually reach for different variations of squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, and leg presses. But there is one other great exercise, a variation of the lunges, that we often ignore. That's lateral or side lunges!
Side lunges make your quads, hamstrings, and glutes work in ways squats and regular lunges just can’t. Besides, they target those hard-to-hit muscles, like your adductors (the inner thigh) and the gluteus medius (those side butt muscles)! They might feel a little awkward when you do them for the first time, but once you get the hang of it, you'll love it!
So, without any further ado, let's read more about side lunges, their benefits, the muscles they work and what makes them so great. We will also discuss if side lunges are better than squats.
Table of Contents
- What Are Side Lunges Good For & How To Do Them?
- The Major Muscles Worked With Side Lunges
- 4 Big Benefits Of Doing Side Lunges
- Are Side Lunges Better Than Squats?
- Expert’s Advice
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
What Are Side Lunges Good For & How To Do Them?
Side lunges are simply lunges in a sideways direction rather than forward or backwards like a standard or reverse lunge. Side lunges are a great exercise, especially if you want to target your adductors and stretch your hips! Doing this exercise provides us with a chance to target the sides of our legs that often go neglected in our usual workout sessions.
How To Do Side Lunges: |
| 1. Stand with your feet much wider than hip-width apart. |
| 2. Bend one knee and squat down to your side, pushing your hips back. |
| 3. Keep your other leg straight as you lower your body, ensuring your bent knee doesn’t go past your toes. |
| 4. Push off the bent leg to return to standing. |
| 5. Repeat on the other side. |
Focus on maintaining good posture with your core engaged and chest up! |
Also Read: The Most Effective Workout For Thighs With 5 Brilliant Exercises Of All Time
4 Big Benefits Of Doing Side Lunges
Besides targetting the muscles mentioned above, here are the other benefits of doing side lunges regularly:
1. Engages Your Core & Works On Stability
Being a compound movement, you would be required to engage your core while doing a side lunge. This improves core stability and strength. Additionally, when you engage your core, you are stabilising your entire body, which helps you work on functional stability as well.
Also Read: Supercharge Your Fitness Routine: Discovering the Best Core Muscle Exercises for Maximum Results!
2. Improves Mobility To Avoid Injury
Most of us stick to forward and backward movements in our workouts, and side-to-side motion is often neglected. Side lunges add lateral movement to our workouts, boosting hip mobility and helping reduce stress on muscles and joints. This variety prevents muscle imbalances, improves mobility, and lowers the risk of injuries—perfect for cross-training!
3. Stretches Your Hips & Groin
If you do even one side lunge, you'll immediately feel the stretch in your hips and groin. Since most people don't move laterally very often, these areas can become stiff or tight, contributing to poor mobility and increased risk of injury. The more side lunges you do, the more you open up those muscles and joints, increasing your lower body mobility and reducing the risk of injury.
4. Increases Flexibility
One of the hidden benefits of lunges is the dynamic stretch they offer, especially for the inner thighs. Not only do they build muscle strength, but they also increase flexibility in your adductors, helping prevent strain and improve your overall movement patterns.
The Major Muscles Worked With Side Lunges
When you do a side lunge, several muscle groups come into play to effectively execute the movement. They work many of the same muscles as a regular lunge but in a different way while also involving a few other muscles.
The primary muscles targeted during side lunges include:
1. Quadriceps
Your quad muscles are located on the front of the thigh and are very involved when you do the side lunge. They are responsible for extending your knee and straightening your leg when you push back from the lunge position. See more exercises for quad strengthening.
2. Hamstrings
Your hamstrings are located on the back of your thigh and work together with the quadriceps. They assist in bending the knee and in hip extension when returning to the starting position.
Explore more hamstring exercises and tips to strengthen it.
3. Glutes
Your glute muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus)are key to hip stability and movement. Doing a side lunge activates these muscles to push your body back into a standing position. While front lunges and back lunges work your gluteus maximus, the side lunge works the hard-to-reach gluteal muscle. This is the smaller gluteal muscle on the side.
4. Adductors
Often ignored, your adductor muscles are located on the inner thigh and help move the leg towards the midline of the body. In a side lunge, the adductors play a role in stabilising the leg as it moves sideways.
By engaging these muscle groups, you will not only strengthen them but also increase overall lower body strength and stability. So, lateral or side lunges are valuable to any exercise routine!
Also Read: 35 Best & Effective Thigh Exercises At Home To Tone Your Legs
Are Side Lunges Better Than Squats?
Side lunges and our traditional squats both have their unique benefits, so which one is better simply depends on your goals. Squats are great for overall leg strength and targeting your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, while side lunges work your legs in a different way, focusing on the inner thighs (adductors) and improving lateral mobility.
Side lunges can help correct muscle imbalances between your legs, as they work each leg independently, whereas squats work both legs at once. So, neither is 'better', but they complement each other well. If you’re looking for variety and better balance, side lunges are a great addition to your routine alongside squats!
Also Read: Top 12 Effective Dumbbell Squat Exercises For Beginners
Expert’s Advice
Side lunges are a great addition to your strength training routine. They're versatile – perfect for pros and newbies alike. They improve mobility and strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps.
I encourage you to include side lunges in your daily exercise routine for a more powerful and fit lower body! Other than that, don't forget to warm up your hip and leg muscles before doing side lunges to avoid muscle strain or pull.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Lateral or side lunges are an excellent addition to any leg day routine, mainly because of their ability to work the hip adductors, which not many leg exercises do, which is why this exercise is so important. Also, the best thing about this exercise is that it can be done anywhere and requires no special equipment. If you want to start these exercises, all you need is your body weight and some space!
FAQs
1. Do lunges burn belly fat?
Lunges may help burn belly fat by increasing overall muscle mass and boosting metabolism. However, targeting belly fat specifically requires a combination of exercise and a healthy diet.
2. How to do side lunges step by step?
To perform a side lunge, step with your feet much wider than hip-width apart, bend one knee as you descend into the lunge, keeping the other leg straight. Lower yourself, pushing your hips back, keeping your back straight and making sure your other leg is straight. Push off the extended leg to return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
3. What is the purpose of side lunges?
Lateral lunges are essential for strengthening the lower body, especially the glutes, quads and adductors. They improve lateral mobility and stability, making them an excellent addition to balanced lower body strength and agility, and are particularly beneficial for functional movements in sports and everyday life.
References
- https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-side-lunges-techniques-benefits-variations-5186818#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20the%20Side%20Lunge,adductors%20and%20the%20outer%20glutes.
- https://www.aroleap.com/blogs/exercises/side-lunge-how-to-do-benefits-muscles-worked
- https://speede.fit/blogs/news/what-muscles-do-side-lunges-work?srsltid=AfmBOooGUAl6iBMQnVv3k6wyKW90Il5NBC3pgJZmIhh37rFAkpujJcuZ
- https://squatwolf.com/en-in/blogs/fitness/lateral-lunge?srsltid=AfmBOoo0POJ-mg_E1KP_Ciusu1_y8kPIY3Uns4imuPL_bwmD-GC6SCER
- https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/how-to-do-side-lunges-work-your-quads-hamstrings-glutes
- https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/lateral-lunges?srsltid=AfmBOorj_YV5YUHsm5RNq2qFt1daXHJW66c3TK3hdvjOYxvKkLUeAXa_
- https://dexa.ai/s/e9fA4xFe
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/squats-vs-lunges-whats-better-for-toning-your-legs/amp_etphotostory/80728669.cms
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