How To: Strengthen your legs with walking lunges

Learn how to do walking lunges. Presented by Real Jock Gay Fitness Health & Life.

Benefits
Walking lunges give the muscle-building benefits of traditional lunges with the additional benefit of balance and control training.

Starting position
Stand on the floor with your arms up at the sides of your head with elbows bent, your hands gently cupping the sides of your head, and your feet hip-width apart.

Exercise
1. From the starting position, step your right foot forward and drop your left knee down into a lunge. Lower the left knee down until the right quadriceps (thigh) is parallel to the floor. Do not allow the right knee to come out in front of your toes, or you'll risk knee and other injury.
2. From the lunge, stand up and take a short step forward with your left foot. Then step the right foot forward again and drop your left knee down again into another lunge.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above for a full set of lunges with the right leg leading, then switch legs and perform another set with the left leg leading. As you do these lunges, keep your steps short enough to maintain control and balance.

Dumbbell variation
The dumbbell variation of the walking lunge is a more advanced version of the weights-free walking lunge. To do the dumbbell variation, hold dumbbells in each hand at your sides with your palms facing inwards, then perform the steps outlined above.