Exercise guide
Hip Lunge
- Beginner
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Lower legs
- Upper legs
The Hip Lunge is a functional unilateral movement that emphasizes glute and hamstring recruitment by utilizing a deep hip hinge pattern. It builds lower body stability and explosive power while engaging the calves for balance and drive.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
- Place your hands on your hips or hold them at chest height for balance.
- Maintain a neutral spine with your gaze fixed forward.
How to do it
- Inhale as you take a large step forward, landing softly on your front heel.
- Lower your hips until your back knee is just above the floor, leaning your torso slightly forward to increase the load on the glutes.
- Exhale as you drive forcefully through your front heel to push back to the starting position.
- Maintain a controlled tempo, taking 2 seconds to lower and 1 second to drive upward.
Form checklist
- Keep your front knee stacked directly over your ankle, not tracking past your toes.
- Maintain a slight forward lean from the hips rather than rounding your lower back.
- Ensure your hips stay square to the front throughout the entire movement.
- Keep your core braced to prevent side-to-side wobbling.
Pro tips
- To maximize glute activation, focus on 'pushing the floor away' with your front heel rather than just stepping back.
- Pause for one second at the bottom of the lunge to eliminate momentum and increase muscle fiber recruitment.
Make it harder
- Perform the movement with a 3-second eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension.
- Add a knee drive at the top of the movement, bringing the trailing leg up toward your chest to challenge balance and hip flexor strength.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the hip lunge work?
- The hip lunge primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the adductors as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the hip lunge?
- The hip lunge requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the hip lunge good for beginners?
- Yes. The hip lunge is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
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