Fun With Lunges!

Fun With Lunges!

When you think lunges, do you instantly think glutes and quads? Most of us do, but add in a BOSU® Balance Trainer and some weights, and it’s a whole new ballgame. We can layer in all different muscle groups and create a total body workout by just getting creative with different lunge variations.


Grab your BOSU® Balance Trainer, some light hand weights and a med ball and let’s get started! If you don’t have a med ball, you can substitute a hand weight, or anything you can hold in your hands that creates a little extra weight … or you can go without any weight at all. It’s your choice!


Here are five lunge variation exercises for a total body 20 minute workout.


Curtsy/Side Lunge Combination




This exercise certainly works the glutes and quads, but also engages the hips and hamgstrings for a total lower body blast.


Stand on top of the dome holding a light hand weight in front of your chest with both hands. Take a large step to the right while hinging at the hips to a fully extended side lunge. Pause, then push off from the right foot to rise, taking your right foot back behind your left leg, toes to the ground for a curtsy squat. Push back off and repeat. Do this five times, then repeat on the left side.


Lunge with Shoulder Raise 




Now it’s time to incorporate some upper body work and shoulders while continuing the lower body lunge series.


Stand with arms at sides, holding a light dumbbell in each hand, BOSU® Balance Trainer in front of you with dome side up. Lunge forward with your right foot. When you reach a full lunge, keeping your arms straight, raise them out to your sides so they are parallel to the floor. Lower your arms, and push back to standing. Repeat on the other side. Do this series five times on each side.


Lunge with Torso Twist




What’s a workout without ab work? Grab a med ball or hand weight and let’s go…


Start in a lunge position with your right foot extended in front of you, foot flat on the dome of the BOSU® Balance Trainer, holding a weight or med ball in front of your chest in both hands. Twist at the torso to move the ball across your body to the right, over your right leg. Pause and then untwist to return to where you started. Do this 5 times, then repeat on the other side.


Glute Buster




This one is a traditional, glutes-burning lunge. 


Start in a lunge position with your right leg extended behind you, toes and ball of your foot in the middle of the dome of the BOSU® Balance Trainer, holding light dumbbells at your sides. Slowly lower down so that your right knee almost touches the ground, and slowly rise back up. Do this five times on each side.


Revved up Runners Lunge




This total body exercise will also leave you out of breath … which is a good thing! It’s cardo, flexibility and strength all rolled into one.


Start in a plank position, hands on either side of the BOSU® Balance Trainer dome side down. “Hop” your right foot up to a runners lunge, hold for a moment and hop back to plank then very quickly switching legs so that your left foot rises and hops into the runners lunge on your left side. Repeat this ten times. If this is a bit too intense for you, skip the “hop” and just “step” up to a runners lunge instead.


Take a two to three minute rest, and go through the entire series of exercises again.




Amina Daniels is a high energy fitness professional, who champions her Detroit based cycle studio, Live Cycle Delight and Yoga/Pilates studio LCD Hot. Amina holds fitness certifications in RYS200 from Kripalu, Group Strength, Personal Training, TRX Camps, TRX Group Fitness, TRX Rip Trainer and Indoor Cycling by Schwinn Bikes and Real Ryder.

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