Hey Team! This week begins Part 1 of a 2-part series on the lunge! This movement is a foundational movement with many variations and benefits from building lower body strength to balance, and coordination. Enjoy! -Dr. Carla
The forward lunge is a foundational lower-body movement that challenges strength, balance, and coordination. Unlike a squat, where both feet remain planted, the forward lunge requires you to step forward, absorb your body weight, stabilize, and push back to your starting position.
This combination of strength and controlled movement makes the forward lunge particularly valuable for maintaining functional fitness as we age.
Why This Matters for Midlife Women
The forward lunge strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings while challenging the muscles responsible for hip and pelvic stability. It also develops eccentric strength—the ability of muscles to generate force while lengthening—as the body lowers into the lunge.
This controlled deceleration is important for everyday activities such as stepping down from a curb, navigating uneven terrain, and recovering balance when we unexpectedly step forward.
Because each leg works independently, lunges also challenge single-leg stability and help identify differences in strength and control between sides.
How to Perform the Forward Lunge
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
Take a comfortable step forward, keeping your feet approximately hip-width apart rather than in a straight line.
Bend both knees, lowering your body toward the floor while maintaining an upright, controlled torso.
Keep your front knee tracking in line with your toes and your front foot planted.
Push through your front foot to return to standing.
Repeat on the opposite leg.
Coaching tip: Focus on a controlled descent and a strong push back to standing. Quality of movement matters more than depth or speed.
Make the Movement Your Own
The forward lunge is easily adapted to your current strength, mobility, and training experience.
**Progress only when you can maintain good technique throughout the movement.
The Bottom Line
The forward lunge is more than a leg-strengthening exercise. It trains your body to absorb force, stabilize under load, and generate the strength needed to return to standing. These capabilities support confident movement in everyday life and provide a foundation for more demanding athletic activities.
Next week: We’ll turn our attention to the reverse lunge and explore how changing the direction of the step changes the movement’s demands.
Today’s workout is taken directly from the CrossFit Archives. We will integrate two foundational functional movements: Lunging and carrying.
Building strength and capacity in these movements that we perform every day is integral to maintaining independence and vitality in the activities we love into our 80s, 90s, and beyond.
Warm Up
AMRAP 7 minutes - low to moderate, warm-up intensity
10 jumping jacks
10 Air squats
10 Mountain climbers (Right + Left = 1 repetition)
10 alternating lunges in place or walking lunges
Movement Practice
For the lunges, find a pain-free range of motion that you can do easily and confidently over this higher volume of repetitions. ** This is a body-weight lunge. No weight is prescribed for this workout.
For the dumbbell farmer carry, select a moderate weight and a distance that you can carry, stopping only once or twice during each Farmer Carry segment.
Workout
ADVANCED
3 Rounds for time
50 Lunges
200m Dumbbell Farmer Carry
If the volume of repetitions for this workout is not accessible today, try the BEGINNER option below, or try something in between!
BEGINNER
3 rounds for time
15 Lunges
100m Dumbbell Farmer Carry
Cool Down
The high volume of swings in this workout puts your hamstrings and posterior chain to work! Show your hard-working body some love with this 15-Min Deep Stretch & Release for Hips & Hamstrings.
Recovery during this stage of life is critically important! So PLEASE #dontskiptheyoga
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Carla - Great focus on the eccentric piece. That controlled step down is what keeps us steady on curbs and uneven ground. Doing the reverse lunge next week. - Heather