Exercises / Lunge / single leg
Step-up
Lunge / single leg Bodyweight Complexity 2/5
Working position
Setup
Stand facing a low box, one foot fully on it, hand on support if needed.
Execution
Drive through the top foot to stand up on the box, then lower under control.
Coaching cues
- All the work from the top leg
- Do not push off the back foot
- Lower slowly
Common fault
Pushing off the trailing foot to get up
Fix: Lower the box until the top leg can do the work alone.
Muscles trained
Primary: Gluteus maximus (glutes)Rectus femoris (quad)
Secondary: Gluteus medius (side glute)Biceps femoris (hamstring)
Regression and progression
Easier: This is the entry-level variation.
Harder: Reverse lunge
Rule
Never advance complexity and load in the same week. When the variation gets harder, the load comes down.