{"id":1933,"date":"2025-02-17T22:56:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T11:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/guide-to-performing-side-lunges-video.html"},"modified":"2025-02-17T22:56:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T11:56:07","slug":"guide-to-performing-side-lunges-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/guide-to-performing-side-lunges-video.html","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Performing Side Lunges (Video)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As humans, we access three planes of movement: the sagittal plane (up and down, forward and backward), the frontal plane (side to side), and the transverse plane (rotation).<\/p>\n<p>However, most of us train primarily in the sagittal plane, favoring exercises like running,\u00a0squats, and biceps curls instead of side to side movements in the frontal plan, like lateral lunges or side lunges (they\u2019re the same thing and can be called either name).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re ignoring the frontal plane \u2014 and, more specifically, the side lunge \u2014 it\u2019s time to correct that.<\/p>\n<p>Incorporating the lateral lunge into your workout routine will not only make for more interesting sweat sessions, but it will also help you forge a more well-rounded physique.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How to Do the Dumbbell Side Lunge: Step-by-Step Instructions<\/h2>\n<p><iframe src=\"http:\/\/players.brightcove.net\/1634697872\/SJeKARb7p_default\/index.html?videoId=5574325500001\" width=\"600\" height=\"337.5\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Appears in:<\/strong>\u00a0Shift Shop\u00a0&gt;&gt; Strength: 25<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, stand with your feet hip-width apart.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your feet parallel and your core engaged, step your right foot wide to the right without bending your left knee.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your left leg straight, your chest up, and your back flat, bend your right knee, sit your hips back, and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. The dumbbells should frame your right leg at the bottom of the move.<\/li>\n<li>Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.<\/li>\n<li>Repeat on the left side, and continue alternating sides, performing equal reps on each.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How to Make the Side Lunge Easier<\/h2>\n<p>The traditional side lunge is a bodyweight move, so if you find the above version difficult or are still learning how to do lunges, you can make the exercise easier by simply losing the dumbbells.<\/p>\n<p>(Focus on your form before adding resistance!)<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, you can also make side lunges easier by limiting your range of motion; instead of lowering your hips to knee level, go only halfway. You can also take a shallower step if you\u2019re unable to keep your inside leg straight.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How to Make the Side Lunge Harder<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIf you find bodyweight side lunges easy, use a band, weight, or\u00a0medicine ball for resistance,\u201d suggests Cody Braun, NASM performance enhancement specialist.<\/p>\n<p>You can do a dumbbell side lunge like the one demonstrated above, holding a medicine ball in front of your chest or looping a\u00a0resistance band\u00a0just above your knees or ankles.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of the Side Lunge<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to strengthen your lower body and shape your butt\u00a0and thighs, side lunges make a smart addition to your current\u00a0strength-training routine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSide lunges work your glutes, quads, and adductors,\u201d explains Braun.<\/p>\n<p>Side lunges can also help you navigate the frontal plane safer and more efficiently. \u201cSide lunges teach your body how to decelerate and gain control in your lateral movements,\u201d Braun continues.<\/p>\n<p>By doing so, the\u00a0lateral lunge can help prevent injury.<\/p>\n<p>The side lunge primarily works one leg at a time, making it a\u00a0unilateral exercise.<\/p>\n<p>Because they don\u2019t allow the muscles on one side of the body to compensate for those on the other, unilateral movements can help\u00a0correct problem-causing muscle imbalances. \u201cIncorporating side lunges into your workouts will help you build unilateral strength and hip stability,\u201d explains Braun.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Bonus Tip for the Side Lunge<\/h2>\n<p>The secret to safely accessing all of the side lunge\u2019s benefits is proper form. \u201cYou want to keep the hip, knee, and toes aligned at the bottom of the side lunge so the knee tracks properly,\u201d says Braun. Doing so will allow you to work the thigh and butt muscles while also protecting your joints.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>What Muscles Does the Side Lunge Work?<\/h2>\n<p>The side lunge is a great exercise for building lower-body strength and muscle.<\/p>\n<h3>Glutes<\/h3>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-146206\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/15112352\/dumbbell-deadlift-600-butt-anatomy.jpg\" alt=\"glute muscle anatomy | dumbbell deadlift\" width=\"602\" height=\"324\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Your butt is formed by three gluteus muscles atop each leg. They help move your legs and hips, provide balance, and promote stability during single-leg movements like the side lunge.<\/p>\n<h3>Quads<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-144925\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/02123541\/do-squats-make-your-butt-look-bigger-600-quads.jpg\" alt=\"quad muscle anatomy | do squats make your butt look bigger\" width=\"600\" height=\"253\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>The quadriceps are four distinct muscles on the front of each thighbone (femur) that are tasked with straightening your knee. Strong quads help you run fast, jump high, and squat low.<\/p>\n<h3>Adductors<\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"redactor-invisible-space\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-146279\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/19155523\/leg-workouts-600-adductors-abductors.jpg\" alt=\"adductors and abductors anatomy | leg workouts\" width=\"600\" height=\"289\" title=\"\">\u200b<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Located\u00a0along your inner\u00a0thighs, these rangy\u00a0muscles\u00a0bring\u00a0your legs together. They\u00a0can also\u00a0cause tightness and limitation when you step laterally (sideways).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As humans, we access three planes of movement: the sagittal plane (up and down, forward and backward), the frontal plane (side to side), and the transverse plane (rotation). However, most of us train primarily in the sagittal plane, favoring exercises like running,\u00a0squats, and biceps curls instead of side to side movements in the frontal plan, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1933"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1935,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions\/1935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}