Lunges
Lunges (forward, reverse or walking) train the quads and glutes one leg at a time and highly activate the glutes. Direct growth trials are scarce, but in one small trial lunges grew the thigh about as much as an incline leg press, so they are a useful alternative or add-on rather than a must.
What the science says
- Grows the quads as much as a leg press (small trial) Moderate evidence
Amanuma et al. (2025) trained one leg with lunges and the other with an incline leg press for 9 weeks in 8 untrained women; vastus lateralis and rectus femoris thickness rose 10–25% with no difference between methods. Very small sample.
- Works as part of bodyweight programs Limited evidence
Ogawa et al. (2023) found an 8-week bodyweight program that included lunges, squats and single-leg Romanian deadlifts increased quadriceps cross-sectional area in adults aged 30–64, but lunges were one of nine exercises, so their own share is unknown.
- High glute activation (EMG) Moderate evidence
Neto et al.'s 2020 systematic review placed traditional and in-line lunges and split squats among exercises with very high gluteus maximus activation (above 60% of maximal contraction). Activation is not growth.
How to do it
Muscles trained: quadriceps, glutes, adductors
- Take a long enough step that both knees reach about 90° at the bottom
- Lower the back knee straight toward the floor
- Keep most of the weight on the front foot, knee in line with the toes
- A slight forward lean adds glute work; upright adds quad work
- Push back (or through) with the front leg, not the back one
How to apply it
Count reps per leg; reverse lunges are easiest on the knees and easiest to balance, walking lunges add a conditioning effect.
Who should be careful
Balance is the usual limit; start with bodyweight and hold dumbbells at your sides rather than a barbell until you are stable. Forward lunges load the knee more on landing than reverse lunges. Anyone with knee or hip pain should get individual advice from a physician or physical therapist.
Frequently asked questions
Do lunges build muscle?
Yes, though the evidence is small. Amanuma et al. found lunges grew the thigh as much as an incline leg press in 8 women over 9 weeks.
Are lunges good for the glutes?
They produce very high glute activation in Neto et al.'s review, alongside split squats and step-ups, but no trial has measured glute growth from lunges alone.
Lunges or Bulgarian split squats?
Both are single-leg squat patterns with little direct growth data; choose the one you can load and balance better and progress it steadily.
Scientific references
- Comparable regional hypertrophy of the knee extensor muscles in response to resistance training with machines versus free weights: a randomized within-subject approach
- Effects of free weight and body mass-based resistance training on thigh muscle size, strength and intramuscular fat in healthy young and middle-aged individuals
- Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review
More exercises
- Front squat Moderate evidence
The front squat holds the bar on the front of the shoulders, which keeps the torso more upright and loads the knees less than the back squat while recruiting the thigh muscles about as much.
- Hack squat (machine) Moderate evidence
The machine hack squat lets you squat deep on a fixed track with your back supported, which makes it easy to push the quads close to failure.
- Romanian deadlift Moderate evidence
The Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge that loads the hamstrings and glutes at long muscle lengths, and trials of stiff-leg deadlifts and similar hip-extension exercises show real hamstring growth, mainly in the semimembranosus and biceps femoris long head.
- Conventional deadlift Moderate evidence
The conventional deadlift trains the whole posterior chain and grip and is a core strength lift, but research on its growth effects is thin: trials either use other deadlift variants or measure strength rather than muscle size.
- Barbell hip thrust Moderate evidence
The barbell hip thrust grows the glutes, and it does so with little growth of the quads or adductors, which makes it a good targeted addition.
- Leg extension Strong evidence
The leg extension isolates the quadriceps and is the best-supported way to grow the rectus femoris, the one quad head that squats and leg presses barely touch.