Let us be honest, every guy wants to have a great set of arms and a solid, manly chest. But there is nothing that is quite so affirming as when everyone in the place does a double take as you turn and leave a room. Yep, every dude loves to sport a nice set of glutes to keep them looking and talking.
The gluteus maximus muscle is the largest and thickest hip muscle and it contains the strongest muscle fibers in the body. In addition to this muscle, the butt area is also comprised of the gluteus medius and minimus, each with their own functions. These powerful beefy muscles pull the thigh backward in an action described as thigh or hip extension. Practically, the glutes are recruited each time you climb stairs, get up out of a chair, or anytime you are walking, running, or jumping. So, when you have a great butt it not only creates a nice impression it also improves the state of your daily movements! Lunges build and shape this chunk of muscle better than any other exercise.
Lunges can be tough on your knees, so you should carefully warm them up with a few moments of stretching and some light biking before doing lunges. Although the exercise can be done with a barbell, you will likely find it easier to control your balance and each lunge if you use dumbbells. Take a dumbbell of light to moderate weight in each hand and stand vertically. Your torso should remain vertical throughout the exercise. Avoid leaning forward and flexing your spine during the forward step. Keep your eyes focused straight ahead on a fixed point.
Now for proper technique. One leg will act as an anchor (eg. The left leg) the other leg will lunge forward, so you plant your foot in front of you as if you were taking a stride forward. The knee on the front leg bends to 90 degrees so that the thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time as the lead leg is going forward, the thigh of the rear anchor leg remains vertical to the floor, while the knee comes down to almost kiss the floor. Once again, keep your back vertical to the floor and your head up during each rep.
Alternate your steps so that the left leg is being lunged forward. Alternate between left and right legs as you lunge around the gym, or back and forth on the step box if you are doing stationary lunges. Start with three to four sets of 10-15 reps. If it is a nice day, you might want to lunge out in the parking lot or up and down your driveway to catch a few rays.
Lunges are king of all butt blasting, ass shaping exercises. You can squat, run, or press all you like, but lunges will give you an ass they will never stop talking about.
Photo by Justin Luckhardt from Pexels
