Alternating Squat & Lunge

How to: Alternating Squat & Lunge

Primary Muscles Used:Upper Legs, Glutes, Quads, Gluteals, Hamstrings

Exercise Families:Squat, Lunge

Equipment:Barbell

Trainer:Kayla Itsines

1. Safely place a barbell on your shoulders. Please read the barbell safety cues for instructions on how to do this. Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
2. Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called squat position.
3. Push through the heels of your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position.
4. Take a big step forward with your right foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees.
5. Exhale. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your left foot to return to the starting position.
6. Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called squat position.
7. Push through the heels of your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position.
8. Take a big step forward with your left foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees.
9. Exhale. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between squat and lunge movements for the specified number of repetitions. *Breakdown — The sequence will be squat, lunge right leg forward, squat, lunge left leg forward.