1 Trainer Says Adding Sliders to Lunges Will Set Your Legs and Glutes Ablaze

Updated on 6/1/2019 at 11:20 AM

If you've ever done leg exercises (so, pretty much everyone), you've probably played around with some lunge variations. Lunges, after all, are great for toning your legs and, yes, even your glutes (aka booty). Forward or backward, with or without weights, they're effective and also require you to work on your balance, which is a bonus. That's why, after Megan Roup's The Sculpt Society class sponsored by Propel Vitamin Boost this month, I wanted to ask her for tips on how to get the most bang for your buck with lunges.

Megan, an ACE-certified personal trainer, former dancer, and founder of weight-incorporated dance cardio class The Sculpt Society, already told POPSUGAR that doing plank variations with sliders will target your core even more. Now, she says you can add this simple piece of equipment to lunges as well to up the intensity and feel the (good!) burn in your glutes and legs. She said that by doing these moves with sliders, you're taking "really simple, functional exercises and making them harder," which she loves.

Ahead, check out three lunge variations Megan does with sliders that will bring the heat to your lower body. We did some of these in The Sculpt Society class and they left me sore for a few days. To make this a quick leg workout, Megan said to do eight to 12 reps of each exercise for a total of three rounds on each side. If you don't have sliders, you can use socks or a towel. Paper plates on carpet also works. Let's do this!

Back Lunge Reaches With Sliders

Stand with your feet together and the ball of your right foot on a slider.
Take a controlled lunge (or large step) backward with your right foot, keeping that leg straight and dragging the slider behind you as you reach your arms to the floor in front of you (like you would in a single-leg deadlift).
Keep your left knee bent; then with control, bring your right leg back to your starting position with your chest and arms up.
Do eight to 12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Note: The first variation in Megan's video is the back lunge reaches.

Side Lunge With Sliders

Place the slider under the ball of your right foot.
Slowly and with control, ease your right foot out to the side with a straight leg, bending your left knee as you do so for balance.
Try to keep your weight centered on the left stationary leg. Bring that right leg back to your standing position.
Complete eight to 12 reps and switch to the other side.

Curtsy Lunge With Sliders

Start with the ball of your right foot on a slider, standing upright.
From standing, step your right leg behind you and to the left so your thighs cross, bending both knees as if you were curtsying. Make sure your front knee is aligned with your front ankle.
Return to your standing position, dragging the slider as you do so.
Complete eight to 12 reps, then switch to the other side.

Tip: Megan said you can also do all three of these exercises for two to three rounds on your right leg, then switch to your left instead of alternating sides before switching to the next move.