12/20/2025
“The walking lunge might be the most underrated exercise in the gym.”
Bold take. And I agree.
Theres a ton of reasons take make the walking lunge so great. Check out E627 of Podcast to listen to the full pod I pulled this clip from on overrated and underrated exercises.
“The walking lunge might be the most underrated exercise in the gym.”
Bold take. And I agree.
There are a ton of reasons the walking lunge is so effective. Check out E627 of the Podcast for the full episode on overrated vs underrated exercises... where this clip comes from.
I work with a lot of people who are newer to fitness, often just adding strength training into their lives and making it part of their identity. Because of that, starting with walking lunges isn’t realistic for everyone… and that’s okay.
Let’s break down the walking lunge.
It’s a single-leg exercise, with the knee joint doing most of the work. Just like a squat or a step-up. A lunge is essentially a split squat where your feet start and finish together. Whether you step forward, backward, sideways, or transverse, it’s still a single-leg squat. That’s why this is where I like to start.
If you’re newer to training, or rebuilding confidence in your body, lunges aren’t about suffering...
they’re about earning capacity.
Here’s where I’d start you:
➡️ Split squats with a bar for balance
➡️ TRX-assisted lunges
➡️ Box step-ups
These aren’t “easier” options.
They’re S-tier prerequisites.
They teach your body how to own single-leg strength, control your joints, and trust yourself under load.
And that trust?
That’s how “someone who exercises” becomes part of who you are.
Capacity before complexity.
Confidence before intensity.
That’s how lunges and identities are built.
What do you think… are lunges overrated or underrated?
