There is no better argument to make in favor of the walking lunge than this: Ronnie Coleman won eight Mr. Olympia titles with walking lunges as a cornerstone of his leg program. Coleman knew that walking lunges stimulate a tremendous amount of muscle fibers in the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. And there are other hidden benefits to doing lunges such as increasing hip mobility and building core strength. At my gym, Hybrid Athletics, we have our own spin on walking lunges, combining them with one of our favorite implements—the atlas stone. Below, I break down how to attack this advanced variation of one of the world’s most effective leg exercises.
The Workout
50 WALKING LUNGES WITH AN ATLAS STONE
If holding the stone at your shoulder, use one that’s 75% of your body weight. If the stone is on your gut use 60%. Do as many sets as necessary.
1. Squat down and wrap your arms around the stone. Deadlift it up to your lap. From there, either roll it to your shoulder or stand up and hold the stone at your gut.
2. Once you’ve secured the stone in position, step forward and lower your body toward the floor until your back knee gently kisses the ground. Keep your upper body tall.
3. Stand up out of the lunge by driving through the heel of your front foot and bring the back foot up to meet the front foot. Repeat for an equal number of reps on each leg.
QUICK TIP Once you’ve gotten the hang of it on your dominant shoulder, try the opposite side. It will be much more difficult and require more core stabilization.
