Lunge Twist Guide: How to Do Lunge Twists With Perfect Form

A lunge twist, also referred to as a lunge with twist, is a lunge exercise in which you twist your midsection to the left or right while in the lunge position, resume the standing position, and repeat, twisting in the opposite direction. Be sure to twist at the hip, not the knee. For an added challenge, perform lunge twists with a medicine ball, kettlebells, or dumbbells.

For the lunge twist, begin with 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions on each side. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position, and your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
2. 2. Evenly distribute your weight along your feet, from toe to heel. Grip the floor with your feet to create a stable foot position. Your arms should remain long by your sides with a slight bend in your elbows.
3. 3. Pre-tension your shoulders and hips, and engage your core. Your ribs should be down, and your pelvis should be slightly tucked.
4. 4. While maintaining a neutral spine and an upright chest position, take a step forward and land in a heel-to-toe manner.
5. 5. While maintaining a stable foot position, bend your hips, knees, and ankles to lower your hips toward the floor until your back knee is an inch or two from the ground.
6. 6. Your front foot should be neutral, with your weight evenly disturbed along the entire foot, and your front knee should be directly over your second and third toe. Your rear hip should be over your back knee, and you should be on the ball of your foot, with your heel off the ground.
7. 7. At the bottom of the lunge, both of your legs should be roughly at a 90-degree angle. Your shoulders should finish over your hips. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket filled with water, and you’re attempting not to spill any water out of the front, back, or sides of the bucket.
8. 8. Pause for a second at the bottom position.
9. 9. Push your foot into the ground to keep your lower body still, and use your core to rotate your upper body over your forward leg.
10. 10. As you rotate, reach your arms forward and allow your arms to travel over your forward leg. Your arms can be bent or straight.
11. 11. Rotate back toward the center of your body, allowing your arms to follow.
12. 12. While keeping your chest high, begin the backward movement by pushing your entire foot into the ground and use your glute and quad to push back to an upright position. Emphasize pushing through your midfoot and heel while keeping your toes engaged.
13. 13. Both legs should finish next to each other as you return to the starting position. At the end of each repetition, your shoulders should finish directly over the hips.
14. 14. Repeat on the opposite side or the same side for desired number of repetitions.

Adding the lunge twist exercise into your routine has several benefits.

1. 1. Lunge twists engage multiple muscle groups. As a lower body workout, it helps strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors.
2. 2. Lunge twists don't require any special equipment. Adding a medicine ball or weights to the exercise will up the intensity, but you can still reap the benefits of the workout without them.
3. 3. Lunge twists are good warm-ups for yoga poses. Parivrtta anjaneyasana is a low lunge yoga pose similar to the lunge twist. Practicing lunge twists will help strengthen your core and prepare you for more advanced yoga poses.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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