Correct Way
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Fit Tip of the Month: Lunges
Target Muscle: Gluteus Maximus
Lunges are one of the best exercises that you can do for your lower body. Done in good form, lunges incorporate all the muscles and will help to tone, sculpt, and strengthen your legs and butt for a booty-fabulous figure.
It’s always good to start by stretching. Stretch your quadriceps, the muscles in front of your thigh, as well as your hamstrings, the muscles behind. You can also do a few calf raises, which is just getting up on your tip toes, holding for a second and coming back down.
Begin in a standing position with your back straight, feet about shoulder width apart, with your hands on your hips. Step forward with your right foot and lunge forward, lowering your body down as you step forward. Make sure that as you are lunging, your knee is directly over your foot, and not past your toes. The idea is to step far enough forward so that when your body lowers, the bottom half of the leg that’s out in front is perpendicular to the floor while your thigh is parallel to the floor.
Pause for a second, then push off and back with that right foot, taking you back to your starting position. Repeat the same motion with your left leg. Awesome!!! You've just completed one repetition of lunges (one lunge with the right leg, and one with the left leg counts as ONE repetition for this instruction). Repeat for 10 to 15 reps to start; do three to five sets of reps in a total workout. Keep increasing your number of reps as you get stronger.
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October 2007 
