The 4 Moves to Reinforce the Lunge Pattern
1. Heel-to-Toes
Trains the glutes and quads while isometrically working the muscles that stabilize the front leg in a lunge.
Also improves the “foot exchange” in walking and running.
Start with 25 reps each side, work up to 50 reps.
2. Standing Butt Kicks
Actively works the back leg through hip extension while isometrically engaging the front glute to stabilize the hip complex.
Basically teaches the body to use both glutes in the lunge, taking pressure off the knee stabilizers.
50 reps per side is plenty.
3. Walking Feet
Performed once the glutes are “pre-fatigued” so they fire earlier in the chain.
Dynamically strengthens the knee stabilizers laterally (side-to-side) — helping reduce the “wobbly knees” often seen in people with knee pain.
Do 25 reps left-to-right, then 25 reps right-to-left, working up to 50 each.
4. Forward Tips
A fantastic move to feel how the glutes alone can lift the torso off one leg.
Focus on pulling the torso upward by shortening the glutes.
Start with 15 reps each leg, progress to 30 reps.
I use this one often because the carryover effects are huge.
How to Use This Routine
Takes less than 5 minutes to complete.
As a standalone: do it 2–3x per day or every other day for 6 weeks.
As part of a full session: perform it 1–2x before your main work cycle to pre-activate the hips and legs.
This primes the muscle firing sequences, improves stability, and enhances everything you do afterward — whether it’s strength, cardio, or functional training.
👉 Bottom line: If lunges bother your knees, don’t ditch them completely. Instead, use these 4 exercises to retrain the muscles, stabilize your joints, and reclaim the benefits of one of the most functional movement patterns there is.
Enjoy!
—Cyn
Training the lunge pattern is an excellent way to functionally stimulate the leg exchange/walking mechanics, stabilize the hip complex in preparation for picking something off of an uneven surface, actively stretch the hip flexors, shift muscular focus in bending from the knees to the hamstrings and glutes, increase metabolic activity/fat burning, reconnect faulty muscle firing sequences between the spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet.
All this being said, if you have knee issues this movement is pretty out of your wheelhouse, as there are certain angles in the movement which shift leverage to the knee joint/ligament areas to stabilize the hips due to the pre existing knee issue. The key to opposing this effect is to train the muscles which over time become atrophied/dysfunctional due to the knee joint taking their workloads to protect the knee. Most, if not all non contact related knee problems (pain over time) can be reversed by reintegrating these dormant muscles. The 4 moves in this video are specifically picked for their efficacy in this matter.
1. Heel - Toes: this is an excellent exercise for learning to incorporate the glute and quadricep muscles while isometrically working the muscles that support the front leg in a lunge pattern. This is also an excellent exercise to the foot exchange during walking or running. 25 reps each side is a good start, work up to 50 repetitions.
2. Standing Butt Kicks: this movement is extremely effective for assisting the lunge pattern as it actively works the back leg through hip extension and isometrically works the front glute to stabilize the hip complex. Basically your body learns to use both glute muscles while in a lunge position, making the full lunge pattern more likely to use them instead of the knee joint stabilizers. Working up to 50 each side is enough.
3. Walking Feet: once the muscles of the glutes are worked and at the forefront of the activation cycle (fatigued muscles kick in earlier) the "walking feet" is used to dynamically work the knee joint stabilizers laterally/side to side. If you notice when people with knee issues bend them they are often "wobbly". This is due to dormant muscle activity forcing the knee joint to take over balance duties of which it is poor at. This exercise helps to reverse that. 25 reps Left to Right, then 25 Right to Left, working up to 50 each.
4. Forward Tips: a fantastic way to feel how a the glute muscles can isolate to lift the entire torso off of one leg. Focus on pulling torso upward by squeezing or shortening the glute muscles. I use this move often because the carry over effects (bang for buck) are many. 15 reps each leg working up to 30 reps.
This routine should take less than 5 minutes to complete. If used as a standalone, do it 2-3X every day or every second day for 6 weeks. If you are using it as part of a full session do 1-2X before the work cycle of your session. This routine will pre activate the hip/leg complex which will enhance what you do after, is why you would use this near the beginning of a hour session for example. Justin