By RealJock Staff

This exercise provided courtesy of Mike Clausen, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.

Benefits
Drop lunges are a two-for-one—they build up your quads and glutes while training balance and coordination.

Muscles Worked
Legs (quads, glutes)

Starting Position
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, shoulder blades together and chest lifted (see Photo 1).

Exercise

1. From the starting position, step your left foot forward, keeping your weight evenly distributed between your heel and toes on your left foot while you drop your right knee down into a lunge. Lower the right knee down until the left quadriceps (thigh) is parallel to the floor. Do not allow the left knee to come out in front of your toes, or you'll risk knee and other injury (see Photos 2 and 3).
2. From the lunge, powerfully drive your right foot off the floor and step it back to the starting position. Be sure to lift through the back leg rather than by pushing off with the front foot (see Photos 4 and 5).
3. Do an entire set of lunges with the left leg coming forward, and then switch sides to lead with the right leg and repeat for another set.

About Mike Clausen: Clausen is the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006. He has been actively involved in sports and weightlifting since high school, and continues to use that knowledge when training his clients. Clausen is both A.C.E. and N.A.S.M. certified and has been training clients professionally for six years. He enjoys making his clients stronger, both physically and mentally, giving them the tools to create an efficient body and to do things they thought were not possible.