Legs · Bodyweight
Cardio Lunge
How to do the cardio lunge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Step forward into a lunge with both knees bent near 90 degrees, then push off your front leg to spring back to standing at a quick pace. Alternate legs each rep, driving with speed while keeping each lunge controlled.
- 1Feel your front quad and glute drive you back up each rep
- 2Stay tall through your chest with your core braced
- 3Push explosively through your front heel to spring up
Common mistakes
- Don't let your front knee cave inward
- Avoid leaning your torso forward over your front leg
- Don't let speed turn into sloppy, shallow lunges
Muscles worked
The cardio lunge mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the cardio lunge for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.