Have you ever seen someone gracefully bend their knees and bow their head as a greeting?
Unless you've lived a separate life in the medieval era, I would guess you haven't. It's called a curtsy and was a common practice during those times.
Now, I'm sure you’re probably wondering how the heck this has anything to do with exercise.
Well, if you’re reading this right now, I’m sure you know what a lunge is. It's an excellent leg exercise that can help you get stronger, better balanced, and more stable too.
What you may not know is that there is a variation of the standard lunge that was inspired by the curtsy. It's called a curtsy lunge!
This is a variation of lunges that you can do to build strength and switch things up.
Today, I'm going to show you how to master the curtsy lunge! That way, you can try it out in your next workout and start reaping the benefits.
Let's start with the basics.
What Is A Curtsy Lunge?
A curtsy lunge is a variation of lunges where you cross one leg behind the other to challenge your body in a new way. As I mentioned earlier, it's called the curtsy lunge because of how closely the movement resembles a curtsy.
It's an exercise that engages multiple muscle groups in your legs. I promise if you've never done them before, they will be quite the challenge!
I'll dive into exactly how to perform curtsy lunges shortly. First, though, there are some important things to go over.
For starters, what are the muscles you'll be working on in a curtsy lunge?
Muscles Worked In A Curtsy Lunge
As I mentioned before, curtsy lunges are going to work multiple muscles in your legs. They will even work your core as well.
So, what are all the muscles worked in a curtsy lunge?
Primary Muscles Worked
When I say primary muscles, I mean the main muscles that curtsy lunges are designed to target.
But, which muscles are these?
Quadriceps Muscles
Your quadriceps muscles are a group of four muscles on the front side of your legs.
If you can tap back into your elementary education, I’m sure you remember that quad means four! That’s an easy way to remember the name of this muscle group!
Your quadriceps include the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.
Gluteal Muscles
Your gluteal muscles are the muscles that make up what most people know as the glutes!
This is a group of three muscles that are much more important than they get credit for. Your glutes are actually the biggest muscles in your body.
These three muscles are your gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius.
Secondary Muscles Worked
When I say secondary muscles, I mean the muscles that will be worked in addition to the main muscles that curtsy lunges target.
So, which muscles are these?
Adductor Muscles
Your adductor muscles are the muscles that go from your pelvis down to your inner knee and thigh. These are the muscles that most people refer to as the groin.
These muscles include your gracilis, adductor magnus, pectineus, adductor brevis, and adductor longus.
Calf Muscles
Your calf muscles are the ones on the backside of your shins. If you’re anything like me, you’re always wondering why it’s so dang hard to get bigger calves!
This is a group of two muscles. These muscles are the soleus and gastrocnemius. For the most part, your calves are to help with balance and stabilization.
Benefits of Curtsy Lunges
Curtsy lunges are an exercise packed with benefits that you may not even think of.
However, once you learn what these benefits are ... You'll probably wish you started doing curtsy lunges way sooner!
Curtsy Lunges Can Be Done Virtually Anywhere
Curtsy lunges are a fantastic exercise that can literally be done anywhere. As long as you have the ability to lunge, you can get these done!
You can curtsy lunge on the beach...
You can curtsy lunge in the mountains...
Heck, you can even curtsy lunge in the comfort of your own home!
Regardless of whether you have weights, resistance bands, or nothing at all ... I guarantee you can add curtsy lunges into a workout to challenge yourself!
Curtsy Lunges Can Make You Stronger
Curtsy lunges are a strength-based exercise. This means that they can help you get stronger in some way, shape, or form no matter how you do them.
The key here is to make sure that you are doing them in a way that is challenging for you.
So, make sure you are picking a good weight. You can also manipulate your reps, sets, tempo, and more for an extra challenge.
Curtsy Lunges Can Help Improve Balance & Stability
Curtsy lunges can help improve your balance in a couple of different ways.
First, they engage your calves which are actively involved in balance.
Second, the exercise itself takes you through an unstable range of motion. This can help train your stabilization strength and balance. When you try them out for yourself, you'll know exactly what I mean.
How To Do a Curtsy Lunge
Now that you know WHAT curtsy lunges are and WHY they can be beneficial ... It's time to talk about HOW to do them.
Follow the instructions carefully. You may want to try to perform them without weight when you get started. Actually, you can even use your hands as support if needed!
1. Stand upright with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position. You can rest your hands wherever is most comfortable or hold a pair of dumbbells on either side of your body when you're ready to add weight.
2. Keep your chest up and shoulders pulled back as you step backward with one leg at a 45-degree angle. The leg you step backward with should fall behind your front leg.
3. Sink into your hips and bend your front knee until you reach a 90-degree angle. Make sure to keep your hips and shoulders squared and facing forward.
4. Pause for a second before pushing through your front foot to stand upright again. At the same time, return your back leg to the starting position.
5. Repeat this with your other leg and alternate between both legs to complete a set number of reps.
Common Curtsy Lunge Mistakes
Just like any other exercise, there are some habits you'll want to avoid.
Below, I'll cover the most common mistakes people make with curtsy lunges. Make sure you avoid them to maximize your workout and prevent potential injuries.
Half Reps
To complete a full rep, you need both of your knees to hit a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge. Many people will not do this which robs them of the full benefits of the curtsy lunge.
Now, I do have a trick that could help make sure you complete the full range of motion.
You can use a block that your back knee should be able to tap! It’s simple, effective, and something that anybody can do!
If you need to ease your way into a full curtsy lunge, sure, you can start with half reps at first. As you continue to progress though, you should work to execute a full range of motion every time.
Hip Rotation
If your hips twist in the curtsy lunge, you will lose some activation in your glutes. This is far from ideal!
So, make sure you keep your hips squared and facing forward at all times. Many people will keep their hands on their hips for curtsy lunges to keep it top of mind. This is a great way to be able to consciously feel whether or not your hips are rotating.
Chest Falling Forward
If your chest falls too far forward, then you'll take a lot of the work out of your glutes. Make sure to keep your core engaged and chest high. It can also help to focus on pulling your shoulders down and back.
If your chest continues to fall forward, you may want to use some support. Whether you hold onto a rack, TRX straps, or even bands, these are methods that can all help!
How Can You Get The Most Out of Curtsy Lunges
Curtsy lunges are an exercise that certainly doesn't get enough credit.
Plus, earning the best results with your fitness will require a wide variety of different exercises. That's not even the half of it either. Reaching your goals also takes the proper approach to nutrition, recovery, and more.
The good news is, this is where we can help out!
We even developed the 1st Phorm App to give you every tool you need to reach your goals.
Inside the app, you'll get access to:
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• 5x per week live streams about nutrition, training, and supplementation
• A full library of workout programs catered to your goals
• Activity and step-counting software
• Progress tracking and body metrics to make sure you get the results you're after
...and so much more! Ready to get started earning the best results possible? Download the 1st Phorm App today!
If there's anything we can do to help in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out!
We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central.
