Watch Out For These Common Split Squat and Lunge Errors

Stance too long.

Many people make the mistake of stepping too far forward or backward, creating a longer stance than necessary. “What happens when the stance is too long is there’s a lot of pressure on the back knee when you lower down because it doesn’t bend as much,” Heilig says. Over time, that added pressure can lead to knee discomfort and pain.

Walking a tightrope.

Another common mistake people make when setting up for a lunge or split squat is stepping one foot directly in front of the other, similar to walking a tightrope. This foot positioning provides an unstable base, causing you to wobble.

Too much weight in the back foot.

Placing too much weight in the back foot takes the focus off the front leg and can irritate your back knee.

Start in the bottom position.

Setting up in a half-kneeling position can help you find the most comfortable stance length for your body before beginning your set of lunges or split squats, Heilig says. The proper stance length allows you to bend both knees to — or close to — 90 degrees pain-free.

Walk on train tracks.

Instead of stepping one foot directly in front of the other, think of keeping one foot on either side of a train track. Or find your squat stance — for many people it’s feet hip width to shoulder width apart — and maintain that width when you step forward or back.

Think 80/20.

Gentilcore often cues keeping 80 percent of your body weight on the front foot and 20 percent on the back foot. This way, you can target the front leg while placing just enough weight on the back leg to help you balance.

(Fine-tune your lunge form to strengthen your glutes, quads, and knees, and explore five variations to add variety to the move by visiting “How to Do the Lunge.”)