What is Airborne Lunge?
The Airborne Lunge is a hard single-leg bodyweight exercise that builds balance and lower-body strength. It primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves while requiring core stability and ankle control. Performed without the rear foot touching the floor, it challenges stability and muscular endurance.
How to Do Airborne Lunge
- Balance on one leg: Stand tall on one foot with elevated knee at hip height, weight over the midfoot, back neutral, and squeeze the glute to stabilize.
- Reach arms forward: Extend your arms forward to counterbalance, maintain a tall chest, and keep a slight brace in the core to protect the spine.
- Initiate hip hinge: Hinge at the hips and bend the standing knee, gripping with your toes; drive the knee over the foot and avoid letting it cave inward.
- Control the descent: Lower slowly with tension in the glute and hamstring, reaching the back heel behind you without touching the floor, stop where control is maintained.
- Drive up powerfully: Push through the ball of your foot, fully extend the hip while driving the elevated knee forward and squeeze the glute at the top.
- Repeat and switch: Complete designated repetitions with controlled tempo, rest as needed, then switch sides to maintain balanced strength and reduce injury risk.
Muscle Groups
Quadriceps, Hamstring, Calves, Glutes
Description
Begin by balancing on one leg, squeeze the glute to help you stabilise. Stand tall, with your elevated leg bent, knee raised at hip height. Your weight should distributed across your foot, don't lean back on your heel.Reach your arms forward to counterbalance, keep your back neutral & begin hinging at the hips and bending the knee. Grip with your toes and drive your knee forward over the foot, don't let the knee cave inwards.
Keep tension on the glute and hamstring, control the descent. Reach the heel of the free leg behind you and continue as low as comfortable, without letting the other foot touch the floor.
Pause at the bottom, then drive back up, pushing through the ball of your foot. Fully extend the hip, drive the elevated knee through, and squeeze at the top. Drive your arms to your sides to help you generate power.
Repeat for Repetitions. Switch Sides.
Movement Group
Legs
Required Equipment
None (bodyweight only)
Progressions and Regressions
- Static Lunge
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Airborne Lunge Assisted
- Airborne Lunge (current)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of the Airborne Lunge?
The Airborne Lunge increases single-leg strength, balance, and hip stability while improving glute, hamstring, quadriceps and calf endurance. It enhances unilateral power, corrects asymmetries, and transfers well to running and jumping by training core and ankle stability.
What common mistakes should I avoid with the Airborne Lunge?
Common mistakes include leaning back onto the heel, allowing the knee to cave inward, dropping the chest, letting the rear foot touch the floor, and rushing the descent. Focus on midfoot balance, controlled tempo, and maintaining a neutral spine to reduce injury risk.
How can I progress or regress the Airborne Lunge?
To regress, hold onto a support, reduce range of motion, or perform stationary split squats. Progress by adding tempo, increasing range, using a pause at the bottom, adding weight, or advancing to pistols and explosive airborne variations once balance and strength allow.