What muscles is the lunge supposed to target?

[yosevuk]

I have been reading conflicting information. Are the main muscles worked by reverse lunges the quadriceps or the hamstrings and glues?

Thank you!

Yosevu

[Iron Clad Ben]

I know regular lunges usually make my hamstrings sore.

[MattSxvx]

Glutes, hip flexors, and quadriceps.

[adam v]

Glutes, hip flexors, and quadriceps.

Hip flexors? Well obviously most or all leg exercises are going to work your hip flexors to some degree, but these are tiny muscles that are not meant to be very strong and strengthening them can have counter productive effect as far as my understanding reaches (they get jammed in there quite easily)

[carrot topless]

strengthening them can have counter productive effect as far as my understanding reaches (they get jammed in there quite easily)

Please explain?

[blabbate]

Quads, glutes, and calves (soleus).

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Qua ... Lunge.html

You might feel it in your hip flexors as well, but the work should really be done by your legs and glutes. If anything, hip flexors will matter for flexibility and depth of the lunge.

[adam v]

strengthening them can have counter productive effect as far as my understanding reaches (they get jammed in there quite easily)

Please explain?

strengthening actually isn't the problem, it's enlarging them, the two usually go together though.
the reason it's bad is, that the hip flexors if overgrown will get "jammed" and it will torque your hips (aka pelvic tilt).
that was explained to me by a personal trainer (with the help of an anatomy book which really shows exactly how and where it happens)

[carrot topless]

Pelvic tilt is a very small repercussion for something highly, highly unlikely to ever happen.

[blabbate]

Also, pelvic tilt doesn't occur simply when the hip flexors get large. Otherwise, anyone with a lot of core and lower-body strength would have issues. It occurs when there's an imbalance in the hip/leg muscles (or genetic abnormalities, but that's out-of-scope). If the flexors and extensors are kept fairly balanced, pelvic tilt shouldn't be an issue. Lunges certainly aren't going to cause any problems.

[adam v]

Pelvic tilt is a very small repercussion for something highly, highly unlikely to ever happen.

perhaps i should have been clearer but in my first post i was implying that the hip flexors are not one of the muscles that really gets "trained" when doing lunges, or at least they shouldn't (it is my understanding that they are under much stress if you lunge while leaning forward with your upper body, and that this specific form mistake will cause them to shorten, and to get bigger).

Also, pelvic tilt doesn't occur simply when the hip flexors get large. Otherwise, anyone with a lot of core and lower-body strength would have issues. It occurs when there's an imbalance in the hip/leg muscles (or genetic abnormalities, but that's out-of-scope). If the flexors and extensors are kept fairly balanced, pelvic tilt shouldn't be an issue. Lunges certainly aren't going to cause any problems.

obviously, when the muscles are balanced you should have no stance issues.
however, the hip flexors as far as i know, can get "jammed" if they are shortened and get large enough.
also, i haven't said a thing against lunges, they are a great exercise.