Quads exercise
High Lunge (Crescent Lunge)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Hip flexors, Abs
- Equipment
- Yoga mat
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the High Lunge?
- Step your left foot back into a long lunge, both feet pointing forward.
- Lift your back heel and press back through the ball of your foot, back leg straight.
- Bend your front knee over your ankle.
- Lift your chest, square your hips and raise your arms overhead, palms facing.
- Hold for 5 breaths, step forward and repeat on the other side.
Cues
- Front knee over the ankle, back heel high.
- Hips square, belly drawn in.
- Reach up, shoulders down.
Common mistakes
- Stance too short: step the back foot further back so the front knee stays over the ankle.
- Arching the lower back: draw the lower ribs in.
- Back knee dropping: press back through the heel to keep the leg straight.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
The high (crescent) lunge with the back heel lifted and both feet pointing forward, arms overhead, as Yoga Journal teaches it. Unlike Warrior I, the back heel is off the mat, so the hips square to the front easily. Shown on the right leg; repeat on the left.
Starting position
Downward dog or a standing forward fold; step the left foot back a long step.
The position
Front (right) foot flat, knee bent straight over the ankle; back (left) leg long and strong, the weight on the ball of the back foot with the heel lifted high over the toes. Hips square to the front of the mat, the pelvis level. Trunk upright over the pelvis, lower belly drawn in, the chest lifting; arms straight overhead, palms facing, shoulders down; gaze forward.
Breathing
Reach up on the in-breath, sink steady into the legs on the out-breath.
Tempo
A held pose through one slow breath, 6 s: in-breath 2.5 s, the chest lifts and opens about 3° and the arms reach up; out-breath 3.5 s, back. Legs and hips hold still. Real practice: 5 breaths each side.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Front knee flexion about 85° (thigh about 8° above level), shin within 5° of vertical.
- Back knee straight (under 8°); back foot about 50° off the mat, heel 12–14 cm up.
- Trunk vertical (within 3°), chest extension about 4–7°.
- Arms in line with the trunk (within 4°), elbows straight (about 5°).
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The High Lunge is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- Yoga Journal pose library, "High Lunge, Crescent Variation"
- B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga (1966), lunge alignment as in Virabhadrasana I (front thigh parallel, shin vertical).
- American Council on Exercise (ACE) exercise library, "Crescent Lunge" / "High Lunge".
