Swap lunges for tempo squats
Trainers now push 'slow' glute builders — tempo squats and single‑leg RDLs — as more effective than doing endless lunges for lower‑body strength and hypertrophy. These slow, controlled moves are trending in 2026 programming for stronger, more functional glutes. Tom’s Guide: Glute Moves
A 7‑week trial in Frontiers compared a slow‑eccentric squat (4 s down, 1 s up) to a fast pattern (1 s down, 1 s up) at 60–70% 1RM in 18 participants and reported larger 1RM gains (ES 1.60 vs 0.99) and greater vastus lateralis cross‑sectional growth in the slow group. frontiersin.org A 20‑person EMG study found the monopodal (single‑leg) squat produced higher activation across gluteus maximus and medius than forward lunges and lateral step‑ups when performed at 60% of a 5RM, indicating single‑leg loading raises glute recruitment. journals.plos.org A 2023 Frontiers paper on single‑leg Romanian deadlifts (SLRDL) tested 12 trained men and reported robust hip‑extensor and trunk‑stabilizer sEMG signals across loading positions, supporting SLRDLs as a targeted posterior‑chain glute/hamstring builder. frontiersin.org A recent systematic review/meta‑analysis covering eight studies and 148 participants showed slow‑eccentric (SEG) protocols produced similar or, in trained subgroups, modestly larger strength gains (Hedge’s g≈0.33 for trained participants), while overall hypertrophy effects remained uncertain and flagged for more research. sportrxiv.org Coaching writeups and how‑to guides recommend tempo notation and specific eccentric windows—common prescriptions list 2–4 s eccentrics and examples such as a 3‑1‑2 or 4‑0‑1‑0 tempo to increase time‑under‑tension for hypertrophy and technique control. powerliftingtechnique.com Fitness outlets reported growing adoption of tempo blocks in programming through 2025–26, with trainers advising tempo squats for older clients to protect joints while maintaining progression, and several coaching sites publishing tempo‑focused templates and drills in 2025. fitguru.training
