I had a strength coach back in college that absolutely loved making us do lunges.  Of course, with 225 lbs on our backs we dreaded them.  I did them because he said if we wanted to be faster and stronger we needed too.  As soon as my football days were over it was a long time before I ever considered doing a lunge.  When I got serious again about my physical performance though it didn't take long for me to incorporate them back into my fitness regimen.

When you think about the most important muscles you use on any of your hunts you know its your butt, thighs, and hamstrings.  You can't even get in your truck without using them let alone climb your tree stand or 1000 vertical feet.    It just so happens lunges target...well you guessed it...your butt, thighs, and hamstrings.

Lunges can and should be used by hunter athletes of all levels from beginner to seasoned.  The great thing about lunges is you don't need to strap on 225 lbs for them to be effective and beneficial to your strength and stamina.  As a matter of fact, looking back, I'm pretty sure we sacrificed some very important form in trade for using those heavy weights.  However, as your training progresses you'll likely want to start adding some additional resistance to continue with your gains.

What makes lunges so perfect is they can be done anywhere, anytime, with or without weight, and give you a very effective workout.  Your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core are really large muscles so working them all simultaneously really taxes the body and burns some major calories.   There are so many variations on the lunge as well you can throw in on occasion if you want to mix things up a bit.

If you aren't doing lunges in your workouts try throwing them in.  You'll likely hate doing them but you'll be very pleased with the results.