Add Side-to-Side Strength to Leg Day With These 3 Moves

If leg day is all squats, deadlifts, and forward lunges, add a small block of side-to-side work. Supported side lunges, low lateral step-ups, and mini-band side-steps let you practice loading your legs while moving to the side.

You need a stable support, a low exercise step, and a light loop band. Keep your main lifts; use this accessory block to practice a direction they do not emphasize.

What changing direction actually changes

In a laboratory study of 32 young adults, lateral and forward lunges placed different demands on the lower-body joints. Lateral lunges produced greater ankle and knee extensor contributions, while forward lunges demanded more from the hip extensors.

These measurements describe individual exercises. They support choosing variations for different demands, but they do not establish long-term muscle growth or show that everyone needs the same lateral workout.

1. Supported side lunge

Stand facing a fixed counter or sturdy rail, with a light handhold. Step right, sit your hips back, and bend your right knee while keeping the left leg relatively straight. Keep both heels down and your right knee pointing in the same direction as your foot. Push through the right foot to return.

The American Council on Exercise’s side-lunge guide warns against taking such a wide step that the knee collapses inward. Begin with a modest step and shallow bend. The handhold is our beginner adaptation; use enough assistance to stay controlled.

2. Low lateral step-up

Stand with a low, stable exercise step beside your right foot. Put that entire foot on top. Press through it to bring yourself up, then lower the left foot slowly to the floor beside the step. Keep the right foot planted for the set; turn around to train the other side.

ACE describes the lateral step-up as a direction change from the usual forward-facing version. Choose a height you can manage without hopping off the floor or twisting to finish. Hold a fixed rail if needed.

A taller box is a progression. Start with a height that lets you control the lowering portion.

3. Mini-band side-step

Place a light loop band above your knees. Bend slightly at the hips and knees, then take a small step right. Follow with the left foot without bringing your feet together. Complete the planned steps, then travel left.

Keep your hips level and avoid rocking your torso to drag the band along, following ACE’s lateral-band-walk technique.

A laboratory study of 22 adults measured gluteal muscle activity during resisted side-stepping. That demonstrates muscular work, but it does not prove that a particular band walk will produce specific strength gains or prevent an injury.

Add this block to leg day

Try it once weekly after your main lift, such as a quad-focused squat variation. This is an editorial starting plan.

Before the first session’s working sets, rehearse three easy repetitions of each move. Pick a band you can stretch without changing your stance. If this block makes leg day too long, replace an accessory exercise.

Rest about 60–90 seconds between sets, taking longer when you need it to repeat controlled reps.

Repeat the same setup until every rep looks deliberate. Then add one or two reps before considering more resistance. When bodyweight sets become straightforward, try a light dumbbell for the lunge or step-up, with support available. Change one variable at a time, and stop for sharp pain or joint discomfort.

This article uses published laboratory studies and official exercise guidance. The exercise selection, support adaptations, sets, and progression form an editorial starting plan that has not been trial-tested. No original interviews or firsthand workout testing were conducted. This is general fitness information.

This story was originally published by Men’s Fitness on Nov 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Training section. Add Men’s Fitness as a Preferred Source by clicking here.