Wobbly, shallow lunges? How to fix your balance and depth
Published 30 September 2026 by TRACK AI Coach
Lunges train each leg on its own, which makes them brilliant for strength and balance, and also makes them wobbly. If you tip sideways, rush into the bottom or stop halfway down, you’re in good company. Most of it comes down to your stance and your speed.
Train tracks, not a tightrope
The most common cause of wobbling is a stance that’s too narrow. If your front and back feet land in one line, as if on a tightrope, you have almost no base to balance on. Keep your feet about hip-width apart as you step, as if each foot were on its own rail of a train track.
Forward, reverse or split squat?
- Split squat: your feet stay where they are and you simply go down and up. It’s the easiest version to balance and the best place to start.
- Reverse lunge: you step backwards into the lunge. Your front foot stays planted, which makes it steadier, and many people find it kinder to their knees.
- Forward lunge: you step forwards and push back to the start. Stopping your body as your foot lands makes it the hardest to control.
- Walking lunge: step after step across the room. Great once your balance is solid.
How deep should you go?
Lower until your back knee nearly touches the floor, with both knees bent to about 90 degrees at the bottom. If you can’t get that deep with control yet, use a split squat, hold a chair, or put a cushion under your back knee as a depth target. A half-depth lunge trains half the range.
Five fixes for a steadier lunge
- Widen your stance to hip-width, as above.
- Slow down. Take two or three seconds to lower. Dropping into the bottom is where balance gets lost.
- Stay tall. Keep your torso stacked over your hips; leaning forward shifts your weight over your front toes.
- Grip the floor with your front foot, keeping your weight over the middle of the foot and your front knee in line with your second toe.
- Hold on while you learn. A hand on a wall or the back of a chair is not cheating. Use less support as you get steadier.
Watch your front knee
As in a squat, your front knee can drift inward as you push up. Keep it pointing the same way as your toes. Knees caving in has cues and drills that help with lunges too.
Sets and reps
Try 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each leg, starting with your weaker side. Once 12 steady reps feel easy, hold dumbbells or a backpack, or move on to a harder version such as the walking lunge. Progressive overload at home shows the full ladder.
What the coach checks
Side-on at hip height, the TRACK AI coach judges your depth and posture: it calls out “Too shallow”, “Could go deeper”, “Leaning forward” and “Rushing”. Facing the camera, it watches your front knee and calls out “Knee caving in”.
Read the lunge guide for step-by-step technique and easier and harder versions.