Piggyback Lunge Walk | Friends

Quick Intro

Piggyback Lunge Walk is a walking lunge with a partner on your back. The carried partner climbs on in a secure piggyback. The working partner steps forward into a lunge, lowers the back knee toward the floor, rises and brings the back foot through into the next step. They cover a short, agreed distance before the rider gets down. If the weights allow it in both directions, the two then swap.

How to do a walking lunge is covered at Bodyweight Walking Lunge. This guide covers what changes with a person on the back. It is one of the hardest partner exercises, so it comes after the Piggyback Squat, never before.

What You’ll Need

A flat, non-slip surface with a clear lane of about 10 metres.
A low bench or step, optional, for the rider to climb on from.

Before You Start

Two checks:

Is the squat solid? The working partner should be able to do several steady Piggyback Squat reps with this rider before trying a lunge.
Can they stand on one leg? A single-leg balance with the rider on is harder than it sounds. If standing still on one leg for a few seconds is shaky, the lunge will be worse.

How to judge whether a pair is a match for human-load exercises is explained in Lifting, Carrying and Catching a Person.

How It Works

The rider climbs on, holding around the shoulders and with the legs wrapped around the working partner’s waist. The working partner supports under the rider’s thighs.
The working partner stands tall for a few seconds to settle the load.
They take a normal-length step forward and lower the back knee toward the floor, stopping just above it. The front knee stays over the foot.
They push through the front foot to rise, bringing the back foot through to the next step.
Continue for the agreed distance, usually 5 to 10 steps.
The working partner stops, stands on both feet, bends the knees and the rider gets down.

The Rider’s Job

Absolutely still. In a lunge, every shift lands on one leg. Stay centred and quiet.
Hold the shoulders, never the neck.
Call early. “Slipping” or “down” said early is easy to deal with.

What the Partner Changes

A walking lunge puts most of the body’s weight on one leg at a time. Adding a person makes that much heavier, and because the rider moves slightly with every step, the hip and trunk muscles have to work hard to keep the front knee lined up and the body upright. It is a big step up from the piggyback squat, where both feet stay on the floor.

How Far

Short. Five to ten steps, then rest with the rider off. Two or three trips is plenty. Fatigue changes how the knee tracks and how steady the balance is, so stop well before the legs feel shaky.

Making It Easier or Harder

Easier: shorter steps, a shallower lunge or a stop with both feet together between each lunge.
Harder: a few more steps. With a person as the load, adding distance slowly is the only change worth making.

Staying Safe

Manageable weight difference only.
A short distance on a clear, flat surface.
Stop at once if either partner feels the balance going. The working partner steps the back foot up next to the front one and bends both knees, and the rider gets down.
No speed. This is a walk.

Common Mistakes

Steps too long. The knee strains and balance suffers.
Leaning forward to rise. Keep the chest up.
Front knee caving inward. Keep it over the middle of the foot.
Going too far. Short trips only.

Fitting It Into a Session

Use it as the main leg exercise for a stronger pair, after plain lunges and a few piggyback squats as a warm-up.

Piggyback Squat is the easier step before this one.
Reverse Lunge is the solo lunge that steps backward.
Weighted Walking Lunge loads the walking lunge with weights.

FAQ

Can I do reverse lunges with a rider?

It is safer to keep stepping forward. Stepping backward with a person on your back means stepping blind, with the load pulling you the same way.

How deep?

The back knee comes down to just above the floor if that is comfortable, or shallower if not.

Can both of us carry?

Only if the weight difference allows it in both directions. Many pairs can only do it one way.