Hi Amanda!
Let me see if I can help. During static lunges, the front leg is the one where your glute and hamstring are challenged. The rear leg will feel it in the quads.
When doing this exercise, be sure that your legs are at 90 degree angles to start with. To help you with this position you can kneel on the floor in a "will you marry me position" and adjust your legs to form two 90 degree angles. Take note of this position and really connect with how your alignment and form feels in this position. Now stand up and grab your barbell(I would suggest putting a very light weight on during this test run so that you have no distractions). With the barbell on your back, place yourself into the same "marry me" position except do NOT kneel on the floor. Actually your knee should be a few inches shy of the floor at the bottom of the lunge. Okay, now keep your legs split this way and slowly straighten your body upright to get you into ready position for static lunges. As you s-l-o-w-l-y lunge down, be sure that your body goes down in a north south position vs a east west position. Many people make the mistake of leaning too far forward as they lunge and that will shift the emphasis forward onto the quad and knee of the front leg. As you are going down, also be sure that your front knee does not extend past your front toe, again, an indication that you are leaning too far forward. When you reach the bottom of your lunge(remember, here is where the back knee should be a few inches above the floor)feel your body weight in your front heel and contract the glute of your front leg, keeping the contraction as you press up slowly. You should feel your glute muscle tighten. As you perfect this technique you will feel it even more in your glute as you add weight to your barbell. Hope this helps! Good Luck.
