How to Train the Lower Body and Core: Squats, Lunges, Bridges, and Planks

It is hard to keep strength training going when “do squats and lunges” does not explain how the movements differ or how many repetitions count as a Routine.

BananaUp’s Strength Routines are not presented as exercises that directly treat ED. The WHO recommends muscle-strengthening activity that uses the major muscle groups on at least two days a week. A 2024 meta-analysis in men with ED did not find a clear difference from studies that combined aerobic and strength exercise alone (WHO, n.d.; Chen et al., 2024).

Use these seven movements as bodyweight lower-body and core exercises, not as special erection training. If your knees, back, hips, shoulders, or another area hurts, stop instead of chasing the repetition target.

Bodyweight Squat

↔

Wide Squat

↔

Split Squat

→

Keep your feet staggered and lower the back knee straight down, then rise.

Reverse Lunge

→

From a standing position, step one foot backward, then return.

Glute Bridge

↔

Wall Sit

↔

Plank

↔

How to do Bodyweight Squat: 10 Repetitions for 2 Sets

For Bodyweight Squat, stand about shoulder-width apart and keep your knees pointing in the same direction as your toes. Move your hips back as if sitting into a chair. Lower and stand without bouncing, keeping pressure through the whole foot. Reverse direction before your knees cave inward, your heels lift, or your back rounds.

Your thighs do not need to reach parallel with the floor. A beginner can use a chair as a depth marker, shorten the range, or start with five repetitions. Work toward 10 repetitions for two sets only while you can keep the same control. Stop rather than pushing through strong knee, hip, or back pain.

How to do Wide Squat with Aligned Knees and Toes

For Wide Squat, begin a little wider than your regular stance and turn your toes out only as far as feels natural. Keep your knees tracking in the same direction. A very wide stance can make it harder to stay balanced or comfortable at the hips, so choose a width where both feet remain planted.

Send your hips slightly back and lower slowly; do not bounce at the bottom. If your knees drift inward, your heels lift, or your hips or knees hurt, narrow the stance and reduce the depth and repetitions. Stop for strong joint pain. Ten repetitions for two sets is a target, not a requirement; start with five or one set if needed.

You do not need to do bodyweight squats and wide squats on the same day. Choose one as that day’s Routine.

How to do Split Squat with the Feet Kept Forward and Back

For Split Squat, keep one foot forward and one back as you lower and rise. Leave some side-to-side space between your feet; a narrow line makes balance harder. Hold a wall or chair lightly if that helps you stay steady.

Keep the front foot planted and let the front knee follow the toes while the back knee moves down only as far as feels controlled. Do not aim to touch the floor or spring back up. Eight repetitions per side for two sets is a guide. Use a shallower range or about five repetitions if your balance or form starts to slip, and stop for strong knee or hip pain.

How to do Reverse Lunge by Stepping Back

For Reverse Lunge, step one foot back, bend both knees, then press through the front foot to return. Start with a short step, keep the front foot flat, and lower under control. Avoid bouncing at the bottom or kicking hard off the back foot.

If bringing your feet together feels unsteady, hold a wall or chair and make the knee bend smaller. Eight repetitions per side for two sets is a guide; finish with fewer if you cannot keep your balance or control. Stop if you feel strong pain in a knee, ankle, or hip.

How to do Glute Bridge by Lifting the Hips

For Glute Bridge, lie on your back with both knees bent and both feet on the floor about hip-width apart. Keep your shoulders and head supported.

Keep breathing, squeeze your glutes, and lift your pelvis slowly. Stop when your shoulders and knees form a gentle line; do not gain extra height by arching your lower back. Lower with the same control instead of dropping or bouncing.

Ten repetitions for two sets is a guide. Lower the height if your back starts to arch or the movement feels uncomfortable. If the backs of your thighs cramp, shorten the range and adjust your foot position slightly. Beginners can start with five repetitions or one set. Stop for strong back or hip pain.

How to do Wall Sit Starting at 30 Seconds

For Wall Sit, place your back against a wall and move your feet slightly forward. Slide down as if sitting while keeping your back supported.

You do not need to bend your knees to 90 degrees. Keep your feet flat and knees pointing in the direction of your toes, then slide only as low as you can hold without pain. Thirty seconds is a starting target, not a test. Begin with 10–15 seconds or less if needed, and do not use small bounces to keep going.

To finish, use the wall for support and stand slowly. Stop for strong knee or ankle pain rather than completing the hold.

How to do Plank for 20 Seconds Before the Back Drops

For Plank, support your body on your forearms and toes from a face-down position. Place the elbows near the shoulders and keep the head, trunk, and heels as straight as you can.

Brace your abdomen lightly and press the floor away through your forearms. Keep breathing and finish before your lower back sags, your hips rise, or your shoulders shrug. Do not shift or swing your body to make the timer last longer.

Twenty seconds is a starting target. Use five to ten seconds or place your knees on the floor if that lets you hold a steadier position. Stop for strong shoulder or back pain, and record the time you could maintain without losing form.

You do not need all seven movements in one day

Strength Routines are not a contest to increase the number of exercises. Record a squat on a squat day and choose a bridge or Plank on another day if that fits better.

The article “Do Squats Improve Erectile Function?” sorts out the research on strength exercise and ED. This page does not turn those findings into a guarantee for any one movement; record the exercise, repetitions, pain, and fatigue you actually experienced.

Stop for chest pain, fainting, or unusual severe shortness of breath. If knee, back, or hip pain continues, ask a healthcare professional before increasing repetitions.

Choose one Strength Routine from the Routine Finder and record the movement and repetitions in BananaUp’s 14-day tracking.