8 Months of Daily Walking Lunges: Key Takeaways

What 100+ Kilometers of Daily Walking Lunges Taught Me (And Why Lunging at 4am with a Flashlight Was a Terrible Idea)

“But why would you do that?”
That’s usually the first question I get when I tell someone I spent eight months doing daily walking lunges—sometimes over a mile at a time.

And it’s a fair question. I’ll get to that. But first, some context…

The Daily Walking Lunges Setup: Don’t Try This at Home

I’ve been training lunges intentionally for over a decade. So before you get any ideas: don’t jump into this cold. I built up to this volume over time and had the physical base to take on a challenge like this.

That said, if this inspires you to push your own limits in a healthy way, I won’t be mad.

Here’s how it broke down:

I lunged 1 full mile at least once a week
Most weeks, I lunged 6 days a week, resting on Sundays
On low-volume days: ~200 meters
On high-volume weeks: up to 800 meters daily + a mile on Saturday
My first mile took me 70 minutes
My fastest mile (toward the end): 42 minutes

Sound crazy? It was. But sometimes diving in before you fully realize what you’re doing is part of the magic—and the misery.

So Why Did I Do This Many Lunges?

The idea came from Cory Gregory, who popularized mile-long walking lunges alongside other “daily” physical challenges.

As someone who enjoys doing hard things, I figured, why not?

That first mile? A terrible idea. Getting off the toilet was a major feat the next day. But I was hooked. It was fun, brutally hard, and oddly satisfying.

My original goal was simple: one mile of walking lunges every week for a year.
Over time, that evolved into lunging six days a week. Some days short, some long—but always with that full mile in there.

It started as a physical challenge, but quickly became so much more than that.

What I Gained (Beyond the Glutes)

💪 Physical Discipline

Yes, my legs got stronger—but they already were strong. Lunging became more about enhancing endurance, stability, and working alongside my usual 3x/week squat training.

🧠 Mental Toughness

There’s something character-building about doing lunges after a hard workout—when every part of you would rather quit. But doing it anyway? That rewires something deeper.

🙏 Spiritual Stillness

Most of my lunges were done in silence. No podcasts. No music. Just me, God, and my thoughts.
Some of my best ideas—and even parts of my upcoming book—were born during those walks.

🔁 Consistency & Integrity

There’s power in showing up daily for something you committed to. Whether the goal plays out perfectly or not, the process always teaches more than the outcome.

So… Why Did I Stop at 8 Months?

I know—“But you said a year!”

Here’s what I learned, and it might surprise you:

Sometimes, quitting a goal that no longer serves you is a sign of maturity—not failure.

In the past, I’d struggle to stop anything once I committed. But recently, I’ve grown in my ability to reassess and pivot when needed.

Here’s why I chose to stop:

My body was fried. Not just my legs—my whole system felt overcooked. I was toeing the red line of burnout.
It wasn’t challenging anymore. Lunges became routine. The growth curve flattened.
Time tradeoffs no longer made sense. With a newborn and a wife at home, 90-minute workouts weren’t helping me be the husband or father I wanted to be.
Other goals took priority. The original purpose had been fulfilled. Beyond that, the pursuit started costing more than it gave.

Also worth noting:

I nearly got into an altercation with a homeless man while lunging at 4am with a flashlight.
I once lunged a Texas neighborhood at 4:30am on 4 hours of sleep.
I started this madness just a few months after our daughter was born. Sleep was… not abundant…and neither was my time.

Final Lessons

More effort isn’t always the answer.
At some point, what started as a healthy pursuit can become obsessive. For me, that shift happened when I started using lunges as an excuse to overeat. My weight and physique bounced all over the place.
You can’t out-lunge poor nutrition.
Even 3+ miles a week won’t fix a misaligned diet. Discipline in the kitchen is just as important as consistency in training.
Finish lines are flexible.
The goal did what it was meant to do. It stretched me mentally, physically, and spiritually. And when it stopped serving that purpose, I stepped away.

Take the Shortcut

If you’re chasing a fitness goal right now—whether it’s fat loss, muscle building, or mental clarity—learn from my trial and error. You don’t need to lunge for 100 kilometers to break through.

Most people don’t need more effort—they need better direction.

If you’re stuck, I’d love to help. Click here to fill out a quick form and we can set up a time to talk about your goals. If coaching is a good fit for you, I’ll let you know. If it’s not, I’ll still get my best resources and advice into your hands to help you win.

If you want a deep dive email course on the x’s and o’s for fat burning and muscle building, I put together the Body [re]Building Playbook that you can sign up for here.

You don’t have to go it alone. Especially not with a flashlight at 4am.