Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
Trains the Quads.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, feet hip-width apart.
- Take a long step backward with one leg.
- Lower until the back knee is just above the floor and the front thigh is roughly parallel.
- Keep the torso upright and the weight over the front foot.
- Drive through the front foot to step back to standing.
- Alternate legs, or finish one side before the other.
Common mistakes
- Pushing off the back foot to return. The front leg is what is being trained; the back leg is there for balance and it will take the repetition if you let it.
- Stepping back short. A short step puts the front knee far ahead of the foot; a long one shares the work between the quadriceps in front and the glutes behind.
- Leaning forward over the front leg. That shifts the load onto the knee and out of the hip, which is the opposite of what a long step just set up.
- Choosing a rear lunge because it is easier on the knee and then loading it like a squat. Stepping back is usually more comfortable than stepping forward, and it is still one leg carrying the load.