How to master the reverse lunge

A commonly overlooked move that can level up your leg day is the reverse lunge. I certainly underestimated this move until I added it to my workout routine. It’s a smart move for your balance, stability, and lower body strength, with a little less pressure on your knees. I like going from reverse lunges to walking lunges, and I can definitely feel the work in my legs. The more you reverse lunge, the more you’ll feel it.

You can do this move with or without dumbbells. If knee problems make classic forward lunges a little more challenging for you, you can try reverse lunges instead, which will be easier on your knees. Stepping back rather than forward prevents you from bringing your front knee too far forward into those painful positions. Let’s go over how to do a reverse lunge, the benefits, FAQs, and more.

What is a reverse lunge?

A reverse lunge is a variation of a lunge where you step one leg backward instead of forward. You step back with your working leg and land in a stable position with both of your knees bent. The goal is to get into the same peak position you would with a forward lunge or a split squat, but you do it in reverse, stepping your working leg back behind you. When you stand back up, you bring your back leg underneath you to return to the starting position.

How to do a reverse lunge

Here’s how to do a reverse lunge with proper form:

Start standing with your feet about hip-distance apart.
Engage your glutes and shoulder blades and keep your gaze straight ahead.
If you’re using dumbbells or kettlebells, hold the weights one in each hand down by your hips with your arms straight down by your sides. If you’re not using weights, you can place your hands on your hips.
Step one leg back behind you and slightly out. Avoid hitting your knee on the floor when you descend, and try to keep your chest upright. Bend both knees as you lower down until both legs form right angles. With your back foot, only your toes should be pressing into the ground.
Hold the position for a moment before pressing with your front foot and stepping your back leg forward to return to the starting standing position. Continue to engage your core and keep your torso upright to maintain your balance.
Aim for three sets of 8-10 reps on each side.

What are the muscles activated?

The glutes and quads are the biggest players here, but this move also fires up multiple muscle groups throughout your body. Here are the main muscles activated with reverse lunges:

Quadriceps are at the front of your thighs. Your quads help you extend your knees.
Your hamstrings, at the back of your thighs, help ensure knee stability and flexion and work with your quads.
Glutes in your derriere. The gluteus maximus muscles are your main hip extensor that helps straighten your legs at the hip joint. Your gluteus medius and minimus help with stability and hip balance, rotation, and flexion.
Adductor muscles on your inner thighs also assist with knee and hip balance and extension.
Erector spinae muscles in your lower back area assist with spinal stability and hip extension.
Abdominal muscles in your torso help you to maintain proper posture and form.
Your calf muscles help you push up to return to the starting position.

What are the benefits?

Here are some of the many benefits of reverse lunges:

Unilateral exercise that works one leg and improves your balance.
Single-leg exercise that can help prevent muscular imbalances.
Reduce your risk of injuries by fine-tuning your balance and stability.
Easier on your knees than some other similar exercises and squatting moves.
Build serious lower-body strength, especially in your glutes and quads.
Stretch your hip flexors.
Fire up the muscles in your posterior chain on the back of your body, such as your hamstrings and glutes.
Switch it up with a reverse exercise that makes a welcome change to the usual bilateral moves like deadlifts and squats.
Researchers found that the reverse lunge is the most effective for muscular tension and muscular activation compared to the forward or walking lunge. They noted that the reverse lunge was superior for the development of gluteus maximus, quads, and more, as well as having a lower risk of knee injuries.

What are the common mistakes to avoid?

When powering through this move, these are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:

Having a stance that’s too narrow. Start with your feet about hip-distance apart before stepping back into the reverse lunge position.
Stepping too far back or not far back enough. Try to step back just the right amount so that both of your knees can bend until both legs form right angles at the lowest part of the movement.
Rushing through the reps rather than focusing on control and technique, especially as you lower yourself down into the lunge position.
Rounding your back and hunching your spine.

Top tips for proper form

These top tips can help you master the reverse lunge:

Start with your bodyweight and work your way up to adding weights.
Adding weights increases the resistance to make the move more challenging and fire up your leg muscles even more. Feel that burn.
Always keep your core engaged and your shoulders back throughout the exercise.
Keep your torso upright.
Take a longer stride to place more emphasis on those glutes and hamstrings and increase the stretch and the range of motion in your hips.
Take a shorter step to shift more emphasis to your quads, and drive up through the ball of your foot.
If you find this move challenging, too uncomfortable, or unstable at first, you can start by lowering only halfway down. You can gradually increase your range of motion as you become more familiar with the move and develop your strength and stability.
You can also hold onto a stable object at first to help with balance before trying to do the move completely on your own.

Reverse lunge variations

Here are some variations to try:

Held reverse lunge. Simply hold the pose at the bottom of the movement, even just for a few more seconds.
Weighted reverse lunge. Add dumbbells or kettlebells to ramp up the challenge. Alternatively, you can try holding one weight at a time on each side, on the same side as your working leg. Another option is to hold a kettlebell or weight plate with both hands at your chest.
Reverse lunge level-up (with arm cycles). If you step back with your right leg, then swing your left arm up, and vice versa. The goal is to mimic the arms of a sprinter when running, and add some arm movements to the exercise.
Reverse lunges on a box step. This variation ramps up the challenge as you perform a reverse lunge from a low box step, allowing for an even deeper lunge.
Reverse lunges with an overhead lift. Instead of keeping the weights down by your sides, you can lift them overhead as you descend into your lunge.
Barbell reverse lunge. Use a barbell across your upper back to increase the core challenge.

FAQs

Are reverse lunges suitable for beginners?

Yes, reverse lunges are a good choice for beginners. Start with your bodyweight before adding weights once you’re more familiar with the move.

Should you do reverse lunges or forward lunges?

Both reverse lunges and forward lunges are effective exercises. You can always switch up your workout routine and incorporate both. Researchers have found that the reverse lunge is the king when it comes to muscle activation and growth.

Can reverse lunges help grow your glutes?

Yes, reverse lunges can help grow your glutes, and you can also add weights and incorporate progressive overload to further hypertrophy (muscle growth).

The one lunge variation that’s easier on your knees

The reverse lunge is a little easier on your knees, but still torches your quads and glutes, so it's worth including in your next leg day