How to do it
- Stand tall with dumbbells at your sides and step one foot straight back.
- Lower until the back knee is just above the floor, torso leaning slightly forward.
- Drive through the front heel to return to standing.
Cues that matter
- A small forward torso lean loads the glutes far more than staying bolt upright.
- Stepping back is far kinder to the knees than stepping forward.
Common mistakes
- Letting the front knee travel far past the toes.
- Rushing and losing balance on the step back.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Glutes
- Gluteus maximus
Also works
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Core
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Reverse Lunge in a session, with 150 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 4–6 reps
- Build muscle
- 6–10 reps
- Endurance
- 12–20 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the glutes with different equipment — for a day the dumbbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.