Reverse Lunge

Quote: "Change doesn’t come in nickels and dimes. It comes in dedication and sweat." - Toni Sorenson

The Reverse Lunge is a bodyweight exercise that is a variation of the forward lunge.  It is a fantastic exercise for strengthening the thighs, hamstrings, glutes, stabilising muscles and the core.  You don’t need a lot of room to do this exercise and it can be performed with many variations.

Reverse Lunge

You can perform it using just your body weight, with dumbbells, a barbell and kettlebells.  It can be done using one leg at a time sing a predetermined number of repetitions or in an alternating manner.  This exercise can be performed on the spot or in a reverse walking motion.  The reverse lunge is also a great training aid to train any imbalances in terms of strength, balance and muscle mass by equalling training one leg at a time.

Benefits of doing the Reverse Lunge

There are many benefits to doing the Reverse lunge.  These are health related benefits and performance related benefits.

Health Related Benefits:

  • Improves stability in the knee joint.
  • Develop strength and muscle mass in the legs to improve balance and prevent falls.
  • Develops strength in the hip flexors.
  • Strengthens and shapes the glutes.
  • Build more lean muscle mass to speed up your metabolism.
  • Improve core strength to prevent lower back pain.
  • Improve flexibility in the hips.

Performance Related Benefits:

  • Improve performance in other sports such as track and field, wrestling and martial arts.
  • Develop explosive power.
  • Develop new and effective movement patterns.
  • Elicits higher amounts of muscle fibre activity than forward lunges.

How to do a Reverse Lunge

  • Stand straight with your feet are hip-width apart.
  • Engage your core.
  • Keep your back straight and your shoulders back.
  • Breathe in through the mouth.
  • Step backward with one foot.
  • When the rear foot lands, breathe out and ensure the thigh of the thigh of the forward leg is parallel to the ground and the rear knee is almost touching the ground.
  • Contract the thigh, hamstring and glute of the rear leg and push yourself back to the starting position.
  • Perform another repetition with the same leg or alternate with the other leg.

Reverse Lunge Dos

  • Keep your knee in line with your foot.
  • Keep the shin of your forward non-moving front leg perpendicular to the ground.
  • Keep your back straight, up right and in a neutral position.
  • Keep your shoulders back.
  • Step out wide enough to maintain balance.

Reverse Lunge Don'ts

  • Hunching the back.
  • Rounding the shoulders.
  • Not engaging the core.
  • Using excessive momentum during the movement.
  • Knee not in line with the foot.
  • Stepping too far forward.
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