Reverse Lunges

Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step backward with one leg, lowering your body until both knees form roughly 90-degree angles. Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position. Repeat on the same side or alternate legs each rep.

Pro Tips

• Stepping backward is easier on the knees than forward lunges because the front shin stays more vertical
• Keep your torso upright and core braced throughout the movement
• Start with bodyweight to learn the balance pattern before adding dumbbells

Muscles worked

Primary: Quadriceps of the front leg (knee extension on the return) and gluteus maximus (hip extension). The reverse lunge produces a similar loading pattern to the forward lunge but with one mechanical advantage: the front shin stays more vertical throughout the movement because the body descends straight down rather than forward and down.

Supporting: Hamstrings (stabilise the front knee), hip flexors of the rear leg (provide balance through the extended rear position), adductors (inner thigh stabilisation in the split stance), core (anti-rotation and lateral stability throughout).

Common mistakes

Front knee drifting forward: Even in a reverse lunge, excessive forward knee travel (front shin becoming very diagonal) increases patellofemoral stress. The reverse lunge is typically more forgiving than forward lunges for knee angle, but the front shin should still remain relatively vertical.

Rear knee hitting the floor hard: The rear knee should descend to a controlled position just above the floor, not drop and bounce. Losing control of the descent uses momentum instead of muscle to decelerate.

Stepping back too short: A short rear stride leaves the front knee too bent at the bottom and reduces hip extension range. Step far enough back that both knees can form roughly 90-degree angles at the bottom.

Torso forward lean: Significant forward lean increases glute loading relative to quad loading (which may be intentional) but reduces the upright hip-extension pattern the exercise is typically designed for. Maintain an upright torso to keep the quad emphasis.

Programming notes

The reverse lunge is often preferred over the forward lunge for knee-health reasons — the backward step keeps the front shin more vertical and reduces the shear force on the front knee. It is a good transitional exercise between stationary split squats and walking lunges for lifters building single-leg stability.

Typical programming: 3–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions per leg. It commonly appears in lower body or hypertrophy programmes alongside bilateral squatting movements, or as the primary unilateral movement in general fitness programmes where Bulgarian split squats are not yet accessible.

Frequently asked questions

Are reverse lunges better than forward lunges for bad knees?

For most people with knee discomfort, yes — the reverse lunge is the safer starting point. Because you step backward rather than forward, your centre of mass descends more vertically and the front shin stays closer to upright, reducing shear force on the patellofemoral joint. Forward lunges drive the shin forward as you step out, which increases anterior knee stress, particularly if you have patella or quad tendon issues. That said, “better” depends on the specific knee problem, so if you have a diagnosed condition, clear any loading decisions with a physiotherapist before progressing weight.

How far back should I step during a reverse lunge?

Step back far enough that both knees can reach approximately 90 degrees at the bottom of the movement. A practical cue: your rear knee should descend to just above the floor, and your front shin should remain close to vertical. If your front heel lifts or your front knee shoots well past your toes, your stride is too short. A stride that is too long, on the other hand, will put your front quad under insufficient tension and shift the load awkwardly. Find the stride length where you feel a solid quad stretch in the front leg and a hip flexor stretch in the rear leg simultaneously.

Should I hold dumbbells, use a barbell, or start with bodyweight?

Start with bodyweight until you can perform 10–12 reps per side with a controlled descent, upright torso, and no balance wobble. Once that is solid, dumbbells held at your sides are the natural next step — they add load without affecting your centre of mass much and are easy to drop if you lose balance. A barbell placed on your back raises your centre of mass and demands more core and hip stability; treat it as a progression once dumbbell reverse lunges feel routine. Goblet-style (one dumbbell held at your chest) is also a useful intermediate step that reinforces the upright torso position.