Legs
Front Foot Elevated Reverse Lunge
A reverse lunge where you start up on a low step or plate and step back off it. The height gives you more room to sink, so the glute and quad of your front leg work through a deeper range.
- Works
- Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells and a low step or plate
- Load
- Medium
How to do it
- 1Stand tall on a low step or plate, a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- 2Step one foot straight back off the step and onto the floor, landing on the ball of your foot.
- 3Lower until your back knee is just above the floor, with most of your weight in your front foot.
- 4Drive through your front heel to stand and bring your back foot up beside it. Finish your reps, then switch legs.
Cues
- Step straight back, like your feet are on train tracks, not a tightrope.
- A slight forward lean puts more of the work into your glute.
- Push up through your front heel, not off your back foot.
Common mistakes
- Stepping back too short. If your front heel lifts at the bottom, take a longer step back.
- Dropping onto your back knee. Lower under control and stop just above the floor.
- A step that shifts. Use a plate or sturdy step that won't slide as you step off and back on.
Easier
Do a regular reverse lunge from the floor, or hold a wall with one hand.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down, or pause for 2 seconds at the bottom.
Try it: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, or 30 seconds on and 30 off per side.
Why elevate your front foot for reverse lunges?
It gives you more room to sink, so your front leg works through a bigger range than a lunge from the floor. Most people feel it more in the glute. A low step or a plate is all you need.
