The dumbbell reverse lunge is an excellent lunge variation. 

It’s extremely efficient as a result of it trains your complete decrease physique, helps you construct purposeful energy, and is kinder to your knees than many lower-physique workouts.

On this article, you’ll be taught what the dumbbell reverse lunge is, what muscular tissues reverse lunges work, the advantages of “backward lunges,” the best way to carry out them accurately, widespread errors and the best way to keep away from them, the most effective reverse lunge variations, and extra. 

 

Table of Contents

What Is the Reverse Lunge?

The reverse lunge, or “backward lunge,” is a lower-physique train that primarily trains the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.

To perform it, step one leg backward and lower your body by bending both knees until your trailing leg’s knee touches the floor, then stand up and return to the starting position.

There are many effective reverse lunge variations, but the most common and the one we’ll focus on in this article is the dumbbell reverse lunge.


Reverse Lunge vs. Forward Lunge

Many people over-egg the differences between the reverse lunge and forward lunge. 

There’s some evidence that the reverse lunge trains the glute muscular tissues barely greater than the ahead lunge, whereas the ahead lunge might emphasize the quads greater than the reverse lunge.

However, these variations are minor, so it’s unclear whether or not they have a significant impression on long-term muscle development.

Reasonably than examine the reverse lunge vs. the ahead lunge to find out which is “finest,” it makes extra sense to incorporate each in your coaching. 

A great way to do that is to alternate between the 2 workouts each few months.

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Reverse Lunge: Advantages

1. It trains your complete decrease physique.

The reverse lunge trains all of the muscle teams in your lower body, especially your quads, hamstrings, and glute muscles.

It also trains many smaller “stabilizer” muscles throughout your body, including your upper and lower back and abs.

2. It trains your lower body unilaterally.

The dumbbell reverse lunge is a unilateral exercise, which means it allows you to train each side of your body independently. 

Unilateral exercises are advantageous because they enable you to carry extra complete weight than you’ll be able to with some bilateral workouts (workouts that prepare each side of the physique concurrently), which can help you achieve extra muscle over time.

They will additionally aid you set up a stronger mind-muscle connection as a result of you might have much less to give attention to, they’re helpful for locating and fixing muscle and energy imbalance, they usually might enhance athletic efficiency greater than bilateral workouts. 

3. It’s extremely purposeful.

The dumbbell reverse lunge mimics actions that we use in on a regular basis life.

Utilizing the backward lunge to coach the muscular tissues concerned in these actions helps improve your steadiness, stability (particularly core stability), and energy, making day-to-day actions simpler.

4. It’s mild in your knees.

Within the ahead or strolling lunge, your entrance leg has to soak up pressure as your entrance foot touches the ground. Your knee joints sometimes bear the brunt of this impression, which may trigger knee pain for some. 

Your weight-bearing front leg doesn’t move in the reverse lunge, which makes it barely gentler in your knee joints than different lunge variations.

5. It’s extremely adaptable.

The reverse lunge doesn’t require specialised gymnasium tools, corresponding to a rack, bench, or machine, so you’ll be able to carry out it nearly wherever.

You can too add resistance to the train utilizing no matter you might have obtainable, together with dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, or resistance bands. And if you have none of these, you can use just your body weight.

In other words, it’s a highly adaptable exercise suitable for any environment or setup.

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Reverse Lunge: Muscles Worked

Because the lunge is more dynamic than most exercises, many people wonder what muscles do lunges work.

The main muscles worked by the backward lunge are the . . .

  • Quadriceps
  • Hamstrings
  • Glutes
  • Calves

In addition they prepare your forearms and several other stabilizer muscular tissues all through your physique, together with your abs, core muscular tissues, and higher and lower back. 

Right here’s how the primary muscular tissues labored by the dumbbell reverse lunge look in your physique:


reverse lunge


Reverse Lunge: Type

To grasp the dumbbell reverse lunge, break up it into three elements: arrange, lunge, and descend.

1. Arrange.

Maintain a dumbbell in every hand and let your arms grasp at your sides. Arise straight along with your ft about hip-width aside and hold your chest up and shoulders again.

2. Lunge.

Step again about two-to-three ft along with your left leg, inserting most of your weight in your entrance foot. Decrease your physique by bending each knees till your left knee touches the ground.

Maintain your chest up and your arms at your sides as you descend. 

3. Ascend.

Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place. 

As soon as your legs are straight, repeat the sample along with your different foot (to finish one full rep). Proceed to alternate legs till you’ve accomplished the specified variety of reps with every.

Right here’s how the dumbbell reverse lunge ought to look while you put all of it collectively:

Widespread Reverse Lunge Errors

1. Taking a very slim stance.

Inserting your ft virtually in keeping with one another as you step backward could make balancing tougher. To keep away from this, guarantee your ft are about hip-width aside all through the train. 

2. Bouncing your knee off the ground. 

Descending too shortly may cause you to bounce your knee off the ground. 

Whereas it’d make the train really feel simpler, it may well improve harm threat and stop your legs from working as onerous, robbing you of muscle and energy achieve.

To forestall this, management the descent of each rep.

3. Stepping too far backward.

Taking a very lengthy stride backward could make the backward lunge uncomfortable and balancing more difficult.

Keep away from this by stepping 2-to-3 ft backward on every rep.

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The Best Dumbbell Reverse Lunge Variations & Alternatives

1. Deficit Reverse Lunge

The deficit reverse lunge, or “elevated reverse lunge,” trains your muscles through a longer range of motion and in a more stretched position, which benefits muscle development. 

2. Barbell Reverse Lunge

You aren’t restricted by grip energy within the barbell reverse lunge, so it lets you carry extra weight than the dumbbell variation, which aids muscle and energy achieve. Nevertheless, in the event you lose steadiness, you’ll be able to’t drop the load as simply within the bar reverse lunge, making it unsuitable for some novices. 

3. Body weight Reverse Lunge

The body weight reverse lunge is an effective variation for people new to training, working around an injury, or those who want to train their legs at home.

+ Scientific References