What you'll gain

• Builds glute and quad size with less knee stress than forward lunges.

• Improves single-leg balance and hip stability under load.

• Reinforces upright posture through the goblet hold and tall torso.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Hold a single dumbbell vertically at the chest with both hands cupping the top head, elbows tucked.

2. 2

   Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, weight balanced through the mid-foot of both feet.

3. 3

   Step one leg straight back into a long stride, landing softly on the ball of the back foot.

4. 4

   Lower straight down until the back knee hovers just above the floor and the front shin is near vertical.

5. 5

   Pause briefly at the bottom, keeping the chest tall and the front foot fully planted into the floor.

6. 6

   Drive through the front heel to step the back foot forward to the start, then alternate legs.

Common Mistakes

• Stepping too short, which forces the front knee forward and loads the joint instead of the glutes.

• Letting the front knee cave inward as you stand, reducing glute drive and stressing the knee.

• Crashing the back knee into the floor rather than stopping just short under control.

• Leaning the torso forward over the front thigh, shifting tension off the glutes and onto the low back.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell goblet reverse lunge steps backward instead of forward, which keeps the front shin close to vertical and shifts more of the work onto the glutes and hamstrings. Holding a single dumbbell at the chest keeps the torso upright and makes it one of the cleanest unilateral leg builders available. For app builders, the reverse lunge is the lunge variation to ship for users with cranky knees or limited single-leg balance. It belongs in beginner programs, knee-friendly accessory blocks, rehab-adjacent strength tracks, and any women's strength program that prioritizes glute development. Pair it with the forward lunge to give users a full lunge progression in one library.

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