How to Do the Dumbbell Lunges

The dumbbell lunge is a classic single-leg exercise that trains your quads and glutes while challenging balance and coordination. It suits beginners and works well at home or in the gym with a pair of dumbbells.

Quads Glutes DumbbellBeginner

Log every set of your Dumbbell Lunges in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Quads
Glutes

Secondary

Hamstrings
Calves

How to do the Dumbbell Lunges

1
Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2
Take a long step forward and plant your foot flat.
3
Lower your back knee toward the floor until both knees are at about 90 degrees.
4
Keep your torso upright and your front knee over your foot.
5
Push through your front foot to return to standing.
6
Repeat on the other leg, or finish all reps on one side first.
7
Keep your steps the same length each rep.

Form cues to remember

Step long, torso upright
Front knee tracks over your toes
Drive through the front heel
Lower straight down

Common mistakes

Taking too short a step

Step far enough that your front shin stays near vertical.

Letting the front knee cave in

Push your knee out in line with your toes.

Leaning forward

Keep your chest tall and eyes forward.

Slamming the back knee

Lower under control and touch lightly.

Sets and reps

Muscle growth	3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg, 60–90 sec rest
Strength	3–4 sets of 6–8 reps per leg, 2 min rest
Endurance	2–3 sets of 15–20 reps per leg, 45–60 sec rest

Start with bodyweight if balance is a problem and use a wall for support. Stop if you feel pain in the front knee, and shorten your range.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Dumbbell Lunges and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.