Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Curtsey Lunge
How to do the dumbbell curtsey lunge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand. Step one leg back and across behind the other, like a curtsey, and bend both knees to lower your hips, then drive through your front heel to return to standing and repeat on the other side.
- 1Your front glute and outer hip working as you lower into the curtsey
- 2Inner thigh of the front leg engaging from the crossed-over position
- 3A strong drive through your front heel back to standing
Common mistakes
- Letting your front knee cave inward
- Twisting your hips out of square as you step across
- Leaning your torso forward or losing your balance
Muscles worked
The dumbbell curtsey lunge mainly works the glutes and quads, with the hamstrings, adductors, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell curtsey lunge for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
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- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.