Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Rear Lunge
How to do the dumbbell rear lunge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step one leg straight back and lower your hips until both knees bend to about 90 degrees, keeping your front shin vertical. Drive through your front heel to return to standing, then alternate legs.
- 1Feel your front-leg quads and glutes drive you back up
- 2Keep your chest tall and core braced as you step back
- 3Push through your front heel, letting the rear leg balance you
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your front knee cave inward or pass far over your toes
- Don't lean your torso forward as you descend
- Don't crash your back knee into the floor; lower with control
Muscles worked
The dumbbell rear lunge mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell rear 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 quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.