Kovo Fitness
Get the App

Legs · Dumbbell

Dumbbell Lunge

How to do the dumbbell lunge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Animated demonstration of the Dumbbell Lunge
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Logged as
Weighted reps
Movement
Lunge
Mechanic
Compound
Find more:Quads exercisesDumbbell exercises

How to do it

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both knees are bent at about 90-degree angles. Push back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

  1. 1Feel your front leg's quad and glute working as you step forward and lower
  2. 2Keep your chest up and core tight for balance and stability
  3. 3Push through your front heel to return to standing and feel your glutes engage

Common mistakes

  • Avoid letting your front knee track inward or beyond your toes
  • Don't lean forward excessively; maintain an upright torso
  • Avoid taking too short or too long a step; find a comfortable stride

Muscles worked

The dumbbell lunge mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings and calves assisting.

  • QuadsPrimary
  • GlutesPrimary
  • HamstringsSupport
  • CalvesSupport
  • Lower BackMinor
  • Upper AbsMinor

Dumbbell Lunge strength standards

See how your dumbbell lunge ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

  • Bronzee1RM25 lb
  • Silvere1RM45 lb
  • Golde1RM72.5 lb
  • Platinume1RM100 lb
  • Diamonde1RM117.5 lb
  • Champione1RM132.5 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the dumbbell 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.

Get Kovo freeEstimate your 1RM

More quads exercises

See all quads exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.