Dumbbell Rear Lunge

An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

Dumbbell Rear Lunge — Starting position Starting position
Dumbbell Rear Lunge — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Strength
Equipment Dumbbells
Primary Muscle Quads
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Dumbbell Rear Lunge

  1. Stand with your torso upright holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides. This will be your starting position.
  2. Step backward with your right leg around two feet or so from the left foot and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down. Tip: As in the other exercises, do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, as this will put undue stress on the knee joint. Make sure that you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground. Keep the torso upright during the lunge; flexible hip flexors are important. A long lunge emphasizes the Gluteus Maximus; a short lunge emphasizes Quadriceps.
  3. Push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale. Tip: Use the ball of your feet to push in order to accentuate the quadriceps. To focus on the glutes, press with your heels.
  4. Now repeat with the opposite leg.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Dumbbell Rear Lunge does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Dumbbell Rear Lunge

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Barbell Lunge

    Barbell Lunge

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  2. 2 Lunge Sprint

    Lunge Sprint

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a machine.

    intermediate Machines
  3. 3 Elevated Back Lunge

    Elevated Back Lunge

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  4. 4 Dumbbell Squat To A Bench

    Dumbbell Squat To A Bench

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  5. 5 Dumbbell Step Ups

    Dumbbell Step Ups

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  6. 6 Barbell Walking Lunge

    Barbell Walking Lunge

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  7. 7 Barbell Full Squat

    Barbell Full Squat

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  8. 8 Barbell Step Ups

    Barbell Step Ups

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  9. 9 Dumbbell Lunges

    Dumbbell Lunges

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  10. 10 Dumbbell Squat

    Dumbbell Squat

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the quads, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do dumbbell rear lunge work?

Dumbbell Rear Lunge primarily works the quads. The calves, glutes and hamstrings assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for dumbbell rear lunge?

Dumbbell Rear Lunge uses dumbbells.

Dumbbell Rear Lunge: is it suitable for beginners?

Dumbbell Rear Lunge is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of dumbbell rear lunge?

Barbell Lunge, Lunge Sprint, Elevated Back Lunge train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my dumbbell rear lunge reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; dumbbell rear lunge can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Dumbbell Rear Lunge with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.