Bodyweight Reverse Lunge
Single-leg lunge stepping backward — builds the glutes and quads while going easy on the front knee.
How to do it
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips or at your chest.
- Take a long step back with one leg, landing lightly on the ball of the back foot.
- Lower the back knee straight down toward the floor, keeping the front shin close to vertical.
- Descend until the back knee hovers just above the floor and the front thigh is roughly parallel to it.
- Drive through the front heel to return to a tall standing position.
- Repeat on the same leg for the prescribed reps, then switch sides without letting your form slip.
Key technique cue
Take a longer step back and drive through the front heel, not the back foot.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Stepping back too short, which loads the front knee instead of the front glute.
- ✕ Letting the front knee cave inward instead of tracking over the foot.
- ✕ Pushing off the back foot instead of driving through the front heel — takes the load off the working leg.
- ✕ Banging the back knee into the floor instead of lowering under control.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the glutes, quads and hamstrings through a single-leg pattern.
- ✓ Easier on the knees than forward lunges, so more users can do it.
- ✓ Trains balance and stability with no added weight.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Bodyweight Reverse Lunge
- Forward Lunge
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Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The bodyweight reverse lunge is one of the most balanced single-leg exercises in any program. Stepping back instead of forward shifts more load onto the front-leg glute and takes stress off the front knee, which makes it accessible to almost anyone. It builds the quads, glutes and hamstrings while training balance and control in a split stance. It fits almost anywhere: beginner leg days, hotel-room workouts, knee-friendly sessions and glute programs. It also scales naturally — slow tempo, jumping variation, deficit or dumbbell loading.
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