Dumbbell walking lunge

1. 1

   Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, shoulders back and feet hip-width apart.

2. 2

   Take a long step forward and lower until your back knee almost touches the floor, torso upright.

3. 3

   Keep your front knee in line with your foot and your weight over the middle of your front foot, heel down.

4. 4

   Push the floor with your front foot and bring your back leg straight through into the next step.

5. 5

   Keep walking and alternating legs until you finish the reps on each side.

• Mistake

  Steps too short, so your front heel lifts as you lower.

  How to fix it

  Take a longer step, until you can lower with your whole front foot on the floor.

• Mistake

  Stepping on a single line, like a tightrope, and losing your balance.

  How to fix it

  Step as if on two rails, feet hip-width apart on every step.

• Mistake

  Front knee caving in as you push up.

  How to fix it

  Push through your whole foot and keep your knee pointing toward your second toe.

Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.

• Bodyweight

  Hands on your hips. Good for learning the rhythm of the step before picking up dumbbells.

• Barbell on your back

  The bar rests on your upper back, like in a squat. It takes more balance and a clear walkway.

• Kettlebells

  A kettlebell in each hand by your sides, the same way as the dumbbells.

• At home: hallway walking lunge

  Use a hallway or the garage. No dumbbells? Hold two bags with water bottles or wear a weighted backpack.

• Prefer more stability? Smith machine split squat

  Prefer not to balance while walking? In the Smith machine your feet stay in place and the bar runs on a track.

• Dumbbell split squat

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• Reverse lunge

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Intermediate

• Dumbbell step-up

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• 

  Gluteus maximus

  56 exercises

• Glute exercises with dumbbells

  17 exercises

• How to grow glutes

  What the science says about sets, exercises and how long it takes.

• Sets and reps

  Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  McCurdy K, O'Kelley E, et al. Comparison of lower extremity EMG between the 2-leg squat and modified single-leg squat in female athletes. J Sport Rehabil. 2010;19(1):57-70.

  PubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Mausehund L, Skard AE, et al. Muscle Activation in Unilateral Barbell Exercises: Implications for Strength Training and Rehabilitation. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33 Suppl 1:S85-S94.

  PubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Neto WK, Soares EG, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203.

  Full textPubMed