full body focus
Reverse Lunge
Knee-friendly single-leg strength.
Key cue: Step back and lower straight down, keeping your front knee over your ankle.
Area
full body
Level
intermediate
Volume
3 × 10/side
Goal
fitness
How to do it
- 1Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and rest a hand on a wall or chair if you need balance.
- 2Step one foot back about a stride's length, landing on the ball of your foot.
- 3Lower straight down until both knees are bent to about 90 degrees, with your front knee over your ankle and your chest tall.
- 4Push through your front heel to bring the back foot in again. Do 10 reps, then swap legs.
Easier and harder versions
- Easier
- Take a shorter step and dip a shorter way, holding a wall or chair.
- Harder
- Hold a light weight in each hand, or pause for 3 seconds at the bottom.
Helps with
Commonly used for:
Single-leg strengthKnee-friendly lunge variationReturn to stairs and hills
Benefits
- Knee-friendly leg builder
- Improves balance
- Corrects left/right imbalances
Muscles worked
Strengthening. Strengthens your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and core.
QuadricepsGlutesHamstringsCore
Form tips
- Keep your body upright and your eyes forward.
- Step back far enough that your front shin stays upright.
Common mistakes
- Letting your front knee fall inwards.
- Leaning forward from your waist.
When to avoid or modify
- Knee pain as you load it: take a shorter step and don't go as deep
- Balance problems: hold a rail or wall
- Recent lower-limb surgery, unless your surgeon or physiotherapist has cleared it
If in doubt, check with a qualified physiotherapist before continuing.
Where to go from here
The ladder