Step one leg diagonally behind the other into a rear-crossing lunge to lower your body, primarily loading the quadriceps with assistance from the glutes.
How to do the Dumbbell Curtsy Lunge#
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and feet about hip-width apart.
- Step your right leg diagonally behind and across your left leg into a curtsy position.
- Bend both knees and lower your hips until the front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor while keeping your torso upright.
- Press through the front heel to return to standing and bring the rear foot back to the start position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating legs for the desired reps.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Glutes (Gluteus Maximus), Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Abductors (Gluteus Medius & Minimus (Hip Abductors))
- Secondary: Adductors (Adductor Magnus, Longus & Brevis (Hip Adductors)), Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Letting the front knee collapse inward.
- Leaning the torso forward instead of keeping it upright.
- Pushing off with the back foot instead of driving through the front heel.
- Stepping too far or too narrow, which disrupts balance.
- Holding the weights away from your sides and creating unnecessary swing.
