Reverse Lunges: #1 beginner exercise for stronger legs

Sep 27, 2024 | Tags: hips strength

There are so many exercises you should be doing. Squats, deadlifts, split squats, reverse lunges and the list goes on and on. So many choices. So many opinions. What do you do!?

I recently heard financial wizard Ray Dalio say something wise – “you can have anything you want, but not everything you want.” This is a great principle for improving movement. You can’t max out your deadlift while increasing your 5k time while also trying to develop a deeper squat.

Why reverse lunges are great for beginners

I got into the movement business because of hip issues I dealt with when I was younger. I learned the hard way that more is not always better. For some people, this might mean only practicing a movement 1x a week while for others, it can mean training every day. A big part of the process is to step away and reflect on what you’re doing.

This is why I love the reverse lunge so much. It's a true strength exercise that you don't need to do too often to get a ton of value out of it. It’s easy enough for most people to master within just a few training sessions and builds the foundation for many popular movements.

Muscles Worked in Reverse Lunges

The main muscles worked in reverse lunges are the glutes and quads. Expect to be quite sore after your first couple training sessions. This is normal and healthy. Just wait for those muscles to recover before loading them up again.