The Dumbbell Alternating Forward Lunge is a intermediate-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the glutes and quadriceps. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesGlutes, Quads
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Alternating Forward Lunge
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with arms relaxed and shoulders pulled down and back.
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and brace your core to set a stable starting position.
Step forward with one leg into a long lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor.
Stop when your back knee is an inch above the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
Drive through the heel of your front foot to push back to a tall standing position.
Repeat the lunge with the opposite leg and continue alternating for the prescribed reps.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds single-leg strength in the quads and glutes.
Improves balance and coordination under load.
Surfaces and corrects left-right leg strength imbalances.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Taking too short a step forward, which puts the front knee far past the toes and strains the joint.
Letting the front knee cave inward, which loads the inside of the joint and weakens the lift.
Leaning the torso forward over the front leg instead of staying tall and stacked through the trunk.
Pushing off the back foot to stand instead of driving through the front-leg heel and glute.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Alternating Forward Lunge, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
