Lunge (Dumbbell)
The Dumbbell Lunge is a fundamental unilateral leg exercise that builds lower body strength, stability, and coordination. It primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes while correcting muscle imbalances by working one leg at a time.
Since lunges require significant balance and coordination, your AI coach analyzes your RPE and rep performance to distinguish between true muscular failure and stability fatigue. By cross-referencing your sleep and HRV data, the app can adjust volume on leg days to prevent overtraining, which is crucial since unilateral movements place higher metabolic demands on the body. If knee discomfort is reported, the system instantly suggests hip-dominant alternatives like reverse lunges to maintain progress without pain.
Form Cues
- Keep your torso upright and core engaged throughout the movement
- Step forward far enough to create 90-degree angles at both knees
- Drive firmly through the heel of your front foot to return to standing
- Keep your front knee aligned with your second toe
- Lower your back knee straight down toward the floor under control
- Don't let your front knee cave inward
- Don't slam your back knee into the ground
- Don't step so narrow that you feel like you are walking on a tightrope
- Don't allow your front heel to lift off the floor
- Don't round your shoulders or upper back forward
Common Mistakes
- Taking steps that are too short or cramped
- Walking on a tightrope (feet aligned linearly)
- Letting the front knee collapse inward
- Leaning too far forward at the waist
- Pushing off the toes instead of the heel
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the lower body, primarily driving hypertrophy in the quadriceps and gluteus maximus. It also heavily recruits the adductors and hamstrings for stability, while the core muscles work constantly to maintain an upright torso against the offset weight.
Primary
Secondary
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