Exercise movement reviewed by:Marie Braga, PT, DPT, CSCS

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium classifies this movement as a mobility primer and schedules it within dynamic warmups, contingent on your specific warmup preferences. Because the intensity is low, the system excludes it from your per-muscle volume tracking (MEV/MRV) to avoid skewing your actual hypertrophy data. This distinction ensures the exercise prepares your hips and obliques for compound movements without falsely registering as fatiguing volume.

Form Cues

Step forward into a stable lunge with feet hip-width apart
Squeeze the glute of your back leg to stabilize the hips
Reach the arm opposite your front leg up and over your head
Exhale as you reach laterally to deepen the stretch along your side
Push off the front heel to return to the starting position

Don't

Don't let your front knee collapse inward past your big toe
Don't arch your lower back excessively as you reach overhead
Don't allow your back knee to smash into the floor
Don't twist your torso; keep your shoulders and hips square forward
Don't rush the movement; focus on balance and control

Common Mistakes

Hyperextending the lower back
Twisting the torso instead of side-bending
Taking too narrow of a step
Collapsing the front knee inward
Holding breath during the reach

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily strengthens the quadriceps and glutes through the lunging motion while simultaneously targeting the obliques and intercostals during the lateral reach. It is particularly effective for lengthening the psoas and hip flexors of the trailing leg, making it an excellent dual-purpose movement for strength and mobility.