Side Lunge (Dumbbell)
The Dumbbell Side Lunge is a lateral lower-body exercise that strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and inner thighs while improving hip mobility. By moving side-to-side rather than forward, it develops single-leg stability and targets muscles often neglected in standard squats.
Lateral movements can expose mobility restrictions or adductor tightness that standard lunges miss, so the AI monitors your RPE and range of motion feedback to prevent strain. If you report hip discomfort or if your recovery data (HRV/sleep) indicates fatigue, the app effectively scales the load or suggests a stability-based regression like TRX Lateral Lunges. Over time, the system learns your specific flexibility limits and adjusts weight recommendations to ensure you build strength without compromising joint health.
Form Cues
- Keep your chest lifted and spine neutral throughout the rep
- Step out wide to the side, keeping toes pointing forward
- Push your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair
- Keep the non-stepping leg completely straight
- Drive firmly through the heel of the bent leg to return to center
- Don't let the heel of the working foot lift off the floor
- Don't allow the knee to collapse inward past the big toe
- Don't bend the knee of the non-working leg
- Don't round your lower back as you descend
- Don't take a step so narrow that your knee travels excessively forward
Common Mistakes
- Lifting the heel off the ground
- Bending the non-working leg
- Rounding the upper back forward
- Stepping too narrow
- Letting the knee cave inward
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes while placing unique stress on the adductors (inner thighs) due to the lateral movement plane. It also engages the hamstrings for knee stability and relies on the core and spinal erectors to maintain an upright torso against the pull of the weights.
Primary
Secondary
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