What Will Help You Tone up Faster, a Forward Lunge or a Reverse Lunge? Physical Therapists Weigh In

Kaitlin Vogel
·3 min read
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Physical therapists break it down.

If you’re looking to strengthen your lower body, you probably know that one of the most effective movements is the lunge. With the option to do forward, reverse, side or jumping, it’s a versatile workout.

“Lunges can increase one’s stamina, they help maintain or improve the strength in key lower body muscle groups, namely the quadriceps and gluteals, and help to keep the lower body joints healthy through proper muscle balance,” says Michael Hyland, DPT. “This can help in functional movements from going down to play with your grandchildren to getting down on one knee to pop the question.”

As we get older muscle mass tends to slowly decline unless we stay on top of it, so this is one exercise of many that can prevent lower body muscle loss and hence the risk of future falls, injury, and conditions like osteoporosis, Dr. Hyland adds.

When comparing forward to reverse lunges, is one better than another? We asked experts to weigh in.

Why Reverse Lunges Are Better

In general, reverse lunges are better than forward lunges when it comes to function, core stability and balance.

Think about going down on one knee to pick something up. Do you naturally move one leg forward or do you move it backward? Typically, one moves the leg backward that they will put the weight on while the front leg controls the descent down and stabilizes the person once down on the knee, Dr. Hyland states. The reverse lunge takes more muscle control, core stability and balance, and thus is the most challenging and beneficial.

Related: Why You Shouldn't Miss a Workout

Julia Connolly, DPT, explains that while the better lunge is the one that feels best for your body, the reverse lunge brings the momentum in the opposite way backward with a step behind you and targets the glutes and hamstrings. The reverse lunge works the stable leg, whereas the forward lunge works the leg that is stepping forward. This makes the reverse lunge much more stable. With more stability, it is easier to progress and add dumbbells or other forms of resistance to further strengthen your legs.

Reverse Lunge Variations

There are several ways to do reverse lunges, with varying degrees of intensity. Dr. Hyland provides a list:

  1. Simply practice the reverse lunge on each side, while standing in place. A good range might be 2 sets of 10 per side progressing to 20-30 over time with body weight.

  2. This can be progressed with holding dumbbells for more challenge and would not be a walking type lunge. At first one may need to hold on with one hand for balance until the core and lower body develop more tone.

  3. Another option is to place the back foot on a bench and lunge with the leg on an elevated surface. This is more advanced and should only be attempted after mastering the simple reverse lunge described above.

While of course, you can still do forward lunges, if you're not doing reverse lunges, it's time to add them to your workout routine ASAP.

Next up: 11 Best Quad Workouts & Exercises for Strong, Super-Toned Legs—and How To Do Them Safely

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