Dumbbell exercise

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The dumbbell lateral lunge is a side-stepping single-leg squat holding dumbbells, targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and especially the adductors of both the working and trailing leg. Athletes and lifters use it to build frontal-plane strength that squats and forward lunges neglect, improving groin resilience, lateral change-of-direction ability, and hip mobility while adding unilateral leg volume.

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge illustration

How to do Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

  1. 1Stand tall with feet together, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest.
  2. 2Brace your core and take a wide step directly out to one side, keeping both feet pointing mostly forward.
  3. 3Inhale as you sit your hips back and bend the stepping knee, lowering until that thigh nears parallel while the trailing leg stays straight.
  4. 4Keep the working heel flat and chest up; do not let the knee roll inward or the torso collapse forward.
  5. 5Exhale and push powerfully off the working foot to return to the starting stance.
  6. 6Complete all reps on one side before switching, or alternate sides each rep.

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Track Dumbbell Lateral Lunge in Plates

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