The Dumbbell Walking Lunge Explained
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Is a Dumbbell Walking Lunge
The Dumbbell Walking Lunge is a single leg lower body exercise that uses dumbbells to help develop strength, power and balance. This movement adds an additional load to the alternating conventional lunge, which closely mimic the gait pattern.
How to Do a Dumbbell Walking Lunge
To learn how to perform the Dumbbell Walking Lunge, follow these simple steps
Start by standing up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, and a dumbbell in each hand at your side.
Brace your core before taking a comfortably sized step forward with one leg, planting your foot on the ground in front of you. Your back heel should raise off the floor, and both feet should be pointed forwards.
Your weight should be evenly distributed between your feet. Lower yourself between your feet until your front thigh is parallel with the floor. Your front knee should be directly above your toes as your back knee hovers just above the ground.
It is important to keep your feet firmly planted on the floor and your knees in line with the direction of your feet. Keep your core and lower back muscles braced to keep your pelvis from tilting side to side, and your lower back in a neutral (slightly curved) position.
Once you have reached the bottom position, shift your weight onto your front foot as you push off the floor with your back foot. Step forward bringing your back foot up, while pushing into the ground with the front leg to stand back up. Perform the same movement with the opposite leg.
Dumbbell Walking Lunge Muscles Worked
The Dumbbell Walking Lunge targets all of the major muscle groups in the lower body including,
Dumbbell Walking Lunge Benefits
The Dumbbell Walking Lunge is a versatile compound movement with many potential benefits including:
Increased lower body strength and power
Increased lower body stability
Improved athletic performance
Core strength and stability
As the Dumbbell Walking Lunge also involves the arms to hold the weight, it can improve full-body strength and coordination in the lunge movement pattern.
Why Is the Dumbbell Walking Lunge Useful
As mentioned before, the Dumbbell Walking Lunge uses a similar movement pattern that we use to walk, run and climb. Therefore, the Dumbbell Walking Lunge is a great staple exercise for any lower body program, whether one is looking to maintain general health or improve sports performance.
As well, the use of free weight and a single leg movement is a great combination for improving overall lower body balance and coordination. The Dumbbell Walking Lunge can be performed with minimal equipment and can therefore easily be combined with other movements into HIIT or interval-style workouts.
Because the weight is held in the hands rather than on the upper back (as in a Barbell Lunge), heavyweight can be used without placing large loads on the lower back and may be a better option for those with back pain or that lack mobility to place a bar on their back.
Like many other unilateral exercises, the Dumbbell Walking Lunge can help identify and address any muscular imbalances between the left and right leg.
Dumbbell Walking Lunge Variations
Stationary Dumbbell Lunges
Instead of pushing off with your back foot and completing a full step forward, push off from your front foot returning the legs to the starting position and repeat the lunge. This is a good alternative if you don’t have much space to work with.
Reverse Dumbbell Lunges
Rather than stepping forward into the lunge, take a step backwards with one leg. You can then push off with the same foot, stepping forward to return to the start position, or then push off with the front foot, completing a full step backwards. The reverse lunge may be a good option for anyone who experiences knee pain in a forward stepping lunge.
Single Arm Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Perform the Dumbbell Walking Lunge with a single dumbbell in one hand. This variation requires increased balance and core stability to maintain an upright position and the proper form due to the asymmetrical load.
Forward Leaning Lunge
Leaning forward more at the hips during any lunge variation can place a higher demand on the glute muscles. The Dumbbell Walking Lunge lends well to this better than the Barbell Lunge because it doesn’t place as much demand on the lower back.
What Does Lunge Mean
From a fitness standpoint, a lunge is referred to as a lower body exercise that involves stepping one leg forward, bending both knees, and then returning to the starting position.