Reverse Lunge

3 × 10/side, front shin vertical, controlled step back.

Difficulty 2 of 55.8 METs · Moderate

Equipment

Dumbbells

Muscle groups worked

Glutes
Adductors
Hip flexors

What it buys you

Lengthens the hip flexors under load, which is what makes kneeling positions stop pinching at the front of the hip.

Capacity trained

Strength. Posterior chain and trunk endurance under load. Holds position without fatigue or compensation.

Train it · Two Bodies Test your limiter

Energy

Modelled kilocalories

Modelled energy cost for Reverse Lunge at 10, 20, 30 and 45 minutes for both reference bodies
Reference body	10 min	20 min	30 min	45 min
Male reference · 82 kg	83 kcal	166 kcal	250 kcal	375 kcal
Female reference · 68 kg	69 kcal	138 kcal	207 kcal	311 kcal

Energy figures are modelled from standard activity MET values (Ainsworth Compendium, 2011) and the ACSM equation, not measured on you. They scale linearly with your own body mass, so a body 10% heavier burns about 10% more at the same intensity.

kcal = METs × 3.5 × bodyweight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes (ACSM)

Load is effort, not pain. If a movement hurts rather than works, stop and see a clinician. Lifting another person is strength training with a person-shaped load — build the pattern unloaded first.

Cross-reference

Positions this workout helps · 38

It serves Kneeling, Standing and Seated Astride. Every position in those families is listed below, hardest first.

Honest framing

Training makes a posture available and sustainable. It is capability work, not a treatment for anything, and no single session changes a number. Consistency over eight weeks does.