Exercise · Legs and glutes · One side at a time
Smith reverse lunge: how to do it right
The Smith reverse lunge is a lunge where the bar slides on the Smith machine. It mainly works your quadriceps and glutes, with help from your hamstrings. It’s a good pick if you want lunges that feel more stable than with free weights.
Doable at all 76 gyms GoSet follows
The essentials
- Bar on shoulders, step one leg back.
- Lower until rear knee nearly touches floor.
- Push off front leg to stand up.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Quadriceps · Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings
How to do it
- Set the Smith machine bar on your shoulders behind your neck, like for a back squat, with your hands holding the bar firmly.
- Place your feet under the bar about hip-width apart, keep your torso upright and eyes straight ahead.
- Step one leg back into a reverse lunge position, keeping your front foot flat on the floor.
- Lower yourself in control until the rear knee nearly touches the floor, keeping your torso upright.
- Push off the front leg to stand back up and bring the rear leg slightly back under you.
- Do all your reps on one side, then switch legs.
Common mistakes
Stepping too far or not far enough back
Instead : Find a step length where your front foot stays flat and you can lower down without losing balance. Adjust a few centimetres at a time until it feels stable.
Torso leaning forward
Instead : Use the cue “keep torso upright”. Focus your eyes on a fixed point in front of you and brace your midsection lightly as you go down and up.
Pushing mostly with the back leg
Instead : Stick to the cue “push off front leg to stand up”. Think of the back leg as just helping you balance, not doing the main push.
Dropping too fast and bouncing at the bottom
Instead : Take about 2 to 3 seconds to lower down, stop just before the back knee touches the floor, then come up under control without bouncing.
Coach tips
- Start with a light weight to find your best foot position before adding more load.
- Try inhaling as you lower and exhaling as you push through the front leg to stand up.
- Keep most of the pressure on the heel and mid-foot of the front leg to feel your quadriceps and glutes more.
- You can keep a few reps in reserve on each leg so your technique stays solid on both sides.
Variations
- Smith reverse lunge with a pause at the bottom (hold 1–2 seconds when the back knee is close to the floor before coming up).
- Smith reverse lunge alternating legs every rep instead of doing all reps on one side.
- Smith reverse lunge with the bar set slightly higher or lower on your shoulders to see where you feel most stable.
Sets and reps
The Smith reverse lunge is often done for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg with a weight you can control. Some people also use higher reps to feel their quadriceps and glutes working more.
Equipment
Alternatives for the same muscles
Log your Smith reverse lunge sets with GoSet
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Common questions
Which muscles does the Smith reverse lunge mainly work?
The Smith reverse lunge mainly targets your quadriceps and glutes, with help from your hamstrings. Because the bar is guided, you can focus more on these muscles and less on balance.
Is the Smith reverse lunge easier than reverse lunges with dumbbells?
Often it feels more stable, because the Smith machine bar slides on a rail. That lets you focus on pushing with the front leg instead of managing two dumbbells.
I lose my balance on Smith reverse lunges, what can I do?
Bring your feet a bit closer under the bar to start, take a slightly shorter step back, and look straight ahead. Keep your torso upright and lower in 2–3 seconds for more control.
What can I do instead of the Smith reverse lunge if the machine is taken?
You can pick from exercises like the barbell back squat, dumbbell Bulgarian split squat, goblet squat, dumbbell reverse lunge, dumbbell step-up, or dumbbell walking lunge.