Elevated Back Lunge
Also works: Glutes · Hamstrings
A back-racked reverse lunge performed standing on a low platform, so the rear leg drops past the level of the front foot. The extra few centimetres of travel is the whole point: it takes the front hip deeper into flexion than a floor lunge can, without needing a higher box or a longer step.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Use a solid platform 10-15 cm high and wide enough for both feet plus a hand-width of margin behind your heels.
- Set the rack hooks at mid-chest, unrack the bar across your rear delts as for a back squat, and only then step up onto the platform.
- Stand with feet hip-width and your weight over your mid-foot before the first rep — no toes hanging over the front edge.
- Know where the platform's back edge is. Glance down once before you start, then keep your eyes forward for the set.
- Take a full breath and brace before each rep, not once for the whole set.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — One breath per rep: inhale at the top, hold through the step back and the drive up, exhale standing. Two to three seconds down, controlled and deliberate up.
Before you load it
- Set the rack safeties and rack the bar before stepping down. Do not finish a set standing on a platform under a loaded bar and then hop off.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Learn the range with an empty 20 kg bar on the platform for two sessions before adding plates. Roughly 30-40% of your back-squat load for sets of 8 per leg is a realistic working range. Add weight only once the rear knee reaches the same depth on every rep and you stand up without a wobble — otherwise add depth or a rep.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Lengthen the step until the front shin is near-vertical at the bottom. Mark the landing spot with a plate or chalk for the first few sessions.
Cue the front heel: drive it through the platform and let the rear toe stay light. If you cannot rise without the rear push, cut the weight by a third.
Use a wider platform and step straight back rather than diagonally. Two aerobic steps side by side beat one narrow box for this movement.
Start at about a third of your back-squat weight. The bar sits on both legs in a squat and on one here, and balance fails long before the quads do.
Why bother
On the floor, a reverse lunge stops when the rear knee touches down, and for most people that leaves the front hip short of full flexion. Standing on a 10-15 cm platform lets the rear knee keep descending, so the front glute and adductor work through range they normally never see under a bar.
Stepping backwards rather than forwards keeps the front shin quiet. You are not decelerating your bodyweight onto a knee travelling forward — the front foot stays planted and the rear leg does the reaching, which is why people with cranky knees usually tolerate this far better than a walking lunge.
Where it fits
As the second lower-body movement after squats, or as the main lift on a lighter leg day. Three to four sets of 6-8 per leg once a week is enough; the deep-range glute work leaves noticeable soreness for two or three days, so do not stack it the day before a heavy squat session.
If this one isn't it
No kit, too hard, or too easy — here's where to go instead.
Same job, different kit
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When this gets easy
Asked and answered
How high should the platform be?
10-15 cm. That is enough to add real range at the front hip while keeping the step back manageable. Go much higher and the rear leg has to reach so far down that you start leaning forward to reach it, which undoes the position the platform was meant to create.
Should the rear knee touch the floor?
It should reach the floor lightly or come within a couple of centimetres, without any bang. Touching gives you a consistent depth marker on every rep. Dropping onto the kneecap under a loaded bar does nothing for the muscles and plenty to the joint.
Can I do this with dumbbells instead of a bar?
Yes, and for most people it is the better first version — dumbbells at your sides put the load lower and let you bail simply by opening your hands. Move to the bar when grip becomes the limiting factor rather than the legs.
Do I alternate legs or finish one side?
Finish one side, then the other. Alternating spreads fatigue and turns the set into conditioning; keeping to one leg means the last rep of the set is genuinely a hard rep for that leg, which is where the adaptation is.