Dumbbell Goblet Curtsey Lunge

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Hold a single dumbbell vertically against your chest in a goblet grip, with your palms cupping the top weight plate.
2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back, and core engaged.
3. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your ribs to stabilize the weight.

How to do it

1. Inhale as you step one foot back and diagonally across your midline, landing on the ball of the back foot behind the opposite leg.
2. Lower your hips until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor, maintaining a 2-second controlled descent.
3. Exhale as you drive through the heel of your front foot to return to the starting standing position.
4. Immediately repeat the movement on the opposite side, alternating legs for each repetition.

Form checklist

• Keep your chest upright and avoid rounding your upper back under the weight.
• Ensure your front knee stays tracked over your toes and does not cave inward.
• Keep your hips as square to the front as possible despite the cross-over step.
• Maintain a vertical shin on the front leg to maximize glute engagement.

Pro tips

• Focus on the deep stretch in the glute of the front leg at the bottom of the movement to maximize muscle fiber recruitment.
• Keep the majority of your weight on the front heel rather than the back toes to ensure the glutes and hamstrings do the work.

Make it harder

• Perform the exercise while standing on a small elevated platform (deficit) to increase the range of motion and glute stretch.
• Add a 1.5-rep style by coming halfway up from the bottom, returning to the bottom, and then standing all the way up.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge work?

The dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge?

The dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge uses dumbbell.

Is the dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge good for beginners?

The dumbbell goblet curtsey lunge is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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