Curtsy Lunge
The curtsy lunge is a bodyweight lunge in which you step one leg back and across behind the other, as if curtsying, then sink down and return to standing. It works the front leg's glutes and quadriceps, with the side-hip muscle (gluteus medius) working hard to keep the hips level and the knee in line, and it trains leg control across more than one direction.
Also called: Curtsy Lunges, Curtsey Lunge, Cross Behind Lunge, Bodyweight Curtsy Lunge · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or clasped at your chest.
- Put your weight on one leg, then step the other leg back and diagonally across behind it, landing on the ball of that foot.
- Bend both knees and sink straight down, keeping your torso tall and your hips level and facing forward.
- Keep the front knee tracking over its own middle toes rather than following the crossing leg inward.
- Descend until the front thigh is close to parallel with the floor and the back knee is just above the floor.
- Drive through the whole front foot to stand up and bring the back leg to your starting stance.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching, or alternate sides each rep.
- Front knee over its own middle toes
- Sit straight down, hips level
- Reach the back foot behind and across
- Push the floor away through the front foot
- Chest tall, hips facing forward
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus intermedius | Prime mover | D |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Adductors | Secondary | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | D |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Stabiliser | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | D |
| Soleus | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Front knee caving inward
Fix: Keep the front knee over its own middle toes and cross a little less.
Torso twisting towards the crossing side
Fix: Brace, stay tall and keep your hips and chest facing forward.
Crossing too far
Fix: Cross only as far as your front knee tracks and your hips stay level.
Hips dropping to one side
Fix: Keep both hips level as you sink and stand.
Cutting depth short
Fix: Sink until the back knee is just above the floor on every rep.
Pushing off the back foot
Fix: Keep most of your weight on the front foot and use the back foot for balance.
What the research says
General fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceRehab & prehabSport performanceFat loss & conditioning
- Muscle activity — A lab study of lunge-type exercises found the front thigh muscles were the most active, followed by the side-hip and main glute muscles. That is a measure of activity, not of growth.
- Single-leg transfer — A meta-analysis of 14 training studies found single-leg training carried over more to single-leg jumping, and two-leg training more to two-leg strength. Neither showed a clear edge for sprinting or change of direction.
- Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. With bodyweight only, sets often run to high reps, and many lifters progress by holding dumbbells.
- Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the growth benefit, and true failure adds only a small extra return.
- Frequency — Training a muscle about twice a week has been associated with more growth than once a week. Many lifters also use the curtsy lunge as a warm-up or circuit exercise.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the curtsy lunge in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.