How to do wide-stance dumbbell side lunges:
- Plant both feet on the floor in a wide stance.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight down, in line with the mid-thigh.
- Keeping your right leg straight, bend your left leg until your knee lines up with your foot, shifting your weight to the left.
- At the same time, lean forward at the hips – keeping back straight – and extend arms straight down towards the floor.
- Hold for a moment at the bottom.
- Reverse the movement: straighten the left leg and bring the weights back up to the thighs, shifting your weight back to the center.
- Repeat on the opposite side – keep the left leg straight and bend the right.
- Boom! That's one rep.
Muscle groups worked
Benefits
As well as being a great workout for the thigh muscles, this lateral movement helps build strength, core stability and balance.
Improve your form and technique
Tips to master this wide-stance variant of the side lunge:
- focus on slow, consistent movements
- let the thighs do the work: keep your arms and dumbbells straight
- don’t bend your back: hinge at the hips
- lock in those knees over the top of your feet