Fitness Exercise Tips The Many Mistakes You're Probably Making with Reverse Lunges Great leg exercise—but easy to mess up. By Lauren Mazzo Lauren Mazzo Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Lauren Mazzo has been working as a health and fitness writer and editor since 2015 — including six years at Shape, where she was formerly the senior editor. She's certified as a personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise, and is currently working on her health coach certification. In 2015, she graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in Journalism and minors in Writing and Honors, and while there, she also studied Sex, Gender, and Desire and The Science and Philosophy of Sex and Love. Prior to Shape, she worked for the digital team at Self Magazine and interned at Marie Claire. Her passion for all things health and fitness began as a teenager, when she first started learning about nutrition and training as a competitive cheerleader. Since then, she's explored a variety of workouts, from weightlifting, running, and cycling to yoga, and continued cheering on the nonprofit team Cheer New York in New York City. While she's currently traveling the world as a nomad, you can catch her learning about the psychology of dating, attempting new adventure sports, and embracing the Blue Zone way of life. Shape's editorial guidelines Published on June 27, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Squats are great, but they shouldn't get all the internet's love. An underrated exercise you should be doing more of? Lunges. There is basically a different lunge variation for every mood: side or lateral lunges, forward lunges, the list goes on and on. But reverse lunges-even though they come with so many benefits-are pretty easy to mess up. You're moving backward. Plus if you're not in front of a mirror, you can't see what your back leg is even doing. It adds up to a recipe for exercise form faux pas. (You might as well add biceps curls and leg lifts to the easy-to-eff-up list.) Great news: Jen Widerstrom, Shape's contributing fitness editor, The Biggest Loser trainer, and weight-loss expert behind our 40-Day Crush-Your-Goals Challenge, is here with all the ultra-common mistakes you're probably making, and the correct way to perform a reverse lunge for the maximum leg- and booty-burning benefits. How to Perform the Perfect Reverse Lunge Dos: Take a big step back.Keep chest tall and core engaged.Find "center" and bring both feet together (with weight evenly distributed) between each rep. Don'ts: Take a small step back. (If either or both of your knees is forced to bend at an angle of less than 90 degrees, you need to step farther.)Don't use your hands to push off your front leg to stand up.Don't step directly behind the front foot. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit