Lunge to Knee Drive

Equipment

No Equipment Needed

Muscle Group

Legs

Setup

Use an open, non-slip space. Start with bodyweight to master balance and control, then add dumbbells once your knee tracking and stability are consistent. This is a single-leg stability drill—move with control before adding speed.

Starting Position

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and core braced. Keep your chest up, shoulders relaxed, and eyes forward. If using dumbbells, hold them at your sides. Step back into a reverse lunge position with one leg behind you.

Execution

Inhale and lower into a controlled reverse lunge, bending both knees until your back knee approaches the floor and your front thigh is near parallel (or as deep as you can with control). Keep the front knee tracking over the toes and weight through the front heel/mid-foot. Exhale and drive through the front leg to stand up while simultaneously swinging the back leg forward and up into a knee drive (hip flexed, knee lifted to about hip height). Briefly balance at the top with a tight core and level hips, then step back again into the next reverse lunge rep. Complete all reps on one side, then switch.

Tips on doing this exercise

Strength + stability: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps per side (pause on the knee drive)

Hypertrophy focus: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps per side (steady tempo)

Conditioning: 2–4 sets of 12–20 reps per side (lighter, continuous)
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.

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Common Mistakes

Letting the front knee cave inward during the lunge or drive

Pushing off aggressively with the back leg instead of driving through the front leg

Leaning forward excessively or rounding the torso

Losing balance and rushing the transition into the knee drive

Slamming into the lunge or bouncing at the bottom

Not controlling the top position (no pause or stability)

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Recommended Ranges