How many reps of the lateral lunge to press should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side, using light dumbbells until the lunge and press both feel controlled. Add reps before weight, and only press once you can stand fully upright and stable at center every rep.

What can you use instead of dumbbells for the lateral lunge to press?

A pair of light kettlebells racked at the shoulders works the same way, or a single dumbbell held with both hands at chest height if you only have one. With no weight, do the lateral lunge alone and add an overhead reach with empty hands to mimic the press pattern.

What is the lateral lunge to press good for, and who is it not ideal for?

It trains the side-to-side hip and inner-thigh strength that forward lunges and squats miss, while adding an overhead pressing demand on top. It is not ideal for anyone with current knee pain that flares with lateral movement, or for beginners still learning a basic forward lunge, since the sideways step and overhead load both add difficulty at once.

Intermediate

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge to Press

This combo trains the often-neglected side-to-side plane, loading the inner thigh and glute of the lunging leg before pressing overhead as you return to center. Moving laterally builds hip strength and mobility that forward-and-back lifts miss, and the press adds an upper-body demand on top. It is excellent for athletes and anyone wanting more resilient hips.

Equipment: Dumbbell
Body part: Quads, Shoulder
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Lunge, Vertical Press

How to do it

1
Stand tall with a dumbbell racked at each shoulder, feet together.
2
Take a wide step to one side and sit the hips back into that leg, keeping the other leg straight.
3
Keep the chest up and the lunging knee tracking over the foot.
4
Push off the bent leg to return to standing with the feet together.
5
As you finish standing, press both dumbbells overhead to lockout.
6
Lower to the shoulders and repeat to the other side.

Tips

Keep the trailing leg straight and both feet pointing forward.
Sit into the hip rather than letting the knee cave inward.
Press only once you are stable and upright at the center.

Variations

Common mistakes

The lunging knee caves inward as you sit into the side step, instead of tracking straight over the foot the way the hip is meant to control it.
Once you push back to center, the press often starts before the feet and hips are fully square, so the overhead lockout happens on an unstable base.
Turning the trailing foot out to the side instead of keeping it pointed forward shortens the stretch the inner thigh is supposed to get on that leg.
The step out to the side ends up too narrow, turning what should be a real lateral lunge into something closer to a squat with a shuffle.
Rushing the press to keep the tempo up skips the moment of stability the return to center is supposed to establish first.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the lateral lunge to press should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side, using light dumbbells until the lunge and press both feel controlled. Add reps before weight, and only press once you can stand fully upright and stable at center every rep.
What can you use instead of dumbbells for the lateral lunge to press?: A pair of light kettlebells racked at the shoulders works the same way, or a single dumbbell held with both hands at chest height if you only have one. With no weight, do the lateral lunge alone and add an overhead reach with empty hands to mimic the press pattern.
What is the lateral lunge to press good for, and who is it not ideal for?: It trains the side-to-side hip and inner-thigh strength that forward lunges and squats miss, while adding an overhead pressing demand on top. It is not ideal for anyone with current knee pain that flares with lateral movement, or for beginners still learning a basic forward lunge, since the sideways step and overhead load both add difficulty at once.

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