Smith rear lunge (version 2)

The Smith rear lunge targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps while improving balance and coordination.

  1. Set the Smith machine bar at shoulder height.
  2. Stand facing away from the bar, placing it on your upper back.
  3. Step back with one leg, lowering your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
  4. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat on the opposite leg.

How to perform the Smith rear lunge (version 2)

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Smith rear lunge (version 2) using your smith machine.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your calves.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your calves rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Smith rear lunge (version 2)

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