How To Do the Curtsy Lunge: Sculpt Stronger Glutes and Boost Functional Strength
A curtsy may have started as a formal gesture of greeting, but in fitness, the curtsy lunge is anything but polite—it’s a powerful lower body exercise that targets hard-to-reach glute muscles and builds serious leg strength. This functional lunge variation adds dimension, control, and core engagement to your leg day routine, helping to improve balance, mobility, and posterior chain development.
What Is a Curtsy Lunge?
The curtsy lunge is a compound, functional movement that targets the glutes, hamstrings, quads, inner thighs, and gluteus medius/minimus—muscles often under-activated in traditional bilateral lower body lifts.
Unlike the forward or reverse lunge, the curtsy lunge challenges your body through a diagonal movement pattern, activating additional hip stabilizers, ankle stabilizers, and the core.
“The gluteus medius plays a crucial role in hip stability and frontal plane control, and it’s highly activated during curtsy and lateral lunge variations.”
— Distefano et al., Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2009
Muscles Worked in the Curtsy Lunge
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Primary: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, quads, hamstrings
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Secondary: Adductors (inner thighs), core, ankle and knee stabilizers
The diagonal step-back motion increases demand on the gluteus medius and minimus, which are critical for hip alignment, knee tracking, and balance during unilateral movement.
Curtsy Lunge Benefits
1. Strength & Muscle Mass
The curtsy lunge is a compound movement—it recruits multiple muscles, joints, and stabilizers. Regularly incorporating it into your lower-body split can help you:
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Build lean muscle mass
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Improve balance and hip control
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Increase performance in squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts
2. Glute Development
Because of the diagonal motion, the curtsy lunge places greater emphasis on the glute medius, glute minimus, and inner thighs, helping sculpt rounder, fuller glutes and stronger hips.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Glute Exercises
3. Increased Thermogenesis
Like all resistance movements, curtsy lunges contribute to elevated post-exercise calorie burn. The more lean muscle you build, the more calories you burn at rest (6 kcal/lb/day). Combined with a longer EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) effect, curtsy lunges help boost metabolism and body recomposition.
“Higher intensity resistance training can significantly elevate EPOC, contributing to total daily energy expenditure.”
— LaForgia et al., Sports Medicine, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: What Is Thermogenesis?
How To Do the Curtsy Lunge (Step-By-Step)
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Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms relaxed at your sides.
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Shift your weight to your right foot and take a step diagonally back with your left foot, crossing behind your right leg.
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Brace your core, keep your torso upright, and lower your hips until your right thigh is nearly parallel to the ground.
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Ensure your front knee tracks over your shin and your chest remains high.
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Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.
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Repeat on the other side. Perform 8–12 reps per side for strength or 12–15 for hypertrophy and balance.
✅ Form Tips
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Avoid leaning forward—keep your chest proud and core tight
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Don’t let the front knee collapse inward—drive it outward
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Keep your rear foot light, using it only for balance and stability
Curtsy Lunge: Takeaway
The curtsy lunge is more than just a stylish movement—it's a powerful lower-body builder that hits undertrained glute muscles, enhances hip stability, and helps you build a stronger, more balanced posterior chain.
Whether your goal is performance, aesthetics, or injury prevention, adding this lunge variation to your training split can provide the edge you’ve been missing.
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