Can I do this with one kettlebell instead of two?

Yes. Racking a single bell on one side turns it into an offset lunge that also makes the trunk resist leaning toward the load, so switch sides between sets. Holding one bell by the horns at the chest, as in the Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge, keeps the load centered.

How is it different from a dumbbell walking lunge?

The legs do the same job, but the load sits at the chest instead of hanging at your sides. That makes the upper back and abdominals work harder to keep you upright and largely takes grip strength out of the equation, though most people use lighter bells than they would carry at their sides.

How long should each step be?

Step far enough that the front shin is close to vertical at the bottom. In a study of experienced lifters doing dumbbell forward lunges, a long step like this produced more quadriceps, glute and hamstring activity during the descent than a step half as long.

Should my back knee touch the floor?

Lower until the back knee hovers just above the floor or lightly brushes it, without resting your weight on it. If that depth causes knee pain, stop a little higher.

What can I do if I don't have room to walk?

Turn around at the end of the space and keep counting steps, or alternate forward lunges in place, stepping back to the start after each rep. The Kettlebell Split Squat trains the same legs with the feet staying put.

Kettlebell Front Rack Walking Lunge

What Is the Kettlebell Front Rack Walking Lunge?

Kettlebell Front Rack Walking Lunge is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes and also engages the adductors, hamstrings, calves and the trunk muscles that keep the load in place. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you hold two kettlebells in the front rack position, one in each hand at the chest, and lunge forward step after step instead of returning to the same spot.

The walking lunge builds single-leg strength and muscle while asking each leg to control the body through a long stride, in a pattern close to walking and stair climbing. Because the bells sit high and in front of the body, the upper back and abdominals have to work throughout the set to stop the torso from folding forward, so the exercise also trains posture under load. It fits well as an accessory after squats or deadlifts and as a station in kettlebell circuits.

The quadriceps of the front leg do most of the work out of the bottom, with the glutes helping to drive the body up and forward. In a study of trained women lunging with dumbbells at 30% of body weight, the walking lunge drew nearly twice the gluteus maximus activity of a static lunge, while rectus femoris activity did not change. Compared with the Dumbbell Walking Lunge, where the weights hang at your sides and grip strength often sets the limit, the front rack moves the challenge to the upper back, trunk and wrists. The Barbell Front Rack Lunge loads the same position more heavily, and holding a single bell at the chest, as in the Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge, is a simpler way to front-load a lunge.

This variation suits lifters who can already perform the Bodyweight Walking Lunge with steady balance and who can get two kettlebells into the rack safely. If the walking pattern is too hard, build up with the Kettlebell Split Squat, where the feet stay in place, and learn the double rack position with the Kettlebell Front Squat before combining the two.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Gluteus Maximus: Primary
Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Rectus Femoris: High
Adductor Magnus: Medium
Erector Spinae: Medium
Gluteus Medius: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Biceps Femoris: Low
Soleus: Low

Instructions

Clean two kettlebells of equal weight into the front rack, one at a time if needed.
Set the handles deep in your palms with the hands close together just below your chin, the bells resting on the outside of your forearms and the elbows tucked in front of your ribs.
Stand tall with your feet together, wrists straight and trunk braced.
Take a long step forward with one leg, keeping the feet about hip-width apart side to side.
Bend both knees and lower straight down until the back knee hovers just above the floor, with the front shin close to vertical and the front knee over the middle toes.
Keep the chest tall and the bells still in the rack as you lower.
Drive through the whole front foot to stand up and bring the back foot forward to meet the front foot.
Step forward with the other leg and repeat, alternating legs as you walk.
Breathe in as you lower and breathe out as you stand.
At the end of the set, stand with your feet together and lower the bells to the floor under control.

Common Mistakes

Flaring the elbows
Letting the elbows drift out to the sides lets the bells slide away from the body and pull the torso forward, so keep the elbows tucked in front of the ribs.
Bending the wrists back
A wrist bent back under the bell strains the joint, so set the handle deep in the palm and keep the wrist straight with the bell resting on the outside of the forearm.
Short or narrow steps
A short step or placing one foot directly in front of the other cramps the lunge and costs balance, so step long and keep the feet about hip-width apart side to side.
Front knee caving in
Letting the front knee collapse toward the midline shifts stress onto the inside of the knee, so keep it tracking over the middle toes.
Dropping onto the back knee
Letting the back knee crash into the floor can bruise the kneecap and removes tension from the legs, so lower until it hovers just above the floor.
Collapsing forward under the bells
Rounding the upper back or leaning the chest toward the front thigh lets the load pull you off balance, so brace the trunk and keep the ribs down and the chest tall.

Injuries

Kettlebell Front Rack Walking Lunge is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Most of the strain falls on the knees, the lower back and the wrists: the knees from repeated deep single-leg loading, the lower back when the bells pull the torso forward and the ribs flare, and the wrists and forearms when the bells rest on bent-back wrists or crash onto the forearm during the clean.

Choose two bells of equal weight that you can hold in a tight rack for the whole set, with the wrists straight and the elbows tucked in front of the ribs. Take a step long enough that the front shin stays close to vertical, keep the front knee tracking over the middle toes, and lower the back knee under control instead of dropping onto it. Walk on a flat, clear path, and set the bells down when your rack position starts to slip rather than fighting it for the last few steps.

If balance or load is the problem, step back to the Bodyweight Walking Lunge, a single bell held at the chest as in the Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge, or the stationary Kettlebell Split Squat. Progress with heavier bells or more steps per set, or move to the Barbell Front Rack Lunge once the pattern is solid.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the front or back knee, pain in the lower back, wrist pain, or numbness or tingling in the hands from the bells pressing on the forearms. Losing your balance or having a bell roll out of the rack are also signs to stop, reset and reduce the load.

Overview

Primary Focus: Quads and glutes
Equipment: Kettlebell
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I do this with one kettlebell instead of two?: Yes. Racking a single bell on one side turns it into an offset lunge that also makes the trunk resist leaning toward the load, so switch sides between sets. Holding one bell by the horns at the chest, as in the Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge, keeps the load centered.
Q: How is it different from a dumbbell walking lunge?: The legs do the same job, but the load sits at the chest instead of hanging at your sides. That makes the upper back and abdominals work harder to keep you upright and largely takes grip strength out of the equation, though most people use lighter bells than they would carry at their sides.
Q: How long should each step be?: Step far enough that the front shin is close to vertical at the bottom. In a study of experienced lifters doing dumbbell forward lunges, a long step like this produced more quadriceps, glute and hamstring activity during the descent than a step half as long.
Q: Should my back knee touch the floor?: Lower until the back knee hovers just above the floor or lightly brushes it, without resting your weight on it. If that depth causes knee pain, stop a little higher.
Q: What can I do if I don't have room to walk?: Turn around at the end of the space and keep counting steps, or alternate forward lunges in place, stepping back to the start after each rep. The Kettlebell Split Squat trains the same legs with the feet staying put.