10 Best Smith Sprint Lunge Alternatives for Glute Strength

The Smith Sprint Lunge is done standing with a Smith machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Forward Lunge, the Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through and the Walking Lunge.

The Smith Sprint Lunge steps back onto a fixed bar and bends the front knee, so a swap needs the same long step and knee bend, not a different leg drill. The Forward Lunge (male) trades the foot on the bar for a big step forward on the floor, keeping the same front-knee bend with nothing but your own bodyweight. If you want to carry load, the Barbell Lunge rests a bar across your upper back and steps forward, unlike the Smith Sprint Lunge, which only rests your back foot on the bar.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Smith Sprint Lunge

Smith Sprint LungePlay demonstration
Primary muscle
Glutes
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound

Secondary muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves

How to perform Smith Sprint Lunge
  1. Set up the smith machine with the barbell at hip height.
  2. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step back with your right foot and place it on the barbell, resting the top of your foot on the bar.
  4. Bend your left knee and lower your body into a lunge position, keeping your back straight.
  5. Push through your left heel to return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat on the other side, stepping back with your left foot.
  7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
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Ranked Smith Sprint Lunge Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Smith Sprint Lunge on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Forward LungePlay demonstration

    1. Forward Lunge

    85% match
    • Glutes
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the glutes with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips.
    2. Take a big step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. Bend your right knee to about 90 degrees, keeping your knee aligned with your ankle.
    4. Push off with your right foot and return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat with your left leg, alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  2. Kettlebell Lunge Pass ThroughPlay demonstration

    2. Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through

    85% match
    • Glutes
    • Kettlebell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A good swap when you have a kettlebell to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. As you lunge forward, pass the kettlebell under your right thigh and transfer it to your left hand.
    4. Push off with your right foot to return to the starting position, while simultaneously passing the kettlebell back to your right hand.
    5. Repeat the lunge on the opposite side, passing the kettlebell under your left thigh.
    6. Continue alternating lunges and passing the kettlebell between hands for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  3. Walking LungePlay demonstration

    3. Walking Lunge

    85% match
    • Glutes
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Take a step forward with your right leg, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. Keep your torso upright and your front knee aligned with your ankle.
    4. Push off with your right foot and bring your left foot forward, stepping into a lunge position with your left leg.
    5. Continue alternating legs and walking forward, maintaining a controlled and steady pace.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  4. Barbell LungePlay demonstration

    4. Barbell Lunge

    84% match
    • Glutes
    • Barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell resting on your upper back.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your torso upright.
    3. Lower your body by bending your right knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground.
    4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat with your left leg, alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  5. Lunge Sprint

    5. Lunge Sprint

    81% match
    • Quadriceps
    • Machine
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A looser match: it works the quadriceps rather than the glutes.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Adjust a bar in a Smith machine to an appropriate height. Position yourself under the bar, racking it across the back of your shoulders. Unrack the bar, and then split your feet, moving one foot forward and one foot back. This will be your starting position.
    2. Lower your back knee nearly to the ground, flexing the knees and lowering your hips as you do so.
    3. At the bottom of the descent, immediately reverse direction. Explosively drive through the heel of your front foot with light pressure from your back foot. Jump up and reverse the position of your legs.
    4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, not glutes
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  6. Lunge With JumpPlay demonstration

    6. Lunge With Jump

    81% match
    • Glutes
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. Push off with your right foot and jump into the air, switching the position of your feet mid-air.
    4. Land softly with your left foot forward and immediately lower your body into a lunge position.
    5. Continue alternating between lunges and jumps for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  7. Weighted Lunge With SwingPlay demonstration

    7. Weighted Lunge With Swing

    81% match
    • Glutes
    • Weighted
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the glutes.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight in each hand.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. As you lunge forward, swing the weights forward and upward, keeping your arms straight.
    4. Push off with your right foot and return to the starting position, swinging the weights back down.
    5. Repeat with your left foot and continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  8. Dumbbell Contralateral Forward LungePlay demonstration

    8. Dumbbell Contralateral Forward Lunge

    79% match
    • Glutes
    • Dumbbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
    3. Lower your body by bending both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the ground.
    4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat with your left leg.
    6. Alternate legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  9. Dumbbell LungePlay demonstration

    9. Dumbbell Lunge

    79% match
    • Glutes
    • Dumbbell
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
    3. Keep your back straight and your chest up as you lower your body.
    4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat with your left leg.
    6. Alternate legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
  10. Weighted Stretch LungePlay demonstration

    10. Weighted Stretch Lunge

    78% match
    • Glutes
    • Weighted
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your back straight.
    3. Lower your body by bending your knees until your right thigh is parallel to the ground.
    4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat with your left leg.
    6. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: forward lunge, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith Sprint Lunge

Why You Might Need a Smith Sprint Lunge Alternative

A smith machine is not always free, and some gyms skip it entirely, so bodyweight and free weight lunges done with both feet on the floor fill the gap. The Smith Sprint Lunge asks you to plant your rear foot on a raised bar every rep, and a version that lets both feet stay on the floor is worth having when that specific setup is not free. Lifters still building comfort with the long step can start on the floor with the Forward Lunge or the Walking Lunge before adding a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell on top. Whatever the reason, each swap keeps the lunge knee bend and changes how you get there: a step forward on the floor instead of a foot resting on the bar, with load in your hands, on your back, or none at all.

How to Choose the Right Smith Sprint Lunge Substitute

Start with the Forward Lunge (male) if you own nothing, since it is the closest match done with bodyweight alone. Once that feels easy, the Dumbbell Lunge adds a dumbbell in each hand while keeping the same step, and the Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through adds a lighter kettlebell that you pass under your front thigh on every rep. Training with a barbell, the Barbell Lunge rests the bar on your upper back and steps forward into the same knee bend, which lets you load it heavier than a pair of dumbbells. If you want a dynamic element, the Weighted Lunge With Swing keeps your arms straight and swings the weights forward as you step. Save the Lunge With Jump for last, since switching feet in the air between reps adds an impact demand the stepping lunges do not.

Smith Sprint Lunge FAQ

Can I do the Smith Sprint Lunge alternatives at home?

Yes. The Forward Lunge and the Walking Lunge both need only floor space, so you can do the same long step and knee bend anywhere. If you own a set of dumbbells, the Dumbbell Lunge or the Dumbbell Contralateral Forward Lunge add load without a smith machine or a rack, and all four step forward into the same knee bend.

Which alternative works if I only have a barbell instead of a smith machine?

The Barbell Lunge. In the Smith Sprint Lunge the bar only holds your back foot up; the Barbell Lunge puts the bar on your upper back instead and steps forward with both feet on the floor, so you carry real load through the same knee bend and your trunk has to hold it steady. Pick this one when the smith station is busy but a barbell and a rack are free.

How do I add load once the bodyweight version feels easy?

The Dumbbell Lunge puts a dumbbell in each hand and keeps the same forward step and knee bend as the Forward Lunge; the Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through uses a lighter load that you pass under your front thigh from hand to hand on every step. Start light and add a few reps or a little weight each week rather than moving straight to a heavy load.

Which alternative is the most demanding for advanced training?

The Lunge With Jump. It keeps you unloaded but adds a jump between reps, so your legs absorb and redirect your bodyweight instead of just lowering it under control. Save it for once the long step feels comfortable, since landing on a switched foot after the jump asks for more control than stepping down slowly.

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