For glute growth
For glute growth, the two are close. Deficit reverse lunge rates slightly higher: more stretch.
45° back extension is easier on the joints.
Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
45° Back Extension. Round the upper back slightly and the glutes take over.
Deficit Reverse Lunge. The deficit lets you sink lower, stretching the glute of the front leg under load.
For glute growth, the two are close. Deficit reverse lunge rates slightly higher: more stretch. 45° back extension is easier on the joints. Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
45° back extension needs a GHD or back-extension bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Deficit reverse lunge needs dumbbells and a weight plate, so a home gym covers it.
45° back extension: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for deficit reverse lunge.