For glute growth
For glute growth, 45° back extension rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Reverse lunge gives more stretch.
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.
Reverse Lunge. Stepping back keeps the front shin upright and stretches the front glute. Balance makes heavy loading harder.
For glute growth, 45° back extension rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Reverse lunge gives more stretch. 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. Reverse lunge needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it.
45° back extension: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for reverse lunge.