Barbell LungeMuscles Worked
The barbell lunge works your quads most, especially on the front leg, with the glutes and hamstrings helping drive you back up and your calves keeping you balanced. Training one leg at a time with a bar on your back also helps even out left and right strength.
PrimaryQuads
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Set a barbell in a rack at about shoulder height, step under it and rest it across your upper back.
- Unrack the bar, step back into open space and stand tall with your feet hip width apart.
- Take a long step forward with one leg, landing heel first with your torso upright.
- Bend both knees and lower straight down until your back knee hovers just above the floor.
- Push through your front foot to step back to standing, then repeat on the same leg or alternate sides.
Form tips
- Keep your feet about hip width apart rather than in a straight line, which gives you a stable base under the bar.
- Drop your hips straight down instead of throwing your body forward over the front knee.
- Start lighter than you think, since balance usually limits this lift before leg strength does.
Why it made the list
No. 3 of 13
Best Quad Exercises
Unilateral quad compound. Addresses imbalances. Also hits glutes and hamstrings.
More quad exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Barbell Lunge sets in KasMaker and watch your quads, calves, glutes, and hamstrings fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
