Barbell Lunge

What you'll gain

• Loads a forward lunge heavier than dumbbells without taxing the grip.

• Trains single-leg strength while the bar forces an upright trunk.

• Returns to a standing start, so it fits a shorter floor than a walking lunge.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Unrack a loaded barbell across the upper traps and step into a clear space.

2. 2

   Stand tall with the feet together, chest up, and the trunk braced.

3. 3

   Step one foot forward in the direction your chest faces and plant it flat.

4. 4

   Bend both knees until the front thigh is nearly horizontal and the rear knee nears the floor.

5. 5

   Push through the front foot and step it back to the original standing position.

6. 6

   Reset and repeat on the other leg, keeping the bar still on the back.

Common Mistakes

• Initiating by stepping a leg behind the body, which turns it into a reverse lunge.

• Letting the front knee collapse inward under the plates.

• Leaning the torso over the front thigh instead of staying upright.

• Rushing the return so the feet never rest together between reps.

About This Exercise

The barbell lunge is the same forward step as an empty-bar lunge, but the plates raise the load and the balance demand. You unrack across the traps, stand with the feet together, step one foot forward in the direction the chest faces, drop both knees, then push back to the start. The lift is intermediate, targets the quads, and the front knee should not track past the toes. Cue the same upright-torso, heel-drive return. The approved animation is a forward lunge, not a reverse lunge. For a catalog this is the loaded in-place lunge that sits beside the empty-bar and walking versions. It fits barbell filters, unilateral leg blocks, and strength templates that can actually load the bar.

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