Barbell Lunge
How to do it
Starting position
- Place the barbell on your traps and grip it wide with both hands.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Look forward and keep your chest proud.
Movement
- Take a large step forward with one foot.
- Slowly lower down until both knees are at 90 degrees.
- Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.
Breathing
Inhale as you go down, and exhale as you come up.
Trainer tips
- Rest the bar securely on your upper back
- Brace your core to prevent side-to-side sway
- Lower your back knee until just above the floor
Cautions
- This can strain your knee joint, so do not let your front knee travel too far past your toes.
- Keep your hips from tilting to one side to prevent lower back injury.
- Letting the knees collapse inward on landing
- Tilting the upper body and losing balance
If you feel pain during the exercise, stop. If it continues, talk to a professional.
Exercise info
| Primary muscles |  Quads Glutes |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | Hamstrings · Adductors · Calves · Lower back |
| Equipment |  Barbell Power rack / half rack / squat rack |
| Movement pattern | Lunge |
| Rep range | 8–12 reps (one side at a time) |
22 similar exercises
Representative exercise: Barbell Lunge
- Lunge
- Forward Lunge
- Bodyweight Pulse Forward Lunge
- Bottle Weighted Forward Lunge
- Bodyweight Overhead Forward Lunge
- Barbell Front Rack Lunge
- Dumbbell Lunge
- Dumbbell Goblet Lunge
- Dumbbell Front Rack Lunge
- Band Lunges
- Kettlebell Forward Lunge
- Safety Bar Lunge
- Barbell Pause Lunge
- Kettlebell Forward Lunge (VERSION 2)
- Narrow Lunge with Wall Support
- Forward Pulse Lunge with Hands Overhead
- Barbell Overhead Lunge
- Dumbbell Overhead Lunge
- Kettlebell Overhead Lunge
- Weighted Plate Overhead Forward Lunge
- Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Lunge
- Kettlebell Single Arm Overhead Lunge
Exercise GuideDoes your front knee cave inward?Watch the video and see how to fix it
How GYMKC sets the weight for this exercise
For example, if you do 8 reps with 60 kg and log that you could have done about 2 more, GYMKC estimates your 1RM at about 81.2 kg.
With the barbell, each step is 2.5 kg (5 lb), so the next weight is 62.5 kg. Within your 8–12 reps target, the sets you log decide whether to add reps first or add weight.
These numbers are an example of how the calculation works. Your actual prescription is recalculated every set from your own records. See how the calculation works
Related exercises
Lateral Step-UpEasierBodyweight Reverse LungeEasierBarbell Low Split SquatHarderBarbell Bench Lateral Step-UpHarderDumbbell Goblet Split SquatSimilar exerciseBand Split SquatSimilar exerciseMachine Bulgarian Split Squat (Plate Loaded)Similar exercise
This information is based on our analysis of public content from evidence-based training experts in Korea and abroad. It is not a substitute for medical advice.
Weights and sets differ from person to person. The GYMKC app uses the sets you log to calculate the weight and reps for your next set.