Barbell Forward Lunge

oec:barbell-forward-lunge

A unilateral lower-body compound exercise where you step forward with a barbell on your upper back, descend until both knees bend to approximately ninety degrees, and push back to standing.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Barbell Lunge, Standing Barbell Lunge, Barbell Front Lunge, Barbell Lunges Standing

How to do it

Setup

Set a barbell in a rack at roughly mid-chest height.
Step under the bar and rest it across your upper trapezius muscles in a high-bar position, gripping firmly with both hands.
Unrack the bar by extending your hips and knees, take one or two small steps backward, and stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.

Movement

Take a controlled step forward, planting your lead foot flat on the floor while keeping your torso upright.
Lower your hips straight down by bending both knees until your back knee gently hovers just above the floor and your front thigh is roughly parallel to the ground.
Push forcefully off the heel and midfoot of your front leg to drive yourself backward into the starting standing position.
Repeat the movement with the opposite leg or continue alternating sides for the desired rep count.

Breathing

Inhale and brace your core as you step forward and lower down; exhale forcefully as you drive back up to the starting position.

Cues

Step onto railroad tracks, not a tightrope.
Drop your hips straight down, not forward.
Push the floor away through the front midfoot.

Common faults

Stepping with feet directly in line with each other, causing loss of balance.: Maintain hip-width foot spacing throughout the stride as if stepping on separate tracks.
Allowing the front heel to lift off the ground as the knee translates excessively forward.: Take a slightly longer step and distribute your weight evenly across the entire front foot.
Excessive forward torso lean collapsing lumbar stability.: Brace the abdominal wall firmly and keep the chest proud throughout the descent and push-off.

Safety

Ensure adequate floor space in front and behind you clear of plates or tripping hazards.
Avoid violently banging the trailing knee into the floor on the descent.

Muscles

Quadriceps prime mover
Gluteus maximus prime mover
Adductor magnus synergist
Soleus synergist
Hamstrings synergist
Gluteus medius stabilizer
Erector spinae stabilizer
Rectus abdominis stabilizer

Joints

Hip: Flexion, Extension
Knee: Flexion, Extension
Ankle: Dorsiflexion, Plantarflexion
Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement: Lunge
Modality: Strength, Hypertrophy
Mechanics: compound
Force: push
Laterality: alternating
Kinetic chain: closed
Level: intermediate
Equipment: Barbell; Squat rack or Power rack
Record: Repetitions and Load
Load: external, total

variation of Forward Lunge
progression of Bodyweight Forward Lunge
substitute for Barbell Reverse Lunge
substitute for Barbell Walking Lunge
substitute for Dumbbell Lunge
substitute for Kettlebell Forward Lunge

Sources

wger: Barbell Lunges Standing, by Mikko Ruohola (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-forward-lunge.json