Barbell Reverse Lunge
oec:barbell-reverse-lunge
A unilateral lower-body compound exercise where a lifter steps backward from a barbell-loaded back squat position to develop the quadriceps and glutes with reduced patellofemoral stress.
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 Step Back Lunge, Reverse Barbell Lunge, Barbell Backward Lunge
How to do it
Setup
- Set a barbell in a rack at approximately mid-chest height.
- Step under the bar and position it across your upper trapezius in a high-bar rack position.
- Grip the bar firmly outside shoulder width, unrack the weight by extending your hips and knees, and take one to two steady steps back into a hip-width stance.
Movement
- Brace your core and step backward with one leg, landing smoothly on the ball of the rear foot.
- Lower your hips under control until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor and your back knee gently taps or hovers just above the ground.
- Drive firmly through the heel and midfoot of the lead leg while extending both the lead knee and hip.
- Bring the back foot forward to return to the starting hip-width position.
- Complete the desired repetitions on one side before switching, or alternate legs as programmed.
Breathing
Inhale and brace your core prior to taking the backward step, hold your breath through the descent, and exhale forcefully as you drive back to the standing position.
Cues
- Keep your chest proud and torso upright.
- Drive through the front heel.
- Step straight back on tracks, not on a tightrope.
Common faults
- Stepping back directly behind the lead foot in a narrow tandem line, compromising balance.
- Maintain hip-width foot spacing throughout the movement as if your feet are moving on train tracks.
- Slamming the rear knee into the floor.
- Control the descent eccentric phase and lower slowly until the knee gently hovers just above the surface.
- Pushing excessively off the rear toes to stand up instead of utilizing the lead leg.
- Keep most of your weight rooted through the midfoot and heel of the front leg to do the work.
Safety
- Ensure the area behind you is completely clear of plates, benches, or obstacles before stepping back.
- Always perform inside a power rack with safety pins set at hip height in case of a loss of balance.
Muscles
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
- unilateral
- Kinetic chain
- closed
- Level
- intermediate
- Equipment
- Barbell; Squat rack or Power rack
- Record
- Repetitions and Load
- Load
- external, total
Related
- variation of Reverse Lunge
- progression of Reverse Lunge
- substitute for Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
- substitute for Barbell Forward Lunge
- substitute for Barbell Walking Lunge
Sources
- wger: Barbell Step Back Lunge (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.