Barbell Lunge
A loaded forward lunge with plates on the bar, stepping out, dropping, then returning the front foot to a standing start.
How to do it
- Unrack a loaded barbell across the upper traps and step into a clear space.
- Stand tall with the feet together, chest up, and the trunk braced.
- Step one foot forward in the direction your chest faces and plant it flat.
- Bend both knees until the front thigh is nearly horizontal and the rear knee nears the floor.
- Push through the front foot and step it back to the original standing position.
- Reset and repeat on the other leg, keeping the bar still on the back.
Key technique cue
Torso upright, knee tracking over the foot; return by pushing off the front heel.
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.
Benefits
- ✓ 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.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 -
Step 3 You are here - Barbell Lunge
- Barbell Reverse Lunge
About the 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 and targets the quads; the front knee may travel a little past the toes as long as the heel stays down and the knee tracks over the foot. Cue the same upright-torso, heel-drive return. This is a forward lunge, not a reverse lunge.
Updated
Similar exercises
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Intermediate Barbell Front Rack Step Up Knee Drive -
Intermediate Barbell Split Squat -
Intermediate Barbell Step Up Knee Drive -
Advanced Barbell Walking Lunge -
Advanced Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat -
Intermediate Bodyweight Alternating Lateral Lunge -
Intermediate Bulgarian Split Squat -
Intermediate Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
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