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Exercises / Compound Intermediate

Exercise demo

Barbell lunge

The barbell lunge loads one leg at a time, which exposes side-to-side weaknesses you can hide on a bilateral squat. It is also one of the best lifts going for hip mobility past 40.

Primary muscle

Quads

Equipment

Barbell

Force

Squat

Mechanics

Compound

Setup

Bar across the upper back as in a back squat. Stand tall, feet hip-width. Pick a leg and step forward roughly your own thigh length. Land with the front foot flat and the back heel up. Both knees should bend to roughly 90 degrees at the bottom.

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set the bar

    Unrack the barbell and walk it into open space. Brace the trunk before you take the first step. Eyes forward, chest up.

  2. 2

    Step forward

    Take a moderate-length step forward, planting the foot flat. The shin of the front leg should stay roughly vertical or just past, never collapsing inward.

  3. 3

    Descend straight down

    Bend both knees until the back knee hovers just above the floor. Keep the torso tall; do not lean over the front leg.

  4. 4

    Push back up

    Drive through the heel of the front foot. Push the floor away. Return to the start, then alternate legs.

Common mistakes

  • • Taking too short a step, which drives the front knee way past the toes and overloads the patella.
  • • Letting the knee cave inward, especially on the way back up.
  • • Leaning the torso over the front leg, which dumps load onto the lower back.
  • • Bouncing the back knee on the floor between reps.
  • • Loading heavy before unilateral balance is solid.

Variations

Reverse lunge

Step back instead of forward. Lower joint load on the front knee, identical strength benefit. The default choice past 40.

Dumbbell lunge

Same lift, dumbbells in each hand. Easier to bail out of and kinder on the spine. Good substitute when the lower back is tired.

Bulgarian split squat

Rear-foot elevated, much smaller balance demand, much higher quad and glute demand on the front leg.

See the bulgarian split squat page

FAQ

Forward or reverse lunge? +
Reverse for most people past 40. The mechanics put less load on the front knee, the trunk stays more upright, and the trailing leg has a stable position to land. Forward lunges suit you only if your knees and ankles are already mobile and your front-leg control is excellent.
How much weight should I use? +
Start at a quarter of your back-squat working weight and only progress when every rep is smooth, slow and balanced. Lunges expose technique faults that hide on a squat, so do not chase the same numbers as your bilateral lifts.
Why does one leg feel weaker? +
Almost everyone has a strength asymmetry of 5 to 15 percent between legs. The lunge surfaces it. Train both sides equally and the gap closes inside a few months. If the gap is bigger than 15 percent, see a physio rather than push through.
Are lunges safe with a dodgy knee? +
Reverse lunges usually feel fine on a cranky knee because the front knee never travels far past the toes. If even reverse lunges flare the joint, drop to bodyweight goblet squats and step-ups for a few weeks before reloading the lunge pattern.

Free tool

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STRNTH logs every set, applies progressive overload automatically and schedules deload weeks before fatigue catches up with you. Free to download.

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