Achieve Stronger Legs with Barbell Lunges
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Are Barbell Lunges
The Barbell Lunge is a unilateral squatting exercise that develops lower body power, strength, and balance. The lunge should be a staple in anyone’s training routine because of the way it balances out muscles and helps with full-body coordination. The utilization of the barbell during the Barbell Lunge will allow a greater load to be lifted which will develop and promote strength and muscle growth in the lower body.
The Barbell Lunge can help you in any sport involving the generation of power from a split stance such as running. The Barbell Lunge can also help in regular squats and in everyday activities like taking the stairs two by two.
How to Do Barbell Lunges
The Barbell Lunges is a simple exercise to learn. Follow these steps to execute the movement:
Place the barbell on your back in the same position as you would if you were doing a regular back squat
Stand tall, take a deep breath and brace the core as you take a step forward with one foot. A small step will require more balance and mobility to perform the movement, so take a step that allows for the deepest lunge without pain and promotes good form. At this point, the back heel will be raised and both the front and the back foot should be pointed forward.
To descend, bend both knees and let the front knee travel forward stopping directly over the toes. The back knee should hover just above the ground. To avoid knee or joint pain during the lunge, it is important to keep the front foot planted and have the knee in line with your ankle.
To complete the rep, flex the glutes while pushing the ground away with the front foot to return to the standing position.
Repeat the movement on the same leg for the required amount of reps.
Barbell Lunges Form
Brace your core throughout the exercise.
Maintain a straight back.
Look straight ahead and your neck in a neutral position.
Breathe in as you step and lower into the lunge, and breathe out as you push back to the start.
Barbell Lunges Muscles Worked
The Barbell Lunges engages the following muscles in the lower body:
Barbell Lunges Benefits
The Barbell Lunges is the king of unilateral lower body exercises and could arguably be one of the best ways to build lower body muscle and strength. The Barbell Lunge is often overlooked or seen as secondary when it comes to weight training, however, everyone could benefit from incorporating the lunge into their routine. The reason the lunge is so beneficial is because it is one of the only unilateral exercises for the lower body that can use relatively heavyweights.
A bilateral exercise uses both sides at the same time, which often lets the dominant side take over and increase the gap of strength between the left and right sides. Unilateral exercises enable one to focus on one side at a time, therefore reducing the muscle imbalance from side to side. Learning unilaterally on one side will also enhance the ability to learn the same skill on the opposite side of the body, making the lunge great for overcoming lower body imbalances.
The second benefit the Barbell Lunge has is the heavy loads that this exercise can endure. Exercises like the lateral lunge (a lunge to the side with one leg straight) are great for creating a connection to the muscle, but they cannot be loaded nearly as heavy as a barbell back squat. The additional load will let the body become accustomed to heavyweight and will increase the strength in the lower body, allowing even heavier weights to be lifted in exercises like the squat.
Another benefit of the Barbell Lunge is the lightened load on the spine. During the Barbell Lunge, the spine is technically only holding up half the weight the entire body could handle. During other heavy barbell exercises like the squat, the first muscle group to give out is often the core and not the legs. Therefore, with the lunge, one could focus on developing their legs without having their core and lower back strength being the limiting factor during leg training.
Common Mistakes in Barbell Lunges
Even though the Barbell Lunges may seem simple, many of us are making small errors in our movement. Often, small changes can correct these errors, which will allow us to get the most out of the exercise.
For instance, a loss of balance during the Barbell Lunge can sometimes occur. A great way to focus on the movement and avoid this loss of balance is to train barefoot or to slow the tempo of the exercise down to a speed that will allow near-perfect form. If barefoot is not an option, minimal support and shoes without a squishy heel will aid in training the foot strength needed for balance. Slowing down the tempo of the exercise will allow you to focus on your movements and make sure you are maintaining that strong core.
As well, knee pain during the Barbell Lunge is common and can have many possible sources. Having the front foot firmly planted will reduce a lot of discomfort in the front knee. If the back knee feels pain, try to lighten the weight and distribute some of the load onto the front foot to put the least amount of pressure on the back leg.
Another cause for knee pain would be when the movement comes mostly from knee bending and barely from bending in the hips. The lunge uses the muscles around both the knee and the hips, to only bend the knee may lead to overuse injury. To evenly distribute the load between the hips and knees bend over at the hips while maintaining a straight long spine as the knee bends.
Barbell Lunges Variations
Barbell Alternating Lunges
For this variation of the Barbell Lunge, instead of doing the entire set on just one leg, you will alternate between both legs. This will allow the lactate acid to flush out of each leg as they alternate, letting the burn take longer to occur.
This variation is great if the goal prioritizes muscle strength and not so much muscle growth. The Barbell Alternating Lunge could be used with a relatively lower rep range and heavier weights.
Barbell Reverse Lunges
The Reverse Barbell Lunge is great for those who experience knee pain during the forward lunge. It is performed the same as the Barbell Lunge, however, the step is taken backwards. Taking a step back keeps the front knee from going into a range of motion that could be painful.
The Reverse Barbell Lunge can make joint alignment much easier to maintain compared to the Barbell Lunge.
Barbell Walking Lunges
Barbell Walking Lunges with the barbell will add a more athletic touch to the Barbell Lunge. To move forward, power must be generated at the bottom of the lunge to propel the body into the next step. This exercise is very demanding on balance as the body is now in forward motion.
Using a bodyweight or light load makes the walking lunge with barbell a great warm-up for the lower body. If you choose to use a heavyweight, the walking barbell lunge could take the place of your main exercise of the day as the entire body will be taxed.
Overhead Barbell Lunges
The Overhead Barbell Lunge is a very difficult exercise and demands a lot of upper-body mobility. Unlike the other lunges, the torso will not be able to lean forward, making this exercise more quadricep dominant. The bar is held overhead as the lunges are performed. Normally most people do not have the range of motion needed to put their arms overhead in a locked, stable position.
Positional defaults like arching the lower back or bending the arms will occur if upper body mobility is limited. If mobility is not a limiting factor, then performing the overhead lunge will help train the core in unstable positions and help to develop a strong overhead position.
Stationary Barbell Lunges
The Stationary Barbell Lunge is similar to the original Barbell Lunge however, the Stationary Barbell Lunge remains in the split stance at the top of the rep and does not come back to the standing position. This variation will keep constant tension on the quadriceps, allowing the burn to set in. Constant tension is a great tool to use at the end or during the warm-up of a workout.
The Stationary Barbell Lunge can help connect the mind to the muscles in the legs or if used at the end of a workout, could be used to completely burn out all the remaining muscle fibers in the lower body.
Barbell Lunges Smith Machine
The Barbell Lunges Smith Machine are a leg-strengthening exercise in which you perform lunges with a barbell. The movement is guided by the fixed path of the Smith machine, providing more stability and balance compared to free weight lunges.
Barbell Lunges Alternative
Barbell Vs Dumbbell Lunges
Barbell lunges and dumbbell lunges are both effective exercises that target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core. However, there are differences between them that might make one more suitable for your needs than the other.
Barbell Lunges
Stability: Using a barbell can be more challenging in terms of stability as the weight is often placed on your shoulders, requiring a strong core to maintain balance.
Load: Barbells typically allow for a heavier load to be used, which can be beneficial for building strength and muscle mass.
Technique: The barbell stays in one position during the movement, which can make it easier to focus on your form.
Dumbbell Lunges
Ease of Use: Dumbbells may be easier to use for beginners or people with balance issues as the weight is held at your sides, providing a lower center of gravity.
Independence: With a dumbbell in each hand, your arms work independently, which can help to address any imbalances in strength or muscle size.
Variety: Dumbbells can offer a greater variety of lunge variations such as lateral lunges or walking lunges.