Barbell Lunges

Starting position

1. Set the bar in the rack at about mid-chest height.
2. Step under it and rest it on your upper traps, not your neck. Grip slightly wider than your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Unrack, take 1–2 steps back and stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.

Execution

1. Inhale and take a long step forward with one leg.
2. Drop straight down until both knees are bent to roughly 90° and the back knee nearly touches the floor.
3. Keep your torso upright, the front knee tracking over the toes and the front heel flat on the floor.
4. Exhale, push off the front foot and return to the start.
5. Repeat on the other leg, alternating sides.

Common mistakes

• Bar resting on the neck — painful pressure on the vertebrae.
• Stepping too short — the heel lifts and the knee shoots forward, overloading it.
• Leaning forward and rounding the back — the bar drifts forward and the lower back pays for it.
• Feet on one line — you lose balance and the bar sways.

Beginner tips

• Start with the empty bar, or learn dumbbell lunges first — dumbbells are easy to drop if you lose balance.
• Lunge inside a power rack or next to the stands and keep clear space around you.
• Move slowly and plant each step firmly — jerky moves with a bar on your back are risky.

Alternatives

• Dumbbell Lunges — easier to balance and safer if something goes wrong
• Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat — similar leg work from a stationary stance
• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge — stepping back is easier on the knees