Skip to content
ascend.
Exercise guide

Barbell Lunge

How to do the Barbell Lunge with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundBarbellIntermediatePush
Primary muscles

Quads

Secondary

Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment

Barbell

Step by step

How to do the Barbell Lunge

  1. 1

    This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack just below shoulder level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.

  2. 2

    Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.

  3. 3

    Step away from the rack and step forward with your right leg and squat down through your hips, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down. Note: Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, as this will put undue stress on the knee joint. li>

  4. 4

    Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale.

  5. 5

    Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Barbell Lunge set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your quads volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More quads exercises

Ascend Club

The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.

Core tracking stays free forever — the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.

See Club plans

14-day free trial · no card to start

 FreeClub
Tracking, the climb and streaks
Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables
Muscle-league tiers
The AI coachnudgesFull conversation
Worldwide leagues and challenges
PR projections and deep analytics
Unlimited crews
Themes, export and higher AI limits