Barbell Lunge

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a barbell across your upper back, resting it comfortably on your trapezius muscles. Take a step forward with one leg, keeping your torso upright. Lower your body by bending at the hips and knees until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the other leg.

How to perform the Barbell Lunge

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Lunge using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your hamstrings.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your hamstrings rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Barbell Lunge

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