Quads exercise
Barbell Forward LungeHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Hamstrings, Adductors
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Barbell Forward Lunge?
- Rest the bar on your upper back and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Take a long step forward and land heel first.
- Lower until both knees are bent to about 90° and your back knee is just above the floor.
- Push through your front heel and step back to the start.
- Alternate legs, or finish all reps on one side.
Cues
- Step long, drop straight down.
- Chest up, bar steady.
- Push the floor away with the front heel.
Common mistakes
- Stepping too short so the front heel comes up.
- Letting the front knee fall inward.
- Bouncing the back knee off the floor.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
A forward lunge with the bar on the upper back, one leg per rep, stepping back to the start each time.
Starting position
Bar on the upper back as in a high-bar back squat (on the traps, not the neck), hands just outside the shoulders, shoulder blades squeezed. Feet hip-width, standing tall.
The movement
Take a long step forward with one foot (about 0.9 × leg length), landing heel first then flat. Lower straight down, not forward, until both knees are about 90° and the back knee is just above the floor; the back heel lifts and the back foot rolls onto its ball. The front knee stays over the front foot and the trunk stays upright with a slight lean. Push hard through the front heel and step back to the start.
Breathing
Breathe in as you step and lower; breathe out as you push back up.
Tempo
1.0 s step, 0.8 s down, 0.2 s pause, 0.9 s up, 0.55 s step back, 0.55 s standing.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front knee at the bottom | 90–95° | 80–100° | |
| Rear knee at the bottom | 95–100° | 80–110° | |
| Rear knee above the floor (joint centre) | 7 cm (surface 2–3 cm) | 2–10 cm | |
| Front shin from vertical | 5° | ≤ 10° | |
| Trunk from vertical at the bottom | 8° | 0–15° | |
| Feet width | hip-width tracks (each foot 9 cm from the midline) | no crossing |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Barbell Forward Lunge is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- ExRx.net, "Barbell Lunge" (bar on the back, step forward, lower until the front thigh is nearly level and the rear knee nearly touches the floor, push back)
- ACE Exercise Library, "Forward Lunge" (long step, heel first, both knees about 90°, trunk upright)
- NSCA, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed. (2016), ch. 15, forward step lunge
