Barbell Lunges (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Barbell Lunge is a lower-body strength exercise that targets the glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also challenging your balance and core stability. By stepping forward or backward with a barbell on your back, you train each leg independently, helping build functional strength and correct muscle imbalances.

It’s a powerful addition to any strength program.

Primary Muscles Worked: Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps
Secondary Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Calves, Core
Equipment Needed: Barbell and Squat Rack (optional but recommended for safety)

How To Do Barbell Lunges

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Load a barbell and rack it at shoulder height.
- Step under the bar and place it across your upper traps (like a back squat), then unrack it and step back with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stand tall with core braced, eyes forward, and chest up.
Execution:
- Step forward (or backward) with one leg and lower your body until both knees are at about 90 degrees.
- Your front knee should be stacked over your ankle, and your back knee should hover just above the floor.
- Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the same leg or alternate sides, depending on your program.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Keep your torso upright—don’t lean too far forward.
- Control the descent and avoid crashing into the bottom of the lunge.
- Keep your front knee tracking over your toes, not caving inward.

Key Benefits

Builds unilateral leg strength and balance.
Strengthens glutes and quads while engaging the core.
Highlights and helps correct left-to-right strength imbalances.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option:
- Start with bodyweight or use dumbbells instead of a barbell.
- Use a shorter range of motion while learning the movement.
Harder Option:
- Use walking lunges or reverse lunges with the barbell.
- Add tempo (e.g., 3 seconds down) or pauses at the bottom of the rep.

Common Mistakes

Leaning Forward: Keep your chest tall and engage your core.
Short or Overreaching Step: Step far enough forward to create two 90-degree angles at the knees.
Letting the Front Knee Collapse Inward: Keep it tracking over the toes throughout the movement.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps per leg with moderate to heavy weight.
For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps per leg with solid form and control.
In Circuits or Conditioning: 2–3 sets of 10–12 reps per leg, or walking lunges for distance/time.

Barbell Lunge Alternatives

If you can’t do Barbell Lunges, for whatever reason, here are a few alternatives that you may be able to try out.

Need more options? Here are 9 of my favorite alternatives for Barbell Lunges.

DB Lunges

Don’t have a barbell? Or maybe you’re not able to axial load (place weight on your shoulders like a back squat). You may be able to try DB Lunges instead.

DB Lunges is the exact same movement but involves holding dumbbells in each hand versus using a barbell. You’ll get virtually all of the same benefits of the Barbell Lunge.

The only drawback to DB Lunges is it’s harder to use the same type of weight because grip will start to become a limiting factor for most lifters. But, other than that they’re a great lift that I’ll use on their own (not just as an alternative to Barbell Lunges)

Barbell Step-Ups

If Lunges are uncomfortable for you, then Barbell Step-Ups may be a good single-leg replacement.

Some athletes find that Lunges, even with proper form, to be hard on their knees. Sometimes, Reverse Lunges may be a solution, but other times I’ll just have them switch to Barbell Step-Ups.

It’s still a great exercise to get in the needed single leg work, but without the same amount of stress placed on the knees.

Pistol Squat

Another good single-leg alternative for Barbell Lunges – that doesn’t require any equipment at all – is the Pistol Squat.

If you’re really good at them you literally need no equipment at all, but at most you’ll only need a box or chair to sit down to.