Barbell Walking Lunge

Also called walking lunge, barbell lunges and walking barbell lunge.

Works

Quads, plus calves, glutes and hamstrings

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell across your upper back.

1. Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot.
2. Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up.
3. Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

Cues

• Bar on the traps, chest tall.
• Long step, back knee near the floor.
• Drive through the front heel.
• Step through, stay controlled.

Common mistakes

• Front knee caving.
• Short choppy steps.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have sore knees. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Easier

Swap for