This popular exercise works the quadriceps, glutes, and adductor muscles, including the vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, gluteus gluteus (glutaeus maximus), adductor brevis, and adductor magnus. She’s good for sports that involve running, jumping, and kicking because the lunge uses hip, knee, and ankle movements. Light weights are used compared to the squats, but the advantage of the lunge is that it involves stepping out with one leg – a common move in many sports. The exercise is suitable for beginners and intermediates, and can be done with a barbell, dumbbells, or just body weight, at home or in a gym.
How to do the barbell lunge
Stand with feet together and hold the barbell over the upper trapezius, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Take a big stride forward and place the foot on the floor, toes pointing forward. Bend the front knee first, then both knees, lowering the body. When the back leg forms a 90-degree angle, stop with the heel up and the weight on the ball of the foot. Push yourself back to the starting position on the front leg.
Do it well
Look straight ahead throughout the exercise and keep your torso upright.
Warning
Don’t go down too fast. Do not use heavy weights for the walking lunge variant.
Variations of the barbell lunge
Light
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold them at your side if you find it difficult to balance with a barbell on your back. This way you are more stable during the entire movement, because the weights are closer to the center of gravity of your body.
Heavy
Do a walking lunge. Follow the standard exercise, but at the end of each lunge, step the back leg forward so that it comes into the front lunge position. Also try holding dumbbells at your sides, or hold a weight plate or medicine ball with straight arms above your head.
Active muscles
- Adductor brevis (onder adductor longus)
- Vastus intermedius (onder rectus femoris)
- Adductor magnus
- Vastus lateralis
- Vastus medialis
- Glutaeus maximus
