Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBarbell
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush (Unilateral)
- Experience LevelIntermediate
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders, Traps, Upper Back
Target Muscle Group
Quads
Barbell Reverse Lunge Overview
The barbell reverse lunge is a leg building exercise used to target the quads. It is a variation of the lunge movement pattern, which is a foundational movement to train.
Some lifters experience less knee pressure when performing the barbell reverse lunge than they do when performing the traditional barbell lunge. Utilizing a barbell also allows the lifter to use more weight during the lunge than they would if they were to perform the dumbbell or bodyweight variations.
Barbell Reverse Lunge Instructions
- Set up with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell set across your traps.
- Step back with one leg and allow both knees to bend simultaneously.
- Descend until the back knee touches the floor.
- Drive through the front foot and extend the knee as you stand up fully and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Reverse Lunge Tips
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Reverse lunges are a more advanced progression and should only be utilized once one has the requisite hip and core stability. In general, a proper single leg progression scheme might look like this:
- Step Up
- Split Squat > Front foot elevated
- Reverse Lunge > Front foot elevated
- Single Leg Squat to Bench
- Lateral Lunge
- Bulgarian/Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFESS)
- Single Leg Squat From Bench
- Walking Lunge
- Forward Lunge
- Single Leg Skater Squat
- Pistol Squat
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Don’t rush the progression scheme, earn the right to use every exercise and don’t neglect any of them.
- When you go to push back to the starting position, fight the urge to lead the movement with your shoulders by hyperextending at your spine. Instead, look to drive the movement via force from your lower body.
- In the bottom of the movement both of your legs should be at 90 degree angles at the knees.
- Keep in mind that with any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, if you want to emphasize the quads, focus on taking a slightly smaller step and drive up through the ball of the foot.
- If you want to emphasize the glutes and hamstrings during any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, focus on taking a slightly larger step and drive up through the heel of the foot.
1 Comment
Hi!
Thanks greatly for this free amazing workout! I just want to ask what exercise I can substitute pull ups for in Upper Body B workout as I don't have enough upper body strength yet to carry 210 pounds, and I don't want to use the assisted pull-up machine. Also, where and how can I incorporate some isolated shoulder exercises? Thanks a lot!