Barbell Front Rack Lunge
- Level
- Advanced
- Equipment
- Barbell, Squat Rack
- Movement
- Lunge · Standing
- Tracks
- Weight & Reps
Works
Glutes Quadriceps Abdominals Adductors Hamstrings Shoulders
How to do it
- Set a barbell in a rack at roughly shoulder height and load it.
- Step under the bar and place it across the front of your shoulders, resting on the clavicles and anterior deltoids, not on the throat.
- Raise your elbows high so the upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor, and cross your hands over the bar or use a clean grip to secure it.
- Unrack the bar by standing tall, take a small step back, and set your feet hip-width apart with the core braced.
- Step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both knees bend to about 90 degrees, front knee tracking over the foot.
- Keep your chest up and torso vertical throughout the descent.
- Push through the front heel and mid-foot to return to the standing position.
- Complete the desired reps, then switch legs.
Common mistakes
- Letting the front knee cave inward during the lunge.
- Leaning the torso forward, which lets the bar drift off the shoulders.
- Letting the elbows drop, causing the bar to slide down the chest.
- Resting the bar on the throat or pressing it against the windpipe.
- Taking too long a step, which shifts the load to the back leg and rounds the spine.
Safety
Only attempt this if you can hold a front rack comfortably; poor wrist or shoulder mobility forces the elbows down and the bar forward.
Do not hyperextend the lower back under the front-loaded bar.
Keep the front knee tracking over the toes to avoid joint shear, and use a rack or safeties when working near maximal loads.
Tips
- Keep the elbows high and the bar pinned to the shoulders to stop it rolling forward.
- Brace the abs hard before each rep to protect the lower back under the front-loaded bar.
- Drive through the mid-foot of the front leg to stand up.
- Imagine sliding the back knee straight down toward the floor.
- Take a slightly narrower stance than a back squat to keep the torso upright.
Details
- Base movement
- Lunge
- Load position
- Front rack
- Legs
- Alternating
- Torso lean
- Upright
- Body position
- Standing
- Stance
- Shoulder-width
- Direction
- Forward
