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Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 GIF — animated legs exercise demonstration

Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2

Intermediate
Glutes
Barbell

Use heavy bilateral barbell loading to build control through the whole range: Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 fits into any lower-body session.

How to do Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell across your upper back.
  2. Take a step backward with your right foot, landing on the ball of your foot.
  3. Bend both knees to lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the ground.
  4. Push through your left heel to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat with the other leg.

Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.

Hypertrophy

4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.

Endurance

3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.

Common Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 Mistakes

Loading the bar unevenly or skipping the collars

Match the plates side to side and clip collars on every set.

Letting a nearby joint take over as the set gets hard

Stop the set as soon as the working joint stops leading the movement.

Easier and Harder Than Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2

Swap Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 For

Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2?

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell across your upper back. Take a step backward with your right foot, landing on the ball of your foot. Bend both knees to lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the ground. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 work?

The Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 primarily targets the glutes. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a barbell.

How many sets and reps of the Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 should I do?

For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2 good for beginners?

It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic legs patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.

What can I do instead of the Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2?

Try the Weighted Squat, Reverse Hyper On Flat Bench or the Dumbbell Step-up. Each trains the glutes with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.

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