Barbell Curtsey Lunge

Description

How to Do Barbell Curtsey Lunge

1. 1
   Setup

   Position a barbell across your upper trapezius muscles, not directly on your neck, and stand with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining a neutral spine.

2. 2
   Setup

   Engage your core, pull your shoulders back and down, and keep your chest lifted throughout the exercise to maintain stability.

3. 3

   Step one leg diagonally behind the other, crossing it over your midline as if performing a curtsy, allowing both knees to bend simultaneously.

4. 4

   Lower your hips until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor and your back knee hovers just above the ground, ensuring your front knee tracks over your toes.

5. 5

   Drive powerfully through the heel of your front foot and the ball of your back foot to push back up to the starting standing position.

6. 6

   Alternate legs with each repetition, or complete all desired repetitions on one side before switching to the other leg.

Tips

• Focus on driving through the heel of your front foot to maximize activation in your gluteus maximus and medius during the ascent.
• Maintain an upright torso by keeping your chest proud and core braced; this protects your spine and keeps tension on the target muscles.
• Control the lowering (eccentric) phase of the lunge; a slower descent enhances muscle engagement and improves stability.
• Keep your hips as square to the front as possible to ensure proper alignment and effectively target the glutes without unnecessary spinal rotation.

Common Mistakes

• ×Leaning too far forward shifts the load away from your legs and onto your lower back; fix this by maintaining an upright chest and keeping your core tightly braced.
• ×Allowing the front knee to collapse inward reduces glute activation and can place undue stress on the knee joint; ensure your front knee tracks directly in line with your second and third toes.
• ×Not descending deep enough limits the range of motion and the stretch on the glutes; lower until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee is just above the ground.