Overhead Barbell Lunge
The Overhead Barbell Lunge is an advanced compound exercise that combines unilateral lower body strength with significant upper body stability demands. It targets the quadriceps, glutes, and core while challenging shoulder mobility and balance.
Because this movement demands high neuromuscular coordination, our AI analyzes your HRV and recovery scores to ensure you are physically ready for this stability challenge. By tracking your RPE and weight used, the app can detect if stability becomes the limiting factor rather than leg strength, automatically adjusting your load or suggesting a regression like the standard Barbell Lunge to prioritize safety while still driving leg growth.
Form Cues
- Lock your elbows completely and actively push the bar up towards the ceiling
- Step forward into a long stride while keeping your feet hip-width apart
- Keep your torso vertical and pull your ribcage down to engage the core
- Lower your hips straight down until your back knee hovers just above the floor
- Drive firmly through your front heel to return to the starting position
- Don't allow your elbows to bend or soften at any point during the rep
- Don't let your front knee collapse inward across your midline
- Don't arch your lower back excessively to compensate for shoulder tightness
- Don't perform the movement with a narrow, tightrope-like stance
- Don't lean your torso forward as you descend
Common Mistakes
- Soft elbows or unstable lockout
- Excessive lumbar extension (rib flare)
- Walking on a tightrope (narrow stance)
- Short stepping stride
- Looking down at the floor
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily builds explosive power and hypertrophy in the quadriceps and glutes through the unilateral lunging motion. Uniquely, it forces the anterior deltoids, upper trapezius, and deep core stabilizers to work isometrically to maintain the barbell's position overhead, creating a massive demand on total-body coordination.
Primary
Secondary
Get Personalized Coaching for Overhead Barbell Lunge
Don't guess your way through weights or workouts. Download Iridium for automatic, AI-powered coaching that adapts to your recovery and goals.