10 Best Barbell Lunge Alternatives for Glute Strength

Original Exercise: Barbell Lunge

Primary Muscle

Glutes

Equipment

Barbell

Difficulty

Intermediate

Type

Compound

Secondary Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves

How to Perform Barbell Lunge

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell resting on your upper back.
2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your torso upright.
3. Lower your body by bending your right knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground.
4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat with your left leg, alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Barbell Lunge Alternatives

Best Match

1. Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through

90.4% Match

Glutes Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands.
2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
3. As you lunge forward, pass the kettlebell under your right thigh and transfer it to your left hand.
4. Push off with your right foot to return to the starting position, while simultaneously passing the kettlebell back to your right hand.
5. Repeat the lunge on the opposite side, passing the kettlebell under your left thigh.

2. Weighted Lunge With Swing

86.4% Match

Glutes Weighted Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight in each hand.
2. Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
3. As you lunge forward, swing the weights forward and upward, keeping your arms straight.
4. Push off with your right foot and return to the starting position, swinging the weights back down.
5. Repeat with your left foot and continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

3. Smith Sprint Lunge

84.2% Match

Glutes Smith-machine Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Set up the smith machine with the barbell at hip height.
2. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Step back with your right foot and place it on the barbell, resting the top of your foot on the bar.
4. Bend your left knee and lower your body into a lunge position, keeping your back straight.
5. Push through your left heel to return to the starting position.

4. Barbell Rear Lunge V. 2

83% Match

Glutes Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

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.

5. Weighted Stretch Lunge

82.7% Match

Glutes Weighted Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your back straight.
3. Lower your body by bending your knees until your right thigh is parallel to the ground.
4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat with your left leg.

6. Barbell Step-up

82.2% Match

Glutes Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand in front of a bench or step with a barbell resting on your upper back.
2. Place one foot on the bench or step, ensuring your entire foot is in contact with the surface.
3. Push through your heel and step up onto the bench or step, fully extending your hip and knee.
4. Pause briefly at the top, then lower yourself back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat with the opposite leg.

7. Walking Lunge

80.4% Match

Glutes Body-weight Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a step forward with your right leg, lowering your body into a lunge position.
3. Keep your torso upright and your front knee aligned with your ankle.
4. Push off with your right foot and bring your left foot forward, stepping into a lunge position with your left leg.
5. Continue alternating legs and walking forward, maintaining a controlled and steady pace.

8. Barbell Walking Lunge

80% Match

Quads Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell across your upper back.
2. Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot.
3. Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up.
4. Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

9. Forward Lunge (male)

79.7% Match

Glutes Body-weight Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips.
2. Take a big step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position.
3. Bend your right knee to about 90 degrees, keeping your knee aligned with your ankle.
4. Push off with your right foot and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat with your left leg, alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

10. Barbell Lateral Lunge

78% Match

Glutes Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across your upper back.
2. Take a big step to the side with your right foot, keeping your left foot planted.
3. Bend your right knee and lower your body down into a lunge position, keeping your left leg straight.
4. Push off with your right foot and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the other side, stepping with your left foot.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Lunge Alternative

A swap gets reached for when the rack is busy, there is no barbell around, or you train at home with a kettlebell. The Barbell Lunge rests a bar across your back while you step forward and lower until your thigh is level. Most of these swaps keep a lunge and change what you carry or which way you step: forward under a kettlebell or bodyweight, backward or sideways under the same bar, or with the back foot parked on a Smith bar. The Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through swaps the bar for a kettlebell held at your chest and then passed under your front thigh, the Walking Lunge and the Forward Lunge (male) carry no weight at all, and the Smith Sprint Lunge rests your back foot on the machine's bar instead, so the front leg alone does the bending.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the equipment you have. A kettlebell gives you the Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through, which passes the weight under your thigh on the same forward step, so it swaps in without changing much. Nothing but floor space points you to the Walking Lunge, which carries that step across a room under bodyweight alone, or the Forward Lunge (male), which does the same step in place with your hands on your hips. A barbell still on hand opens up the Barbell Rear Lunge, stepping backward instead of forward with the same bar on your back, or the Barbell Step-up, which trades the step for a bench you step onto instead. With a Smith machine free, the Smith Sprint Lunge rests your back foot on the bar behind you, so your front leg carries the whole drop without stepping anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

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