Squats and deadlifts are phenomenal lifts. But adding barbell reverse lunges to your workout will take your lower body gains to the next level.
Timing Matters
You can perform barbell reverse lunges during any part of the workout.
But my personal preference is to use them as the second, third, or even the last movement of the day. On a typical leg day, I may start with a squat variation and glute-ham raises. Or I start with a deadlift variation and Roman chair squats.
Doing the lunges after the main movements is strategic. I found that doing one to three exercises before lunges helps warm up your knees. This strategy also enables you to have better performance during the lunges.
I’ve done more lunges than I can count during my career as an athlete and natural bodybuilder. And I know that lunges need more of a warm-up than squats and deadlifts.
If you are starting your workout with the lunges, add an extra warm-up set or two before your first set. These extra sets will better prepare your knees for the lunges. When you grease up your joints, you will have a better workout.
Sample Leg Day
The workout below is a leg day I have done thousands of times.
When you do the lunges, it is six to eight reps per leg. That changes things in a real bad way for you.
Barbell Squat AS GHR 3 x 6-8
Barbell Reverse Lunge 3 x 6-8
Barbell Hip Thrust 2 x 6-8
Seated Calf Raise 3 x 6-8
Conclusion
It may not be popular in today’s iron game to do barbell reverse lunges. But to truly unleash your inner greatness, you will need to walk a different path than most.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
