Elevated Back Lunge

How to do the Elevated Back Lunge

1. Position a bar onto a rack at shoulder height loaded to an appropriate weight. Place a short, raised platform behind you.
2. Rack the bar onto your upper back, keeping your back arched and tight. Step onto your raised platform with both feet. This will be your starting position.
3. Begin by stepping backwards with one leg. Descend by flexing your hips and knees until your knee touches the floor.
4. Pause, and extend through the hips and knees to rise up, returning all the way to the starting position before alternating.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	quads
Secondary	glutes, hamstrings
Equipment	barbell
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No barbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Bodyweight Squat Bodyweight Bodyweight Walking Lunge Bodyweight Freehand Jump Squat Bodyweight Squats - With Bands Resistance Bands Dumbbell Lunges Dumbbell Dumbbell Rear Lunge Dumbbell

Easier than the Elevated Back Lunge

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Barbell Squat beginner · Barbell Barbell Walking Lunge beginner · Barbell Bodyweight Squat beginner · Bodyweight

Harder than the Elevated Back Lunge

Reverse Band Power Squat expert · Barbell Power Jerk expert · Barbell Overhead Squat expert · Barbell

Superset the Elevated Back Lunge with

Opposing hamstrings work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Power Clean hamstrings Romanian Deadlift hamstrings Snatch Pull hamstrings Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift hamstrings

Common questions

What muscles does the Elevated Back Lunge work?

The Elevated Back Lunge primarily works the quads, with the glutes and hamstrings as secondary movers. Barbell Full Squat, Barbell Lunge, and Barbell Squat train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Elevated Back Lunge?

A Barbell. Without a barbell, Bodyweight Squat, Bodyweight Walking Lunge, and Freehand Jump Squat train the same muscle, and 27 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Elevated Back Lunge suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Barbell Squat, Barbell Walking Lunge, and Bodyweight Squat and work up.

Where should the Elevated Back Lunge go in a workout?

Early — the Elevated Back Lunge is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Power Clean and Romanian Deadlift later.

Similar exercises

Barbell Full Squat Barbell Barbell Lunge Barbell Barbell Squat Barbell Barbell Squat To A Bench Barbell Barbell Step Ups Barbell Barbell Walking Lunge Barbell