Barbell Wide Squat vs Walking Lunge
Maximizing Your Leg Workout Plan
Contents
Walking Lunge is the easier place to start — difficulty 2 of 5 vs 4. Compare Leg form cues and when to progress.
Customize Your Leg Workout: Explore the Benefits of Barbell Wide Squat and Walking Lunge for Better Comparison.
Planfit Users' Choice about Barbell Wide Squat vs Walking Lunge : Which is Better?
Based on randomly selected data from 1 million completed workouts, Planfit users log Walking Lunge more often — 474 sessions compared to 388 for Barbell Wide Squat.
Popularity is not the whole answer. Barbell Wide Squat and Walking Lunge differ in the muscles they load, the equipment they need, and how hard they are to learn — the comparison below covers each.
How Barbell Wide Squat and Walking Lunge Differ
| What differs | Barbell Wide Squat | Walking Lunge |
|---|---|---|
| Muscles worked | glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs | quads, hamstrings, and glutes |
| Equipment | a barbell | bodyweight only |
| Difficulty | 4 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| Sessions logged by Planfit users | 388 sessions | 474 sessions |
How to Barbell Wide Squat
Barbell Wide Squat muscles worked: Leg
Form
- 1. Tighten your abdomen and keep your waist straight, then bend at the hip to lower your buttocks down.
- 2. Lower yourself until your knees naturally bend and your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- 3. Push strongly through the center of your feet to rise up.
- 4. As your buttocks rise, straighten your knees and hips in sequence, returning to the starting position.
Coach's Comment
- 1. Please be careful not to lean your upper body too far forward.
- 2. Keep your chest up and engage your core to avoid bending your waist.
- 3. Don't excessively bend your waist while trying to keep it straight.
- 4. Please do not stick your hips too far back.
- 5. Make sure your feet do not come off the ground.
- 6. When standing up, please ensure your knees do not come together.
If you want to know a detailed guide to Barbell Wide Squat, alternative exercises, and its benefits, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Wide Squat Guide page of our blog!
How to Walking Lunge
Walking Lunge muscles worked: Leg
Form
- 1. Step forward with one foot and lower yourself until the angle of both knees is 90 degrees.
- 2. Keep your chest open and your back straight as you return to the starting position.
- 3. Extend the opposite leg forward and proceed in the same manner.
Coach's Comment
- 1. Please be careful not to lean your upper body forward.
- 2. When bending your knees, please ensure that the knee of the foot you step forward with does not go beyond the foot.
- 3. Please make sure that your center of gravity does not lean too far forward.
If you want to know a detailed guide to Walking Lunge, alternative exercises, and its benefits, check it out here. Check out the Walking Lunge Guide page of our blog!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for Leg, Barbell Wide Squat or Walking Lunge?
Neither is clearly ahead — Planfit users log both at a similar rate. They both train Leg, so the choice comes down to the equipment you have and the muscles you want to load.
Do Barbell Wide Squat and Walking Lunge work the same muscles?
Not quite. Barbell Wide Squat loads glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs, and Walking Lunge loads quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
What equipment do Barbell Wide Squat and Walking Lunge need?
Barbell Wide Squat needs a barbell, and Walking Lunge needs bodyweight only.
Which is easier to start with?
Walking Lunge is the easier place to start. Move to Barbell Wide Squat once your form holds up.
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