In this article we'll cover the standing barbell reverse lunge.  This lift offers a really great movement that really focuses on the hamstrings and the buns in a really unique way.  For this exercise you'll need a barbell, weight plates, and a squat rack.

To get started with this exercise you'll get underneath the bar, and then you'll stride forward so it looks like you're doing a forward lunge but the key difference in this exercise is that at the end of each rep you'll push back and bring both feet to the starting position. So again you'll lunge forward while keeping your upper body back.  Once your knee gently touches the ground you will really explode off the front heel all the way back to your starting position.  If you go back past your starting position that is fine but whatever you do, don't stop short.

As you're going through the motion you'll know you're doing it correctly when you feel the focus and concentration on your buns and your hamstring.  Now as far as which weight to use, if you've never done a lift like this before I recommend doing a few reps with no weight just to get a feel for the stretch and movement you'll feel.  Once you've become familiar with the lift itself as a beginner you can start off with either just the barbell which would be forty five pounds or the barbell with ten pound plates on each side which would be sixty five pounds. 

To get started with this exercise you'll approach the squat rack and put the barbell one your shoulders with a hand on each side and then lift the weight off the squat rack and step back into place.  With your feet about shoulder width apart stand up nice and tall with your chest open and your shoulder blades back focusing on extra good posture.  Once your set take a nice long stride forward focusing on keeping the weight back starting lowering yourself down and after you've barely touched your knee to the ground explode up off the back heal of your front foot and back to the starting spot like we mentioned before.  As you explode off that front heal be sure to exhale, let that air out, you can grown, growl or whatever you need to do. 

A great finishing technique that I recommend using on the last two reps is once you've touched your kneed to the ground come up about 3-4 inches instead of all the way and then go back down to the ground and repeat that about two to three times.  This will allow a nice little burnout effect during the last two reps or your set. 

For this exercise always try to stay looking straight ahead as you do about twelve to fifteen reps on each leg.  Which leg you start with is up to you, I recommend starting with the leg that you feel is more challenging.  By adding this great exercise to your routine you'll be able to improve the explosiveness in your legs as well as improved balance and posture.