Bar on your back, big stride forward, legs on fire.
Take a long enough step. A short stride pushes your knee way past your toes.
Striding forward under a barbell forces the front quad to first absorb your momentum and then drive you back to standing, a much bigger ask than lowering in place. The glutes assist by controlling the hip and powering the push back off the front heel. It earns its spot as a heavy single-leg builder that also trains the deceleration real sport is full of.
Forward lunges add a braking demand because you have to catch your momentum on the front leg, which makes them harder on the knees but better for athletic deceleration. Reverse lunges are smoother and easier to control. Both build the same muscles.
Long enough that your front shin stays close to vertical at the bottom. A short choppy step drives the knee far past the toes and shifts stress off the muscles. If you feel it grinding in the knee, lengthen the stride.
The bar raises your centre of gravity so every wobble gets amplified. Slow the step down, keep your gaze forward, and build up from lighter weights. Stability improves fast within a few sessions.
