Ginger, that's really interesting that the barbell works better for you in lunges. I was just telling my friend (who is doing the workouts with me) that I can't do the lunges with a barbell because it throws off my balance and I'm afraid of falling over backwards. I think I could do static lunges with a bar, but not alternating lunges.
In any case, that's a great feeling when you have an awesome workout. Gotta love those endorphins
!