Even for the most self-assured fitness enthusiast, barbell exercises can be quite daunting to try out for the initial time. While dumbbells and kettlebells have friendly vibes and compact sizes, barbells possess a weighty bar and substantial weights that make them feel unattainable for beginners.
However, by avoiding the barbell due to fear, you might be depriving yourself of an incredibly useful tool that aids in achieving your fitness objectives. To assist you in fully utilizing the weight room, Shape consulted Alex Silver-Fagan, a Nike trainer and the creator of the Flow Into Strong program, who will share the barbell exercises you must incorporate into your fitness routine.
Here, she breaks down the six vital barbell exercises, which were featured in her book Get Strong for Women, to assist you in building overall body strength. Don’t worry, you’ll receive all the tips, instructions, and visual aids you need to confidently tackle these barbell exercises.
6 Barbell Exercises to Enhance Full-Body Strength
How it functions: Perform three sets of the subsequent barbell exercises for the recommended number of repetitions.
What you’ll require: a barbell with the weight plates of your preference, a rack, and a bench
Traditional Barbell Deadlift
A.
A. Position your feet beneath the barbell at a distance equal to the width of your shoulders. Take a step forward so the barbell lightly brushes against your shins.
B. Lean forward at the hips and push your buttocks backward. Then, grasp the barbell so that your forearms come into contact with the outer sides of your thighs. Ensure that your shoulders are directly aligned above the bar and activate your back muscles by retracting your shoulder blades. Take a breath in.
C. Exhale and utilize your glute and hamstring muscles to propel yourself upwards, pushing through your heels. Maintain proximity between your body and the barbell, and align your shoulders directly above your hips.
D. Push your hips back and bend your knees to return to the starting position, while keeping your shoulders positioned above the bar throughout the entire movement. This completes one repetition.
Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.
Barbell Press with Forward Thrust
A.
B.
A. Position the bar just below shoulder level on a rack. Approach the bar, with your feet set apart at shoulder width and your toes slightly rotated outward.
B. Take hold of the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, palms facing upward and elbows facing downward. Lift the bar off the rack and rest it on your collarbone.
B. Move your hips backward and bend your knees to enter a slight squat. Ensure that your core muscles are engaged. Take a deep breath.
C. Keep your eyes focused straight ahead. Then, in one swift motion, exhale forcefully, press through your heels, straighten your legs to rise up, and extend your arms to lift the barbell directly overhead. Your biceps should be aligned with your ears at the highest point of the movement. Maintain a slight bend in your knees.
D. In a slow and controlled manner, lower the weight back down to your shoulders to return to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.
Barbell Hip Thrust Exercise
A.
B.
A. Take a seat on the ground in front of a bench with your legs stretched out. Position the bar above your thighs.
B. Elevate your hips and recline onto the bench. Place your shoulder blades on the bench, flex your knees, firmly plant your heels on the floor, and gaze upwards. Align the bar with your hip joints and keep your hands on the bar for stability. Inhale.
C. As you exhale, push through your heels to raise your hips towards the ceiling, forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Contract your glutes at the highest point of the movement.
D. Return to the starting position in a controlled manner. This completes one repetition.
Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.
Front Squat with a Barbell
A.
B.
A. Position the bar just below the level of the shoulders on a rack. Grasp the bar with hands slightly wider than the width of the shoulders, with the elbows pointing forward and the triceps parallel to the floor. The palms should be facing upwards. Rest the bar on the collarbone.
B. Straighten the legs and take a step back to remove the bar from the rack. Hold the weight on the collarbone, rather than in the hands. Position the feet shoulder-width apart and turn the toes slightly outward to begin.
C. Tighten the core, breathe in, and push the hips backward. Bend the knees and lower the body until the thighs are either parallel or almost parallel to the floor. Keep the glutes and core muscles engaged and ensure that the weight is in the heels.
D. Breathe out and push through the heels to return to a standing position. This completes one repetition.
Complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
Barbell Bent-Over Row
A.
B.
A.
B.
1. Position yourself behind a barbell that is resting on the floor, with your feet spaced apart at shoulder-width and directly under the barbell. Bend your knees and push your hips backward. Grasp the barbell using an overhand grip, making sure that your grip is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Inhale.
2. Exhale and use the strength of your heels to push yourself upward, ensuring that your back remains straight throughout the movement. Continue to rise until your legs are fully extended and your torso is in an upright position.
3. Lean forward at your hips, bringing your chest forward while pushing your glutes backward. Your shoulders should align with the barbell, and your back should remain straight. Lower the barbell until it is positioned below your knees, which will serve as the starting point of the exercise.
4. Exhale and engage your mid-back muscles to pull the barbell upward and backward towards your lower chest. Allow your elbows to guide the movement, while actively squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the motion.
5. Slowly and under control, lower the barbell back to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.
Barbell Bench Press
A.
B.
B. Lie supine on a bench with shoulders beneath the bar. Place hands shoulder-distance apart on the bar, palms facing away from the body and feet flat on the ground.
B. Extend arms to unrack the bar. Float the bar above the chest without allowing it to drift forward or backward to initiate. Exhale.
C. Inhale, and in a regulated manner, utilize pectoral muscles to lower the bar and gently tap the lower chest, bringing elbows down past the bench. (Do not allow the bar to rebound off the body.)
D. Exhale and extend arms to return to the starting position. That’s one repetition.
Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.
Excerpted from Get Strong for Women, reprinted by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2018 by Alex Silver-Fagan.
