Barbell Exercises

Looking for an intro to barbell exercises? Barbell workouts are seemingly endless, so doing research can feel overwhelming. But don’t worry; all you really need is a barbell to get started, along with a bit of basic knowledge. Keep reading to get up to speed with the best barbell workouts.

Intro to Barbell Exercises

Barbells are an incredibly useful exercise tool. With just a few exercises, you can work out all the major muscle groups in the body, but they’re also your go-to if you’re looking to build bulk, too. By adding your own weights, you can control how hard you train, making barbells accessible even for fitness beginners.

To get you started, we’re going to tell you how to do the most basic barbell exercise: the bench press. We’ve also linked to detailed step-by-step guides on how to do more advanced workouts, from deadlifts to rows.

How to Do a Bench Press

The bench press is one of the most basic barbell exercises, and you’ve probably done it or seen someone else do it before. Here’s how to do a bench press safely and effectively:

1. Lie flat on the bench, with your shoulders against the surface and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Reach up and grab the weight, keeping your hands a bit wider than shoulder width, and gently lower the bar until it is just above your chest.

3. Raise the bar until your arms are vertical, then repeat the motion. You’ve just done a bench press!

It’s always best to train with a spotter when just starting out, and you can control the weight and number of reps to suit your individual level.

Barbell Exercises: Step-by-Step Guides

Once you’ve got the basics down, try these more advanced barbell exercise. All are easy to do at home, if you’ve got the right equipment and follow the proper forms:

• Romanian Deadlift

• Bent-Over Row

• Sumo Deadlift

• Inverted Row

• Basic Deadlifts

Want to learn more?

Working with weights is easy to do at home, but you’ve got to keep it safe and use good form if you want to reap the benefits. If you’re ready to take things to the next level, why not get in touch with your local Gym, where our friendly personal trainers would be happy to create an individualised workout plan to help you achieve your fitness goals—what are you waiting for?