The moment I met the barbell, it was love at first sight, but there was one problem. As a newbie, I had yet to learn what to do with it outside barbell biceps curls. Luckily, I’ve gotten a better idea of this excellent tool and the best way to use it for muscle and strength.
Barbells are a one-stop shop for strength, muscle, fat loss, and power. They have worked for millions since the 1860s, and barbells have formed a successful strength training foundation for many lifers.
The most significant benefit of using the barbell is also its biggest drawback.
The barbell provides the lifter with stability because you’re gripping it with two hands, which locks you into a specific range of motion. The shortest point between A and B is in a straight line, and with exercises like barbell squats, deadlifts, and presses, you’re precisely doing that. These facts allow you to load the barbell with more weight than most other gym tools.
More weight = more strength and muscle.
But the barbells’ stability and fixed range of motion means less freedom of movement for your joints, which means they will occasionally flip you the bird. So, like with many other things in life, it is a balancing act.
Here, I’ll dive into my 30 years of training and 15 years of training clients with my four favorite barbell exercises for improved strength and muscle.
My 4 Favorite Barbell Exercises
Barbell squats are a fantastic exercise and form the basis of many strength programs, but they’re not my favorite. If you disagree with me, you can write your own list. This is my list, and barbell squats are out. Okay, on with the show list.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL) With Horizontal Band Resistance
Romanian deadlifts are fantastic for building the glutes and hamstrings, and the band takes this exercise to another level while improving form. Losing a neutral spine is a common mistake when pulling heavy with a barbell. But the resistance band forces you to engage your upper back and lats and to sit back into your hip hinge—a win-win for your form and gains.
Muscles Used: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, upper back, and forearms.
Benefits: The resistance band encourages you to engage your upper back to keep the bar close. This increases your upper back strength and improves your grip strength.
How to do it: Loop a looped resistance band around the squat rack and place it in the middle of the barbell before you put the plates on. Hinge down, deadlift the barbell off the floor, and walk five or six steps back to get resistance from the band. Hinge down, keeping your chest up and shoulders down until the barbell is just below your knees. Stand back up and finish with your glutes. Then reset and repeat for reps.
Programming Suggestions
Muscle: Reps between 8-15 with moderate to heavy loads for 3 to 4 sets work well in most instances.
Strength: Be careful when approaching loads you usually deadlift with. Rep ranges of 4-6 using 85% of your deadlift 1RM for 3 to 4 sets works well.
Barbell Bench Press
Some argue that barbell squats are more valuable than the bench. But like I said before, it’s my list, so boo-hoo. The bench press and all its variations target the chest, triceps, and shoulders hard and heavy. IMO, it is one of the easier barbell lifts to do and coach. If a client wants to do it after being warned about the risks, I’m all for it.
Muscle Used: Upper back, chest, triceps, and anterior deltoid.
Benefits: If you want to build strength in your upper body, this is a must-do exercise as it increases strength and muscle for your chest, triceps, and shoulders.
How to do it: Lie flat on a bench and put your eyes directly underneath the barbell. Grip the bar with hands wider than shoulder-width apart ( or your preference) and a straight wrist. Bring your feet closer to your glutes, push your feet back, and un-rack the barbell in the top position. Then, lower the barbell slowly down to your chest as you breathe in and push your feet back. Then, arch your lower back slightly to push the barbell until lockout.
Programming Suggestions
Strength: Lifting 85-90% of your 1 RM ( if you know it) and doing 2 to 4 reps works well.
Muscle: Doing this for 25 reps (5×5 or 3×8) with 70-80% of your 1RM will add muscle to your chest in a jiffy.
Barbell Bent Over Row
The bent-over row is a fantastic exercise for strengthening and improving muscle in your entire back area. Because you’re in a hip hinge position, it trains the lower back isometrically, improving lower back strength. It goes without saying it trains the upper back and lats, too, for increased sexiness.
Muscles Used: Lower back, upper back, lats, forearms, biceps, and posterior deltoid.
Benefits: Adds strength and muscle to your upper back, lats, and lower back for increased fled appeal. Any exercise that strengthens your upper back area is suitable for better standing posture, and the barbell bent-over row is no exception.
How to do it: Put a loaded barbell on the floor and stand with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart. Hip hinge down to the barbell and grip the barbell with an overhand shoulder-width grip. Then bring the barbell up to knee level with your back straight and upper body bent at approx. 45 degrees. Pull between your navel and sternum, slowly lower the barbell, reset, and repeat.
Programming Suggestions
Muscle: Barbell bent-over rows are more of an accessory exercise and should not be trained with lower reps. Lifting in the 5-15 rep range for 3 to 4 sets gives you the best of both strength and muscle.
Unilateral Half-Kneeling Landmine Press
It is not a traditional barbell exercise, but it is a fantastic exercise. Sticking the barbell in a corner and lifting it at an angle makes the barbell less intimidating. Combining this with strengthening imbalances between sides and the ability to go overhead pain-free makes it an excellent option for many lifters. The arc of the press gripping the fat end of the barbell increases shoulder stability; improving unilateral strength helps to address shoulder instability issues for lifters who may not have the mobility to go overhead.
Muscles Used: Triceps, chest, and anterior deltoid.
Benefits: It safely trains the overhead press for those who cannot press overhead pain-free and strengthens imbalances between sides, with a healthy dose of core stability and hip mobility thrown in there, too.
How to do it: Get into a half-kneeling position with the knee under the hip and ankles underneath the knees. Grip the barbell on the same side of the downed knee just in front of your shoulder. Then, press by extending the triceps and reaching forward at the end of the movement. Slowly lower back down, reset, and repeat.
Programming Suggestions
Muscle: Landmine presses are better suited to building more muscle and strengthening imbalances between sides. Lifting in the 6-12 rep range for 3 to 4 sets gives you better flex appeal.
Wrapping Up
When used sensibly, the barbell will remain the best tool for building muscle, burning fat, and strengthening your body. These four exercises will go a long way toward meeting your health and fitness goals. Don’t forget to do your squats, which are still not my favorite.
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