Workouts with a barbell are essential for people of all ages. Despite what they may appear to be, barbell exercises aren't particularly difficult to understand. It is crucial to keep in mind that you should use less weight as your muscles are under tension for a longer time.
With barbell strength training, one can get power, strength, greater muscle growth, fat loss, and all of these things. This is because you can add more weight than you can with dumbbells and kettlebells by using the barbell. With it, you can squat, press, carry something heavy on your front or back, and even leap. There are several ways to use the strong barbell, which has a long history of use in the training of strength sports.
Best Barbell Strength Training Exercises for Men
1- Barbell Back Squat
For a good reason, the back squat is referred to be the "king of exercises." You can stress your leg muscles with greater weight by squatting while carrying a large barbell on your back. As you brace to keep your torso tight throughout the movement, your core works extra hard (which promotes a stable and safe spine). Additionally, the back, which is bearing the physical load, will gain some strength. Back squats are also excellent for high-rep, light-rep training as well as heavy, low-rep training. Squats with a higher rep range (and a lower rep range, although not to the same amount) stimulate the body's production of more growth hormones, which has the effect of boosting your total strength and size.
2- Barbell Front Squat
Do we need two squats on this list, you might be asking. Certainly, and here's why: Even though they both involve squatting, the front squat requires you to support the barbell on your shoulders in the front rack position. To keep the bar from falling forward mid-lift, you must engage your upper back muscles more effectively in this position, which also lightens the burden on your back and lessens spinal compression. The front squat trains the body's anterior muscles more intensely than the back squat, strongly working the quads and anterior core.
3- Barbell Rack Pull
Similar to the deadlift but with a smaller range of motion, the rack pull works the same muscles as the deadlift (ROM). Start with the barbell at or just below knee height for rack pulls. Blocks, weight plates, or the safety arms of a power rack can all be used to raise the barbell. Reduced range of motion makes maintaining a neutral spine simpler. Additionally, you can utilize more weight with the rack pull, allowing it to improve the top portion, or lockout, of your deadlift while also preparing your body to manage heavier loads.
4- Barbell Romanian Deadlift
We chose both of these variations above the standard deadlift for a purpose, and this is the second one on the list. The Romanian deadlift is more precise and suitable for beginners (similar to the rack pull.) The RDL has a similar appearance to the traditional deadlift, but instead of lowering the bar to the floor, you lower it to about mid-shin level. It is preferable to isolate the glute and hamstring muscles as well as the lower back because of this minor modification, which keeps tension on those muscles. Your deadlift will benefit from a stronger lower back, which will also assist minimize spinal rounding (or "cat-back") during difficult pulls. Because you cannot utilize as much weight as you would with a regular deadlift, the RDL is also generally safer. You could attempt to deadlift the same amount of weight, but good luck with that.
5- Barbell Bench Press
The chest, triceps, and shoulders are worked out with the bench press and all of its variations (incline, decline, close-grip, dumbbells, and floor press). Like other barbell exercises, it enables you to employ a heavier load than you might with kettlebells or dumbbells due to the relatively straight bar route and stability of the bench. This exercise is essential for powerlifters because it is one of the three primary competition lifts (the other two being the back squat and deadlift).
6- Barbell Bent Over Row
The bent-over row is a great exercise for developing upper back and lat bulk, strengthening them, and improving hip hinge mechanics. Being in a hip hinge position allows you to train your lower back isometrically, which makes this a fantastic auxiliary exercise to enhance your deadlift. The horizontal row variation that lets you employ the most weight is the bent-over row (and the Pendley row). More weight typically equates to more muscle and strength.
7- Barbell Push Press
Without a doubt, the overhead press is a great shoulder exercise. But how frequently do you find yourself stifling a lower body movement in favor of an upper grab? The triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips used in the push press closely resembles what most overhead athletes accomplish on the field as well as what you might do at home or in the gym. Furthermore, compared to the barbell overhead press, the lower body dip enables you to raise more weight overhead. Gaining additional strength and muscle allows for heavier overhead lifts.
8- Barbell Hip Thrust
Your glutes will gain muscle and strength when you use the hip thrust. Although the back squat and deadlift engage the glutes, the hip thrust comes the closest to a standalone exercise for the glutes. And focusing on the glutes will translate to those exercises and improve your running, jumping, and sprinting abilities. Additionally, you'll look fantastic in your preferred pair of pants.
9- Barbell Floor Press
Lifters wishing to strengthen the top of their press might consider the barbell floor press. You are reducing your range of motion and concentrating more on your triceps and lockout strength by pressing a barbell from the floor. This means that, compared to other dumbbell bench press varieties, you can often press more weight. This may translate into a more powerful bench press and larger triceps. When there are no more benches available or you need to get around shoulder discomfort, this is always a terrific solution.
10- Barbell Biceps Curl
Although there are other biceps curl variations, the barbell biceps curl is the most common. You can curl more weight with this version and add more strength and muscle if your wrists and elbows are in good condition. In variations of the row and pull-up as well as pulling from the floor, bicep strength is crucial. You won't benefit from these exercises to their full potential if your biceps are a weak point. You can increase your strength and mass with these pulling workouts by strengthening them.
11- Barbell Hang Clean
The power clean, a mainstay in most high school, college, and professional weight rooms, and a related exercise to the hang clean, is similar. However, the learning curve for the hang clean is shorter. This is because you'll produce power from a more supportive low-back position. Like the power clean, this exercise still necessitates a strong draw, a powerful hip drive, and a dip and catch. Additionally, the hang clean will continue to develop massive and strong upper back slabs. In addition, if you are prone to low back pain, it is less demanding on the lower back.
12- Barbell Good Morning
A great exercise for the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings is the barbell good morning. Lighter loads should be used to master this exercise before the intensity and range of motion are increased. This exercise will strengthen and develop posterior strength when performed correctly. Your performance in the squat and deadlift will consequently be enhanced.
13- Barbell Kirk Shrug
The world champion powerlifter Kirk Karwoski is credited with inventing the Kirk shrug. To strengthen his grip on the deadlift, he started performing this particular type of shrug. Because of the thumbless grip used in this shrug version, the upper back and grip power are highlighted. It did increase his deadlift, but it also gave him an outstanding yoke. Kirk shrugs ought to be your go-to material if you're trying to build top traps.
14- Barbell Overhead Carry
The barbell overhead carry raises the bar for all other carries to a whole new level. Your entire body is tensed up when carrying something overhead. Each step is a test of your balance on one leg. You put your upper back and traps under a lot of tension to build strength and muscle. Additionally, the overhead carry of a barbell increases toughness, mental toughness, and strength for overhead lockouts.
15- Barbell Skull Crusher
You stretch your triceps muscle before contracting it by lowering a barbell to your forehead during the barbell skull crusher exercise. Your muscle groups are moved over a wider range of motion with exercises like the barbell skull crusher. Better potential for hypertrophy results from this. You can isolate the triceps using the barbell skull crusher, in particular the long head of the triceps, which contributes significantly to arm thickness. Additionally, the position in which this exercise is performed enables you to lift more weight than you might with other triceps variations.
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