Bar Workouts | 16 Exercises to Develop Strength and Muscle Mass

The set of exercises with the bar below provides an excellent full body workout (which can be done at home), which will allow you to challenge your body and work for results.

Back Exercises

1. Curved Barring ( Barbell Bent-Over Row )

Ready to work for a stronger and more muscular back? The curved bar stroke is perfect for developing strength in your back muscles, and will also help you with other compound movements, such as squats, bench press and deadlift .

  • Position your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and lean forward from the waist.
  • You should have your knees bent, but your back straight, and your neck in line with your spine.
  • When you grab the bar, your hands should be slightly wider than the width of your shoulders. Palms should be facing down and arms extended, with elbows relaxed.
  • Contract the core muscles and squeeze your shoulders against each other to perform a striking movement, until the bar touches your outer side.
  • Slowly lower the bar again and repeat.

2. Deadlift ( Deadlift )

The deadlift is the king of compound movements, an exercise that everyone should do regardless of their specific goals or needs. If your intention is to increase strength and muscle mass, it’s time to integrate the deadlift into your training plan.

  • Position your feet hip-width apart and plant them firmly on the floor. Keep your chin at an approximately vertical angle. Position your shoulders in front of the bar and bend from your hips, lowering your rear towards the floor.
  • Contract the backbones, pushing back and down, and use the bar to contract your body and lift your chest to keep your back straight.
  • Take a deep breath, activate the core muscles and push against the floor with your legs, keeping the bar close to your body.
  • Completely straightens the hips at the top of the movement, activating the quadriceps, glutes and dorsals.
  • Keeping the core muscles tense, bend from the hips and, keeping the bar close to the body, return to the starting position, lowering it in a controlled movement.

3. Pendlay Row ( Pendlay Row )

If you want to develop strength and explosive movements, Pendley’s paddle is your new best friend. This compound movement helps to increase strength and also learn the correct position for other movements, such as sprinting, clean and deadlifting.

  • Position your arms slightly wider than your shoulders. This serves the purpose of increasing dorsal involvement and helping to widen the back with exercise.
  • Place your hips in line with your shoulders and keep your lower back straight.
  • Keeping the bar on the floor, tightly tighten the core muscles in order to create tension.
  • With an explosion movement, pull the bar at the base of your chest – making sure that your shoulders remain low and that your hips do not move forward.
  • Return the bar to the ground in a controlled manner, return to the beginning of the position and repeat the explosion movement.

4. Romanian Land Survey ( Romanian Deadlift )

This variant of the deadlift helps to develop a stronger back, also working the hamstrings, glutes, upper and lower back and core . This exercise is perfect for any skill level and allows you to effectively tone and strengthen the posterior muscle chain.

  • Place your feet shoulder-width apart and the bar over the shoe laces.
  • Bend over and grab the bar with a handle slightly wider than your shoulders, keeping your knees slightly bent.
  • Project the hips backwards, keeping the knees soft and the back straight.
  • Using strength with the hamstrings and glutes, press your legs against the floor and straighten up, keeping the bar close to your body.
  • At the top of the movement, contract the upper back, the core and the glutes.
  • Lower the bar back to the starting position, bending down from the hips, always with the knees soft and the back straight.

Arms Exercises

5. Barbell Curl ( Barbell Curl )

Ready to develop muscle mass in your biceps, as well as strength in your forearm and grip strength? The bar curls will allow you to work with heavier loads on the other curl variants.

  • Position yourself with your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart, push with your shoulder blades back and down, and lift your chest.
  • Tighten the bar, making sure that your elbows remain close to your body.
  • Lift the bar in an upward and outward motion, bending your elbows and slightly lifting your chest.
  • Make sure that the biceps remain contracted at the top of the movement.
  • Executes the downward movement, with control in the eccentric phase.
  • Note – keep your hips still and unbalanced, to ensure that all movement is performed by the biceps.

6. Barbell Concentration Curl ( Barbell Concentration Curl )

If you’re looking for ways to isolate your biceps to build strength, curl barbell concentrate is an excellent idea.

  • Sit on a chair or bench, with your arms stretched down, between your legs, and your feet flat on the floor.
  • Grab the bar with a supine grip (palms facing up) and lean forward, mobilizing the back muscles, so that the arms touch the inside of the thighs.
  • Keep your arms close to your legs and lift the bar towards your shoulders, making sure that you fully control your biceps.
  • Hang on for a moment at the top of the movement.
  • Lower the bar again, with a controlled eccentric movement.

7. Wrist Curl With Palms Up ( Palm-up Wrist Curl )

Stronger forearms favor a more effective grip, which in turn makes it possible to lift a larger load, allowing you to develop strength and power in larger lifts.

  • Sit on a chair or bench, with your legs shoulder-width apart and your feet flat on the floor.
  • Grab the bar with a supine grip (palms facing up) and forearms against your thighs.
  • Lean forward and make sure your wrists are on your knees.
  • Lower the bar towards the floor, just bending your wrist as far as possible.
  • Raise the bar with your wrist again, bringing it as close to you as you can, making sure that you control your forearm well.

8. EZ Overhead Tricep Extension Tricep Extension >

This movement mobilizes the three heads of the triceps, developing strength and muscle mass, in addition to strengthening the core and the lumbar area.

  • Grab the EZ bar and lie on your back on a bench. Stretch your arms straight, in line with your shoulders. This will be the starting position.
  • Bend your elbows and slowly lower the bar. The bar should pass close to your forehead, or slightly above your head, until your elbows are bent at an angle of 90 degrees or less.
  • Stretch your arms back to the starting position, keeping your elbows shoulder-width apart. This counts as a repetition.

9. EZ Bar Biceps Curl ( EZ Bar Bicep Curl )

It makes use of the EZ bar to reduce pressure on the wrists, elbows and even shoulders, without impairing the development of strength and size in the biceps.

  • Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and lift your chest.
  • Tighten the bar and make sure that your elbows are firmly against your body.
  • Lift the bar in an upward and outward motion, bending your elbows and slightly lifting your chest.
  • Make sure that the biceps remain contracted at the top of the movement.
  • Lower the bar again, controlling the eccentric phase of the movement.
  • Note – keeps the hips still and without giving “balance”, to ensure that all strength is exerted by the biceps.

10. Declined EZ Bar Tricep Extension ( Decline EZ Bar Tricep Extension )

Develops bigger and stronger triceps with a wider movement and greater muscle stretching, activating the three heads of the triceps.

  • Lie on your back on a declined bench, holding the EZ bar with a pronounced grip.
  • Extend your arms upwards so that they are stretched and perpendicular to your chest, with your elbows close to your body.
  • Lower the bar towards the face, bending the elbows.
  • Control the movement until you feel the triceps stretching, and hold the position for a second.
  • Returns to the starting position, reversing the movement: stretching the elbows and completely straightening the joints.

Chest Exercises

11. Bench Press ( Bench Press )

This weightlifting classic will always be popular with fitness enthusiasts. The barbell bench press is an essential exercise for the chest, which develops strength and muscle mass in the pectorals.

  • Lie on your back on a bench and grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
  • Prepare the back by contracting the shoulder blades against each other, pressing them against the bench.
  • Take a deep breath as you lift the bar, extending your arms.
  • Maintain the tension in your back while slowly lowering the bar again, bending your elbows, until it is close to the outside.
  • Immediately before the bar touches the chest, push it back up, stretching your elbows, contracting your pectorals and pushing your feet against the floor.

12. Incline Bench Press ( Incline Bench Press )

A variant of the classic exercise, the bench press with an inclined bench allows you to work the upper part of your chest muscles.

  • Lie on your back on an inclined bench and hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
  • Prepare the back by contracting the shoulder blades against each other, pressing them against the bench.
  • Take a deep breath as you lift the bar, extending your arms.
  • Maintain the tension in your back while slowly lowering the bar again, bending your elbows, until it is close to the outside.
  • Immediately before the bar touches the chest, push it back up, stretching your elbows, contracting your pectorals and pushing your feet against the floor.

Leg Exercises

13. Hip Thrust (Hip Boost) With Bar

One of the most effective movements to strengthen and develop the glutes. But it’s not just the glutes that benefit from this exercise: the hamstrings and quads are also mobilized, which will help develop speed and power in the legs, along with strength.

  • Sit on the floor, with your back resting on a bench or chair and the bar on your hips. The knees must be bent and the feet firmly planted on the floor.
  • Lean back so that your shoulders are on the bench and lift your hips, keeping your feet completely on the floor.
  • The knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle and the body should form a straight line between the shoulders and the knees.
  • Contract the glutes at the top of the movement and hold in that position for a second.
  • Slowly lower your hips again, in a controlled movement, to return to the starting position.

14. Bulgarian One-Sided Squat ( Barbell Bulgarian Squat )

Everyone’s pet hatred: the Bulgarian squat with the barbell helps to strengthen and develop several muscles, including mobilizing the core and the upper and lower back, to maintain stability and the position.

  • Stand upright, with the bar resting on your shoulders, with your back to a bench.
  • One of the legs must be supported on the bench with the instep fully resting (the laces down), so that the knee is bent at a 90 degree angle.
  • Start the movement by bending the leg that is stretched to the floor and bending from the hip, in the process lowering the back knee towards the floor.
  • Keeping the core contracted throughout the movement, for when the back knee touches the floor.
  • Use the front foot to straighten the leg and return to the starting position.

15. Lifting Stretched Legs With Bar ( Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift )

This exercise will allow you to work on the entire posterior muscular chain, especially the hamstrings, glutes, and upper and lower back muscles, as well as the core . It is the perfect accessory movement for deadlifts.

  • Stand with the bar over the shoe laces and with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Bend from your hips, pulling your rear back so that your back is straight and parallel to the floor (your knees should be soft, but not bent).
  • Stretch your arms and grab the bar with a pronounced grip and your hands shoulder-width apart. Mobilize the core muscles and straighten the back, contracting the muscles (make sure you have your hips aligned with your shoulders and your back straight).
  • Take a deep breath, keeping the tension in your torso, pull your hips forward and push with your feet, as if you were trying to push the floor.
  • Keep the bar close to your body as you straighten up, tightening your buttocks and straightening your hips at the top of the movement.
  • Reverse the movement: bend from the hips, keeping the core tense, and put the bar back on the floor.

16. Barbell Lunge ( Barbell Lunge )

Another typical exercise that appears in a huge number of training plans, the lunge with barbell is a strength exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings, in addition to training the stability of the hip and the core .

  • Put the bar on your back, resting it on your shoulders, and grab it with a wide handle to help with stability. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
  • Take a step forward with one leg, contract the core and straighten the back, pushing with the shoulder blades back and down.
  • Start the movement, crouching from the hips. Keep your upper body straight and your head up. Make sure you don’t let your knee pass in front of your toes.
  • When both knees are at a 90-degree angle, hold the position for a moment before returning to the starting position, applying force from the heels.
  • Go back to the starting position and repeat. Don’t forget to switch legs.

FAQs

Is it possible to develop muscles with just one bar?

If your goal is to grow muscle, a barbell can be an excellent solution. The ability to perform a wide variety of exercises for all parts of the body, working on the chest, back, legs and abs, means that you will be able to gain muscle mass throughout your body using just one piece of equipment. The use of compound movements will also help you to develop the strength and total amount of weight you are able to lift.

How often should I do bar sequences?

The barbell strings are an excellent mix of strength training and cardiovascular training. You must perform constant work without resting the bar at any point in the sequence. The frequency with which you should perform them depends on your present ability.

If you are just starting out, or the barbell sequences are still new to you, try adding them to your training routine 1 or 2 times a week, to allow time to recover from any muscle pain. However, as your training becomes more intense, you can include sequences more often, such as 4 or 5 times a week.

Is it possible to do a full body workout using just one barbell?

The barbell is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment, because it is possible to use it in exercises for any part of the body. The variety of exercises that can be performed with a barbell allows you to burn fat, increase muscle mass and develop strength in all parts of the body, without the need to leave the house or use a lot of space.

How can I increase the intensity in my barbell exercises?

The simplest way to make a barbell exercise more difficult is to increase your weight as your strength develops. However, when there are no additional weights available, you can make an exercise more intense by running it more slowly, adding sequences, or using variants of conventional movements.

Final Message

Whether you want to start lifting more weight or are simply looking for something new to train at home, it may be time to add some of these exercises to your seminal routine.

These barbell movements are an excellent place to start, and you will quickly notice progress in developing your muscle mass and strength.

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