Barbell Exercises
A barbell is a long steel bar that you load with weight plates on each end. Because both hands share one bar, it lets you lift the heaviest loads and add weight in small steps. That makes it the main tool for strength. The core barbell lifts are the back squat, the bench press, the deadlift, the overhead press and the bent-over row. For squats and bench presses you need a rack with safety arms; deadlifts and rows start from the floor. To start, learn each lift with the empty bar or very light plates, and add load only while your form stays the same.
8 exercises with male and female illustrations.
Start here
Beginner picks: easy to learn and easy to load.
Hip hinge
Arm isolation
Squat
Horizontal push
Vertical push
Questions
Is the barbell safe for beginners?
Yes, if you learn each lift with a light load first and add weight slowly. Set the safety arms of the rack just below the bottom position of your squat or bench press, so you can put the bar down if you cannot finish a rep. Use collars to keep the plates on the bar.
Do I need a squat rack?
For back squats, front squats, overhead presses and bench presses, yes, because you must take the bar from a safe height. For deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, rows, curls and hip thrusts, you can start with the bar on the floor and do without a rack.
How do I find out how much I can lift for one rep?
You do not need to test a true maximum. Do a set to near failure with a weight you can control, count the reps, and enter them in our one-rep max calculator. It uses a formula that predicts your one-rep max from the reps you can do.