Barbells are possibly the original strength training tool for athletes. Historical art from the time of the ancient Greeks illustrates athletes training with what appear to be various forms of barbells. Today, despite the prevalence of various high-tech weightlifting machines and alternatives, many of the best strength coaches in the world still consider the basic barbell to be the ultimate strength training tool for athletes who need to develop their strength as rapidly and efficiently as possible. Developing an effective, total-body workout program with barbells is a simple, effective way to ensure a solid workout.
Step 1
Stick to the basics. Use multi-joint, compound movement exercises, such as the barbell squat, dead lift, power cleans, bench press, and rows. Nationally ranked discus thrower, high school strength coach, and elite Highland Games/Strongman competitor Dan John points out in his book "From the Ground Up," that if people stuck with these basics, they would make far greater strength and size gains than the masses of gym-goers using "cutting-edge" weight machines.
Step 2
Start your workouts with squats. Place a heavy barbell on the rack of your power cage-type squat rack, and step backwards under the bar, so it rests across your shoulders and upper back. Lift the bar off the rack and take a step forward, so your feet are planted slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and toes pointed slightly outward. Sit backward and down, until your upper legs are below parallel to the ground. Keep your back muscles tight throughout the movement phase, then push with your hips and legs to explode upward, back into the standing position. Perform three to five sets of five reps.
Step 3
Follow your squats with a pushing exercise, such as the barbell bench press or overhead/military press. Lie flat on your back on a flat weightlifting bench to perform the barbell bench press. Press a loaded barbell up, from the center of your chest, until your arms are straight, with the barbell over you. Perform three to five sets of five repetitions per pushing exercise.
Step 4
Replace the bench press with the overhead/military press occasionally, or if the bench press causes shoulder pain. Stand, feet together, with the barbell in your hands, resting on the front of your shoulders. Use just the muscles of your upper torso, including your chest, shoulders, and arms, to press the bar straight overhead. Do not push with your legs or use momentum to drive the bar upward.
Step 5
Finish your workout with a pulling exercise such as the deadlift or with power cleans. Execute the deadlift by placing a heavily loaded barbell in front of you, on the floor. Squat down so you can grasp the bar in both hands. Stand up, until your body is straight and erect, with the barbell hanging in front of you in both hands.
Step 6
Alternate the dead lift with barbell power cleans. Stand with a barbell in the same starting position as for the dead lift. As you start to pull it upward, use the strength of your legs and upper back to explode upward quickly, all the way onto your toes. Use the momentum of this high pull to draw the bar up, into a resting position on the front of your shoulders. Perform a maximum of three repetitions per set with the power clean. This is a skill-dependent exercise. Performing it to exhaustion can result in injury-causing failure to complete the exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Consult with a certified strength and conditioning specialist to learn the proper form for multi-joint, compound movement barbell exercises such as these. Improper form, under a heavily loaded bar can cause catastrophic injury, or even death. Use abbreviated routines with linear progression if you are a novice athlete, or have never really trained efficiently in the past. Restrict yourself to using four or five total exercises per workout and two to three workouts per week.
- Always consult your personal physician, prior to engaging in any new exercise regimen.
Things You'll Need
- Olympic style barbell with weight plates
- Flat weight lifting bench
- Power cage/squat rack
References
- DanJohn.net: From the Ground Up
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training"; Mark Rippetoe; 2007
- "Science and Practice of Strength Training, 2d Ed"; Vladimir Zatsirosky; 2006
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