Looking to build muscles, strength and power? The best and most traditional method is by using the barbell. Done correctly and with proper form, barbell exercises produce amazing results. Gym trainers can help you with your routines and workout schedules.

Compared to exercise machines, which confines movement to a carefully defined pattern, a good barbell workout routine helps gym goers develop peripheral muscles necessary for balance, creating more natural ranges of motion.

Top Barbell Exercises for Powerful Success

We at Iron Company present the top eight barbell exercises:

1. Squat: With the rear delts and upper back bearing the weight of the barbell, lower yourself down to about a half knee bend with your thighs parallel to the floor. One of the most powerful and effective exercises, the squat helps build muscles in your thighs, hips and hamstrings.
2. Deadlift: The power player of all barbell exercises, the deadlift is the only exercise that builds both the upper and lower body: butt, upper thighs, hamstrings, lower back, upper middle back, trapezoids and forearms.
3. Bench Press: This is best for building the chest and triceps. Obviously, you need a bench press to do this one. Lie on your back while holding the bar with arms extended straight above your chest. Lower to your chest slowly and then back up for 8-12 repetitions.
4. Overhead Press: Sometimes called the military press, the overhead press involves holding the barbell at your chest in front of you and pressing straight upward. This builds powerful arms, triceps especially, and the shoulders.
5. Barbell Row: Hold the barbell in front of you with your palms facing down. Bend your knees slightly with your torso slightly forward, and lift the bar from the waist. This is one of the best exercises for the upper back especially and the biceps.
6. Bicep Curl: Curls are the best exercise for building bulging biceps. Stand upright holding the barbell at hip level with arms straight and palms facing outward. Lift the bar in a curling fashion using your arms; don’t move your back.
7. French Press: This targets almost exclusively the triceps. Sit on a workout bench holding the barbell above your head with palms facing outward. Lower the bar behind your head while trying to keep your upper arms constantly in a vertical, stationary position.
8. Barbell Shrug: This one is simple yet very powerful. Hold the barbell at your waist with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Then simply shrug your shoulders. This is fantastic for the back, especially the trapezoids along your spine. It’s also good for the rear muscles of the deltoids, your shoulders.

Check out our weighted barbells, the gold standard in the fitness and muscle-building industry. Our workout equipment is used by the professionals for bodybuilding, powerlifting, CrossFit and sports training. Whatever you need, we carry a broad line of workout equipment to turn your gym into a powerhouse: power cages and power racks for barbell squats, bench presses, shoulder presses and deadlifts.

We also carry weight plate-loaded strength equipment, selectorized strength-training machines and bodyweight training strength equipment.

About the Author
Jayson Operio’s certifications include: NASM CPT - National Academy of Sports Medicine - Certified Personal Trainer, ACIM CPT - American College of Integrative Medicine - Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and PEX CPT - APEX Fitness Group - 24/5 Complete Personal Trainer. Jayson previously was a personal trainer with 24 Hour Fitness, guiding clients to achieve their fitness and sport performance goals. He has almost twenty years of combined fitness industry sales experience with previous companies Busy Body Home Fitness, Precor Home Fitness, Polar Electro, and currently IRON COMPANY. His passion for fitness was set as a foundation at an early age. With his father in the military, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and running a couple of miles were the norm. It was cross training for physical fitness. Fast forward, and now with over fifteen years in the fitness industry, he has gained experience and knowledge about various products and training techniques, and how they can be utilized to better one's fitness level and/or sport performance. His personal performance goals to run faster, jump higher, cycle longer, and press heavier have influenced his commitment to find fitness solutions. Knowing how the right equipment with proper technique can lead to results first hand, he’s here to share my knowledge with others to find the right products at a great price. Contact Jayson here.