Best Barbell Exercises (Videos Included)

Here are some of the top barbell exercises Andy recommends. Follow his step-by-step instructions for perfect form and maximum benefits.

Barbell Squat

The barbell squat is the quintessential lower body barbell exercise, and can be performed with the barbell either in front of or behind you (called a front squat or back squat, respectively). Holding the barbell behind you is generally considered a safer way to start.

Exactly How to do the Barbell Squat

• Place the barbell on your trapezius and shoulders, behind your neck. Pull your elbows and shoulders down and back to feel a little tension, anchoring the barbell to your upper back.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly out.
• Engage your core.
• Begin to lower your body into a traditional squat position, keeping your back straight and your chest lifted throughout the movement.
• Continue until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or slightly lower).
• Press your heels hard down to return to a standing position.
• Repeat for as many reps as you need.

If you’re used to goblet squats, your center of gravity may feel a little off because the barbell is behind you. Avoid arching your back, especially as you stand up from the bottom of the squat. Keep your torso very strong and stable, and keep thinking about tightening your ribs.

Barbell Bent-Over Row

What Muscles Barbell Bent-Over Row works

This upper-body barbell exercise works the tensor muscles in your arms, shoulders, and back.

Exactly How to Do Barbell Bent-Over Row

• Start by placing a barbell on the floor in front of you with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend over and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width (your palms should be facing your body and your thumbs should be wrapped around the barbell).
• Carefully stand up, then bend forward until your upper body is at a 45- to 60-degree angle to the floor. This is the starting position.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your elbows back while pulling the barbell toward you.
• Slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.
• Perform as many repetitions as you need.

Pay Attention: Avoid arching your back and pull the barbell toward your ribs instead of your chest to ensure you’re engaging the correct muscles.

Barbell Bench Press

What Muscles Barbell Bench Press Work

Another upper body dumbbell exercise, this move works the thrusting muscles of the arms, shoulders, and chest, while also engaging the core.

Exactly How to Do Barbell Bench Press

• Lie on your back on a bench and place the barbell on the rack directly over your shoulders with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Keep your feet planted on the ground and your hips pressed into the bench.
• Engage your core and avoid rounding your back.
• Carefully lift the barbell off the rack.
• With control, lower the barbell toward your chest. Your elbows should be at a 45-degree angle to your upper body.
• Lower the barbell until your elbows are just under the bench, then lift the barbell back up.
• Repeat until you reach your desired number of reps.

Pay Attention: One of the biggest problems you may see is lifting the barbell too high, almost to your neck. Instead, lower the barbell to where your pectorals meet your sternum.

Barbell Hip Thrust

What Muscles Barbell Hip Thrust Work

Similar to the hip bridge, the barbell hip thrust targets the glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Exactly How to Do Barbell Hip Thrust

• Start sitting on the floor with your upper back and shoulders resting on a bench. Roll the barbell up to your hip crease.
• Pushing through your heels and squeezing your glutes, lift your hips and barbell up so your body forms a straight line between your shoulders, hips, and knees. You can place your hands lightly on the barbell to hold it in place.
• Lower your hips under control until your butt just touches the floor.
• Perform as many repetitions as you like.
• Imagine lifting your tailbone off the floor. This will help you move your entire body together, rather than pulling up with your torso, which can hurt your back.

Barbell Deadlift

What Muscles Barbell Deadlift

The deadlift is another classic barbell exercise. It works the glutes and hamstrings.

Exactly How to Do Barbell Deadlift

• Start by placing the barbell on the floor in front of you with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend over and grab the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width (palms should be facing your body and thumbs should be wrapped around the barbell), engaging your core and glutes.
• With your knees slightly bent, chest lifted, and back straight, pull the barbell slightly upward until you feel tension. We call this slacking the barbell.
• Pushing through your heels, press up to a standing position. “Imagine pushing your feet toward the floor,” says Andy. Pause here for a moment and squeeze your glutes.
• With control, lower the barbell to the floor.
• Perform as many reps as you like.

Pay Attention: when slacking the barbell, you are not trying to pull the barbell off the floor with your upper body. You need to feel the weight of the barbell through your body so you know what’s coming next.

Barbell Press

What Muscles Barbell Press

The overhead press uses a similar pressing motion to the bench press, but with a greater focus on the shoulders.

Exactly How to Do Barbell Press

• Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. With your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, lift the barbell to your chest in front of your neck.
• Brace your core and hips as you lift the barbell overhead. This allows you to achieve a strong, safe, and stable pressing position. Try not to arch your back or tilt your head forward.
• Lower the barbell to your chest.
• Perform your desired number of repetitions.

Pay Attention: The barbell may be very close to your face during the overhead press, which may take some time to get used to. You may want to actively consider moving your chin back slightly.

If you’re used to dumbbell training or other strength training exercises and are ready for a new challenge, adding some barbell movements to your routine might be just the progression you need. Here’s everything you need to know about trying barbell training for the first time.

Barbell Training Basics: What You Need to Know to Get Started

Peloton trainer Andy Speer says that if you’re new to it, it’s best to familiarize yourself with other forms of strength training before you pick up a barbell. “You should probably have some practice, experience, and competency with the moves you want to do with the barbell,” he notes.

For example, maybe you’ve done goblet squats before and now you’re ready to try a barbell back squat. Or, maybe you’ve done bent-over dumbbell rows or dumbbell deadlifts and now want to try those moves with a barbell. “Getting confident with the actual moves before picking up a barbell is a safer and more effective approach,” Andy says.

Even if you’re used to doing some moves with heavy dumbbells, he always recommends that barbell beginners start with a barbell without adding weight, “just to get familiar with the difference in how you grip the barbell and how the barbell reacts to your body.”

It’s also worth seeking out some professional help when you’re first starting out. Consider working with a physical therapist, certified personal trainer, or group fitness instructor, who can help you learn basic barbell moves, correct your posture, and keep you safe and injury-free.

Barbell Safety Tips

Whether you seek professional help or not, Andy says it’s important to remember the following:

• Increase weight gradually. Go up a little at a time and see how your body reacts before adding extra weight.
• Do barbell exercises slowly and in a controlled manner, especially if you’re new to the routine and need to get a feel for new moves.
• Warm up before doing a barbell workout (just like any workout!). Andy recommends starting with the bodyweight or dumbbell moves you’ll be doing with the barbell later. For example, “I’d do a few sets of goblet squats before picking up the barbell to do front squats,” he says, or you could do pushups before a barbell bench press.
• Be sure to be aware that the barbell you’re holding may come into contact with your body (or someone else’s body). “When I move the barbell, or get it close to my chin and face, it’s more likely to hit my calves or thighs, so think about how you can get the barbell as close to your body as safely as possible without it coming into contact in a way that would hurt it,” Andy says.
• Take care of your wrists. Barbell exercises are much more demanding on your wrists than dumbbell exercises, which allow you to move your arms more freely, Andy says. Increasing wrist mobility—like this 10-minute wrist mobility class—can help avoid injury or discomfort to these joints and muscles.
• Always use safety clips on your barbells, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). This prevents the plates from sliding off during an exercise.
• Stop doing any barbell exercises if you feel pain or dizziness, according to the AAFP.

Benefits of Barbell Training

The biggest benefit of barbell training, Andy says, is the weight. You can generally load a barbell with more weight than you can with dumbbells or kettlebells in your average gym. Plus, you’ll typically take a loaded barbell straight off the rack and start the exercise—it’s much harder to lift equally heavy dumbbells off the floor and up to your shoulders before you’ve done an overhead press. “When you feel like you can lift heavier weights than you can with dumbbells and kettlebells, you can put more weight on the bar,” he says.

But there are some smaller benefits to keep in mind:

• You can add weight in more manageable increments than with dumbbells. “I can go from 150 pounds on the bench press to 152 or 155 pounds,” Andy says. That’s a smaller percentage increase than, say, going from 50 to 55 pounds with dumbbells, “which is great for really intentional increases in your strength.”
• You can add variety to your strength training. Mixing up your workouts helps avoid overtraining and overuse injuries, and may make you more likely to stick with your workout because you won’t get bored. “If you can learn how to use all the tools available to you, you’ll have more tools to choose from when you’re programming and working out,” Andy says.