The Only 7 Barbell Exercises You Need to Build Muscle

According to many fitness experts and influencers, gaining muscle and strength requires a state-of-the-art gym, a complex program, and expensive supplements.

However, lifters have been building muscle for hundreds of years using the simplest of programs and most basic training tools.

That’s because effort and consistency are what builds muscle and not fancy equipment.

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 30 years and have worked in numerous gyms. Some have been well-equipped, but others have been much less so. Regardless of the training environment, I always build my workouts around barbells, which I believe are the most reliable training tools available.

All good gyms have barbells, which you can use to work every major muscle, building both size and strength. Barbells are also an excellent option for home lifters. Paired with a bench and a squat rack, you have everything you need for a lifetime of productive training.

But which barbell exercises are best? After all, there is a lot to choose from.

In this article, I share the only seven exercises you need to build muscle. Write your training programs around these movements, and you’ll soon be packing on mass and getting stronger.

The Only 7 Barbell Exercises You Need to Build Muscle

Can’t decide which barbell exercises you should do? I’m not surprised, as there are hundreds to choose from. Let me guide you with this list of the only seven barbell exercises you need to build mass and strength. I’ve also included three variations of each exercise so you can mix up your workouts and avoid training plateaus.

1. Deadlift

Muscles worked: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, forearms.

If you only do one barbell exercise, the deadlift should probably be it. Working every muscle on the back of your body, the deadlift has the power to transform your physique and build incredible strength. Squats are often known as the king of exercises, but, in my opinion, that title belongs to the deadlift. Go hard, lift heavy, and get HUGE with deadlifts!

How to do it:

1. Place your barbell on the floor. Ideally, it should be around mid-shin height.
2. Stand behind the bar with your toes underneath and feet about hip-width apart.
3. Bend down and hold the bar with a mixed or double overhand grip. Straighten your arms, drop your hips, arch your lower back, brace your core, and squeeze your shoulders back and down.
4. Drive your feet into the floor, pull the bar up the front of your legs, and stand upright.
5. Push your hips backward, bend your knees, and lower the weight to the floor.
6. Reset your core and grip, and repeat.

Related: Deadlift Form 101

Tips:

• Use gym chalk or wrist straps to stop your hands from slipping.
• Do not lift with a rounded back, as doing so increases your risk of injury.
• Let the weight settle on the floor between reps – do not bounce the bar back up.

Variations:

• Romanian deadlift
• Sumo deadlift
• Rack pull

2. Squat

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, abductors, adductors, core.

Squats are arguably the best barbell exercise for sculpting bigger, more muscular legs. In fact, entire workouts have been written around this classic barbell exercise, such as the famous 20-rep squat routine. So, forget leg presses, hack squats, leg extensions, etc. The only exercise you really need for powerful legs is squats.

How to do it:

1. Rack and hold a barbell across your upper back. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, core braced, and chest up.
2. Bend your knees and hips, descending until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
3. Drive your feet into the floor and stand back up.
4. Reset your core and repeat.

Tips:

• Squat below parallel if your mobility and joint health allow.
• Make sure the rests on your upper back/trapezius, and not across your neck.
• Raise your heels on blocks or plates to unlock your ankles and squat more deeply.

Variations:

• Front squat
• Box squat
• Overhead squat

3. Bench Press

Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.

The barbell bench press is probably the most popular strength training exercise on the planet. Get any two lifters together, and invariably, one will ask the other, “Hey, how much can you bench?” Whether you want to build a bigger chest or throw or punch harder, the bench press will help.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your bench with your eyes directly beneath the bar. Plant your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Hold the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. Press your butt and upper back into the bench, pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
4. Unrack the bar and hold it over your chest.
5. Bend your arms and lower the bar to lightly touch your sternum. Tuck your elbows into your sides as you descend.
6. Press the bar back up to arm’s length and repeat.

Related: Ultimate Bench Press Guide

Tips:

• Squeeze the bar tightly to increase stability and pressing strength.
• Pause with the bar lightly touching your chest to increase difficulty and pectoralis engagement.
• Wear wrist wraps to support your joints if necessary.

Variations:

1. Incline bench press
2. Floor press
3. Close-grip bench press

4. Bent-Over Row

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, core, biceps, forearms.

You can usually spot an experienced lifter by the size and thickness of their back. That’s because less knowledgeable exercisers tend to focus more on the muscles they can see in the mirror, namely their pecs, biceps, abs, and quads. The barbell row is a bodybuilding classic and one of the best moves for building a powerful, dense back.

How to do it:

1. Hold your barbell with an overhand, slightly wider than hip-width grip. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hinge forward from the hips until your upper body is inclined to around 45 degrees.
3. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders.
4. Without using your legs for help, lead with your elbows and bend your arms to pull the bar up into your abdomen.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Do not round your lower back, as doing so can cause severe injury.
• Use lifting straps if your forearms fail before your back.
• Use an underhand grip if preferred.

Variations:

1. Pendlay row
2. Yates row
3. T-bar row

5. Overhead Press

Muscles worked: Deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, triceps, core.

Before the barbell bench press became the world’s favorite exercise, lifters built and tested their strength with overhead presses. The overhead press is one of the best ways to develop big, powerful shoulders, and it’ll beef up your triceps, too. Work up to pressing heavy loads overhead, and you’ll build a strong and muscular upper body you can be proud of.

How to do it:

1. Grip your barbell with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and hold it across the front of your shoulders.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent for balance. Brace your core and lift your chest.
3. Without using your legs for help, press the bar up and overhead to arm’s length.
4. Return the bar to your shoulders and repeat.

Tips:

• Experiment with your grip width to see what feels most comfortable and effective.
• Avoid leaning back and turning this exercise into a standing incline bench press. This puts too much stress on your lower back.
• Do this exercise in a power rack for safety if using maximal weights.

Variations:

1. Push press
2. Seated overhead press
3. Z press

6. Power Clean

Muscles worked: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, forearms.

The power clean is an explosive full-body exercise that builds speed and power. It’ll also add slabs of muscle to your posterior chain and upper back. Pair this movement with barbell overhead presses for a time-efficient workout that hits almost every muscle in your body.

How to do it:

1. Place your barbell on the floor. Ideally, it should be around mid-shin height.
2. Stand behind the bar with your toes underneath and feet about hip-width apart.
3. Bend down and hold the bar with an overhand grip.
4. Straighten your arms, drop your hips, arch your lower back, brace your core, and squeeze your shoulders back and down.
5. Drive your feet into the floor and stand up rapidly. Pull with your arms as the bar passes your knees.
6. Bring the bar to your shoulders, pushing your elbows forward to catch it across your deltoids. Stand up straight.
7. Lower the bar down the front of your body and back to the floor.
8. Let the bar settle, reset your core and grip, and repeat.

Tips:

• Only attempt this exercise if you have mastered deadlifts.
• Imagine you are jumping – that’s how powerfully you should extend your legs at the start of each rep.
• Try not to overuse your arms during this exercise. Most of the power should come from your hips and legs.

Variations:

1. Sumo deadlift high pull
2. Hang clean
3. Snatch

7. Biceps Curl

Muscles worked: Biceps brachii, forearms.

So, you want bigger, stronger, more muscular arms? We hear you! The barbell biceps curl is arguably the best exercise for turning your puny pistols into massive cannons. While you could do curls with dumbbells or an EZ bar, there is something uniquely satisfying about using an Olympic barbell. This exercise is also an excellent grip and forearm builder.  

How to do it:

1. Hold your barbell with an underhand shoulder to hip-width grip.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core braced. Lift your chest and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. Bend your arms and curl the bar up to your shoulders.
4. Smoothly extend your arms, return to the starting position, and repeat.

Tips:

• Do not use your legs or back to lift the weight, as doing so takes work away from the target muscles.
• Experiment with your grip width to see what feels most comfortable and effective.
• Lean your upper back against a wall or pillar to stop you from using your legs or back to raise the bar.

Variations:

• Barbell reverse curl
• Barbell preacher curl
• Prone incline barbell curl

FAQ’s

Do you have a question about these barbell exercises, or barbell strength training in general? No problem, because I’ve got the answers! Alternatively, drop me a line in the comments section below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

1. What is the best way to organize these exercises into workouts?

There is no reason to focus exclusively on the seven exercises in this article and forgo all others. That said, you can create effective, reasonably balanced workouts from just these seven movements. Here are two example programs using just the barbell exercises from this article:

Push/Pull

Day One	Day Two
Squat	Deadlift
Bench press	Power clean
Overhead press	Bent-over row
	Biceps curl

Upper/Lower

Day One	Day Two
Squat	Bench press
Deadlift	Bent-over row
Power clean	Overhead press
	Biceps curl

Use either of these workouts as the basis for your training. Add whatever extra exercises you need to round out your routine, e.g., barbell skull crushers for your triceps or calf raises.

2. What rep and set scheme works best for barbell training?

Your ideal rep range depends on what you are training for. To build strength, you should use heavy weights and keep your reps low, typically 3-5 per set.

In contrast, to build muscle, you can use any rep count from six per set to 30 or more. Just make sure you take your sets close to failure, as studies tell us this is critical for triggering hypertrophy or muscle growth (1).

Regarding the number of sets, most people get good results from 3-5 per exercise. If you need to do more than this, you may be resting too long between efforts or stopping too far from failure.

3. What else can I do besides barbell training without using machines?

Barbell-only training can be effective, but it can also be limiting. Variety is essential for making your workouts enjoyable and more rounded. Personally, I like to combine barbells with bodyweight, dumbbell, and resistance band exercises.

These low-tech tools allow you to train your muscles from alternative angles, ensuring better development and more varied workouts.

4. What barbell exercises can I do for my abs?

I’ll admit that there aren’t many barbell abs exercises to choose from. However, my favorites include:

• Rollouts
• Suitcase deadlift
• Full-contact twists
• Floor wipers
• Single-arm barbell farmer’s carry

Do these exercises toward the end of your workouts to sculpt a strong, stable core.

5. Can I use barbells to burn fat and get fit?

You certainly can! You can incorporate barbell exercises into circuit training and HIIT workouts to burn fat and improve fitness. However, another option is barbell complexes, where you do several back-to-back exercises without stopping or putting the weight down.

For example, do five reps of each of the following movements:

1. Deadlift
2. Power clean
3. Front squat
4. Overhead press
5. Back squat

Rest for 1-2 minutes and then repeat the sequence 2-4 more times for a full-body workout that burns fat and fitness simultaneously. You can read more about barbell complexes for fitness and fat loss here.

Closing Thoughts

You don’t need a lot of fancy or expensive training equipment to get in great shape. In fact, all you really need is a barbell and a pile of weight plates. That’s how the bodybuilders and strongmen of old built muscle and strength. It worked for them, and it’ll work for you, too.

Instead of a state-of-the-art gym, what you need is determination, discipline, and dedication. Consistent workouts build more muscle and strength than fancy exercise machines or expensive gym memberships.

So, grab your barbell and get to work. Contrary to what you may have heard, building muscle and strength are not complicated, but they do require work. Focusing on these seven barbell exercises is a great way to trim unnecessary exercises from your workouts, so you have more time and energy for what actually works.

References:

1. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022 Mar;11(2):202-211. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2021.01.007. Epub 2021 Jan 23. PMID: 33497853; PMCID: PMC9068575.

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