Basic barbell exercises – what are the benefits and why should you do them?

The barbell is a classic bodybuilding and strength training tool for gaining muscle mass. The presence of a barbell and a set of weights allows you to perform many different exercises for all muscle groups of the body – without machines and other equipment.

There are five main multi-joint exercises with a barbell – these are squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, military presses, and bench presses (the only exercise of these that requires a bench). Let’s look at how to do them correctly – technique and tips.

Basic barbell exercises

The fundamental difference between basic exercises with a barbell is that when they are performed, several large muscle groups are included in the work at once – which is why they are called multi-joint. In turn, exercises on machines are more often isolating.

Some basic exercises can be replaced with machine variations (such as squats, military presses, and bench presses) – while deadlifts and bent-over rows can only be done with free weights.

The deadlift is considered to be the number one strength exercise – with the right technique, it trains the muscles of the back, body, and back of the thighs. But it is precisely because of the powerful effect on the figure in bodybuilding that the deadlift is replaced with lighter exercises – in order to avoid excessive leg enlargement.

Why should you do these exercises?

Muscle growth requires three conditions – increased caloric intake, sufficient recovery time, and regular increase in working weights in exercises. At the same time, multi-joint exercises performed in 3-4 sets of 5-7 repetitions in each work best.

In order to bulk up, it is important to focus on the main exercises – honing their technique and constantly increasing the load. The advantage of the bar is that when using small weights, you can increase the weight by literally 1-2 kg – while the load in a machine changes in larger increments.

Multi-joint exercises

Performing multi-joint basic exercises with heavy weight puts a load on the entire body of the athlete – both the key muscle group and the accompanying ones. For example, with the bench press, both the chest and the arms and muscles of the shoulder girdle work (due to the load on the shoulder joint).

In addition, the respiratory and even the central nervous system receives a load – this is what provides a powerful hormonal response leading to muscle growth. In particular, basic barbell exercises increase testosterone and growth hormone levels.

Five basic exercises you can do right now

Most isolation exercises performed with dumbbells or machines are variations of basic exercises. For example, the seated dumbbell press or shoulder press is a modified military press. Just like the bench press, this is the basis of any bench press in the machines.

1. Deadlift

Deadlift is the number one basic exercise for the muscles of the body. If you only do it and give up any others, you will still see the result in the form of mass gain, since it is the deadlift that involves the maximum number of muscles in the work.

2. Squats

Barbell squats are a basic exercise for developing leg muscles, from the glutes and quadriceps of the thigh to the calves. With the correct execution technique, the spine and abdominal muscles are also included in the work, forming strong abs.

3. Bench Press

The bench press is a key exercise for developing the muscles of the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscles. Depending on the angle of the bench and the width of the arms on the bar, it is possible to include various bundles of the pectoral muscle in the work.

4. Barbell Row

The barbell row is a basic exercise for developing the muscles of the back and giving it a visual width. When performed correctly, the delts, pectoral muscles, forearms, and muscles of the hands are also included in the work.

5. Military Press

The military press develops the shoulder girdle, deltoid muscles, and arms, improves posture, and strengthens the abdominal muscles. It is this basic exercise that forms the classic athletic figure with broad shoulders.

Pros and cons of barbell training

Firstly, the basic exercises, performed correctly, have a positive effect on the symmetry of the muscles – since the bar must be held with both hands at once, its weight is distributed evenly over the body. As a result, a proportional physique is formed.

Secondly, multi-joint exercises develop the neuromuscular connection of muscles with the brain – or, in simple words, the ability to involve muscles in work. The use of machines simplifies training and can shift the load from the main muscle to the secondary ones.

Cons of basic exercises

The main disadvantage of basic exercises is that they require perfect knowledge of the correct technique. Performing these exercises with heavy weight increases the risk of injury even with the slightest mistake – which is why it is best to learn the correct technique of these exercises with a personal trainer.

In addition, many beginners tend to progress too quickly, unnecessarily increasing the working weight and doing more frequent strength training than their body needs. It must be remembered that it is necessary to train large muscle groups no more than once every 60-70 hours.

Basic barbell exercises are five multi-joint exercises that are sufficient to work out all the major muscle groups of the body. Since mass training involves regularly increasing the working weight, it is easiest to do this when doing barbell exercises.