Tag: build muscle

Build Muscle Size and Strength with Our Full Body Barbell Workouts

When it comes to exercise variety, commercial gym members are spoiled for choice. With access to an array of resistance machines, exercisers can train their muscles in a variety of ways, often targeting individual muscles with laser-like precision. Name a muscle, and there is probably a machine to train it.
Popular resistance training machines include:

Leg extension
Arm curl
Leg press
Chest press
Pec deck
Seated row
Lat pulldown
Leg curl
Triceps pushdown

However, while machines are safe and convenient, they’re not always the best way to train for functional strength and size. For starters, real-life weights don’t move in perfectly straight lines because they’re not guided on rods.  
Also, it’s rare to use a muscle or single joint in isolation. Most human movements are the result of several muscles and joints working together.
Finally, some exercise machines bear little resemblance to the movements of daily life. After all, apart from pulling yourself upright in your La-Z-Boy chair, when was the last time you did a seated leg curl outside of the gym?
None of this means that machine exercises are bad. It’s just that, in some situations, free weights are better. Plus, not all exercisers have access to all machines. For example, if you work out at home, your equipment choices may be much more limited.
In this article, we celebrate the barbell by providing you with two full-body barbell workouts – one that involves a bench and squat rack and one that doesn’t.
Why Barbell Training Rocks!
Jeff Nippard doing Barbell Training
A lot of exercisers are quick to dismiss barbells as low-tech or old-school. While both of these criticisms are true, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great workout with just a barbell and a stack of weights. In fact, barbells offer a wide range of benefits. These include:
Affordable – while barbells are available in a wide range of prices, basic models are not expensive. As such, barbell training can be very cost-effective, which is great news if you are working out on a budget.
Versatile – think of a muscle or muscle group, and there is a barbell exercise to train it. You can develop your entire body with a single barbell and weights, making it an incredibly versatile piece of equipment. In contrast, most resistance machines are one-trick ponies and can only be used for a single exercise.
Ideal for heavy weights – barbells are perfect for building strength with heavy loads. Lifting heavy weights can also increase muscle density. Barbells are made for loading with heavy weights, and most barbell exercises are compound, meaning they involve multiple muscle groups. This allows you to lift even heavier loads, pushing and developing your strength to its limit.
Time-efficient – barbells require minimal set-up time, and you can transition from one exercise to the next very quickly. That’s especially true when you keep things really simple and train with just a bar and skip benches, racks, etc.
Functional – many barbell exercises replicate the movements and demands of physical activity outside of the gym. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses will help build functional strength, which transfers to life out in the real world. The same cannot always be said for some machine exercises. For example, pec deck flies and leg extensions are a pretty unusual movements outside of the gym.
Fun – while this is a largely personal point of view, lifting heavy barbells is both challenging and fun. Seeing more plates on the bar than last week is rewarding and motivating and will make it easier to stick with your training program.
Barbell Training Considerations and Drawbacks
While barbell training is mostly effective and practical, in the name of fairness, there are a few drawbacks to consider, too: 
 Safety – unfortunately, barbell training can sometimes be dangerous. A failed rep can leave you pinned under a heavy weight, and serious injuries and even death can be the result. Avoid mishaps by working out with a spotter or stopping your set a couple of reps before failure. Better yet, work out in a power rack. Exercise your common sense alongside your muscles.

Relatively few isolation exercises – most barbell exercises are compound in nature. That means they involve multiple joints and muscles working together. While this is usually viewed as a good thing, it may be a drawback if you want to prioritize a specific muscle, e.g., your medial deltoids. Barbell training can make you big and strong, but you may need to hone your physique with some specific isolation exercises.
Heavy starting weight – most Olympic barbells weigh 45 pounds or 20kg. As such, even an empty barbell may be too heavy for some lifters, particularly for beginners or when doing isolation exercises like front raises. However, there so-called fitness bars available which weigh about half as much as an Olympic bar, and are ideal for beginners.
Not suitable for drop sets – a drop set is where you rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the load by 10-15%, and then rep out again. This training method allows you to push your muscles beyond their usual quitting point.  
However, stripping weight plates off a barbell is time-consuming, which means most barbell exercises are impractical for drop sets. Drop sets work best with machine and dumbbell exercises, where weight changes can be completed more quickly.
Full-Body Workout #1 – Barbell Only
If you work out at home, you may not have space for a bench or squat rack. However, you should have no problem finding room for a barbell and weight plates. The good news is that you can still get a great workout, even if your list of gym equipment is limited to a barbell and weights.  
All you need for the following workout is a barbell, plates, collars, and enough space to wield them without breaking anything!
Do the following free weight workout 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days.
For example:

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Workout
Rest
Workout
Rest
Workout
Rest   
Rest

But before you start lifting any weights, it’s crucial to warm up and prepare your body for the challenges that await.
Begin with a few minutes of easy cardio, and then move on to dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises that target the muscles and joints you are about to use. These preparatory steps will set you up for a safer and more effective workout session.
Related: How to Warm Up for Strength Training
Warmed-up and ready to go? Then let’s get to work! 

#
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery

1
Zercher squat
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

2
Romanian deadlift
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

3
Floor press  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

4
Meadows row
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

5
Lunge
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

6
Cuban press
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

7
Biceps curl
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

8
Skull crusher
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

9
Barbell rollout
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

10
Barbell crunch
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

Workout #1 Exercise Instructions
There are two ways to do any barbell exercise – the right way and the wrong way. The right way is safe and effective. In contrast, the wrong way is dangerous and usually less productive, even if it allows you to lift heavier weights.
So, follow these instructions to ensure you’re doing the exercises in your barbell workout correctly!
1. Zercher squat
Muscles trained: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
The Zercher squat was invented by American powerlifter and strongman Ed Zercher when he needed a way to do squats without a squat rack. While this exercise does put a lot of pressure on your arms, which may limit the amount of weight you can lift, this is an excellent option for anyone who wants to train their legs but only has access to a barbell.
Steps:

Hold your barbell in the crook of your elbows. Bend your arms, clasp your hands together, and pull your upper arms into your sides. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
Step out and into a shoulder-width stance, feet turned slightly outward.
Bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
Stand back up and repeat.

Tips:

Use a rolled towel, folded exercise mat, or a squat bar pad to protect your arms if necessary.
Push your knees out as you descend to maximize glute engagement.
Take care not to round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.

2. Romanian deadlift
Muscles trained: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
With no leg curl available, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to train your hamstrings using only a barbell. This exercise is the answer! The hamstrings are a biaxial muscle that crosses two joints – the knee and the hip. As such, it affects both these joints. So, as well as flexing your knees, the hamstrings also extend the hips, which is what you’ll be doing during this exercise.  
Steps:

Hold a barbell with an overhand or mixed shoulder-width grip and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Brace your core, pull your shoulders back and down, and bend your knees slightly.
Hinging from your hips, lean forward and lower the bar down the front of your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
Stand back up and repeat.

Tips:

Adjust your range of motion according to your flexibility.
Do not round your lower back.
Keep your knees slightly bent but rigid throughout. Do not straighten your legs.

Check out our complete guide Romanian deadlift.
3. Floor press 
Muscles trained: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
The bench press is arguably the most popular barbell chest exercise around. No bench? No problem, because you can work all of the same muscles with floor presses. In fact, this exercise predates bench presses by many years, as commercial training benches were only really available after the 1940s. Before that, if you wanted to press while lying on your back, this is how you did it.

Steps:

Holding a barbell with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder width overhand grip, lie on your back with your arms straight and the weight over your chest. Press your upper back into the floor for stability.
Bend your elbows and lower your upper arms to lightly touch the floor.
Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

You can do this exercise with straight or bent legs as preferred.
Lower the weight slowly to avoid hitting the floor too hard with your elbows and upper arms.
Adjust your grip to match your goals – move your hands closer together to emphasize your triceps or further apart to hit your pecs more.

4. Meadows row
Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, forearms.
The Meadows row was invented by professional bodybuilder and coach John “Mountain Dog” Meadows. This exercise is somewhat unique because, unlike most barbell movements, you only use one arm at a time. This is probably the most lower back-friendly barbell rowing exercise around.
Steps:

Place your barbell on the floor with one end against a wall. Stand perpendicular to the other end. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
Lean forward and grip the end of the barbell with an overhand grip. Pull your shoulder back, brace your core, and turn your hips away from the bar to put your lats into a slightly stretched position. Use your free hand for support if required.
Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the end of the bar up and into your ribs.
Extend your arm and continue for the prescribed number of reps.
Switch sides and repeat.

Tips:

Chalk your hands to prevent them from slipping off the end of the barbell.
You can let the weight settle on the floor between reps if you wish.
Do the same number of reps on both sides to develop all your muscles equally.

5. Lunge
Muscles trained: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, abductors, adductors, core
Most barbell leg exercises are bilateral or two-limbed. While they’re great for building muscle size and strength, they may disguise left-to-right strength imbalances. While slight imbalances are normal, bigger differences can cause dysfunction, pain, and injuries. Lunges are a great way to ensure both of your legs are developed equally.
Steps:

Hold a barbell across your upper back. Stand with your feet together, core braced, and shoulders pulled down and back.
Take a large step forward, bend your legs, and lower your rear knee down to within an inch of the floor.
Push off your front leg and bring your feet back together.
Do your next rep with your other leg.
Continue alternating legs for the duration of your set.

Tips:

Take a shorter step to maximize quads engagement or a longer step to work your glutes and hamstrings more.
Lean forward slightly to hit your glutes and hamstrings more.
Rest the bar on your upper back and not on your neck, which would be uncomfortable and could even be dangerous.

6. Cuban press
Muscles trained: Deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, triceps.
The Cuban press is one of the only barbell exercises to hit all three deltoid heads – anterior, medial, and posterior – fairly equally. It’s also an excellent exercise for improving shoulder mobility and stability as it works your rotator cuff, too. This is an awesome one-stop shoulder exercise!
Steps:

Hold a barbell with a slightly wider-than-shoulder-width, overhand grip. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders down and back, and core braced.
Bend your elbows and row the bar up the front of your body to your lower chest.
Next, rotate the bar forward and up to your forehead.
Press the bar overhead to arm’s length.
Reverse the movement, return to the starting position, and repeat.

Tips:

Adjust your grip width for comfort.
Go light – any momentum will take work away from the target muscles.
Lead with your elbows during the row to maximize upper trap and deltoid engagement.

7. Biceps curl
Muscles trained: Biceps brachii.
No full-body workout would be complete without a biceps exercise. After all, the biceps are the most famous muscle in the human body, and almost every person who ever lifted weights wants stronger, more muscular arms. The barbell curl is arguably one of the best exercises for building great biceps.
Steps:

Hold your barbell with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, core braced, and shoulders back and down.
Starting with your arms straight, flex your elbows and curl the bar up to your shoulders.
Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

Keep your upper arms close to your sides throughout.
Do not use your back or legs to lift the weight. If you need to cheat the bar up, it’s too heavy.
Lean your upper back against a pillar or wall if you cannot do biceps curls without cheating.

8. Skull crusher
Muscles trained: Triceps.
The barbell skull crusher is traditionally performed while lying on a bench. However, it works just as well as a floor exercise. This is a great triceps builder, but you should take care not to lower the bar too quickly, or skull crushers could live up to their name!
Steps:

Holding a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip, lie on your back with your arms straight and the weight over your chest. Press your upper back into the floor for stability.
Keeping your upper arms vertical, bend your elbows and lower the bar to your forehead.
Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

Perform this exercise with legs bent or straight as preferred.
Avoid doing skull crushers to failure to prevent potentially serious accidents.
Rest the bar on the floor behind your head to make getting into position easier.

9. Barbell rollout
Muscles trained: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis.
While there is nothing wrong with bodyweight abs exercises, many are too easy to do much for your strength or muscular development. Barbell rollouts are much more challenging and will help you develop the rock-hard abs you’ve always dreamed of.
Steps:

Load your barbell and secure the weight plates with collars. Place your barbell on the floor.
Kneel behind your barbell and hold it with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your abs.
Push the bar away from you and lower your upper body down toward the floor.
Using your abs and lats, pull the bar back into your knees.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

Do not hyperextend your lower back. Reduce your range of motion if you feel this exercise in your lumbar spine.
Keep your abs contracted throughout.
Make this exercise harder by starting each rep in the standing position.

10. Barbell crunch
Muscles trained: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis.
Bodyweight crunches are a decent abs exercise, but if you can do more than 30 reps, they probably don’t make the best use of your training time. Barbell crunches provide a simple way to overload your muscles, reducing the number of reps and time you need to reach failure.
Steps:

Holding a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width, overhand grip, lie on your back with your arms straight and the weight over your chest.
Bend your legs and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
Lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor, pushing the barbell up toward the ceiling.
Lie back down and repeat.

Tips:

Don’t go too heavy too soon; this exercise is harder than it looks.
Exhale as you lift your shoulders to maximize abs engagement.
Anchor your feet if necessary, e.g., under another barbell.

Full-Body Workout #2 – Barbell, Bench, and Squat Rack
While you can have a great workout using just a barbell, you’ll have access to a wider range of exercises if you also have an adjustable bench and a squat or power rack. These simple tools will make your workouts much more varied and interesting.
The following workout assumes you have a barbell, a bench, and a squat rack and, like the previous plan, trains your entire body. As before, you should do this workout 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
However, do not attempt this workout until you’ve completed a thorough warm-up.

#
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery

1
Paused squat  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

2
Rack pull
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

3
Incline bench press  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

4
Pendlay row
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

5
Lateral lunge
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

6
Bradford press
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

7
Pull-up  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

8
Close grip bench press  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

9
1½ rep biceps curl
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

10
Barbell leg raises  
2-4
6-20
60-90 seconds

Workout #2 Exercise Instructions
Get more from your workouts while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by always training with good form. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make sure you’re doing each exercise correctly.
1. Paused squat 
Muscles trained: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Barbell squats are a great exercise, but they’re even better when you pause at the bottom of each rep. This pause breaks up the stretch-shortening reflex, making each rep more challenging while increasing your time under tension. Paused squats turn the king of exercises into something approaching god-like status!
Steps:

In a squat rack, rest and hold a barbell across your upper back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and core braced.
Bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
Without relaxing, stay in this position for 1-3 seconds.
Drive your feet into the floor and stand up.
That’s one rep – keep going.

Tips:

Stay tight at the bottom of each rep; do not relax!
The longer you pause, the harder this exercise becomes.
Experiment with your stance width to determine what works best for you.

2. Rack pull
Muscles trained: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, biceps, forearms.
The deadlift is a great exercise, but tall and inflexible people often find lifting a barbell from the floor awkward or uncomfortable. This modified variation works the same muscles as conventional deadlifts but is much more lower-back friendly.
Steps:

Place your barbell in a squat rack set to just above or below knee height.
Stand behind the bar and hinge forward from your hips. Hold your barbell with an overhand or mixed shoulder-width grip.
Straighten your arms, pull your shoulders down and back, lift your chest, and brace your core.
Drive your feet into the floor, push your hips forward, and stand up straight.
Lower the bar back to the pins, let the weight settle for a second, and repeat.

Tips:

Wear a weightlifting belt to support and protect your lower back.
Keep the bar pressed back toward your legs to maximize lat engagement.
Take care not to round your lower back, as doing so could cause severe injury.

3. Incline bench press 
Muscles trained: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
The flat bench press might be the world’s favorite chest exercise, but for some lifters, it’s not an effective pec builder. Instead, many lifters feel bench presses more in their shoulders than their chests, and it can even cause joint pain. Incline bench presses may be better for both chest development and shoulder health.
Steps:

Adjust the backrest of your bench to about 30 degrees and place it in your squat rack.
Lie on the bench and hold the bar over your chest using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
Bend your arms and lower the bar to your upper chest.
Push the bar back up and repeat.

Tips:

Experiment with the angle of your bench to see what works best and feels more comfortable. 10-30 degrees is generally best, and a steeper angle soon becomes more of a shoulder exercise.
Consider using wrist wraps if you need more joint support for this exercise.
Use a wider grip to emphasize your chest or a narrower grip to hit your triceps more.

4. Pendlay row
Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, core.
Pendlay rows are named after American weightlifting and powerlifting coach Glen Pendlay. Each rep starts and ends with the barbell resting on the floor, so it’s also known as dead stop rows. This mini-break between reps allows you to reset your core and grip, which should enhance your performance of this back-building exercise.
Steps:

Place your barbell on the floor and stand behind it so your toes are under the bar, feet about shoulder-width apart.
Lean forward and hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
Straighten your arms, pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
Bend your arms and pull the weight off the floor and into your abdomen.
Lower the weight back to the floor, reset your grip and core, and repeat.

Tips:

Do not use your legs or lower back to lift the weight, as doing so takes stress off the target muscles.
Keep your lower back slightly arched throughout. A rounded lower back is a weak lower back.
Use lifting straps to reinforce your grips if necessary.

5. Lateral lunge
Muscles trained: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, abductors, adductors.
Lunging sideways instead of forward adds a whole new dimension to this popular lower-body exercise. Lateral lunges are an excellent exercise for athletes from all sports and anyone who wants to develop their inner and outer thighs, glutes, and hips. Go light – this exercise is more strenuous than it looks. Expect some gnarly DOMS after doing this exercise the first few times.
Steps:

Rack and hold a barbell across your upper back. Stand with your feet together and core braced.
Take a large step out to the right and bend your right knee. Descend until your right thigh is roughly parallel to the floor. Keep your left leg straight.
Push off your right foot and bring your legs back together.
Do your next rep to the left.
Continue alternating sides for the duration of your set.

Tips:

A good exercise for improving hip strength and mobility.
An effective way to identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
An excellent exercise for athletes that have to zigzag, e.g., basketball and soccer players.

6. Barbell Bradford press
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, triceps.   
The barbell Bradford press is named after American weightlifter and strength coach Jim Bradford. It’s a unique exercise that hits all three deltoid heads reasonably equally. It also keeps the target muscles under constant tension, which boost your pump while maximizing muscle growth.
Steps: 

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your front shoulders, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and elbows pointed forward. Brace your core and stand in good posture with your head up and chest lifted.
Press the bar up so it’s level with the top of your head.
Push the bar backward and lower it behind your neck.
Next, push the bar back up and over your head, lowering it to the front of your neck.
That’s one rep – keep going!

Tips:

Keep the bar close to your head at all times.
Go light and focus on keeping tension on your deltoids for the duration of your set. Do not use your legs to help you bump the weight over your head.
Skip this exercise if you have a history of shoulder pain.

7. Pull-up 
Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps.
Okay – you caught us! While pull-ups aren’t a barbell exercise, you can do them in most squat and power racks. The mighty pull-up is one of the best exercises for building a broader, more muscular back. Frankly, it would be a crime not to include them in one of the workouts in this article.
Steps:

Hold an overhead bar, such as a barbell set high in a power rack, with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Hang with your arms straight, shoulders down and back, and core braced.
Bend your arms and pull your chin up and over the bar.
Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

Pull your elbows down and behind you to maximize back engagement.
Experiment with your grip width to see what feels most comfortable and effective.
Do not swing or kick with your legs, as doing so takes work away from the target muscles.

8. Close grip bench press 
Muscles trained: Triceps, pectoralis major, deltoids.
The close grip bench press is a compound exercise emphasizing your triceps while also working your chest and shoulders. Using several muscle groups together means you should be able to lift a substantial weight to build both muscle size and strength. This exercise is best done in a power rack for safety.
Steps:

Place a flat workout bench in the middle of your squat rack.
Lie on the bench and hold the bar over your chest using a slightly narrower than shoulder-width grip.
Bend your arms and lower the bar to your chest.
Push the bar back up and repeat.

Tips:

Keep your upper arms close to your sides to maximize triceps engagement.
Do not use a very close grip, as doing so can hurt your wrists, elbows, or shoulders.
Do this exercise with a spotter or end your set 2-3 reps before failure for safety.

9. 1½ rep biceps curl
Muscles trained: Biceps.
While barbell biceps curls are an excellent exercise, you could become somewhat immune to them if you do that variation all the time. 1½ rep biceps curls add a twist to that classic arm-building exercise, ensuring your biceps gains never stall. However, this IS a very intense exercise, so don’t use too much weight too soon.
Steps:

Hold your barbell with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, core braced, and shoulders back and down.
Starting with your arms straight, flex your elbows and curl the bar up to your shoulders.
Extend your arms and lower the barbell halfway down, i.e., to 90 degrees.
Curl it back up to your shoulders.
Lower it all the way down until your arms are straight, and repeat the entire 1½-rep sequence.

Tips:

Do not use your legs or back to help you lift the weight.
Keep your upper arms close to your asides to maximize biceps engagement.
Lean your back against a wall or pillar if you cannot perform this exercise without cheating.

10. Barbell leg raises 
Muscles trained: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, hip flexors.
There are lots of bodyweight abs exercises to choose from, many of which can be very effective. However, weighted exercises are often a better choice as they allow you to adjust the load according to your strength and goals. Barbell leg raises combine a classic bodyweight abs exercise with weights to deliver an intense core workout.
Steps:

Lie on the floor and hold a barbell over your chest using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Brace your core and press your lower back into the floor. Lift your feet a few inches off the floor.
Keeping your legs straight, raise your legs until they’re vertical. Lift your hips a few inches off the floor to maximally engage your abs.
Lower your legs back down, stopping just before they touch the floor.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

Bend your legs to make this exercise a little easier.
Start light – even an empty barbell will be challenging for many people.
Keep your lower back pressed into the floor at all times.

FAQs
Do you have a question about either of our full-body workouts or barbell training in general? No worries because we’ve got the answers!
1. How many reps per set should I do?
Not so many years ago, most fitness experts believed that you had to do 6-12 reps to build muscle, and higher reps were best for building endurance. While this made sense, research now suggests that almost any rep range can build muscle, provided you take your sets to within 1-3 reps of failure. It seems that there is no optimal rep range for hypertrophy or endurance. (1).
So, base your reps per set on your personal preferences and how much weight you have available. Some people prefer lower-rep sets, e.g., 6-8, while others prefer higher reps, i.e., 20-30. Both options can build muscle mass.
However, if you want to build pure strength, lower reps with heavy weights are still the way to go. That said, not all of the exercises in these programs are suitable for heavy strength training, and the workouts are more for general fitness and muscle building.
2. Can I build a good physique training with just a barbell?
You certainly can! Before resistance machines gained popularity, most people trained with barbell and dumbbell exercises, which they often supplemented with calisthenics or bodyweight training.
Gyms were often known as “barbell clubs,” and typical bodybuilding workouts revolved around basic compound barbell exercises. Even the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger used simple barbell workouts in the off-season to build mass and strength.
So don’t feel you are missing out because you only have a barbell to train with; it’s arguably one of the most potent strength and muscle-building tools available.
3. Are these cutting or bulking programs?
Cutting (losing fat) and bulking (building muscle) have more to do with your diet than they do your workout. Getting leaner invariably requires a caloric deficit, while you need a calorie surplus to build appreciable amounts of muscle.
Providing you’ve got your diet straight, your workout will help you achieve your training goal, be that losing fat or gaining muscle.
So, adjust your eating plan and train hard – you’ll soon be on your way to achieving your body composition goals.
4. Can I do these workouts every day?
It’s estimated that a muscle or muscle group takes 48-72 hours to recover from an intense workout. Training before you have recovered will undermine your progress, and your workout performance will probably suffer as a result. You could also end up feeling overtrained.
You can train more often than the suggested 2-3 times per week, but you’ll need to adopt a split routine where you work different muscles on different days. This will provide adequate time for recuperation between similar workouts, e.g.:

 
Days
Workout

1
Monday
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps  

2
Tuesday
Back & Biceps

3
Wednesday
Legs, Calves & Abs   

4
Thursday
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps  

5
Friday
Back & Biceps

6
Saturday
Legs, Calves & Abs   

7
Sunday
Rest

5. Are these workouts suitable for women as well as men?
While these workouts are kinda manly, there is no reason that women cannot do them, too. That said, they are muscle-building programs, so if that isn’t your goal, you should seek out programs that more closely match your needs and objectives.
Check out our library of female workouts and fitness articles here.
Full Body Barbell Workouts – Closing Thoughts
While fitness fashions and trends come and go, barbells are here to stay and will always be one of the most powerful training tools available. Armed with nothing but a barbell and weight plates, you can develop every muscle in your body for almost any fitness goal, including building strength and muscle mass.
Add a bench and a squat rack to your equipment list, and you really have all you need to build a head-turning physique. That’s good news for anyone who prefers simple old-school style workouts or who trains at home with minimal training kit.
Use these full-body barbell workouts to build muscle and strength without resistance machines. Bodybuilders have long relied on basic equipment, exercises, and workouts to increase strength and muscle mass. It worked for them, and it’ll work for you, too.
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.