Movement

Beginners Full Body Barbell Workout

Getting acquainted with weights is one of the best things you can do to level up your fitness. Find out how you can achieve a fully toned body by lifting barbells with simple exercises.

27 May 2022

Barbells are heavy lifting tools consisting of long rods with different weight disks attached to their ends. These weight instruments are delicate and need to be handled with care. Unlike dumbbells and kettlebells that get bigger and harder to maneuver, barbells remain constant in size. By glancing at them, you might wonder how to begin. As a new lifter, it is okay to feel confused, scared (thinking about the possibility of getting injured), and overwhelmed at first. But, hey we all have to get out of our comfort zone to start the ultimate fitness journey at some point.

On that note, we have asked Mumbai-based fitness coach Vinod Channa to share an easy full body barbell workout routine. “Everyone has different lifestyles from full-time corporate people who have less mobility to an athlete with an active schedule. So, the endurance and strength to carry out the performance will differ in all. To lift any weight, they must prepare their body to withstand the pain and muscle wear and tear”, says Channa. Before you start lifting a barbell, work on refining these movements with basic exercises like squats, pushups, lunges or planks. Exercise with the same intensity for a week and gradually, increase the sets and reps as per recovery rate and strength. Do cardio and yoga on alternative days to increase more flexibility and mobility.

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Mumbai-based fitness coach Vinod Channa says, “With basic strength training and good exercise form, weightlifting can bring about unseen changes in your muscle and strengthen your body in ways you never knew. Being in a great physique can give you an extra push when you get near a barbell. Besides, when you effortlessly carry on with squats, pressings and hinging methods of bench and deadlift, that’s how you know you are all prepped up”

Before getting started with lifting barbells, here are a few things that you should keep in mind to achieve optimal results. Weightlifting focuses on six main body parts such as chest, arms, back, shoulders and stomach and legs. Each exercise strengthens the targeted body part for better fat loss results. Also, keep your medical conditions (heart, bones, or injured body parts) and age in check before performing any type of workout. Begin your barbell lifting sessions with these easy exercises.

Full Body Barbell Workout

1. Barbell Back Squat: 2 Sets, 10 Reps

Works on your hamstrings and increases leg endurance. Start with 5 kgs.

Position your hands at more than shoulder-width distance pushing your upper back against the rod making your shoulders a ‘shelf’ to rest the rod.
Stand with a little distance between your feet. Lower your hips and bend your knees forming a squat position.
Push through your feet and stand up again holding the bars. Repeat

2. Barbell Deadlift: 1 Set, 3 Reps

Targets lower back and abs

Stand with a barbell in front of your feet with a shoulder-width distance. Lower your back in a sitting position and lean your torso forward.
Tighten your core and lift the bar from the floor with shoulder-width distance between your both hands. Stand up and keep your elbows straight. Engage your core and glute muscles.
Slowly bend your knees pushing your hips back and lowering the barbell on the floor while keeping back straight.

3. Barbell Bench Press: 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps

Targets chest, shoulders and triceps

Set a bench with a barbell rack over it. Lie down on the bench in a way that bars are directly over your eyes and your feet lie flat on the ground.
Squeeze your core, shoulders and back, lift the bar from the rack and get it close to your chest. Your bent elbows for your arms should make a 45 degree angle.
Push the barbell vertically up towards the ceiling straightening your arms. Repeat.

4. Bent-Over Barbell Row: 2 Sets, 10 Reps

Targets Back Muscles

Stand with your feet at a shoulder-width distance apart and bend hips back lowering your things. Lean your upper body (torso) so that it is parallel to the floor.
Stick out your arms and grab the bar pulling it upwards till your chest bending your elbows that positions at the either side of your torso and squeezing your shoulder muscles as well.
Now, lower the bar by straightening your arms and slowly keep the barbell suspended just above the ground, still grabbing the bar. Repeat.

“You can gradually increase the weight, sets and number of reps as per your fitness and muscle soreness. Apart from this, make sure to approach an experienced fitness trainer to get right guidance with a fat loss diet plan, weight gain plan, recovery exercises and many more”, says Channa.

Vinod Channa is a Mumbai-based certified fitness trainer rewarded with 16 different fitness certificates in the past decade. He has represented Maharashtra in bodybuilding for 15 years and has been a renowned name as a fitness consultant for weight training, body transformation, diet management, nutritional guidance, health issues or injury and any related guidance on personal strength and energy. He has been a coach to various business tycoons of India and including Bollywood celebrities.