Exercises with barbell

170 exercises you can do with barbell. Tap for technique and tips.

The barbell is hard to beat when the goal is building real strength. With 170 exercises in the library, it covers your entire body – front and back of the legs, shoulders, back, chest, biceps, triceps, and core – and works equally well for the beginner's first program as for the advanced lifter's specialization work.

What makes the barbell unique is the combination of heavy compound movements and finely-tuned isolation exercises. You can go from deadlifts to lying incline dumbbell curls in the same session and still work toward the same goal.

Foundation movements that build your physique

The front of the thighs dominates the barbell library with 47 exercises – and it's easy to see why. Deep barbell squats, hack squats, and lunges deliver quad loading that few other tools can match. The hamstrings and glutes get their work through barbell hip thrusts, an exercise often underrated but delivering immediate and measurable results.

For the upper body, barbell deadlifts, barbell bench press – medium grip – and barbell overhead press are the classics that build multi-joint strength all at once. Barbell bent-over rows are the natural counterweight to all that pressing and keep your shoulders balanced over the long term.

Variation and precision

The barbell offers far more variations than most people realize. Incline barbell bench press – medium grip – and guillotine press adjust the loading angle on the chest depending on arm length and shoulder health. Barbell shrugs and behind-the-neck shrugs train the trapezius from different positions. Box squats are a smart alternative for those learning proper depth in the squat.

Biceps work is covered by barbell curls and lying incline barbell curls – the incline variation eliminates swing and forces a more controlled movement. Anti-gravity pressing delivers shoulder training with a technique that unloads the neck.

Core and mobility with the barbell

The barbell isn't just for heavy lifting. Ab wheel rollouts with the barbell and kneeling ab wheel rollouts are among the most demanding core exercises you'll find – they train the entire abdominal wall and hip flexors under dynamic load, something sit-ups never come close to.

Side bends with the barbell and lateral lunges with the barbell add lateral movement patterns that complement vertical and horizontal patterns. Seated calf presses with the barbell and bar rolls from the bench show that the equipment covers the smaller muscle groups when your program calls for it.

The exercises

Anti-Gravity Pressshouldersbeginner Barbell Ab Rolloutabsintermediate Barbell Ab Rollout - On Kneesabsadvanced Barbell Bench Press - Medium Gripchestbeginner Barbell Curlbicepsbeginner Barbell Curls Lying Against An Inclinebicepsbeginner Barbell Deadliftlower backintermediate Barbell Full Squatquadsintermediate Barbell Glute Bridgeglutesintermediate Barbell Guillotine Bench Presschestintermediate Barbell Hack Squatquadsintermediate Barbell Hip Thrustglutesintermediate Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Gripchestbeginner Barbell Incline Shoulder Raiseshouldersbeginner Barbell Lungequadsintermediate Barbell Rear Delt Rowshouldersbeginner Barbell Rollout from Benchabsintermediate Barbell Seated Calf Raisecalvesbeginner Barbell Shoulder Pressshouldersintermediate Barbell Shrugtrapsbeginner Barbell Shrug Behind The Backtrapsbeginner Barbell Side Bendabsbeginner Barbell Side Split Squatquadsbeginner Barbell Squatquadsbeginner Barbell Squat To A Benchquadsadvanced Barbell Step Upsquadsintermediate Barbell Walking Lungequadsbeginner Bench Press - Powerliftingtricepsintermediate Bench Press with Chainstricepsadvanced Bent Over Barbell Rowmid backbeginner Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Rowmid backbeginner Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Rowmid backintermediate Bent-Arm Barbell Pulloverlatsintermediate Board Presstricepsintermediate Box Squatquadsintermediate Box Squat with Bandsquadsadvanced Box Squat with Chainsquadsadvanced Bradford/Rocky Pressesshouldersbeginner Car Driversshouldersbeginner Cleanhamstringsintermediate Clean and Jerkshouldersadvanced Clean and Pressshouldersintermediate Clean Deadlifthamstringsbeginner Clean from Blocksquadsintermediate Clean Pullquadsintermediate Clean Shrugtrapsbeginner Close-Grip Barbell Bench Presstricepsbeginner Close-Grip EZ Bar Curlbicepsbeginner Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curlbicepsbeginner Deadlift with Bandslower backadvanced Deadlift with Chainslower backadvanced Decline Barbell Bench Presschestbeginner Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull Crushertricepsintermediate Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extensiontricepsbeginner Deficit Deadliftlower backintermediate Drag Curlbicepsintermediate Elevated Back Lungequadsintermediate Finger Curlsforearmsbeginner Floor Presstricepsintermediate Floor Press with Chainstricepsintermediate Frankenstein Squatquadsintermediate Front Barbell Squatquadsadvanced Front Barbell Squat To A Benchquadsadvanced Front Raise And Pulloverchestbeginner Front Squat (Clean Grip)quadsintermediate Good Morninghamstringsintermediate Good Morning off Pinshamstringsintermediate Hang Cleanquadsintermediate Hang Clean - Below the Kneesquadsintermediate Hang Snatchhamstringsadvanced Hang Snatch - Below Kneeshamstringsadvanced Hanging Bar Good Morninghamstringsintermediate Heaving Snatch Balancequadsintermediate Incline Barbell Triceps Extensiontricepsintermediate Incline Bench Pullmid backbeginner Jefferson Squatsquadsintermediate Jerk Balanceshouldersintermediate Jerk Dip Squatquadsintermediate JM Presstricepsbeginner Kneeling Jump Squatglutesadvanced Kneeling Squatglutesintermediate Landmine 180'sabsbeginner Landmine Linear Jammershouldersintermediate Lying Cambered Barbell Rowmid backbeginner Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Extension Behind The Headtricepsintermediate Lying High Bench Barbell Curlbicepsintermediate Muscle Snatchhamstringsintermediate Narrow Stance Squatsquadsintermediate Neck Presschestintermediate Olympic Squatquadsintermediate One Arm Floor Presstricepsintermediate One Leg Barbell Squatquadsadvanced One-Arm Long Bar Rowmid backbeginner One-Arm Side Deadliftquadsadvanced Overhead Squatquadsadvanced Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Benchforearmsbeginner Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Benchforearmsbeginner Pin Pressestricepsintermediate Power Cleanhamstringsintermediate Power Clean from Blockshamstringsintermediate Power Jerkquadsadvanced Power Snatchhamstringsadvanced Power Snatch from Blocksquadsintermediate Preacher Curlbicepsbeginner Press Sit-Upabsadvanced Push Pressshouldersadvanced Push Press - Behind the Neckshouldersintermediate Rack Deliveryshouldersintermediate Rack Pull with Bandslower backintermediate Rack Pullslower backintermediate Reverse Band Bench Presstricepsintermediate Reverse Band Box Squatquadsintermediate Reverse Band Deadliftlower backadvanced Reverse Band Power Squatquadsadvanced Reverse Band Sumo Deadlifthamstringsadvanced Reverse Barbell Curlbicepsbeginner Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rowsmid backintermediate Reverse Triceps Bench Presstricepsintermediate Rocking Standing Calf Raisecalvesbeginner Romanian Deadlifthamstringsintermediate Romanian Deadlift from Deficithamstringsintermediate Seated Barbell Military Pressshouldersintermediate Seated Barbell Twistabsbeginner Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curlbicepsintermediate Seated Good Morningslower backintermediate Seated Palm-Up Barbell Wrist Curlforearmsbeginner Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curlforearmsbeginner Single-Arm Linear Jammershouldersintermediate Smith Incline Shoulder Raiseshouldersbeginner Snatchquadsintermediate Snatch Balancequadsintermediate Snatch Deadlifthamstringsintermediate Snatch from Blocksquadsadvanced Snatch Pullhamstringsintermediate Snatch Shrugtrapsintermediate Speed Box Squatquadsintermediate Speed Squatsquadsadvanced Split Cleanquadsintermediate Split Jerkquadsintermediate Split Snatchhamstringsadvanced Squat Jerkquadsadvanced Squat with Bandsquadsintermediate Squat with Chainsquadsintermediate Squat with Plate Moversquadsintermediate Standing Barbell Calf Raisecalvesbeginner Standing Barbell Press Behind Neckshouldersintermediate Standing Bradford Pressshouldersbeginner Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Headshouldersintermediate Standing Military Pressshouldersbeginner Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extensiontricepsbeginner Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curlforearmsbeginner Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morninglower backbeginner Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlifthamstringsintermediate Straight Bar Bench Mid Rowsmid backbeginner Straight Raises on Incline Benchshouldersbeginner Sumo Deadlifthamstringsintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Bandshamstringsintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Chainshamstringsintermediate T-Bar Row with Handlemid backbeginner Upright Barbell Rowshouldersbeginner Weighted Jump Squatquadsintermediate Weighted Sissy Squatquadsadvanced Wide Stance Barbell Squatquadsintermediate Wide Stance Stiff Legshamstringsintermediate Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Presschestintermediate Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Presschestintermediate Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Pulloverchestintermediate Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curlbicepsbeginner Wrist Rotations with Straight Barforearmsbeginner Zercher Squatsquadsadvanced