Lifting weights is honestly one of the most empowering things and because of that today I’m sharing a workout with you for my strong girlies (or the ones that want to improve their strength). Barbell exercises can be intimidating when you are first starting out, but today I want to share a workout with you that will cover all your basis and get you comfortable with a barbell.
A barbell is incredibly empowering to lift and for most, once they get started they don’t look back. Honestly, getting started is the hardest part. Todays workout will cover all the major muscle groups in the body and give you a starting point and help you build confidence in the gym and with a barbell.
6-8 BB Back Squat
The barbell back squat is one of the most common barbell movements you will see but this movement is absolutely key in a strength training program and in everyday life. The biggest thing when it comes to the back squat is knowing how to set your rack up as well as how to get into the movement. Begin by setting the safety arms at a height where you can reach full squat depth but they are high enough that you could set the bar on it and drop down if you need to bail on a lift. These safety bars are great way to fail a lift safely if they are set up properly. Setting your bar at the right height for you to step under will allow you to position the bar optimally. For most people you will want to set the height of the bar in your armpit area. With the bar at this height you can then come under it and stand up lifting the bar from the rack (when you stand up make sure that both feet are positioned underneath your body). Ensure that the bar is positioned across your traps and not on your neck. From here you will perform your squat movement. Sitting your hips back and reaching your bum back descend into the squat motion and then drive through the heels and feet in order to return to your start position. Once you have completed your reps return the bar to the rack.
6-8 BB Bench Press
The Bench Press is a great pushing exercise to help develop the chest muscles. Like with the squat set up for the bench press is important. When setting up the bench press you want to ensure that the safety bars are set to an appropriate height that if you let go of the bar it will rest on the safety arms and not on tope of you, however you also want to ensure that you are not hitting the safety arms at the bottom, or that they are preventing you from reaching full range of motion. Once you know you have the safety bars set correctly you can get into position for the bench press. Laying on your back on the bench lift the bar from the holds and bend at the elbow lowering the bar towards your chest. Try to ensure that your wrists stay neutral and that your elbows stay in towards your sides slightly (avoid the chicken wings). Once you have touched your chest push the barbell away from you to return to your start position.
6-8 BB Deadlift
The Deadlift is such a great movement to target the glutes and hamstrings. With the deadlift ideally you are lifting with bumper plates (these are plates that are different weights but all the same size as a standard 45lbs plate). I don’t have bumper plates in my home gym so I make do with what I have, but if you have access to them then I would use them. You can also use Yoga blocks if you don’t have bumper plates and need a bit more elevation of the bar! It’s important to remember that when you are deadlifting the movement is a hinge based movement and not a squat (most of the movement should be coming through your hips). You want to keep the bar nice and close to your shins and your shoulders over the bar. Before you begin the movement pull the slack out of the bar (by pulling up on the bar slightly) and then begin your lift. As you lift keep the bar close to you and think about pushing the floor away. Keep your back in a neutral spine position as you lift (you should be aiming to avoid rounding in the back) and your core tight throughout the movement. At the top of the movement lower the bar back to floor continuing to brace and maintain neutral spine leading the movement with the hips.
6-8 T Bar Row
The T Bar Row is a great upper back exercise that uses the landmine attachment. If you’ve never used a landmine attachment before you simply slide one end of the barbell into it leaving the other end available for you to load weight onto. You can then load your weight and add the handle (I have an handle that just slides onto the barbell collar like the weight does, however a cable attachment can work as well if that’s what you have access to. With your knees slightly bent and your hips pushed backwards putting you in a hinge position keep your spine neutral and your core engaged. Bending at the elbows and pulling them behind you pull the weight up to your belly button and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top. Slowly lower back to your starting position in a controlled manner.
6-8 BB Hip Thrust
The barbell hip thrust is one of my personal favourite movements. The one thing I always tell clients when they are first learning to hip thrust is that you can probably do more weight than you think. I often find that women especially don’t realize how strong they already are until you get them to put some extra weight on the bar. Like with the deadlift if you are able to use bumper plates for this exercise it will make it easier to get into. Begin by loading the bar and then roll the bar over your legs until it’s resting on your upper thighs. From this position you will want to raise your hips up off the floor and position yourself on the bench. When you position yourself in the bench think about setting your upper back on the bench around the shoulder blades (many people either position themselves too high or too low when they first start hip thrusting). Your feet positioning can vary slightly but typically I aim for my knees to be at 90 degrees in full extension (at the top). Once in position you will raise your up and squeeze your glutes at the top. Ensure that when you are hip thrusting you are not thing through the lower back. Once you have achieved full extension return to your start position. Some people find the bar extremely uncomfortable on their hips and a bar pad can help to alleviate some of that discomfort. You can check out my favourite bar pad <a href="http://<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.ca/ProFitness-Barbell-Exercise-Thrusts-Comfortable/dp/B01M7R4BIG/ref=rvi_sccl_1/147-6060350-9428533?pd_rd_w=PWFsv&content-id=amzn1.sym.8b4d8c20-8e51-4634-a76f-c00a1995a502&pf_rd_p=8b4d8c20-8e51-4634-a76f-c00a1995a502&pf_rd_r=CSQ02KTXJBEWAYZ7MBDF&pd_rd_wg=6E47S&pd_rd_r=13c6e913-f7e7-430f-a0aa-4e833a114a8e&pd_rd_i=B01M7R4BIG&th=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=ashleepedlowc-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e0bb8754d8880e1dc375479560844391&camp=15121&creative=330641">Hip Thrust Bar Padhere.
6-8 BB Overhead Press
The barbell overhead press is a fantastic pressing movement that can be intimidating for beginners but can feel incredibly empowering as you master the lift. If a standard 45lbs bar is too much for you to start take a look around your gym for some smaller barbells. Beginning with the barbell across the front of your chest (about collarbone height) you are going to press the bar overhead. Unlike a dumbbell shoulder press you will not be able to press the bar straight up. Instead you will need to move the bar out and around your face ever so slightly. Ensure you still end with the bar straight over your head and not out in front slightly. Then return the bar through the same path.
There you have it…a full body barbell workout to help you focus on strength development. Videos of all exercises can be found on my Instagram. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!
ashleepedlowcoaching.ca 