The beauty of full body compound movements is that you can target your whole body with only a few exercises. This workout is only 5 exercises and will hit all the major muscle groups in your body. Grab a barbell and a rack and complete 6-8 reps of each exercise 3-4 sets of each exercise.
Barbell Back Squat (6-8 Reps)
Ensure that the J hooks of the squat rack are positioned around your armpit height and step under the bar. Place the bar across your trap muscles and lift the bar out of the hooks by standing up tall. Take a step back from the rack to ensure that you have enough room to complete the movement. Start by reaching your hips backwards like you are reaching your butt back towards an imaginary chair behind you. Keep your weight evenly distributed throughout your feet. Aim to get your thighs parallel with the floor or a 90 degree bend at the knee (not everyone will be able to get this initially and that’s okay, if you don’t have it yet just ensure you are focusing on range of motion when you practice your squatting movements). Ensure that you keep your chest high as you drop down into position. At the bottom of the movement, drive through your feet evenly and stand back up to your start position.
Barbell Bench Press (6-8 Reps)
Lying on a bench ensure that you have positioned the safety bars appropriately. If you rest the barbell on the safety bar it should not be crushing your chest (this is the best way to set up your bench press when you don’t have anyone to spot you). You can also leave the clips off the bar of you need to bail out of the lift. Lying under the bar reach up and grasp the bar at a comfortable distance (typically outside of shoulder width). Lift the bar off the J hooks and position it straight over your chest. Bending at the elbows lower the bar towards your chest keeping your elbows from flaring wide out to the side. At the bottom of the movement push the barbell away from your chest to the start position with full extension of the elbows (you don’t need to lock your elbows at the top).
Barbell Deadlift (6-8 Reps)
Begin by setting up the barbell on the floor ensuring that you are using bumper plates if you have access (if you don’t have access you can try elevating the bar slightly with small boxes or from safety arms to give yourself a little more height). Ideally you want the bar positioned at about mid-shin. Position your feet about hip width apart. Your spine should stay neutral throughout the movement. With your hands positioned on the bar outside of your legs draw the shoulder blades down and back and pull the slack out of the bar to activate your lats. Keep the bar close to you as you stand up moving through the knees and hips at the same time. At the top of the movement begin your hip hinge backwards to lower the bar back towards the floor maintaining a neutral spine the whole time. Repeat the movement for desired reps.
Barbell Bent Over Row (6-8 Reps)
Begin taking the barbell with your palms facing away from you with a shoulder to hip width stance. Hinge at the hips leaning forward and sticking your butt out. Your spine should remain tall when you do these and there should be no rounding other than the natural curves of your spine. Begin with your arms hanging straight down from this hinged position. Start the movement by rowing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together (imagine there is a pencil between your shoulder blades and you are trying to hold it in place. Ensure your core is engaged and your spine stays tall as you row the elbows back. In a controlled manner lower the barbell back down to your start position.
Barbell Hip Thrust (6-8 Reps)
On a bench ensure that you position just under your shoulder blades on a bench behind you. Ensure that you are using 45 lbs plates or bumper plates for this movement so that you are able to easily roll the bar over your legs to your hips. Position your feet in a position so that when your hips are fully extended your knees are over top of your hips. Beginning from the bottom of the movement your butt will be close to the floor. Squeeze through the glues and extend through the hips to generate a table top position at the top of the movement. Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout the movement. At the top of the movement squeeze the glutes and then slowly lower your hips back to the start position in a controlled manner.
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