Exercise Tutorials:
Barbell

Learn About Exercise Technique!

Not getting the most from your workouts? This section will teach you everything you need to know about how to perform an exercise with the correct execution so that you can progress much faster during your fitness journey.

Barbell Back Squat

How To: Whilst standing, place the barbell on the top of your back and hold it with both hands. Have your feet shoulder-width apart, look forward, stay upright with your upper body and bend straight down, before coming back up.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep looking forward
  • Bend your knees as you come down
  • Focus on pushing up with your quads

Barbell Deadlift

How To: Stand with your feel shoulder width apart and the bar in front of you. Pick the bar up with your hands shoulder-width apart, hands on top of the bar and fingers pointing forward. Bend your knees, keep your back straight and pick the bar up by driving up with your quads.

Works: Lower Back (primary), Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Bend your knees
  • Hands shoulder-width apart
  • Keep your back straight 
  • Pin your shoulders back
  • Pick the bar up and drive up with your legs

Barbell Overhead Press

How To: Lay flat on the bench with the bar above you. Pin your shoulder blades back into the bench, sick your chest out and arch your back slightly. Pick the bar up with your hands shoulder width apart, before slowly lowering the bar down to your chest. Push the bar back up, and bring your elbows together to squeeze your chest at the top. Keep your shoulders pinned back at all times.

Works: Chest (primary), Shoulders, Triceps

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep shoulders pinned back against the bench at all times
  • Avoid your shoulders creeping forward
  • Gradually bring the dumbbells together as you come up
  • Stretch the chest at the bottom of the movement
  • Squeeze your chest at the top of the movement

Overhead Press

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with the bar placed on your chest or just above. Push the bar up above you, with your head coming forward at the top of the movement. Bring the bar back down to your chest and repeat.

Works: Shoulders (primary), Core

Key Points:

  • Hands shoulder-width apart
  • Keep looking forward
  • Push the bar up and behind your head, with your head coming forward

Bent-Over Barbell Row

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and the barbell by your feet. Bend you knees, lean forward with your head and stick your backside out to keep your back straight. Pull the bar into your stomach, keeping your wrists straight and focusing more on driving into your sides with your elbows, which should be tucked in at all times. Lower the bar back down and repeat.

Works: Back (primary), Biceps, Core

Key Points:

  • Bend your knees
  • Stick your backside out to keep your back straight
  • Hands shoulder-width apart
  • Keep looking down
  • Drive the bar into your stomach
  • Keep your wrists neutral and focus more on driving back with your elbows

Romanian Deadlift

How To: Stand with your feet apart. Place the barbell in front of you, bend your knees slightly, slowly lower your head down with the barbell in front of your legs. Hold the stretch at the bottom, slowly come back up.

Works: Hamstrings (primary), Glutes, Core

Key Points:

  • Feet shoulder-width apart
  • Knees slightly bent
  • Backside out as far as you can to keep your back straight
  • Keep looking down
  • Lean forward with your head
  • Hold the stretch at the bottom for a second

Barbell Forward Lunge

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and place the barbell on the top of your back. Place one foot half a metre forward and bend both knees, with your head hovering over your front knee and your front foot flat. Push back to the start with your front leg and repeat.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep looking forward
  • Bend your knees as you come down
  • Focus on pushing up with your quads

Bulgarian Split Squat

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with a bench behind you, before placing the barbell on the top of your back. Place one foot on the bench and the other foot in the same position. Bend both knees, with your head hovering over your front knee and your front foot flat. Push back to the start with your front leg and repeat.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep looking forward
  • Bend your knees as you come down
  • Focus on pushing up with your quads

Barbell Bicep Curl

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell in your hands, which should also be around shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows fixed in place and curl up to your chest with your wrists neutral and not curling backwards. Squeeze the biceps at the top, before lowering the barbell down to your front hips, straightening both arms and repeating

Works: Biceps (primary)

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep looking forward
  • Bend your knees as you come down
  • Focus on pushing up with your quads

Standing EZ Bar Curl

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on the inside bend of the bar. Keep your elbows fixed and slowly curl up to your chest. Squeeze your biceps for a second before lowering all the way down, straightening your arms, and repeating.

Works: Biceps (primary)

Key Points: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart

Place your hands on the narrow curl of the bar

Keep your elbows fixed

Slow, controlled tempo

Squeeze the biceps at the top of the movement

Lower and straighten your arms at the bottom

Contact

DETAILS

Sean Wilson
seanwilson222@gmail.com
07771475036
Newbury, West Berkshire, United Kingdom