6 Barbell Exercises to Increase Upper Body Strength 

Barbell exercises to increase upper body strength. (Photo via John Arano/Unsplash)
Barbell exercises to increase upper body strength (Photo via Unsplash/John Arano)

Barbell exercises are an important part of your exercise routine. You can strengthen each muscle group in your upper and lower body using barbell exercises.

You must understand that exercises with free weights need to be done in the correct form. If you’re not focusing on your form, you won’t be able to benefit from the exercises at all.


Barbell exercises to improve upper body strength

The following six barbell exercises can be incorporated in your strength or resistance training routine. Each of them targets one upper body muscle group. Let's get started:

1) Barbell bench press

Barbell bench press works on the chest or pectoral muscles.

To do a barbell bench press:

  • Set up a bench in an incline or flat position at the power rack.
  • Set the barbell to a height where you can reach it with your elbows slightly bent when you extend your arms towards it.
  • Stack the barbell with weights, and hold it firmly.
  • Unrack the barbell; flare your chest; create an arch with your lower back, and bring the barbell to your chest. This is your starting position.
  • Use your pectoral muscles to push the weight upwards.
  • Squeeze the muscles at the top of the motion, and steadily lower it before starting the second rep.
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2) Barbell row

Barbell rows work on the back or lat muscles.

To do barbell rows:

  • Set the barbell at calf height on the power rack, or place it on the floor.
  • Stack it with weights, and hold the barbell firmly.
  • Keeping your back straight, lift the barbell off the floor.
  • Bend forward from your hips so that your back is inclined. The barbell should be near your knees.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades, and pull the barbell towards you.
  • Hold the position for a couple of seconds at the top of the motion before lowering the barbell.
  • Repeat for at least 10 reps.
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3) Barbell shoulder press

Barbell shoulder press works on strengthening the shoulders.

To do a barbell shoulder press:

  • Place the barbell on the power rack, and adjust it to shoulder height.
  • Stack it with moderate weights, and hold it firmly with your palms facing outwards.
  • Unrack it, and place it on your shoulders.
  • Engage your shoulders, and push the barbell overhead.
  • Hold the position for a second before steadily lowering the barbell.
  • Repeat for ten reps.
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4) Barbell curl

Barbell curls work on the biceps.

To do barbell curls:

  • Stack the barbell with weights. Hold the barbell firmly, and lift it off the ground.
  • Place it in front of your body, with your arms extended downwards.
  • Curl the barbell using your biceps only.
  • Keep a strong muscle-mind connection to avoid letting the forearms takeover.
  • Lower the barbell slowly, and control the negative for maximum impact.
  • Repeat for at least 8-10 reps.
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5) Close grip barbell press

Close-grip barbell press works on the triceps.

To do a close grip barbell press:

  • Set up the flat bench below the barbell.
  • The barbell should be at a position where you can reach it while your arms are slightly folded from your elbows.
  • Stack the barbell with reasonable weight, and grab it.
  • Your palms should be torso-width apart or closer than shoulder-width.
  • Unrack the barbell, and bring it to your chest.
  • Keep the pressure on your triceps, and push the barbell upwards.
  • Feel the stretch on your triceps before lowering it steadily. Repeat for at least 8-10 reps.
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6) Landmine rainbow

Landmine rainbows work on the core muscles.

To do a landmine rainbow:

  • Place the barbell vertically in front of you.
  • Tilt the barbell towards yourself till you can hold the one end of it with both hands while the other end stays firmly on the ground.
  • Extend your arms completely, or you can have a slight bend from your shoulders.
  • Hold the position, and move the barbell from one side to the other to form an arch in front of you.
  • You should only use your core muscles for movement and not the shoulders or lower body.
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Bottom Line

Barbell exercises are extremely beneficial for adding volume to your workout routine. Additionally, these exercises help with adding variation to your workout routine, which is extremely important to avoid the muscles getting too used to a movement.

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Edited by Bhargav
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