No machines? Don’t despair. A barbell is all you need to train every muscle in your body – and most barbell exercises will give you even better results than machines. Free weights force your stabilizing muscles to work, let you load heavy, and build pounds upon pounds of muscle.
This full body barbell workout uses just seven exercises to hit your chest, back, legs, arms, abs and shoulders. All you need is a barbell, some plates and ideally a power cage or squat rack.
Why a Full Body Barbell Workout Works
The full body barbell workout is a simple and effective way to build strength, muscle and conditioning at the same time. Here’s why it works so well:
- More muscles per rep. With a barbell, your body has to balance and control the weight, so your core and stabilizing muscles work on every single rep – something machines do for you.
- Easy to progress. Adding a small plate to each side is the simplest way to get stronger week after week.
- Every muscle, every session. Training your whole body 2–3 times a week hits each muscle group more often than a classic body-part split, which is great for beginners and anyone short on time. New to lifting? Start with these muscle building exercises for beginners.
- Minimal equipment. One bar, some plates and a rack. That’s your whole gym.
The Full Body Barbell Workout at a Glance
- Floor press – 3 sets of 12 reps
- One-arm barbell row – 3 sets of 12 reps per side
- Zercher squat – 4 sets of 8–10 reps
- Close-grip barbell curl – 3 sets of 10–12 reps
- Floor skullcrusher – 2 sets of 10–12 reps
- Barbell rollout – 3 sets of 8–10 reps
- Power snatch – 3 sets of 5 reps
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets (up to 2 minutes on Zercher squats and power snatches). Do the workout 2–3 times a week with at least one rest day in between – for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Warm Up First
Don’t jump straight under a loaded bar. Spend 5 minutes on light cardio like rowing, cycling or jumping rope to raise your body temperature, then do a few minutes of dynamic stretches for your hips and shoulders. Before each exercise, do one or two lighter warm-up sets with the empty bar or a light weight. It takes five extra minutes and saves you weeks of injuries.
Now, here’s how to do each exercise.
1. Floor Press
Start this full body barbell workout with floor presses. This exercise targets your chest, triceps and front delts. I would strongly suggest using a power cage, or a squat rack with the safety arms or J-hooks set just below where the bar is when your arms are locked out.
Lie on your back under the bar, with the bar right over your eyes, like you’re about to bench press. Stretch your legs out flat on the floor – this takes your legs out of the movement and puts all the work on your upper body. Use the same grip you use for the bench press. Your forearms should be vertical when your elbows reach the bottom. Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your elbows – if they hurt, here’s how to stop wrist pain on the bench press.
Unrack the bar and lock it out right above your sternum. Lower it slowly until your upper arms touch the floor, then press it back up to lockout. Keep it slow and controlled – don’t bounce your elbows off the floor. The range of motion is short, so make every rep count.
Why the floor instead of a bench? The floor stops your elbows at the same point on every rep, which takes stress off your shoulders and builds serious lockout strength for your bench press. It’s also a great option if you train alone, because you can’t get pinned under the bar as easily.
In your other workouts, pair this exercise with one-arm barbell flyes and barbell pullovers from the floor.
Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
2. One-Arm Barbell Row
This is one of the best exercises to target your back. Wedge one end of the bar into a corner (or a landmine attachment) and load plates on the other end. Stand next to the loaded end, facing away from the corner, in a staggered stance over the bar.
Put your non-working side leg forward: if you’re rowing with your right arm, put your left leg forward, and vice versa. Grab the bar just below the plates. To take stress off your lower back, rest your free forearm on your front knee or on a bench.
Keep your back flat and pull the bar toward your hip, driving your elbow as high as possible and squeezing your lats at the top. Lower the bar slowly and with full control, letting your lats stretch completely at the bottom.
I would suggest combining this exercise with pull-ups and bent-over barbell rows in your other workouts. For maximum effect, finish the last set with a few heavy cheat reps.
Do 3 sets of 12 reps per side.
3. Zercher Squat
This exercise targets your legs, glutes and core. If you don’t have a squat rack, start with the loaded barbell on the floor, like you would for a deadlift. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out and shins touching the bar.
Grab the bar with a narrow overhand grip and deadlift it up to just above your knees. Then squat down until you can rest the bar on your thighs, as close to your hips as possible, and hook both arms under the bar so it sits in the crook of your elbows.
Now stand up with the bar in your elbows, squeezing your glutes, hamstrings and lower back until your hips and knees are fully extended. Keep your back straight and your torso as upright as possible. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor – the bar will try to pull you forward, but don’t let it. At the bottom, your elbows can go between your knees.
After the last rep, rest the bar on your thighs, switch back to an overhand grip and lower the bar to the floor by hinging at the hips.
Pro tip: wrap the bar with a pad or a towel. The bar won’t slide around, and you’ll avoid that pesky elbow pain. In your other workouts, pair this exercise with barbell front squats and Romanian deadlifts.
Do 4 sets of 8–10 reps.
4. Close-Grip Barbell Curl
This exercise targets your biceps. Grab a barbell with an underhand grip (palms facing up), with your hands six to twelve inches apart. Don’t go any closer, or you’ll put too much stress on your wrists. Stand tall with your chest up and your shoulders back.
Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and your upper arms still. Flex your biceps and curl the bar toward your shoulders, then lower it slowly. To keep constant tension on your biceps, stop just short of the top, before your forearms reach vertical.
If the straight bar hurts your wrists, use an EZ-bar – your joints will thank you. In other workouts, pair this exercise with wide-grip barbell curls and close-grip chin-ups.
Do 3 sets of 10–12 reps.
5. Floor Skullcrusher
This exercise targets your triceps. Lie on your back on the floor with the loaded barbell on the floor just behind your head. Reach back and grab it with an overhand grip at shoulder width or slightly narrower. If the straight bar bothers your wrists, use an EZ-bar.
Start each rep from a dead stop, with the bar resting on the floor behind your head and your elbows pointing up. Extend your elbows and lift the bar until it’s locked out over your shoulders. Squeeze your triceps hard at the top, then lower it back down.
Don’t lower the bar toward your skull (hence the name!). Instead, let your upper arms drift back a little so the bar stops just behind the top of your head. Keep your elbows tucked in so your triceps do all the work. If your elbows hurt, try a thicker bar or grips like Fat Gripz, or switch to a cambered bar.
I would suggest pairing this exercise with weighted bench dips and close-grip push-ups in your other workouts.
Do 2 sets of 10–12 reps.
6. Barbell Rollout
This exercise targets your abs. Kneel on a pad and put a barbell with two small plates on the floor in front of you – you only need enough weight for the bar to roll. Grab it with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and lock your arms. Your knees should be under your hips and the bar under your shoulders.
Keep your back slightly rounded and look at the floor the whole time. Brace your abs and slowly roll the bar forward, extending your arms and hips together. Go as far as you can while keeping your lower back from sagging – at the end you’ll almost be lying on the floor, with all your weight on your hands and knees. Hold for a second, then pull the bar back with your abs.
Can’t do full reps yet? Do low-rep sets of negatives: roll out slowly, then walk your hands back. Extra padding under your knees makes a big difference, so don’t skip it.
I would suggest pairing this exercise with floor crunches and suitcase deadlifts. For more ideas, see these barbell exercises for a strong core.
Do 3 sets of 8–10 reps.
7. Power Snatch
To complete the full body barbell workout, add some power snatches. This explosive exercise targets your shoulders, traps, back, glutes and hamstrings. Grab the barbell with a very wide overhand grip, so the bar rests at the crease of your hips when you stand up straight with your arms extended. If your grip slips, use a hook grip: wrap your fingers over your thumbs, like Olympic weightlifters do.
Keep your back straight, bend your knees slightly and hinge forward so the bar slides down to the middle of your thighs. Then explode: drive your hips forward and pull the bar up, keeping it close to your body. As it passes your chest, pull yourself under it, rotate your elbows and punch the bar up until it’s locked out overhead.
Keep the bar as close to your body as possible throughout the movement – seen from the side, it should travel in an almost straight vertical line. And don’t rush it. Start with very light weight (even an empty bar) and master the technique before adding plates. If one part of the movement isn’t working, practice it on its own before you do full-blown power snatches.
The power snatch takes practice and nobody gets it right from day one. Give it your best, give it some time, and it will become one of the best exercises for explosive power in your arsenal. In other workouts, pair it with standing barbell military presses and barbell front raises. If overhead pressing bothers your shoulders, the landmine press is a great shoulder-friendly alternative.
Do 3 sets of 5 reps, always with perfect form.
How to Progress
To keep building muscle, you have to keep making the workout harder. Once you can do all the sets and reps of an exercise with good form, add a little weight next time – 2.5 kg (5 lb) on the upper-body lifts and 5 kg (10 lb) on the Zercher squats is plenty. If you can’t add weight yet, add a rep or two to each set first.
Keep a simple training log. Write down the weight, sets and reps for every exercise, and try to beat at least one number every workout. After 6–8 weeks, take an easier week with lighter weights to let your body recover, then start pushing again.
And don’t forget the basics outside the gym: eat enough protein, get 7–9 hours of sleep and stay consistent. That’s where the real gains happen.
Short on Time?
If you don’t have time for the full workout, try this 20-minute barbell complex. It uses five lifts back to back with one bar, and works your whole body in less than 20 minutes.
Add this full body barbell workout to your routine, train consistently and keep adding weight to the bar, and you’ll see real gains in strength, muscle and overall fitness.
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