What is body barre?
Here's how to do the body bar. Hold the barbell at hip level with both hands using a shoulder-wide grip, palms facing out.
Inhale as you curl the bar up to chest level while raising your left knee to 90 degrees and extending your leg out in front of you. Exhale as you return your leg to a 90-degree bent position.
Body barre: the muscle-building exercise without a machine
Of all the existing bodybuilding equipment, the barbell is one of the easiest to use.
While other tools, like kettlebells or resistance bands, may take a workout or two to get used to, most people feel comfortable using a barbell right away.
Whether you've used one in a fitness class before or want to incorporate it into your home workout, there are a variety of body barre exercises to keep things interesting. This is especially helpful for new exercisers, many of whom give up after three to six months due to boredom.
The barbell is a thin metal bar one meter long, wrapped in foam and generally weighing between 1 and 15 kg.
If you're used to lifting weights, the barbell will probably feel natural to you.
This workout tool is great for taking traditional exercises you already know, like squats, curls, and rows, and making them more challenging by adding a balance element that also works your abs and core stabilizers.
If you're at the gym, you may have a choice of weight bars. Choose one that's light enough that you can hold the bar steady throughout the exercise, but that tires your muscles during the last few reps, making it harder for you to hold.
Also read: 5 BENEFITS OF HIIT TO REMEMBER HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO
Ready to get started? Try incorporating these simple body barre exercises into your workout routine:
One arm rower
Goal : Targets back, biceps and core.
How to do it :
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders down, and abs engaged.
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Hold the bar mid-body in front of your thighs with your right hand, palm facing your body. Your left hand can be on your left hip or beside you.
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Bend forward at the hips until your torso is at a 45-degree angle and the bar is hanging by your knees. Keep your back flat and your chest lifted.
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Inhale. Exhale as you pull the bar up to your hip crease. Inhale as you lower it back to the starting position. Complete 12 reps, then switch arms.
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Do two to three sets.
Caution : Do not drop either end of the bar. Use your abdominal muscles to maintain a stable position and a steady grip on the bar.
Lateral Loaded Squat
Goal : Works the legs, glutes, shoulders and core.
How to do it :
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With your legs hip-width apart and your feet facing forward, hold the middle of the bar with your right hand and raise it to shoulder height, palm down.
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Your left hand can be on your left hip or at your side. Inhale. Keep your chest lifted and exhale as you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
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Pause, inhale, and exhale as you rise back up to the starting position. Complete 12 reps, then switch arms.
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Do two to three sets.
Caution : Do not lower the bar below shoulder height. Holding and balancing this weight challenges your upper and lower body.
Bar rotation
Objective : Target the shoulders
How to do it :
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees soft.
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With both hands, hold the bar in front of your thighs with a wide grip, palms facing your body.
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Raise the bar to shoulder height, bending your elbows slightly.
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Rotate the bar counterclockwise so that your right hand is above your left hand.
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Then, rotate the bar clockwise so that your left hand is above your right hand. This is one repetition.
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Perform 15 repetitions; complete two to three sets.
Be careful not to : rotate the bar too quickly. A controlled movement allows your shoulders to work safely and effectively.
Biceps Curl with Leg Extension
Goal : Strengthen biceps, legs and core.
How to do it :
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, shoulders down, and abs engaged.
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Hold the barbell at hip level with both hands, using a shoulder-width grip, palms facing out.
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Inhale as you curl the bar up to chest level while raising your left knee to 90 degrees and extending your leg in front of you.
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Exhale as you bring your leg back to a 90-degree bent position.
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Finish by lowering your foot to the floor and bringing the bar back up from your body to hip level.
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Repeat the exercise with the right leg for one repetition. Perform 12 repetitions; do two to three sets.
Be careful not to : Lift your hip as you extend your leg. Lifting your leg to a height that allows you to keep your hips even will help you maintain balance. Try to choose a focal point in front of you to help you stay grounded.
Also discover: NEW 10MIN WORKOUT A COMBINATION OF STRENGTH AND CARDIO
What body barre exercises can you do?
The best body bar exercises with dumbbells
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Dumbbell back squat.
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Dumbbell front squat.
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Dumbbell bench press.
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Dumbbell pull-ups.
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Romanian dumbbell deadlift.
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Upside down dumbbell weightlifting.
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Dumbbell push.
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Dumbbell hip thrust.
To practice the body bar choose the right weight. How heavy should your dumbbell be?
Whether you're new to the gym or just getting back into it, now may be a good time to focus on training for hypertrophy (increasing muscle size). This type of training has a low risk of injury (as long as you use proper technique!) while still building muscle size with significant strength gains.
Training for hypertrophy involves using a rep range of 8-12, with loads that are approximately 60-80% of your one-rep maximum.
If you're not familiar with your one-rep-max, then the weight should feel moderately heavy and you should feel fatigued (the burn!) once you hit your target rep count, while still feeling like you have about 3 more reps in the tank before failure.
Since hypertrophy results primarily from pushing yourself to failure (or near failure) and accumulating overall training volume, it is appropriate to push yourself to failure frequently.
However, you should still take regular rest days or deload weeks to avoid overtraining syndrome.
Building Muscle with a Dumbbell
The barbell often seems like an advanced and intimidating tool, reserved for the more experienced. Whether you are a beginner or a gym veteran, the barbell should be your best friend.
Once you have the right knowledge, the barbell can form the basis of any resistance-based workout, as it is the most versatile piece of equipment found in almost every gym.
The barbell provides access to an arsenal of compound exercises. While each exercise has a specific target muscle group, compound lifts invariably work other major muscle groups throughout the body, including synergists (smaller assisting muscles) that play a critical role in stabilizing joints.
Read more: WEIGHT LIFTING OR CARDIO: WHICH SHOULD COME FIRST?
Body bar exercises with dumbbells to help you build muscle
1. Dumbbell Back Squat
Muscles worked : Quadriceps, calves, glutes, lower and upper back
Series and repetitions : 4×10
Method :
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With the bar in the rack about two inches below shoulder height, use a comfortable, even grip width. The narrower the grip, the more your upper back muscles create a "shelf" for the bar to rest on.
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Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and your toes should be angled slightly outwards, although this will vary from person to person due to individual hip structure, so play around with what works for you!
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Once set up, remove the bar from the rack and take a step back. Take a deep breath and tighten your core as if you were about to be punched, in order to support your spine.
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Squat the weight down in a controlled manner, then stand back up.
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Rinse and repeat until the end of your set, then raise the bar back up. You should feel the burn in your quads and glutes throughout the movement.
Tip : If you're having trouble reaching the desired depth, try placing the bar on your back. A high bar position is best for people with short femurs who can easily achieve a deep squat, while a low bar position will help people with longer femurs.
2. Dumbbell Deadlift
Muscles worked : Hamstrings, calves, glutes, lower and upper back, forearms
Series and repetitions : 3×8
Method :
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Standing behind the center of the bar, grasp the bar with a regular grip (double hand/mixed with/without straps). Lower your hips while keeping your spine neutral (straight).
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Pull the "tension" out of the bar by applying force to the bar without lifting it off the floor.
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Maintaining a neutral spine, contract and extend your hips and knees until you reach "lockout" at the top.
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Lower the weight in a controlled manner and repeat. You should feel tension in your hamstrings and glutes throughout the movement.
Tip : Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down to help stabilize your spine. Don't let the angle of your spine change throughout the movement.
3. Dumbbell lunge (accessory movement)
Muscles worked : Quadriceps, glutes, lower and upper back
Series and repetitions : 4×12
Method :
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With the bar on your back in a squat position, step forward with one leg, landing in a lunge, but without the knee of your back leg touching the ground.
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Return to the starting position and then alternate legs or complete the set on one leg before moving on to the opposite side.
Tip: Take a slightly diagonal step to widen your stance, which will help you maintain balance.
4. Dumbbell hip thrust
Muscles worked : Glutes, hamstrings, lower back
Series and repetitions : 4×8
Method :
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With your upper back resting on a bench, the bar should be positioned in the crease of your hip.
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Hold the bar to stabilize it and extend your hips to the top of the movement before lowering back down in a controlled manner, then repeat until the end.
Tip : Use padding to reduce discomfort on the bony points of your hips.
5. Dumbbell Row
Muscles worked : Upper and lower back, biceps, forearms
Series and repetitions : 4×10
Method :-
While leaning on an incline bench or standing (known as a "bent over row" or "Pendlay row"), place your hands in a regular grip on the bar.
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Pull the bar up to meet your torso before slowly lowering it back to the starting position.
Tip : Squeeze your shoulder blades together and think about trying to pull your elbows toward the ceiling to get a good contraction in your upper back muscles.
6. Dumbbell Shoulder/Overhead Press
Muscles worked : Deltoids, Triceps, Upper back
Series and repetitions : 5×8
Method :
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Starting from the same setup as the squat, grab the bar in front of you with a regular grip. Hang before releasing, and contract your glutes to stabilize your lower back.
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Again, squeezing your shoulder blades together, push the bar overhead, moving your head away as you go to avoid hitting your chin and to keep the bar straight.
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Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position (remember to keep your head away from the bar as you lower!) and repeat.
Tip : If you find that you need to bend with your knees to use momentum (known as the push-press) to get the bar up, it may be a good idea to lower the weight of the bar slightly.
You may also like this article: TONE YOUR WHOLE BODY IN HALF AN HOUR OF FITNESS
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