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Barbell Bench Press

Barbell

132 exercises

The barbell is a long steel bar loaded with weight plates, and it is the king of strength training for big lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press. Because it lets you lift the heaviest loads and add weight in small steps, it is the fastest tool for building raw strength.

LargeSpace needed
Budget
✓Home friendly

Best for

QuadricepsGlutesHamstringsLower BackChestShoulders

Benefits

  • Lets you lift the heaviest loads for maximum strength and muscle gains.
  • Precise, easy progression — add as little as 1–2.5 kg at a time.
  • Trains the whole body with just a handful of classic compound lifts.
Beginner advice

A standard Olympic bar weighs 20 kg and is 2.2 m long (women’s bars are 15 kg with a thinner grip), so measure your room and ceiling height first. At home, pair it with a squat rack that has safety arms, rubber or bumper plates and collars; the empty bar is a great starting weight for most beginners, and lighter technique bars exist if 20 kg is too much.

Safety

Always use collars and a rack with safety arms set just below your lowest position, and learn the technique with light weights or a coach before going heavy.

Barbell exercises

110 exercises

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