8 fantastic upper body barbell exercises for mass and strength

Upper body workouts play a significant role in building strength. Adding barbell workouts will also improve your athletic performance in highly effective and efficient ways. In this article, we explore eight barbell exercises specifically designed to build upper-body muscle mass and strength.

These exercises engage a wide range of muscles, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, and biceps. Regardless of whether you’re an experienced weightlifter or an enthusiastic beginner, you can explore and enjoy these best upper body workouts to build a stronger, more muscular upper body with only a barbell.

The upper body anatomy involves every body part above the waist. This includes the head, neck, shoulders, stomach, back, and chest. The arm, consisting of the upper arm, forearm, and hand, is also part of the upper body and should be frequently strengthened for increased ease with daily functional tasks.

Barbells are easy to use. Beginners catch on quickly and easily develop a training routine that includes basic lifts. They are fantastic tools for every level of fitness.

Barbells can be used in so many different ways with a variety of movements. Don’t confine them to one type of exercise or body part. You’ll save time because they minimize your need to switch from machine to machine.

No matter what exercise you choose, barbells allow you to slowly increase or decrease weight as you go along. Simply adding weight gives you plenty of room to progress.

They’re also more convenient than using weighted machines. Progressing with barbells usually involves the barbell itself, some weight plates, and collars. It’s simple.

The bench press exercise with barbells is an upper-body pressing movement that builds muscle size and body strength. It does this by targeting upper body muscles like the chest, triceps, and shoulders. If you want to build strength and increase body size, this is the exercise for you.

Because it requires you to lie flat on a bench, your muscles remain stable while giving you the ability to lift a heavier amount of weight. This is how it leads to greater muscle development.

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The military press boosts upper body strength. It also improves the range of motion in your elbows.

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The overhead triceps extension with barbells is an isolation exercise. It’s usually performed for middle to high reps as part of a plan focusing on the arms. If holding a straight bar puts stress on your wrists or elbows, perform it instead with an EZ or neutral-grip bar.

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When doing barbell curls, avoid swinging your body back when moving the weight up. This doesn’t allow you to fully experience the benefit of this exercise. Instead, keep your body fixed and only utilize your biceps to move the weight.

Another error that beginners may make is not keeping their elbows fixed and tucked into their sides. Do not allow your elbows to move forward when getting that weight up. You also want to move slowly and deliberately.

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This popular exercise builds up the front deltoid muscles. Front raises also target the smaller muscles such as traps, forearms, and core. Use an Olympic barbell or standard fixed-weight barbell when doing this workout.

You can also do this as a beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifter using upper body strength to complete the lateral movement.

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Forearm curls don’t require a lot of movement, but the effects can still be substantial. Do not hyperextend your wrists and instead keep some tension present by not allowing your wrists to relax. Be sure to stretch them during the proper warm-up routine before starting this exercise.

In general, forearm exercises pose the threat of wrist strains or sprains. Help yourself avoid this by using proper form and lighter weights until you’re more experienced and comfortable with this movement.

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When doing preacher curls, pause at the bottom instead of after the lift. Keeping the motion slow and controlled, without stopping, will isolate the biceps. It also helps you achieve a fuller range of motion and to get the most out of this exercise.

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Barbell rows work your upper and lower back as well as hips and arms. This full-body, compound exercise builds a stronger, more muscular back and bigger biceps.

Keep your lower back neutral to avoid any discomfort. Letting it round may unintentionally squeeze your spinal discs. Be sure to rest the bar on the floor between reps and set your lower back neutral each time.

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