Barbell Workouts to

Build Muscle and Burn Fat

It doesn’t matter if you have have just set up your garage gym and the only exercise equipment you have is an Olympic barbell and bumper plates. On the other hand you could be in a gym with all the equipment you will ever need, a barbell workout routine is a great way to to build muscle, burn fat, and get in some conditioning.

Barbell workout and a bar complex are different. A bar complex is a special kind of bar workout that refers to a bunch of exercises done back to back.  In most cases the weight remains the same and you move from one exercise to the next without ever putting the bar down.  These will smoke you, great at building muscle and burning fat, plus a little cardiovascular conditioning in there as wall.

The benefit of a bar complex is the ability to get lots of work done in a short period of time.

A barbell workout is a more general term for a workout done with just a bar.  There are many different variations, and a complex is just one example.  Other bar workouts allow you to change the weight, and but the bar down.  Bellow are a few different examples of bar workouts.

Barbell Workout Video 1

Barbell Workout Video 2

Barbell Workout Video 3

When you do a barbell complex there are generally two ways to do it:

1. reps
2. time

Barbell Complex for Time

This style of barbell workout is best suited for conditioning and fat burning.

You set this up in one of two ways…

Set a repeating timer anywhere from 20 to 60 seconds.  Do as many reps as you can of that exercise.  When the timer goes start the next exercise.

You can also do one rep of each exercise and repeat the sequence for a predetermined time.

Barbell Complex for Reps

With the rep method determine how many reps you want to do for each exercise then get through it as quick as you can with perfect reps.

If you are looking to build muscle this is the best method, just be sure you keep the reps in the lower range. If you want to build muscle and burn fat increase the reps. Sets and reps for muscle building and fat burning are different but you can do a hybrid work out with this method and get the best of both worlds.

Any method you pick will work, just be sure to keep good form on every exercises. When selecting the weight it will be based on the most difficult exercise. The barbell exercise you are the weakest in is the weight you use for every exercise.

Fat Loss Conditioning Barbell Complex

1. RDL
2. Shrug
3. Drop Clean
4. Overhead Press
5. High Pull
6. Bent Over Row
7. Hang Snatch
8. Jump Squat
9. Good Morning
10. Triceps Extensions
11. Biceps Curls
12. Close Grip Bench Press
13. Wide Grip Bench Press
14. Barbell Bull Overs

Barbell Workout 1

This workout routine requires you to be somewhat good at the Olympic lifts. For both the Front Press or Shoulder press and the front squat you are required to clean the bar to your shoulders to start the exercise. If you are not good at the Olympic lifts or don’t have a squat rack look at workout routine 2 below.

1. Hang Clean
2. Front Squat
3. Standing Shoulder Press
4. Bent Over Row

Barbell Workout 2

This is a great option for a grage gym without lots of equipment but you still want to build muscle.  In this setup I am going to assume you don’t have any kind os squat rack, and you are not that good at Olympic lifts.

This is a simple but yet effective barbell workout that you can do with no more than the bar and some weight. Unlike the complex there is a need to change weight between exercises. The only rest is the weight change.

1. Deadlift
2. Floor Press
3. Bent Over Row
4. Biceps Curls
5. Standing Barbell Triceps Extensions
6. Barbell Roll Outs

Barbell Workout 3

For a change of pace give this bar routine a try. With the exception of the core rotations you have an option to use one or 2 hands.

1. landmine reverse lunge
2. landmine shoulder press
3. landmine row
4. landmine core rotations

To build muscle and burn fat try a…

Barbell Workout