In today’s world inundated with wifi, smart phones, and endless websites with as much new information as we can possibly absorb we seem to have lost sight of the simplest and best solutions for certain problems. right this moment I can go on the computer using my phone (while also doing another unrelated task) and see all the crazy training of my favorite powerlifters, or see the craziest crossfit WOD’s, or see endless amounts of videos about using the newest machines, cables, chains, bands and all manner of complex devices. With this overload of information it can become easy to overlook the simplest and effective tool in the gym for getting stronger; the simple barbell.
It seems as though to average gym goers the barbell is an out dated tool of a bygone era. Most of them aren’t painted funny colors, you usually dont sit down while using it, there are no joints, cables or pulleys on any of them and some gyms even have an alarm that goes off if you drop one on the floor….It becomes all too easy to forget the legions of NFL players, powerlifters, strongmen, and olympic weight lifters that have built huge amounts of strength using a simple barbell and a few plates.
It may not seem exciting but the simplicity of the barbell is the key to it’s effectiveness. all my life I’ve always been intrigued by the simplest effective solution. To me a simple solution represents the pinnacle of engineering, in this case we are engineering a training plan that can get us strong and muscular and allow us to display that strength in a quick and athletic manner. The single most effective tool to accomplish this goal is the barbell. If all I had was one barbell, I could still do almost 90 percent of all the best strength training routines on the internet, or at least 90 percent of the effective ones anyway. In addition to being simple the barbell also allows the most muscle groups to be involved in each lift, more muscle being worked=stronger and more muscles. Here are a few examples of what can be done with a simple Olympic barbell and a few plates:
- squats
- front squats
- deadlifts
- rows
- standing overhead press
- bench press
- close grip bench press
- barbell curl
- snatch
- clean and jerk
- clean and press
- power cleans
- romanian deadlift
Right there you have a list of the single best exercises for all the major muscle groups of the body. All the best strength and powerlifting programs are built around these few exercises. Change the rep schemes and a hell of a bodybuilding plan can be built around these exercises. Change the order and omit the arm stuff and you can build a good olympic lifting plan too. See what I’m getting at? Add a power rack or some wooden blocks and now you have the ability to do advanced overload and partial rep versions of all these same exercises. Did you see what just happened there? I just accidentally designed the best and simplest home gym on a budget. That will be $19.99 please……
The point is, don’t get distracted by all the fancy machines, cables, pulleys and balance balls. Forget the cable curls, and the flyes and the small stuff, focus on these basic core lifts with this basic piece of equipment to build some serious strength. The simplest solutions are always the best!