If you have a gym membership, it’s an excellent idea to spend a lot of time in the weights room mastering a handful of essential barbell exercises. These compound moves are challenging, but yield significant benefits to people who attempt them. But if you find they start to go stale, take a break with some moves, like these. Ideally, you’ll put an empty barbell in a landmine attachment, but you can always wedge the end in a corner.
1 Windmill
Targets Shoulders, lower back, core
Face away from the barbell, holding it above and behind you with your left hand. Keeping your left arm straight, bend forwards from the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor, before returning to the start.
Like this? Try the kettlebell windmill.
2 Hammer jammer
Targets Shoulders, triceps, core
Hold one end of the barbell at chest level with your left hand and wedge the other end against a wall. With your right leg forward and core braced, raise the bar in a smooth arc until it’s above your head before returning slowly to the start.
3 Floor press
Targets Chest, triceps
Lie on the floor and hold the bottom end of the barbell by one side of your head. Press the bar straight up until your arm is straight, then lower slowly.
4 Landmine squat
Targets Shoulders, core, glutes, hamstrings, quads
Wedge the barbell into a corner and hold the other end in one hand above your head. Keeping this arm straight, your back arched and core braced, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor before returning.
5 Suitcase deadlift
Targets Hamstrings, quads, glutes, core, lower back
Stand to one side of the barbell. Squat down and grip the bar. Keeping it close to your side, drive through your heels to stand back upright.
6 Landmine
Targets Core, obliques
Wedge one end of a barbell into a corner and grab the top end of it with both hands. Rotate at the waist to one side, then the other. Switch which hand is on top between sets.
7 Single-arm flye
Targets Chest, shoulders, core
Stand facing the wall, holding the bar in one hand just above head height. Slowly turn your arm out to the side, staying in control of the bar throughout, until your arm forms a right angle with your body. Then return to the top.
