Barbell Strength Training

"Physical strength is the most important thing in life. Our strength, more than any other thing we posses, still determines the quality and quantity of our time here in these bodies. " -Mark Rippetoe, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist®.

Realistically, our bodies cannot function properly with the absence of hard physical labour. We posses potentially strong muscle, bone, sinew, and nerve, and these necessary aspects of our bodies cannot simply be ignored. Exercise is not something we do to fix a problem. It's something that just has to be done, or else there will always be problems.

More strength is more muscle and more muscle is more calories burned. Strength training lowers body fat, strengthens joints and bones, increases cardiovascular fitness, and builds better health overall. The possibilities don't end there!

What's great about strength training is that it doesn't matter if you're fat, skinny, young or old, man or women. You just have to be willing to do what it takes.
But...it is hard work. You won't get big and strong, or lose fat quickly, it's all about making permanent, long-lasting habits. Physically and mentally.

The decision to start a strength training program may be motivated by a desire to compete on a high-level sports team. Or, one may simply feel that his/her strength is inadequate. Whatever the reason, I hope this article helps.

Let me start off by saying that the barbell back squat increases the release of Growth Hormone & Testosterone more than any other exercise. You can find studies showing this.

In the 1970s a man named Arthur Jones went against the grain of standard weightlifting equipment, and invented a new type of exercise equipment that revolutionized resistance exercise. He came out with a line of equipment that we still see in gyms all around the world today...Nautilus machines. Mr Jones claimed that these machines had an advantage over free weights because of the fact that different parts of the range of motion of every limb were stronger than others.

Here's the problem: MACHINES DON'T WORK. It is almost impossible to gain muscular bodyweight doing a Nautilus circuit. When people switch from machines to barbells, something miraculous happens. They put on more weight in one week then they ever had on a machine.

The reason? Isolated body-part training on machines doesn't work for the same reason that barbells work so well. The human body works as one unit. And since it works that way, it has to be trained that way...using compound exercises. The best way to do this is to use a barbell. Machines, on the other hand, force the body into unnatural movements.

"Properly performed, full range-of-motion barbell exercises are essentially the functional expression of human skeletal and muscular anatomy under a load." -Mark Rippetoe, Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training.

The Squat: Many of you, whether physically active or not, have never set foot in a squat rack. Possibly because you don't know how to squat, or because you think squatting is bad for you knees, or because you think you can just do leg extensions instead. I have news for you: the full range of motion barbell squat is the single most useful exercise in the weight room, and the most valuable tool for building strength, power, and size.

The full squat is the safest exercise for the knees when performed correctly. Correctly is deep, with hips dropping below parallel with the top of the patella. Everything else doesn't count, and will produce injury in the long run.

You can find very detailed form instruction in Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training at the bottom of this page.

The Deadlift: Lower back strength is critical to sports conditioning. The ability to maintain a solid lumbar spine under a load is crucial for power transfer and safety. The deadlift builds back strength better than any other exercise. There is no easy way to do a deadlift, no way to cheat. This explains their lack of popularity in gyms.

The Press(aka overhead press, standing press): Not to be confused with the bench press, the weight is pushed from the starting position(while standing) on the shoulders to the lock-out position above the head. It is the oldest upper body exercise using a barbell. Unfortunately, it has slowly declined in popularity over the years, to the the detriment of athletes and lifters. The press in a much more balanced exercise compared to the bench press.

Correct exercise technique is crucial to your safety in the gym. Proper technique also allows you to lift more weight because you will use muscles more efficiently. But how will you learn how to do your exercises correctly?

-Not Personal Trainers: Most trainers don't even know how to teach the squat and deadlift because they don't do these themselves!

-Not the Internet: A ridiculous amount of bad advice. You'll waste hours trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong.

-Not You: Practicing without proper technique will lead to injuries.

Starting Strength. One of the ONLY reliable references on exercise technique. Starting Strength may be the only book you ever need on the topic. It counts 320 pages and 750 illustrations. It includes:

-Technique for 29 exercises: Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Deadlift, Power Clean, Halting Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Stiff-Legged Deadlift, Deadlift from Blocks, Rack Pull, Shrugs, Goodmorning, Barbell Row, Box Squat, Rack Squat, High Bar Olympic Squat, Front Squat, Close Grip Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Rack Bench Press, Push Press, Rack Press, Chin-up, Pull-up, Dips, Back Extension, Glute Ham Raise, Reverse Hyper-extension and Barbell Curl.

-More than 50 pages on the squat alone, with much detail.

-How to correct common problems like lower back rounding, how to keep your heels on the floor....

-Nutrition

-Tips and tricks

-Programming

-And More.....

It costs about $29,95 for US residents, a lot cheaper and higher quality than what you'd get with a personal trainer that can >actually< teach you the squat and deadlift. (These people are rare.)

Reviews here and here

Thanks for Reading!!
-Jay