Have you ever seen those barbells at the gym that have the plates attached, and wondered what you could do with them? For many people the preloaded barbells are inconvenient because you’d need to swap out the bars between exercises instead of adding or dropping a plate. But for this full body workout, all you need is a single preloaded barbell and some time to spare.
Full Body Workout with preloaded barbell
There’s no need to waste time shuffling between different barbells for this workout circuit. Choose a preloaded barbell that is medium weight. I use 40-50lbs. Remember, if it gets too difficult at any time (or maybe you are stronger than you thought), you can always swap out the barbell in the middle of the workout. The goal is to keep the same, but don’t fret if you have to grab a different weight.
Save this Full Body Workout graphic to your phone so you have it handy next time you head to the gym!
Exercises Explained
Choose a low weight that can be used for all five exercises, with slight muscular endurance. I usually use a 40 or 50 pound barbell. This is designed to be a quick workout, but don’t forget to warm-up first. Two or three minutes of dynamic exercises like jumping jacks, body weight squats, and inchworm to pushups are great.
Romanian Deadlifts Start with the barbell on the ground, feet shoulder width or slightly wider. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees slightly to pick up the barbell until returned to an upright position. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat by lowering the barbell, keeping it close to the shins, without rounding the shoulders or arching the back.
Overhead Squat Holding the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width apart, snatch the bar up so your arms are locked. Keeping the core engaged, slowly lower by bending the knees while pressing back as though sitting in a chair. Ideal depth is parallel, but only go as low as you can while maintaining good form. If overhead is too difficult, the barbell can be loaded into a back-squat behind the shoulders or even held with the arms down.
Upright Row Keeping the knees soft, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip at shoulder width apart. Pull the barbell towards the chin, driving the elbows out until the bar just below parallel with your arms. Be mindful of the wrists and shoulders to avoid injury.
Chest Press Laying on a bench or mat on the floor, start with the barbell flat across your lap in a seated position before laying back and rolling it into position. With your palms facing away, grip the barbell shoulder width apart and drive the bar until your arms are straight, staking the wrist, elbows, and shoulders. Slowly, keeping the contraction, lower the barbell to your chest. Turning your elbows slightly forward will soften the pressure off the shoulders.
Reverse Lunge Holding the barbell at the chest or behind the shoulders, step back with one foot. Keep the body straight and core engaged for stability while bending both legs until the front knee is in a 90 degree angle and the back knee is close to the ground. Be careful not to drive the knee past the toes. If this happens, reduce the range of motion.
Wanna learn more exercises? Check out the Exercise Glossary!
Workout Instructions
Complete 10 reps of each exercise at a slow and consistent pace. Focus on contracting the muscle. Don’t use gravity or swing into the move. Rest 30-60 seconds before moving on to the next exercise, including the time it takes to get into the position. Once completing all five exercises, rest 2-3 minutes before repeating. This gives your muscles time to recharge. Complete the whole circuit three times.
Let me know if you try this full body workout!
For more Grab and Go workouts, check out the Personal Training page. Or for general health and fitness, check out the Wellness tab.