barbell

Pull day workouts often get stuck in a rut there are only a few pull day exercises to choose that most gym goers know about—lat pulldowns, barbell rows, and pullups on repeat. While these are great foundational moves, relying on the same exercises can lead to plateaus, imbalances, and even...

The final workout of the 2025 CrossFit Open has been revealed, and it’s a true test of functional fitness. Announced live from CrossFit Spur in Glenmont, New York, 25.3 closes out this year’s Open with a workout that blends high-skill gymnastics, rowing endurance, and barbell strength. This one...

Most of us know that the tried-and-tested barbell back squat is a staple for bodybuilders and elite athletes but there are numerous squat variations that tax us from different angles. Fortunately, respected bodybuilder and coach, Petar Klančir took to Instagram recently to help you swot up on...

If there’s one muscle that demands attention, it’s the biceps. The feeling of your arms getting bigger with every curl is a rite of passage, and no exercise delivers a biceps pump like barbell biceps curls. Why? You can load up to your biceps content, sparking serious gains. But don’t stop at...

Barbell hip thrusts are a tried and tested way to build glute strength and muscle for anyone from fitness models to elite athletes but by adding this small step you could benefit from even greater results. Previously, M&F highlighted Dr Andrew Lock’s tip that hip thrusts should end with a...

While six-time Olympia champion Dorian Yates is famed for releasing his Blood & Guts bodybuilding video guide in 2003, the Englishman still has plenty of exercises to share that didn’t make the cut. Here, “The Shadow” explains the importance of the simple shrug to his legendary success. “Here’s...

We’ve all had our epic gym fails, but few of us have the nerve to upload our most cringeworthy moments for social media to consume. Recently, however, one Instagram user put a whole new spin on the term “lifting to failure,” with a funny but equally scary moment at the squat station. A few...

Some lifters frown upon some fitness machines and the exercises performed on it. The Smith machine is one of those underappreciated piece of strength equipment mainly due to what may be perceived as its biggest drawback: the fixed bar path. But you may be surprised by how many unique Smith...

How many times have you assumed a great workout requires a fully equipped gym with tons of equipment? Stop assuming, it’s not true. When equipment access is limited and your time is tight, it’s time to think outside the box. Forget about straight sets, supersets, and circuits. Instead, dive...

When looking to grow a bigger, stronger backside, the barbell hip thruster is a go-to exercise as it targets the gluteal muscles better than any other lower-body movements. “The No. 1 reason most lifters perform barbell hip thrust is it builds more gluteal muscle, strength, and power than just...

If you want glutes that look good and make you stronger on and off the field, barbell hip thrusts are your go-to exercise, but you better make sure your hip thrust form is on point. Since Bret Contreras, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., aka “The Glute Guy,” popularized this and invented equipment to do it on...

There are not many more satisfying things in the gym than pulling a heavy barbell deadlift from the floor. It’s you versus the barbell, and you win. The regular barbell deadlift is not the greatest exercise to build muscle due to a lack of eccentric contraction, but it sets the table for muscle...

Have you ever wondered why they call it the Romanian deadlift? It looks similar to the straight-leg deadlift but with a better name. Well, here’s why. It’s called the Romanian deadlift, or RDL for short, because it’s named after the Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad, an Olympic medalist in the...

Here’s a little-known gym fact, kirk shrug may be, he best shrug variation you’re not doing. There’s nothing more imposing than a lifter with a big yoke, otherwise known as a set of massive upper traps, shoulders, and back will make you stand in awe—and move out of their way as they toss...

Barbell back squats are arguably the king of all leg exercises, with the barbell front squat close behind. Back squats are part of the powerlifting big 3, but the front squat and the various front squat variations, although less load, is used because of the reduced stability; they have better...

There’s probably no need to tell you that dumbbell rows are near the top of the list when it comes to helping build a massive back, as well as blow up your biceps and improve your grip strength. But did you know that a combination of different unilateral dumbbell row variations each serve a...

The inverted row isn’t a complicated move but there are still plenty of room to make inverted row mistakes. It is easily progressed and regressed depending on the lifter’s experience. That and being an excellent movement for the forearms, biceps, upper back, and lats is why it should be in...

Google the term “biceps curl,” and you’ll get over 20 million hits. There is no shortage of information about this beloved muscle group and its most popular exercise. Think back to your first time in a gym when you didn’t know much about lifting. Was one of the first exercises you performed a...

There’s more total-body benefits to be gained inside the squat rack than just everyone’s favorite legday staple, the squat. And, no, we’re not talking about biceps curls, but other heavily effective moves not quite mainstream yet that you should be aware of. At one time, the squat was...

Landmine training was invented long before the barbell attachment was created—unofficially—when the first gym bro stuck a barbell in corner and created a T- Bar rows variation long ago. For lifters who have shoulder mobility issues, landmine training is an excellent method to lift overhead...