• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Barbell exercises aren’t essential for getting fit – here’s what you can do instead

April 29, 2022
in Article
0
Barbell exercises aren’t essential for getting fit – here’s what you can do instead
file 20220429 20 h0umhf
Dumbbell variations allow us to adjust an exercise to better suit our body. Max kegfire/ Shutterstock

If strong is the new sexy, it’s no wonder more people than ever want to start lifting weights. Instagram hashtags such as “fitspiration” (fitness inspiration) and #gym contain millions of posts, typically of flexed muscles, inspirational quotes and exercise advice.

While weight training can be a great way to lose weight and build muscle, it can be confusing and even intimidating knowing where to get started – especially when there’s so much contradictory fitness advice available online. Another problem is that most of the fitness advice you do find online will tell you there are certain “must do” exercises you need to include in your fitness regime – or else you won’t see progress.

These are often barbell exercises, such as barbell squats (balancing a barbell on the upper back while lowering your hips to around 90 degrees before pushing back up), deadlifts (lifting a barbell off the ground to hip-level) or hip thrusts (resting the upper back on a bench or flat object and using the hips to push a barbell upwards).

But are these exercises really essential? Well, the answer is a bit more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

While barbell exercises allow you to load up heavy weights, they require you to perform very specific movements patterns. Whether it’s upper body exercises such as the bench press (lying on a bench and pushing a barbell skyward) or overhead press (standing or kneeling and pushing the barbell from chest level to above the head), or lower body exercises such as squats or deadlifts, barbell exercises are bilateral exercises – meaning two limbs work together at the same time to lift the weight.


Quarter life, a series by The Conversation

This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.

You may be interested in:

Body image issues affect close to 40% of men – but many don’t get the support they need

Exercise can fast-track your workplace well-being – here’s how

Muscle dysmorphia: why are so many young men suffering this serious mental health condition?


But barbell exercises might not actually work for everyone. Because of the nature of the barbell, it means that a person’s individual anatomy may actually make these movements feel uncomfortable depending on a number of different factors, such as limb lengths past injuries. This means barbell movements could actually place some people at greater risk of injury if performed incorrectly.

For example, people with long legs may find barbell squats more challenging due to the extra range of motion that’s needed to move the barbell. Muscle imbalances (which can change natural movement patterns and range of motion) may also cause shoulder pain or even injury during overhead presses or bench presses with a barbell.

Skip the barbell

Dumbbell and kettlebell variations (smaller, hand-held weights) can be much more forgiving, particularly for upper body pressing exercises – such as the overhead press – and single leg exercises. This is because dumbbell and kettlebell exercises are often unilateral exercises, which means each limb moves independently to perform the exercise. This means we can adjust an exercise to move in ways that reflects our unique anatomies.

While there’s still much debate in the scientific community about whether bilateral or unilateral exercises are better, some evidence indicates that the unique way unilateral exercises recruit muscles during an exercise can actually help us lift more weight in the long run. This may be due to the bilateral deficit, which is a phenomenon where the force produced using two limbs at once is less than the combined force produced when they are used independently.

But while unilateral exercise are a great way to build balance and strength, bilateral exercise are still useful if you’re short on time. They can also be adjusted to make them safer and more comfortable – such as using a trap bar (a big, hexagonal barbell that you step into) for deadlifts, as this places less load on the lower back and may be particularly useful for people with back issues or longer legs.

Young woman performs a trap bar deadlift with her male trainer next to her.
Trap bars don’t put as much load on the lower back.
Ajan Alen/ Shutterstock

If your goals are to build muscle and get stronger, the most important thing you need to do is place the muscle under load (weight) and progressively do more over time. This can take the form of lifting heavier weights, increasing the number of sets and repetitions performed or adjusting rest times to do more work in less time. This is known as “progressive overload”.

But progressive overload can be done with any weight lifting exercise – not just barbell exercises. If we can remove our attachment to a particular exercise and view them just as tools to get a job done, this opens new possibilities to make exercise more varied, individualised, and perhaps even more enjoyable – which might also mean we’re more likely to stick to it in the long term.

It could even be argued that any exercise you enjoy and do consistently is the best form of exercise for you. And consistency, not what exercises we do, is the most important factor in achieving the long-term benefits of exercise.

Weight training has many benefits – such as helping us lose weight and build muscle. It can even reduce symptoms of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and lower risk of death by 15% from all causes. So it’s important to remember that you can achieve these benefits with any weight-based exercises – whether you use a barbell or not.

The Conversation

David Rogerson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Why do teens engage in self-harm? Clinical psychologists explain how to help teens reduce their emotional distress

Next Post

Psychologists are starting to talk publicly about their own mental illnesses – and patients can benefit

Next Post
Psychologists are starting to talk publicly about their own mental illnesses – and patients can benefit

Psychologists are starting to talk publicly about their own mental illnesses – and patients can benefit

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS