The barbell is a cornerstone tool in any strength training program. Its versatility allows you to target major muscle groups and develop functional strength applicable to everyday life and athletic endeavors. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, then incorporating barbells into your routine is a surefire way to achieve results.
This extensive guide will help you pack on muscle and size, get stronger and program strength cycles into your own training. Which one will you try?
This article explores five barbell programs designed for various experience levels and training goals. Each program offers a different approach to getting you stronger and building muscle mass.
1. Starting Strength:
This program is ideal for beginners who want to establish a solid foundation in the major barbell lifts. It focuses on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, and barbell rows. These exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, maximizing your time in the gym and promoting overall strength development.
Starting Strength Benefits:
- Simple and Effective: Focuses on a few key lifts, allowing you to master proper form before adding complexity.
- Fast Strength Gains: Beginners see rapid strength improvements due to the program’s emphasis on progressive overload (gradually increasing weight).
- Functional Strength: Builds strength in movements that translate to everyday activities.
2. StrongLifts 5×5:
Similar to Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5×5 prioritizes compound lifts. However, it incorporates additional exercises like barbell lunges and barbell rows for a more well-rounded workout. The program follows a simple 5 sets of 5 repetitions structure, making it easy to track progress and focus on lifting heavier weights over time.
StrongLifts 5×5 Benefits:
- Linear Progression: Straightforward approach to adding weight each workout, promoting steady strength gains.
- Balanced Development: Includes exercises for major muscle groups, ensuring well-rounded strength and muscle growth.
- Beginner-Friendly: Easy-to-follow structure with clear exercise selection and rep schemes.
3. Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1:
This program offers more flexibility and variety than beginner programs. It utilizes a wave periodization approach, cycling through different training intensities throughout the program. This helps prevent plateaus and keeps your workouts challenging.
Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Benefits:
- Periodization: Variation in training intensity keeps workouts stimulating and promotes long-term progress.
- Strength and Muscle Building: The program focuses on both heavy weightlifting for strength gains and higher rep sets for muscle hypertrophy.
- Customization: Offers options for tailoring the program to your individual strength levels and goals.
4. Texas Method:
This intermediate-level program is designed for experienced lifters looking to break through plateaus. It utilizes high-volume training with multiple sets per exercise, pushing you to new levels of muscular endurance and strength.
Texas Method Benefits:
- Strength Breakthroughs: High-volume training with moderate weight challenges your muscles and promotes significant strength gains.
- Muscle Hypertrophy: The increased training volume stimulates muscle growth and development.
- Targeted Weaknesses: The program allows for incorporating accessory exercises to address specific muscle groups.
5. Bulgarian Split Squat Program:
This program focuses heavily on the Bulgarian split squat, a unilateral exercise that strengthens your legs, core, and improves balance. It incorporates additional barbell exercises for upper body development, making it a well-rounded program for lower body strength and overall muscle building.
Bulgarian Split Squat Program Benefits:
- Lower Body Emphasis: The program prioritizes the Bulgarian split squat, a highly effective exercise for leg strength and development.
- Unilateral Training: Improves balance, stability, and addresses potential strength imbalances between legs.
- Muscle Building: The program incorporates additional barbell exercises for upper body muscle growth.
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An extensive breakdown of 5 important strength training programs that have all helped many different athletes get exceptionally strong.
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5. STARTING STRENGTH BY MARK RIPPETOE
Who is it useful for?
Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program is a classic example of a beginner weight training workout routine. However, it can also benefit athletes who are not exactly new to the gym.
Newbie: If you’re a beginner or recently started, then this program is right for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring lifter or don’t care about being strong. You still need a base of strength and technique to get huge.
Weakling: Do you consider yourself to be beyond the beginner weight training level, but just can’t seem to gain much strength? If yes, then this program can definitely help jumpstart your strength gains and catch you up to where you should be, relative to how long you have been training.
Frustrated: Disappointed with a lack of results from your routine? If so, then this program can get you out of the slump and on your way to the big guys. The typical routines work for the guys who look like what you want to look like. They can only do so much for less advanced lifters.
Machinist. Probably you won´t find yourself in a Crossfit box but in a gym. When you have been training for a while, but never really focused on the major compound exercises, more you’ve been doing a lot of machine/nautilus exercises or isolation movements, then you’re limiting your potential. Starting Strength will help you gain dense muscle and functional strength.
Comeback. This is the most interesting part for a Crossfitter. Are you a seasoned vet who’s coming back from an extended break? Whatever your reasons for taking a layoff from pumping iron (injury, midlife crisis, baby mama issues, etc.), Starting Strength is a safe and effective workout routine for getting back to your previous glory.
Squatting Creates a Powerful Foundation For Building Strength
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The letter “x” represents a rest day. The letters “A” and “B” are workouts described below. So, for example, the first week of workouts shown directly below is “AxBxAxx”, which means do workout A on Monday, rest on Tuesday, do workout B on Wednesday, rest on Thursday, Do workout A on Friday, and rest on the weekend.
For the first 2-3 weeks:
AxBxAxx BxAxBxx AxBxAxx
- A=3×5 squat, 3×5 press, 1×5 deadlift
- B= 3×5 squat, 3×5 bench press, 3×5 Power Clean
- x= rest day
Then, for 2-3 weeks do this:
AxBxAxx BxAxBxx AxBxAxx
- A= squat, press, deadlift
- B= squat bench press, power clean
- x= rest day
For the remainder of the 6-9 months, do this:
AxBxAxx BxAxBxx AxBxAxx
- A= squat, press, deadlift, or power clean
- B= squat, bench press, back extensions, chin-ups, or pullups
- x= rest day
5/3/1 BY JIM WENDLER
Who is it useful for?
The 5/3/1 strength training program can be used for all experience levels but is generally recommended for intermediate athletes. If you are looking for short training sessions, and slow but steady progress, then 5/3/1/ might be great for you. Jim believes starting light allows a lifter more room to progress forward.
Build That Strength!
Brand new lifters are usually able to progress more quickly from a beginner routine due to practicing the lifts more frequently. Advanced lifters can benefit from its long term training focus.
STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM: HOW DOES IT WORK?
- Week 1: 3×5 (3 sets of 5 reps)
- Week 2: 3×3 (3 sets of 3 reps)
- Week 3: 3×5, 3, 1 (1 set of 5 reps, 1 set of 3 reps, and 1 set of 1 rep)
- Week 4: Deloading (3 sets of 5 reps)
- Once the cycle (4 weeks) is completed you will start your next cycle using heavier weights.
You train 3 to 4 times per week with this strength training program.
5/3/1 has you do one of four workouts on your training days:
- Squat and assistance work.
- Bench Press and assistance work.
- Deadlift and assistance work.
- Overhead Press and assistance work.
| DAY 1 | DAY 2 |
| Warm-Up | Warm-Up |
| Overhead Press | Deadlift |
| Assistance Work | Assistance Work |
| DAY 3 | DAY 4 |
| Warm-Up | Warm-Up |
| Bench Press | Squat |
| Assistance Work | Assistance Work |
When choosing your beginning weights you must first know your maxes for the main 4 lifts
| WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | |
| Set 1 | 65% x 5 | 70% x 3 | 75% x 5 | 40% x 5 |
| Set 2 | 75% x 5 | 80% x 3 | 85% x 3 | 50% x 5 |
| Set 3 | 85% x 5+ | 90% x 3+ | 95% x 1+ | 60% x 5 |
MIKE BURGENER’S GENERIC BEGINNER PROGRAM
Who does it work for?
People with time! Training sessions can least 2 hours or more.
Lifters with a “Burgener” Style. Lifters that prefer other methods (Catapult etc) can struggle with this.
Coach Mike Burgener’s generic beginner program is the starting point for most of Mike’s programming for his own lifters. Exercises will change on a daily basis to fit what the lifter most needs to work on and to take into account individual variation.
Stay strong!
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Four days split
- Day 1 largely devoted to the Snatch and derivative exercises
- Day 2 to the Clean & Jerk
- Day 3 to power snatch and assistance exercises
Day 4 as a max out for the competition lifts.
The breakdown for each day
One aspect of Burgener’s program that sets it apart from other beginner programs is that it makes use of 3-position snatch and cleans. It also includes assistance exercises like snatch-grip shrugs. Burgener heavily emphasizes the “jump and shrug” in his preferred technique.
Sets and reps generally involve five sets of triples for the main lifts and power variants and five sets of five for most of the strength lifts.
Weights used are left to the lifter/coach. Coach Burgener says that he often increases the load one week and drops it back a bit the following week before increasing again.
- Front Squats are performed on Day 1 at 3×5 and back squats on Day 2 at 5×5.
- Overhead squats are done as part of a complex with snatch-grip push presses on Day 3.
- Max back squats may also be performed on Day 4.
Coach Burgener’s template is very much a jumping-off point for individualization and exercises will generally vary from week to week depending on the trainee’s needs. However, he notes that many lifters and coaches have seen impressive gains just sticking to the generic program as laid out.
5×5 BY REG PARK
Who does it work for?
Beginners to intermediate. It is the next logical step after Starting Strength.
Very easy strength training program to follow but can be taxing both mentally and physically if followed for a prolonged period. Concentrated Sessions can least two hours or longer.
We all start as rookies, even the top pros
HOW DOES IT WORK?
5×5 includes two progressively heavier warm-up sets and three sets at the same weight
When you can complete the last 3×5 at a given weight, increase the weight on all five sets 5-10 pounds. Test for one-rep max at the end of each phase of the strength training program.
PHASE ONE
Train three days per week for three months
- 45-degree back extension 3×10
- Back squat 5×5
- Bench press 5×5
- Deadlift 5×5
Rest 3-5 minutes between the last 3 sets of each exercise.
PHASE TWO
Train three days per week for three months.
- 45-degree back extension 3-4×10
- Front squat 5×5
- Back squat 5×5
- Bench press 5×5
- Standing barbell shoulder press 5×5
- High pull 5×5
- Deadlift 5×5
- Standing barbell calf raise 5×25
Rest 2 minutes between sets.
PHASE THREE
Train three days per week for three months.
- 45-degree back extension 4×10
- Front squat 5×5
- Back squat 5×5
- Standing barbell shoulder press 5×5
- Bench press 5×5
- Bent-over barbell row 5×5
- Deadlift 5×3
- Behind-the-neck press or one-arm dumbbell press 5×5
- Barbell curl 5×5
- Lying triceps extension 5×8
- Standing barbell calf raise 5×25
Rest 2 minutes between sets.
SOLID NEOPHYTE PROGRAM BY DAN JOHN
Who is it suitable for?
Beginners. The program is simple, reflecting John’s reductive approach to training. It describes the methodology as essentially ‘Bulgarian’ meaning that the lifter focuses on the competition lifts and squatting to the max.
First, the back squat is mastered at which point the clean is introduced, followed by the snatch. Once the lifts are learned, the athlete performs the snatch, clean & jerk, military press, and front squat every day three days a week.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The rep scheme is equally non-complicated – eight sets of doubles for the snatch and 8 sets of doubles for the clean & jerk. Weights used should be as much as the lifter can handle and maintain good technique, with small increases each session so long as form remains consistently good.
Breakdown Of The Structure
The strength training program highlights front squatting but assumes the ability to perform a deep back squat. Front squats are done for five sets of five and loading follows the same progression scheme as the Olympic lifts, though could be modified to a volume/intensity model depending on the lifter’s level. Presses are performed for five sets of three.
The strength training program can be done for as long as the lifter continues to make progress, though it is possible that some beginners may crave more variety sooner rather than later. But for the same reason, it could get boring after a while, and concentration on the lifts could sink. Also, the missing back squats are something a Crossfiter should not face at value.
Important Considerations:
- Warm-Up and Cool-Down: Always prioritize a proper warm-up before each workout and cool down with static stretches afterwards.
- Form Matters: Focus on proper form over lifting heavier weights. Improper form can lead to injuries and hinder your progress.
- Progression: Every program emphasizes progressive overload. Gradually increase weight lifted, sets, or reps to keep challenging your muscles and promote long-term gains.
- Listen to Your Body: Take rest days when needed and don’t push yourself through pain.
Wrapping Up
Barbell training is a powerful tool for building muscle and strength. With the right program, proper form, and consistency, you can achieve your fitness goals and unlock your full potential. Remember, choose a program that suits your experience level and goals, prioritize proper form, and gradually increase training intensity to keep making progress. By incorporating these elements, you’ll be well on your way to a stronger, more muscular physique.
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