When people think of bodybuilding exercises, they inevitably think of weights. That’s because all the classic bodybuilding movements are done with the help of a barbell. The squat, bench press, power clean, overhead press, and deadlift all use a barbell to get the job done. However, there are many strength-building exercises that can be done without a barbell, which will help open the doors to even greater success with your training.
There are several different reasons why you may be interested in strength training without using weights. For one, you can exercise at home and not have the services of a bar. Or maybe you travel a lot and have to use hotel gyms and the like that have some machines and some free weights, but no barbell. Suddenly, when you’re used to having weights around and then not, you realize you’ve been taking them for granted all this time.
Alternatively, you may be looking for a way to inject some fresh life into a boring routine, or target different parts of your body individually to help balance weak spots and prevent injury. Regardless of the reason, all strength exercises can be changed to be done without the traditional bar.
Starting with a few simple changes, you can remove the bar from many exercises and replace it with two dumbbells without having to change the movement itself much. The bench press, for example, can be performed with two dumbbells, either pressing at the same time or alternately. Squats can be performed by holding a dumbbell on each side of your body with your arms straight, or they can be performed by holding a dumbbell in front of your chest. The last of which is called the goblet squat.
Deadlifts can be performed with the same movement but with the use of two dumbbells positioned in front of your feet, and of course you can complete dumbbell shoulder presses as well. Clearly, the bar can be removed from your routine entirely if you want to, or if you need to for any of the reasons mentioned above.
The only one of the aforementioned bodybuilding exercises that cannot be switched directly to dumbbells is the power clean. However, you can do many exercises instead that will provide you with great benefits. For example, you can perform one-arm bent-over rows for your mid-back and you can perform dumbbell side shrugs. You can also perform pull-ups and chin-ups for the back.
Don’t be afraid that if you lose access to a bar, you will also lose your strength training. Almost all of the great barbell exercises can be performed using dumbbells, or they can be replaced with other effective bodybuilding moves and routines. So whether you’re looking for some variation or a way to ensure your workout stays intact in your basement at home, you don’t have to worry.