The barbell is one of the most versatile gym equipment. Barbells have applications in strength development, muscle building, athletic performance, injury reduction, and even fat loss.
It is an essential Home Gym Equipment for compound movements. The exercises done using Barbells can help you become stronger, more athletic, and leaner. Despite its importance, it is easy to make mistakes when using a barbell. Here are 5 mistakes you may be making when using a barbell for different types of exercises.
1. Front Squat
You may be breaking form by dipping forward when you squat. Poor form can compromise the strength required to keep the chest up when squatting down. This can pull your body forward.
You can address this mistake by using the following tips:
- Keep your feet at a wider distance than your hips to maintain stability
- Keep the elbows up to ensure your body stays upright
2. Overhead Press
When overhead pressing with Barbells, many users tend to allow their hips to go loose. The overhead press is among the most difficult weightlifting movements. When your hips become loose, they will push out, causing you to arch back.
The following tips should help you fix the mistake:
- Stand with your feet under the hips, maintaining a natural stance
- Keep your core tight and engage the hips
- Hold the barbell on your shoulders
- Push the barbell up, keeping your core and hips tight
3. Bench Press
When it comes to bench press, people make mistakes with regard to the grip. A wider grip than normal can lay extra strain on your chest muscles. If you are a new lifter and have a weaker upper body, this form can increase the risk of shoulder injury. A grip that is too narrow can transform the very purpose of the bench press. It will put more emphasis on your triceps.
The solution is to keep your hands at shoulder width. This will allow you to lift more weight without putting as much strain on your shoulders.
4. Deadlift
People make more mistakes when deadlifting than with almost any other exercise. Some of the most common mistakes include:
- Rounded back at the lower or upper part
- Keeping bar too far away
- Looking up
- Bar path traces around kneecaps
- Slack in upper back and elbows
- Jerky motion
- Fully locking out knees before hips start extending
- Leaning back on lockout
Follow these tips to overcome these mistakes:
- Keep your feet under the hips
- Set up the barbell in front of you on the floor
- Push your butt back and down and hinge forward to grab the bar
- Grip hold the barbell outside your knees
- Keep your spine in neutral and pull the bar up
- The bar should follow a moment up over your legs, almost touching them
- When you are on your knees, move your hips forward to stand
5. Bent-Over Rows
Bent-over rows are a great exercise for building thickness in your latissimus dorsi and other upper-back muscle groups. A common mistake with bent-over rows is to jerk the bar to the body. You could be using the momentum to lift the weight. When moving down, the weight can cause the shoulders to round forward.
- If you need to jerk by rep five, it means the weight is too heavy for you
- If you feel the last two reps to be difficult in a 10-rep lift, it is alright
So, these are the most common mistakes involving barbell exercises. You can easily find different types of Barbells online to include into your home gym. But proper form and movements are important to ensure you are getting the most out of your barbell exercises.
For more information on proper workout postures and to Buy Barbells, feel free to get in touch with us at iWorkOut.
