Best Barbell Exercises

This shortlist highlights 88 exercises that use barbell equipment. It is a curated editorial roundup built from movement type, equipment, and difficulty data — not a lab ranking or coaching substitute.

How we chose these exercises

•We group exercises by the attribute a reader is most likely filtering on first, such as target muscle, equipment, or difficulty.
•We favor exercises with clear movement intent and dependable metadata for muscle group, equipment, and difficulty.
•Beginner-friendly movements and low-equipment options are surfaced earlier when the shortlist serves broad training intent.
•This page is a curated editorial ranking rather than a personalized training plan or medical recommendation.

Featured exercises

88 curated exercises for this shortlist.

Barbell Curl

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: None

Preacher Curl

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: None

Shrug

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps

Wrist Curl

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Ab Rollout

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Obliques
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Hack Squats

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Hip Thrust

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Lunges Standing

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Quadriceps
Secondary Muscle: Glutes

Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Shoulders

Barbell Row (Overhand)

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Row (Underhand)

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: None

Barbell Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Core

Barbell Step Back Lunge

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Quadriceps
Secondary Muscle: None

Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps, Shoulders

Biceps Curls With Barbell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis

Close-Grip Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: Chest, Shoulders

Deadlifts

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Glutes

Decline Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps, Shoulders

Decline Bench Press Barbell

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: None

External Rotation Stretch

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps

Front Raises

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Front Squats

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Abs

Good Morning

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes

Hip Thrust

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Hamstrings

Incline Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Kickstand RDL

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: None

Landmine Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Chest, Core

Landmine Rotation

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Abs
Secondary Muscle: None

Larsen Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps

Low Box Squat - Wide Stance

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps

Lying Triceps Extensions

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: None

Overhead Barbell Press

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Overhead Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Triceps, Core

Pause Bench

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps

Perpendicular Unilateral Landmine Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps

Pin Bench Press BB

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps

Pin OHP

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Triceps

Reverse Grip Barbell Curls

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis

Romanian Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Back, Glutes

Shoulder Press, Barbell

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Shrugs, Barbells

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Side-laying interior rotation

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Traps
Secondary Muscle: None

Skull Crusher

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Arms
Secondary Muscle: None

Smith Machine Split Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps

Snach

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Squats

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Quadriceps
Secondary Muscle: Glutes

Standing Dowel Shoulder press

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: None

Stiff-legged Deadlifts

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes

Supine press

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Traps
Secondary Muscle: None

T-Bar Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Shoulders

Thruster

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps

Trap press

Category: Isolation
Primary Muscle: Traps
Secondary Muscle: None

Upright Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps

Barbell Bench Press - NB

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Barbell Full Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Calves

Barbell Triceps Extension

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Barbell Wrist Curl

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Biceps, Obliques

Bench Press Narrow Grip

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Bent Over Rowing

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps

Bent Over Rowing Reverse

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps

Clean

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Lats

Clean and Jerk OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps

Clean and Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Legs, Back, Arms

Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Core

Deficit Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

Dumbbell Single-leg Hip Thrust

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Quadriceps

Front Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Core, Glutes

Hip hinge

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Calves, Quadriceps

Incline Bench Press - Barbell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Jerk OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps

JM Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Chest

Landmine Squat to Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstrings

Meadows Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps, Abs

Pendelay Rows

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps, Triceps

Pendlay Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Biceps

Pin Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Abs

Power Clean

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Legs, Shoulders, Arms

Push OHP

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps

Remo alto polea alta

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Obliques
Secondary Muscle: Serratus Anterior, Triceps

Reverse Curl

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Biceps

Reverse Grip Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps, Shoulders

Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Quadriceps

Sliding Lateral Lunge

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Calves

Snatch OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps

Sumo Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Back, Glutes

Training references

wger exercise database API — Source dataset used for exercise names, muscle targets, equipment, and difficulty tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best barbell exercises?

Best Barbell Exercises highlights options such as Barbell Curl, Preacher Curl, Shrug. The right pick depends on your training goal, available equipment, and experience level.

How did you choose these barbell exercises?

We curated this shortlist using muscle-targeting data, equipment tags, movement type, and difficulty so the page reflects practical training intent.

Should beginners start with every exercise in this barbell list?

No. Start with the exercises that match your current technique, mobility, and equipment access, then progress as your form and strength improve.