Barbell full body workout: 7 exercises, sets and reps

Barbell full body workout

7 exercises 21 sets about 50 min a barbell, plates, a rack and a bench

One session that trains every major muscle group: a squat, a hinge, two presses, two pulls and a plank. It is the most time-efficient way to lift, because every muscle is trained each time you show up.

A barbell, a rack and a bench is the classic garage setup. It is short on isolation work, so this session leans on big lifts and makes up the difference in load.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 7 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Squat3 × 8Brace, sit down between your hips to at least parallel, and drive up through the whole foot.2 min rest
Bench Press3 × 8Pinch your shoulder blades together, lower the bar to mid-chest and press up and slightly back.2 min rest
Barbell Row3 × 10Hinge to about 45 degrees with a flat back and pull the bar to your lower ribs without jerking your torso.90 s rest
Romanian Deadlift3 × 10Soft knees. Push your hips back and slide the bar down your thighs until your hamstrings stop you.90 s rest
Overhead Press3 × 10Squeeze your glutes and brace. Press the bar straight up, moving your head through once it clears your forehead.90 s rest
Inverted Row3 × 10Hang under a bar set at hip height with a straight body, and pull your chest up to it.90 s rest
Plank3 × 1 minElbows under shoulders, glutes tight, ribs pulled down. Stop when your hips start to sag.30 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Glutes6
Lats6
Upper back6
Abs6
Lower back6
Hamstrings4.5
Shoulders4.5

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Barbells reward small jumps: add 2.5 kg (5 lb) in total once every set reaches the target, and stay there until it does again.

Run it three times a week on non-consecutive days, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Two sessions a week still works if that is what your week allows.

If something is taken

Bench Press→Push-Up

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 7 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this full body workout take?

About 50 minutes. That is 21 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the glutes, lats and upper back. The abs, lower back, hamstrings and shoulders assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A barbell, plates, a rack and a bench.

Is a full body workout enough to build muscle?

Yes. Three full body sessions a week train every muscle three times, which is more frequent than most split routines manage. What matters is that the weights or reps go up over the months.

Can I do a full body workout every day?

It is better not to. Muscles grow between sessions, and the same lifts on consecutive days leave them under-recovered. Keep at least one rest day between full body sessions.