What exercise routines can i do with barbells and dumbbells?

[Bk821]

Decided to change my life around today and wanted to start working out. I only have access to a barbell and dumbells in my home and cant get to a gym anytime soon. Ive been looking for upper body workout routines but most require an incline bench which i do not have. Would greatly appreciate any routines anyone has that i would be able to do.

[GrouchyUSMC]

Overhead press with the barbell as your main upper body lift. You can also clean, row, and front squat it without any rack supports, although you will be limited on weight to front squat by your clean. Dumbbells for floor presses, one arm rows, Bulgarian split squats, etc. You have all you need.

[coachcalande]

My first home gym in the 80s included two bar stools pushed together to support my back so I could bench. I did “inclines “ by putting my feet up on the stools and doing push-ups….eventually adding a backpack with school books and weights. I did chin-ups with various grips from the 2x6 wooden beams in the basement.

Bench can also be “floor press” …

Bench, incline push-ups, flyes

Rows with barbell and db, pull-ups if you have beams

Military press or db press

Upright rows

Squats, front squats, barbell hack squats, RDLs, stiff legged dead’s, db squats


Seriously, you can do a lot more…where there is a will, there is a way.

[ChunkBuster]

Look into landmine chest press with two hands.

[Bk821]

My first home gym in the 80s included two bar stools pushed together to support my back so I could bench. I did “inclines “ by putting my feet up on the stools and doing push-ups….eventually adding a backpack with school books and weights. I did chin-ups with various grips from the 2x6 wooden beams in the basement.

Bench can also be “floor press” …

Bench, incline push-ups, flyes

Rows with barbell and db, pull-ups if you have beams

Military press or db press

Upright rows

Squats, front squats, barbell hack squats, RDLs, stiff legged dead’s, db squats


Seriously, you can do a lot more…where there is a will, there is a way.

thanks alot! Yea I definitely have the will just needed some help with starting since ive never worked out before but thanks for the advice

[Bk821]

Overhead press with the barbell as your main upper body lift. You can also clean, row, and front squat it without any rack supports, although you will be limited on weight to front squat by your clean. Dumbbells for floor presses, one arm rows, Bulgarian split squats, etc. You have all you need.

Thanks alot just needed a heads up sort of since this is my first time working out and I really am committed to doing it.

[TheShadowMan]

You could maybe do back squats and good mornings if you use the steinborn method to get in position(wouldn't use a lot of weight on these for awhile), but those collars need to be crazy secure for it cause it can spell disaster otherwise haha. There's a surprising number of things you can do with a barbell actually, i've even seen videos of people using it for both wrist and ab rollers - it's a pretty versatile tool. With how inexpensive the ideal devices are for those exercises i'd prolly just buy them outright, but it's nice to know there's one thing that can do so much for you.