NEXT-Level LIFTING

The barbell may look intimidating, but is it truly so difficult to master? Short answer: no! In fact, if your goals involve building strength and lean muscle, you'll want to get comfy with this one-of-a-kind form of full-body resistance training. Our complete playbook's got your back (and arms and shoulders and legs).

- CAITLIN CARLSON

LET'S TRY A FREE ASSOCIATION TECHNIQUE: What do you think of when you picture a BARBELL?

Bodybuilders and Olympic lifters? People throwing tons of weight over their head with seemingly superhuman strength? A bar loaded down with weight plates on each end? None of these images is wrong, but there are so many other barbell connotations, including sculpting muscle, balanced strength, confidence and much more. Oh, and all those weight plates? Turns out, using the bar alone has a bunch of benefits, especially for beginners.

While Meg Takacs was working at a gym, she saw firsthand the positive impact of barbell training. The tool helped runners be more explosive, enabled lifters to recruit more muscle than they could with dumbbells and made Takacs, simply put, feel like a total badass. She now considers barbell training her niche and loves to teach people how to use it.

Here's why: Barbell training is arguably the best way to build lean muscle and strength. At some point you'll max out on the weight you can add with dumbbells and kettlebells. "Barbell exercises recruit multiple muscle groups and assist in even weight distribution so you can go heavier - and lifting progressively heavier means you get stronger and more muscular," says Takacs, a certified personal trainer, running and CrossFit coach.