Ask Scott: Six exercises with a bar

Top fitness coach Scott Pearson answers your health and fitness questions. 

Bench Press

The bench press is the true man's exercise. I have never seen a man enter a gym and not migrate towards the bench press! For the uninitiated it is a chest exercise that also works the front of your shoulders and backs of your arms.

Simply lay on a flat bench, making sure that your head, shoulders, back and hips are all touching. Hold the bar wider than shoulder width apart. In control lower the bar to your chest (roughly in line with your nipples). Raise and repeat. For a video, click here.  

Back Squat

The back squat is a fantastic fundamental leg strengthening exercise, which uses all of the leg muscles.

Start with the bar resting over the back of your shoulders, standing with your feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing slightly outwards. From this position sink your hips back and down (making sure that you keep a tight back) until your thighs are parallel with the floor.

Raise to the starting position making sure that your hips don't come up faster than your shoulders. Repeat the movement. For a video, click here. 

Deadlift

If you want true 'man strength' the Deadlift is the exercise for you. Quite simply the Deadlift is picking a weight up off the floor! Sounds simple but this exercise has a great potential for injury if done incorrectly.

Start in the get set position; hips higher than knees and shoulders higher than hips. From this position raise the bar upwards (by standing up), ensuring that you keep the bar close to your body. Make sure that you raise your shoulders and hips together (to reduce the stress on your back). Lower all the way to the floor (initiating the movement through your hips) and repeat. For a video, click here.

Bent Over Row

Stand holding the bar wider than shoulder width (similar width to a bench press), with your knuckles facing forward. From here slightly bend your knees and pivot forward from your hips until your shoulders are level with your hips (the bar should be hanging directly below your shoulders).

From this position draw the bar up towards your chest, making sure that your elbows remain above the bar and that you don't swing your shoulders up. Lower and repeat. Return to a standing position before you release the weight. For a video, click here. 

Military Press

The military press is a great exercise for the shoulders (mainly the front) as well as the upper chest and backs of arms.

Begin by standing with the bar across the front of your shoulders with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip (your little fingers should touch the outsides of your deltoids), with your palms facing away from you. From here press the bar above your head until your arms are straight.

Be sure not to lean backwards during the movement (although you need enough to clear your chin!). Lower the bar in control back to the starting position and repeat. For a video, click here. 

Upright Row

The upright row is another shoulder exercise, however this one concentrates more on the middle of the shoulder and on the traps, it also focuses on the biceps rather than the triceps as it is a pulling rather than a pushing action.

Start by holding the bar in front of you with a narrower than shoulder width grip, your palms should be facing you. From here raise the bar to your collar bones, keeping it close to your body and also keeping your elbows higher than the bar. Avoid the temptation to throw your shoulders back during the movement. Lower it back to the starting position and repeat. For a video, click here.