Take note of the amount of weight you should be working with on each and every rep! Be sure to read the workout notes, push through, and finish up with the As Many Circuits As Possible (AMCAP) 8-minute finisher.
8-min Circuit: The squat isn't necessary, just drive the ball up to a 10-foot target 14 times!
About this workout
Barbell Push 52-min Barbell / EZ-Bar Workout is a free 52 min workout plan with 14 illustrated exercises for your abs, arms, back and chest. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.
Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.
You'll need barbell / ez-bar for this workout. Tap any exercise to see form instructions and possible substitutions if a piece of equipment isn't available.
How long does the Barbell Push 52-min Barbell / EZ-Bar Workout take?
The full workout takes about 52 minutes, covering 14 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.
Is this workout suitable for my fitness level?
This is an advanced workout designed for experienced lifters. If you're newer to training, scale it down with lighter loads and longer rests, or browse our library for a beginner or intermediate version of a similar routine.
What muscles does this workout target?
This routine primarily works your chest, shoulders, upper back & lower traps, triceps, abs. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.
How often should I do this workout?
For gain muscle, get toned, aim to do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions. Progress by gradually adding weight or reps, and pair it with workouts for other muscle groups during the week.
Can I download or save this workout?
Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.
Take note of the amount of weight you should be working with on each and every rep! Be sure to read the workout notes, push through, and finish up with the As Many Circuits As Possible (AMCAP) 8-minute finisher.
Auto-advanceStart exercises automatically after a 5-second delay
Set up a bench or stable elevated surface. Begin with both hands on the bench at shoulder-width or just outside of shoulder-width.
Place your feet straight behind you while you tighten your abs and engage the hips. Your hips should not dip or elevate too high during the movement.
Slowly lower yourself towards the bench. Once your upper arms are parallel with the floor, pause, and return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Triceps
Set a barbell in a weight rack at the low end of a decline bench, making sure it is at a height you can reach without fully extending your arms.
Secure your feet under the stirrup, bar or strap at the high end of the bench and lie flat on your back with the rack slightly behind you.
Using an overhand grip, grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than your shoulder width apart.
Push up to lift the bar from the rack and hold it directly over you with your arms locked.
Bend your elbows to slowly lower the barbell until it slightly touches your chest, inhaling as you do so.
Drive the weight back up by contracting your pec muscles and return to the start position, exhaling as you do so.
At the top of the movement, lock your arms and squeeze your chest muscles.
If you are new at this exercise, you should use a spotter. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used. Do not let the bar drift too far forward, it should touch down your lower chest only. Don't bounce the weight off your chest. Keep full control of the barbell at all times. When performing this exercise, use a 2:1:1 count. That is a count of two on the downward movement. Pause for a count of one. A count of one one the upward movement. You can also use dumbbells or exercise bands to perform this exercise.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Triceps
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders
Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor next to a decline bench. Secure yourself in the bench. Pick up dumbbells and hold them above you with a slight bend in the elbow.
Keeping the dumbbells in line with your chest, slowly open up your arms to the sides.
Stop when your upper arms are parallel with the floor.
Squeeze your chest muscles and slowly return to starting position. Repeat.
Position yourself with your back down on a flat bench placing the hands up on the bar using an underhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
After taking a deep breath in, extend the elbows and lift the bar up off the rack until elbows are extended but not locked. Pause for a brief movement as you fully extend your breath.
Lower the weight directly down to the chest as you breath inwards, keeping the movement pattern slow and steady.
Once just above the chest, pause, and then press directly up again, exhaling your breath.
Continue until all reps are completed and then re-rack the barbell.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Start by holding the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder width apart above your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forward.
Slowly bend your elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Push the weights up by straightening your arms.
As you push the weights up, move your arms in an arc to bring the dumbbells together, until they meet over the center of your chest. Hold for a count of one.
Lower the dumbbells by slowly bending your elbows back to 90 degrees.
Continue lowering your arms until they are a little lower than parallel to the floor. (Your elbows should be pointing slightly towards the floor and you should feel a stretch in your chest muscles and shoulders.)
Repeat
Be sure to concentrate on a balanced movement when lifting the dumbbells. Use both arms equally spaced and moving at the same speed.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor. Lie on your back in between the dumbbells. Bend your knees and move your feet towards your butt.
Grab the dumbbells and hold them above you. Allow your upper arms to remain on the floor. Begin the movement by pushing the dumbbells over your chest. Pause at the top and squeeze your chest muscles.
Slowly bring the weights down to the starting position, allowing your arms to rest for a brief moment before beginning the next repetition.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Sit on the seat with your upper chest just above the horizontal handles.
Push the foot lever until you are able to grasp the lever.
Gras the handles using a wide overhand grip and place your elbows out to the sides just below your shoulders.
Release the foot lever and press the hand lever out until your arms are fully extended.
Return the weight until your chest muscles are slightly stretched.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
Position yourself with your back down on a flat bench placing the hands up on the bar using an underhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
After taking a deep breath in, extend the elbows and lift the bar up off the rack until elbows are extended but not locked. Pause for a brief movement as you fully extend your breath.
Lower the weight directly down to the chest as you breath inwards, keeping the movement pattern slow and steady.
Once just above the chest, pause, and then press directly up again, exhaling your breath.
Continue until all reps are completed and then re-rack the barbell.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Start by holding the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder width apart above your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forward.
Slowly bend your elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Push the weights up by straightening your arms.
As you push the weights up, move your arms in an arc to bring the dumbbells together, until they meet over the center of your chest. Hold for a count of one.
Lower the dumbbells by slowly bending your elbows back to 90 degrees.
Continue lowering your arms until they are a little lower than parallel to the floor. (Your elbows should be pointing slightly towards the floor and you should feel a stretch in your chest muscles and shoulders.)
Repeat
Be sure to concentrate on a balanced movement when lifting the dumbbells. Use both arms equally spaced and moving at the same speed.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor. Lie on your back in between the dumbbells. Bend your knees and move your feet towards your butt.
Grab the dumbbells and hold them above you. Allow your upper arms to remain on the floor. Begin the movement by pushing the dumbbells over your chest. Pause at the top and squeeze your chest muscles.
Slowly bring the weights down to the starting position, allowing your arms to rest for a brief moment before beginning the next repetition.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Sit on the seat with your upper chest just above the horizontal handles.
Push the foot lever until you are able to grasp the lever.
Gras the handles using a wide overhand grip and place your elbows out to the sides just below your shoulders.
Release the foot lever and press the hand lever out until your arms are fully extended.
Return the weight until your chest muscles are slightly stretched.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
From a push-up position push your glutes upwards and walk your feet in so that you are in a downward-dog pose.
The shape of your body should look like a triangle from the side.
Lower your shoulders towards the ground by bending your elbows.
Allow your forehead to very lightly make contact with the ground before pushing upwards and away back into the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
Sit on a bench/chair with your back straight and the dumbbells in a hammer grip so that the dumbbells run lengthways along the side of your face.
Drive both weights, simultaneously upwards, until your reach a full overhead extension.
Carefully lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, maintaining the hammer grip all the way through the movement.
Be sure to keep your core strong and lower back connected to the bench/chair at all times.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Secondary:
Biceps, Forearms, Triceps
Keep a tight core and flat back as you remain seated in the shoulder press machine.
Look straight ahead as you hold on to the handles.
Slowly, press the handles up above your head.
Do not lock out your elbow.
Slowly, bring the handles back down but do not let the weight stack touch.
Repeat the movement.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Secondary:
Chest
From a push-up position push your glutes upwards and walk your feet in so that you are in a downward-dog pose.
The shape of your body should look like a triangle from the side.
Lower your shoulders towards the ground by bending your elbows.
Allow your forehead to very lightly make contact with the ground before pushing upwards and away back into the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Secondary:
Abs
Place your left foot onto the middle of a resistance band. Step forward with the right. Tighten your abdominals and avoid arching your back.
Press the handles of the resistance band up and stop once your upper arms are parallel with the ground, making a scarecrow formation. The band should be behind your arms.
Slowly press the resistance band overhead. Do not lock out the elbows. Lower to the starting position and begin again.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Shoulders
Secondary:
Triceps
Holding a water bottle in each hand, stand straight, with your feet shoulder width apart.
Raise the water bottles to head height by rotating your arms forward and up.
Your triceps should be parallel to the floor and your elbows bent at 90 degrees. This is the start position.
Keeping your back straight and using only your arms, extend through your shoulders and elbows to drive the water bottles straight up, exhaling as you do so.
As your arms reach the fully extended position, bring them in towards each other until the water bottles touch lightly together.
Hold for a count of one, while squeezing your shoulder muscles.
In a controlled movement, return to the starting position, inhaling as you do so.
Firmly holding a plate at chest level with both hands either side, stand straight, with your feet shoulder width apart.
Drive the weight upwards using your chest and shoulders keeping your back straight with a slight bend at the knee.
As your arms reach the fully extended position, take great care to keep a firm grip on the plate.
In a controlled movement, slowly lower the plate back down to the chest and the starting position.
Repeat.
Take great care with this exercise. Ensure your hands are dry and never push yourself to failure with this exercise.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Secondary:
Abs, Triceps, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Sit on a military press bench or bench that has a back support, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Place the dumbbells on top of your thighs with your palms facing down.
Raise the dumbbells to your shoulders.
Rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This is the start position.
As you exhale, push the dumbbells up and over your head by extending your arms until the dumbbells touch at the top of the movement.
Pause for a count of one.
Slowly return to the start position inhaling as you do so.
Repeat.
This exercise can be performed standing or sitting on flat bench. For people with lower back problems, the version described is better.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Secondary:
Abs
Place your left foot onto the middle of a resistance band. Step forward with the right. Tighten your abdominals and avoid arching your back.
Press the handles of the resistance band up and stop once your upper arms are parallel with the ground, making a scarecrow formation. The band should be behind your arms.
Slowly press the resistance band overhead. Do not lock out the elbows. Lower to the starting position and begin again.
Between exercises, do not sit or lie down. Stand straight up and maintain proper form. Your chest should be up. Your lower back should be flat. Do not allow your shoulders to hunch.
Take periodic sips of water or a sports beverage. Do not chug or drink too much too fast.
Stand in this position for your prescribed rest break then begin your next exercise.
Stand over a dumbbell with your feet placed slightly wider than hip width apart either side of the dumbbell.
Squat down and take a firm grip of the dumbbell; ensure that your shoulders are positioned upright, keeping your back straight and eyes straight ahead.
Explosively lift the dumbbell by extending your hips from the squatting position and allow the dumbbell to travel along upward and close to your body.
As the dumbbell reaches your hip level, shrug your lifting shoulder and pull the dumbbell upwards keeping the same line of trajectory if viewed from the side.
Bending your working elbow and allowing the dumbbell to extend overhead, slightly squat your body below so that your position is semi-squatted with your working arm fully extended above your head.
Maintaining a solid grip on the now overhead dumbbell, drive your feet into the floor and rise upwards from the semi-squatting position to complete the lift.
This exercise is a complicated explosive lift. If attempting for the first time, start with a light dumbbell for form practice. Ideally, do so with a qualified trainer present.
Standing between the bars of a dip station, grip the bars with an overhand grip,keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
Allow your body weigh to hang so it is being supported by your arms and shoulders. Keep your hips straight.
Push down through your palms with your arms, lifting your body up until your arms are almost straight. (Do not lock your elbows)
Lower your body by slowly bending your elbows and continue down until you feel a slight stretch in your shoulders.
Pause, then push yourself back to the starting position.
Repeat.
By keeping your back straight and not leaning forward, you will work your triceps harder.If you wish to work on your chest leaning forward puts more emphasis on your pecs. As your strength increases, you can add weight by using a dip belt.
Primary muscle group(s):
Triceps
Secondary:
Chest
Begin by using the weight stack to offset your bodyweight on an Assisted Dip machine. Now, position your knees securely on the padded surface while holding on to the bars on either side of you.
Before lowering yourself, make sure that your core is tight and that your elbows are pointing directly behind you. Slowly, lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel with the floor.
Push yourself back to the starting position and squeeze your triceps at the top. Lower yourself again slowly for the next repetition.
Primary muscle group(s):
Triceps
Sit at the Triceps Dip machine but make sure to brace your core throughout the movement. Place your hands on the bar with your elbows pointing behind you. Your arms will make a 90 degree angle.
Slowly push down on the bars, focusing all the movement in your triceps.
When you reach the bottom, pause and do not lock out your elbows. Slowly return to the starting position but do not let the weight touch the stack.
Primary muscle group(s):
Triceps
Secondary:
Shoulders
Sit on a chair with your hands either next to your hips or slightly under the hips.
Lift up onto your hands and bring your hips forward.
Bend your elbows and lower your hips down, keeping shoulders down and hips close to the chair.
Push back up but don’t lock your elbows and repeat.
Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Clean the kettlebells to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebells towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrists as you do so. This will be your starting position.
Begin to squat by flexing your hips and knees, lowering your hips between your legs. Maintain an upright, straight back as you descend as low as you can.
At the bottom, reverse direction and stand by extending your knees and hips and pushing down through your heels. As you do so, press both kettlebells overhead by extending your arms straight up, using the momentum from the squat to help drive the weights upward.
As you begin the next repetition, return the weights to the shoulders.
Workout done!
Exercises done
of 14
Total time
Access 1000+ more workouts, build your own plans and track progress with Fit