Exercises with the Olympic barbell to challenge the body –

The Olympic barbell may not even be part of your training (yet!), but it is very famous among crossfitters. The equipment is nothing more than a piece of iron whose weight can vary from two to 12 kilos, and which allows the fitting of washers to further increase the load in the exercises.

As it is more aimed at experienced practitioners, most people turn up their noses or do not even consider using the bar in sessions. However, you don’t have to start out lifting huge weights. Know more:

How can the Olympic bar be used?

Instructor Renan Aparecido (@aparecidorenan), from Poço de Caldas, explains that in Crossfit, for example, the Olympic bar is used for LPO (Olympic Weightlifting), one of the three main categories that form the modality (in addition to endurance and gymnastic movements).

The benefits of the equipment are many. “Increased muscle activation, increased caloric expenditure and fat loss are just a few,” he says. “In addition, exercises with the Olympic bar provide body awareness, as they require good mastery of movements such as lifting and handling loads.”

That is: it takes a lot of concentration to face the accessory. The good news? With it, you can work the whole body – both the upper and lower limbs. Check out some examples, according to the instructor:

bench press

– (Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels)

Lie on a bench and hold the barbell with your palms facing forward. Place your arms slightly wider than your shoulders apart. Feet should be flat on the floor (or on the bench) throughout the movement. Do not take your back off the bench when doing the exercise. Bring the bar to your chest and slowly return.

Deadlift

– (jan valley/Pexels)

Standing, hold the bar with both hands in front of your body. The arms should be parallel to the shoulders and extended in front of the legs. Then, bend your knees and bring your hips back until the bar is close to your shin. Keep your chest and head elevated to ensure your back is straight. Return.

split jerk

– (Victor Freitas/Pexels)

Standing with your feet hip-width apart, grip the barbell on top of your shoulders with your hands facing inwards so that your elbows point outwards.

Then, start by dropping your knees slightly, then explosively jump upward while pushing the barbell overhead. Simultaneously, separate your legs so that your feet are in front of each other, with your back leg bent.

snatch

– (Leon Ardho/Pexels)

Start in a standing position, with the barbell on the floor, but with your hands on it (wide apart). Remember to keep your feet hip-width apart and turned slightly outward. Shoulders should be in front of the bar.

Lift and pull the bar so that it is towards your hips. In an explosive motion, lift the bar again, this time overhead and come into a squat position. Then stretch your legs.