The Body Bar: How to Use an Old Favorite

The Body Bar has versatility. It can be used in strength, cardio and high intensity circuit routines.

The Body Bar is a straight, weighted stick. It has been on the market FOREVER, since 1987! In fitness, that's ancient! It has outlived many of the infomercial equipment crazes for three decades, for a few very good reasons:

It can be used like a barbell or free weights. Being weighted throughout the bar, oppose to loading plates, makes it an ideal tool for beginner barbell squats. It makes balance easier and the exerciser could practice on his/her own, without a spotter.

I also enjoy using the Body Bar for cardio and abs. Holding on to one for resistance when doing step ups, or placing it over the shoulders and twisting for core training, feels challenging, but comfortable.

A huge issue with barbell training is that even if the bar is placed correctly across the shoulder blades, oppose to across the neck, many people find it uncomfortable, and even unsettling. The Body Bar is not only slightly padded, but the even weight distribution, and lack of weight plates pulling down on the bar, make these type of exercises less intimidating and much more comfortable.

The Body Bar can be purchased in a range of weight increments from 3-36lbs. I find that even though it doesn't come any heavier, it's still a decent weight amount for a stronger person to use in an interval or cardio capacity, or for ab training, once in a while for program variety.

Exercises with the Body Bar

-If you lift weights in the 3-36lb pound range than any free weight or barbell exercise can be performed: Bench Press, One Arm Row, Shoulder Press, Bicep Curl, Skull Crushers etc.

-The Body Bar is probably best known as a core strengthening tool. Use it on your chest or overhead for weighted crunches. Or try my favourite, across the shoulders and twist from the core, while trying to touch the elbow to opposite knee.

-Across the shoulders for lunges, squats, and yoga poses with reps, such as warrior 1, 2 and 3.

-Deadlifts

-Compound exercises that will raise the heart rate. I like squat, bicep curl and shoulder press, or squat, curl and raise, as I call it.

-Over the shoulders for stair runs and step ups.

This is a small sample of the exercises that are possible with the Body Bar. They're perfect for a home gym. If you're looking for a new fitness toy to motivate your workouts, try it out. I would definitely recommend one.

Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist
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