You only need one piece of equipment to strengthen your entire lower body and core with this five-move workout

The barbell is often used for the same tried-and-tested exercises: squats, deadlifts and bench presses, for example. But it’s actually one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for building strength and there are many barbell-based exercises you can do to switch up your gym routine.

Notably, the barbell is a great piece of equipment for increasing your lower-body strength. This is largely because you can load the bar with more weight than the best adjustable dumbbells or kettlebells, then progressively overload your workouts over time for heavier lifts.

But, aside from building leg strength, the barbell is often overlooked when it comes to toning other areas of the body. You can also use it to improve your core strength, which is important for almost every aspect of life and lifting, including good balance and posture.

This 25-minute workout from fitness influencer QiQi Hill combines five barbell movements that work together to strengthen the core and the lower body.

Watch QiQi Hill's five-barbell movement workout

This is an EMOM style workout, which stands for "every minute on the minute". You have one minute to do the programmed reps of each exercise and, if you finish the prescribed reps before the 60 seconds is over, you can rest for the remaining time. 

Ideally, every set should take the same amount of time if you pace yourself from the beginning. But it’s normal for some of the later sets to take longer, as your body will be fatigued and you might not be able to move as quickly.

Hill recommends doing five rounds so that the workout takes 25 minutes but, depending on the available time, you could increase or decrease the rounds. If you want to make the workout harder but you are short on time, you could also slightly increase the weight of the barbell each round, starting with a fairly light weight and building up to a heavy set.

If you haven’t trained with a barbell before or you’re fairly new to weight-training in general, however, try these exercises with an empty barbell first or simply practice them with no equipment, to get comfortable and confident with the movement patterns. 

This will help you avoid injury and perfect your form, which will ensure you get the most out of the exercises for toning and strengthening. If you’re not sure whether your form is right, ask a trainer at your gym to take a look, or film yourself working out so you can watch it back later and spot any issues.