Bodyweight and barbell exercises can be combined in many ways. In this three-part series I will examine different applications in which one can successfully combine barbells and calisthenics for the best possible results. In Part I, we discussed push/pull supersets. Upper/Lower combos were the subject of Part II. Today, we explore combos that target only one body part or muscle group. Old school strength training: arms, legs, chest, back and shoulders.

 

While all of these combos are designed to work primarily one muscle group, other muscle groups are recruited as stabilizers and/or secondary movers as well. Until now we’ve only grouped two exercises per combo. When targeting a singular muscle or muscle group, it can be helpful to do three or even more. Here are some more of my favorite bodyweight/barbell combos broken down by body part:

 

 

Overview: This is a four-exercise circuit, alternating between biceps-driven flexion movements and triceps-driven extensions, and attacking them at varying angles.

 

How to Chin-up: Grasp an overhead bar with your palms facing toward you. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Avoid shrugging your shoulders or using any momentum. Lower yourself back to the starting position.

 

How to Dip: Position yourself upright between two parallel bars. Grasp the bars and lock your elbows. Bend your elbows and shoulders to lower yourself. Pause briefly at the bottom, then press yourself back to the starting position.

 

How to Curl: Hold a barbell approximately shoulder width using an underhand grip. Keep your elbows against your sides and bend them, curling the bar toward your chest. Pause briefly before lowering the bar back to the starting position.

 

How to Skullcrusher: Lie down on a bench and place your hands on the bar slightly closer than shoulder width apart. Extend your arms. Bend only your elbows and wrists only and lower the bar toward your forehead. Pause briefly when the bar almost touches your head and press the bar back to starting position. Make sure your elbows do not flare out to the sides.

 

Why it makes sense: This is like the upper body push/pulls we discussed two weeks ago in Part I of this series, only this is a pull/push/pull/push. This combo alternates between opposing muscle groups (biceps and triceps), while also targeting grip, chest, back and shoulders.

 

Trainer talk: The underhanded grip of a chin-up puts greater emphasis on the biceps than a standard overhand pull-up does.

 

 

Overview: Every exercise in this three-exercise circuit targets the entire legs and hips in terms of both strength and mobility.

 

How to Bulgarian Split Squat: Stand in front of a bench with one foot on the bench behind you. Lower yourself down until your front knee bends to approximately 90°. Pause briefly at the bottom before returning to the top position. Complete your set in its entirety and then repeat on the opposite side.

 

How to Pistol Squat: Stand on only one leg, either on the ground or a plyo-box. Extend your other leg in front of you. Squat using your standing leg until your hamstrings make contact with your calf. You may allow your non-standing leg to descend lower than the box if needed. Pause briefly at the bottom before returning to the start position. Complete your set in its entirety and then repeat on the opposite side.

 

How to Barbell Squat: Get under the barbell so that it rests on your traps and grasp the bar tightly. Bend your hips, knees and ankles, lowering yourself down until the tops of your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower. Drive your heels down and extend your hips forward to return to the starting position.

 

Why it makes sense: Bulgarian split squats prep the hips and hamstrings for pistol squats. Both exercises prioritize one leg at a time as the primary mover. After which both legs work together in the barbell portion for max effort.

 

Trainer talk: You may hold on to a pole, bar or other sturdy object for assistance with pistol squats.

 

 

Overview: These three exercises target the same body parts—chest and triceps—but from different angles and varying degrees of leverage.

 

How to Incline Press: Get on an incline bench (of about 45° - 60°) with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on the bar, slightly wider than shoulder width so that your forearms are perpendicular to the ground. Unrack the bar and extend your arms. Bend at the elbows and shoulders and lower the bar toward your chest. Do not bounce the bar off your chest. Extend your arms to press the bar back to starting position.

 

How to Push-up: For feet-elevated, place your hands on the ground approximately shoulder width apart and your feet on a bench, forming a straight line from your head to your heels. (For hands-elevated, place your feet on the floor and your hands on a bench.) Bend at the elbows and shoulders and lower your chest toward the floor (or bench for hands-elevated). Pause briefly with your chest approximately one inch from the ground (or bench). Press yourself back to the starting position.

 

Why it makes sense: This combination is almost like performing a drop-set. The incline barbell press is intended as a heavy effort. Feet-elevated push-ups are the next greatest effort. Following them with hands-elevated push-ups should enable you to squeeze out some extra reps at the end, without sacrificing form.

 

Trainer talk: Elevating your hands in an incline push-up places less bodyweight into the upper body than a traditional push-up does. Elevating your feet in a decline push-up places more bodyweight into the upper body than a traditional push-up does. Feel free to experiment with the width of the space between your hands as well. A wider grip will not allow you to use your arms as much and will place a greater emphasis on your chest.

 

 

Overview: The pull-up is arguably the most important upper body back exercise there is. By following it with barbell and bodyweight rows, we hit the lateral and medial back muscles at multiple angles.

 

How to Pull-up: Grasp an overhead bar with your palms facing away from you. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Avoid shrugging your shoulders or using any momentum. Lower yourself back to the starting position.

 

How to Barbell Row: Stand up and hold the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip. Bend your hips to approximately 45° and your knees slightly, so that your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Pull the bar toward your chest. Pause briefly when the bar almost touches your chest, then lower the bar.

 

How to Bodyweight Row: Grasp a bar of approximately waist height. Get under the bar and extend your legs in front of you, with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your entire body engaged and do not bend your hips. Bend at the elbows and shoulders and pull your chest toward the bar. Pause briefly when your chest almost touches the bar, then lower yourself back to the starting position.

 

Why it makes sense: In addition to targeting the back muscles hard, all of these exercises demand a great deal of stability, and therefore recruit the full core and other stabilizers.

 

Trainer talk: The bodyweight row can also be performed with your legs straight. Doing so increases the difficulty of the exercise, as it places more of your bodyweight into your upper body.

 

 

Overview: While all three of these exercises target the shoulders and traps, they are actually rather different rom one another. Overhead press is the big, primary exercise. Wall handstands require the most technique, but no dynamic movement. Finally, carries target the shoulders, and also the core and grip.

 

How to Overhead Press: Hold a barbell approximately shoulder width across your upper chest using an overhand grip. Extend your elbows and shoulders and lift the bar all the way over your head. Pause briefly before lowering the bar back to the starting position.

 

How to Wall Handstand: Place your hands on the floor approximately 6-10 inches away from a wall. Lock your elbows, brace yourself and kick your legs into the air until your heels come to rest against the wall. Try to feel the entirety of your hand against the floor for maximum stability. Hold this position for 30 – 60 seconds, then come down one leg at a time, as softly as possible.

 

How to Carry: Ok, so this one doesn’t need to be a barbell exercise. You may carry a barbell in one hand and something else, such as a kettlebell, in the other, or even use any two heavy objects you can hold in your hands). With your chin level and your abs and glutes engaged, walk while carrying the weights. Carrying uneven weights enhances core recruitment. Switch hands between sets to train both sides evenly.

 

Why it makes sense: Shoulders are one of the harder body parts to target in strict calisthenics training. Combining barbells and bodyweight is the perfect solution.

 

Trainer talk: Handstands can be very spatially confusing. It is a good idea to practice on a padded surface or with a spotter to avoid injury. You also try this facing the wall by starting with your feet and the wall and "walking" yourself up.

 

Make sure to check out my newest Dragon Door publication, Hybrid Strength Training for complete programs that combine calisthenics and free weights, plus weighted calisthenics, dumbbells, nutrition, lifestyle and much more!