A 20-minute BODYPUMP-inspired full-body barbell workout
Maybe you’ve never heard of this thing called “Les Mills BODYPUMP” or maybe you’re a die-hard fan who takes the class several times a week. No matter what, today, I’ve got a workout you can do at any gym, even outside of the group fitness room, all by yourself that has a flavor of BODYPUMP, which we Les Mills fans like to call “the original barbell workout.”
You’ll need one barbell with clips and varying weights you can take on or off or various barbells. Heavy for squats, chest, back and legs, and lighter for triceps, biceps and shoulders. If you’re newer to working with a barbell, I’d suggest about 20-30 pounds for the heavy bar and about 10-15 pounds for the light bar, depending on your fitness level.
This workout focuses on fatiguing every major muscle group before moving on to the next. You’ll do a lot of repetitions per move with varying tempos to confuse the muscles. And if you don’t normally change your tempos (the speed at which you are performing resistance moves), I’d highly suggest it. It’s a total shock to the system.
20-minute BODYPUMP-inspired full-body barbell workout
*Disclaimer: While I’m a personal trainer, I’m not your personal trainer. Please consult a professional before trying a new workout routine. Proceed with caution, my friends.
Before you begin, I’d suggest some foam rolling and light cardio to warm up your muscles. You can do some incline walking on the treadmill, jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc. Then stand in front of a mirror, gather up your barbells and a bench and grab a stop-watch.
The counts below can be put to music, so if you put your earphones in, choose a moderately upbeat song and follow along with the beat. The 1×1 is a single beat down, single beat up. The 2×2 is two beats down, two beats up and so on. The 4×4 equates to a super-slow movement, four counts down, four counts up, and that one will burn. Don’t cheat!
(If you want to pin this workout to save for later, simply hover over the image and click the P for Pinterest!)
Make sure you take your time on the super-slow movements to get the most benefit and tire out your muscles. And also please take a 20-30 second rest between each muscle group as you change the weight of your bar. Remember, heavy for lower-body and back, lighter for upper-body. If you’re hitting failure at the end of each move, you’ve chosen the right weight.
Here are links to proper form demonstrations for all of the moves …
- Squats
- Lying chest presses
- Deadlifts
- Deadrows
- Lying tricep extensions
- Lying tricep presses
- Bicep curls
- Static lunges
- Upright rows
- Overhead shoulder presses
- Bodyweight cross-crawls
Finish up with some stretching, foam rolling and pat yourself on the back.
While there’s no replacement for a live in-person BODYPUMP hour-long class with an awesome Les Mills instructor (like me!), great music and energy, sometimes you need a quick routine you can fall back on when BODYPUMP is not an option. (Or, there’s also Les Mills On Demand streaming workout service, which is a great way to do all the Les Mills programs from the comfort of your home. You can try the service for free for 21 days using my special link here.)
But seriously, if you’ve never taken a BODYPUMP class in person and you live near a gym that offers the program, give it a shot. It’s the best! Visit this class locator to find one today.
Try this 20-minute BODYPUMP-inspired barbell #workout today! ... #fitness #FitFluential #SweatPink Click To TweetFor more short workout routines, check out my Fitness page. Have an awesome day, my fitness-loving friends!
Questions of the day
How often do you work out with a barbell?
What’s the best workout you’ve done lately?
Nice workout girl! I’ll be visiting the class finder as soon as I’m feeling fully recovered. Can I ask what PT certification you have? I’ve been considering one program and not sure if I should do it or not.
Hi Megan, I went through NESTA and did home study and an in-person workshop, which I highly recommend. NESTA is accredited, so it’s a good one. So is ACE, NASM, etc. In fact, your certification TOTALLY doesn’t matter, but your in-person experience working as a trainer does when you’re looking for jobs or trying to find clients, if that’s ultimately what you want to do. More about it in this post: https://aladygoeswest.com/2014/04/17/how-i-became-a-certified-personal-trainer/
Thanks Ashley! This was helpful. Very helpful. My gym is offering a weekend workshop this weekend for NFPT. I was reluctant because it seems like NASM is the thing, but honestly it’s really expensive and I like that this one has the workshop aspect. Thanks again!
Looks like NFPT is NCCA certified from its website, so it should be fine. The cert really doesn’t matter at all in the real world, so go for the workshop!
However, if you have a gym in mind that you want to work, you can always check with them to see if they have a list of PREFERRED certs, which some do. But really, I’d go for NFPT with the workshop and if it’s not good, seek another certifying agency and you’ll be even more prepared for that exam.
I recently started consistently going to BodyPump once a week over the summer. I absolutely love it! Nothing can replace the vibe you get from the music, people around you, and a motivating instructor. Love this workout though for when I can’t make it to class. I’ve been meaning to try Body Attack since that’s the other Les Mills class my gym offers. Have a great day!
Hi Patricia! YES! I’m so glad you’re a fan of BODYPUMP and see how the workout is just so different from others out there. BODYATTACK is a good one too, with lots of high-energy cardio fun! Give it a go!
Definitely going to save this for when I can start working out again!
For sure, Susie! Enjoy your recovery time, as hard as that can be for you.
Yay! Love this workout. I need to get back to my pump class..I’m getting weak!
How long has it been Gretchen? Don’t wait too long to go back hehehe! 🙂
Love love love this! I’ve been tempted so many times to record the songs in Bodypump so I can try it at home , I know sometimes you can find different tracks on YouTube but this is even better!!! As a long time lover of BP, it’s nice to have something to do at home when I can’t make it to my favourite classes!
Hi Fiona! Well you know it’s tough to actually recreate the experience of BODYPUMP, but it’s always nice to have a fall-back to give you just a LITTLE taste of it on your own time. 🙂
I love Body Pump but this is great for when I go to the gym when there isn’t a class on or I’m short on time. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jen! Yes, you are very welcome. Hope you give it a try! Have a lovely day, friend! 🙂
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been looking for something similar to do on days when I can’t make it to class.
Hope you give it a try, Jed! 🙂 Hope all is well!
Do you know of anywhere to purchase a barbell and weights similar to those used in body pump for at home use (other than the ultra pricey smart bar for $250 on the les mills website). 🙂 thanks!
Hi Erica!! Hope you’re doing well! There are two other good companies to order from called Power Systems and Don Oliver, so you could check there. Yet, on quick glance, here’s a set on Amazon for less than $100. It seems to have good reviews as well. Check it out: http://goo.gl/EV6S1x I haven’t used the company before, but looks fine to me.
Thanks for posting this! I love bodypump and go every week, but I can’t always make it to 2 classes per week. I think this will be a good workout to supplement bodypump when I can only go once a week. I do agree there’s no substitution for the class and the environment there, but this is great for experienced BodyPumpers, too.
For sure, Amy! I love that you’re a big BODYPUMP fan! 🙂
This is awesome! I’ve never really thought about using my Body Pump moves outside of the studio for a total body workout. I love Body Pump and take a class two days a week. I also love TRX, but the class times don’t really work for my schedule. Hopefully, I can get a set of TRX straps for at home!
Hi Matt! Yes, I like TRX as well, but haven’t been to a class for it in a while. Totally something you could do at home, of course. Thanks for saying hi! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
I need to get a bar for home. My husband has an olympic one but it’s too long and awkward for me to pick up on my own. Definitely going to keep this workout handy!
You should totally invest in a bar, Krissy! 🙂 Happy weekend to you!
I love new, short workouts. I think that if I lived closer to a gym I would do Body Pump a lot… 🙂
Hi Emily! Unless it’s group fitness class, I always prefer a short workout too!
did this today and it killed my tricepts!! thanks. i loved bodypump when i tried it (on vacation once), but dont have any classes near me
Yay! So happy to hear that you tried it and liked it. 🙂 Hope you get a BODYPUMP class near you soon, lady. But nice job on completing this workout!
Can you do this workout or bodypump in general with individual dumbbells instead of the bar?
Hi Ruth, Yes — BODYPUMP is designed as a barbell class, but you can do the whole workout with a set of dumbbells — preferably a heavier set and a medium set. For the squat portion, you could hold just ONE dumbbell at your chest level. And then do a dumbbell in each hand for the rest. Good luck! 🙂
Do you have a Amazon link for a suggested set of a bar, and say a set of weights with the clips? Thanks! Gail
Hi Gail, It’s a huge investment, but I think the Les Mills brand SMARTBAR is the BEST — you don’t need clips for it. The weights can also be used as dumbbells, because they are easy to hold — way more so than the other products on Amazon. Here they are: https://amzn.to/2oHeefl and https://amzn.to/2nax3XF
This is so great! Do you have any more of these workouts? Thank you so much!
Hi Mary! I do have some other workouts here: https://aladygoeswest.com/super-short-resistance-workouts-you-can-do-in-less-than-30-minutes/ and here: https://aladygoeswest.com/gym-inspo-short-weights-workouts-you-can-do-in-less-than-30-minutes/
Thanks Ashley, I will check these out!