What do you think of when you picture a pump bar? 80s style workouts with sweatbands and a lot of lycra?

Whilst gym apparel might have changed over the years, the equipment has stood the test of time. Pump bars are great for getting a high intensity workout and hitting all of the muscle groups with just one piece of equipment, making it perfect for home training.

What is the Difference Between a Studio Pump Set Bar and a Barbell?

A Studio Pump Set is a piece of fitness equipment designed for high-repetition, low-weight strength training exercises, typically used in group fitness classes like Body Pump. It consists of a lightweight bar with easily adjustable weights on each end.

Pump bars are used for rapid, endurance-focused workouts, emphasising muscular endurance rather than heavy lifting. In contrast, a traditional barbell is a heavier, longer, and more versatile piece of equipment primarily used for powerlifting and weightlifting.

32 Pump Bar Exercises

There is a never ending list of exercises you can perform with a Studio Pump Set. So, we chose 32 of the best, a combination of upper, lower and full body movements to keep your training exciting.

1 - Romanian Deadlift

Benefits - This exercise strengthens your hamstrings, glutes and lower back whilst improving posture and hip mobility.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.

• Hold the pump bar with an overhand grip and your hands shoulder-width apart.

• Keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips, lowering the bar towards the floor while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.

• Lower the weight until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings, usually from your knee to mid-shin then return to the starting position.

2 - Bent Over Row

Benefits - Bent over rows target the upper back, lats, and biceps, promoting back strength.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold the pump bar in front of you with a pronated or supinated grip.

• Bend at the hips and keep your back flat whilst you pull the weights toward your hips in a rowing motion.

3 - Reverse Lunge

Benefits - Reverse lunges target the same muscle groups as forward lunges.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

• Take a step backward, and lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.

• Push off the back foot to return to the starting position.

4 - Lateral Lunge

Benefits - Lateral lunges target the adductors, abductors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as building leg strength, lateral lunges also require a lot of hip mobility.

• Take a step to the side, and lower your body by bending one knee while keeping the other straight.

• Push off the bent leg to return to the starting position.

5 - Sumo Squat

Benefits - Sumo squats target the inner thighs (adductors), glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

• Place a pump bar across your upper back, and place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out.

• Squat down by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight.

6 - Pump Bar Squat

Benefits - Squats are a quad dominant exercise that improve overall leg strength.

• Place a pump bar across your upper back, holding it with both hands.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down by bending your knees and hips, whilst keeping your back straight.

7 - Push Press

Benefits - The benefits of a push press include overall upper body strength and power development, targeting shoulders, and triceps, as well as engaging the core for stability during the movement.

• Start with the pump bar at shoulder height.

• Dip at the knees, then explosively press the bar overhead using your legs and shoulders.

8 - Shoulder Press

Benefits - Shoulder presses improve shoulder muscle development, enhance deltoids and triceps, and focus on shoulder stability.

• Hold the pump bar at shoulder height with an overhand grip.

• Press the bar overhead until your arms are fully extended, then lower it back down.

9 - Overhead Squat

Benefits - The overhead squat is a true test of overall strength, stability and mobility, especially at the hip and shoulder joint.

• Begin by holding the bar overhead with your arms fully extended.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and squat down, keeping the bar stable and directly over the crown of your head.

10 - Split Squat

Benefits - Split squats increase lower body unilateral strength whilst also focusing on balance.

• Place one foot behind you in a split stance, rest the pump bar across your upper back, and lunge down.

• Push your weight into your front heel as you drive back up to the starting position.

11 - Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

Benefits - Single leg RDLs requires a lot of balance and strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and hips. It is a great exercise if you suffer from hamstring strength imbalance and need to focus on unilateral movements.

• Hold the bar in front of your body, hinge at the hips, and lift one leg behind while lowering the bar toward the floor.

12 - Thrusters

Benefits - Thrusters target the legs, shoulders, triceps, and core. Benefits include a full-body workout that enhances strength, power, and cardiovascular fitness.

• Start with the bar at shoulder height and squat down.

• Explosively press the bar overhead while standing up.

13 - Clean and Press

Benefits - The clean and press is a dynamic full-body exercise that improves strength, power, and coordination. In particular, it works the quadriceps, core and shoulder muscles.

• In a deadlift motion, lift the bar from the ground, then once it reaches your hips, pop the bar up to shoulder height.

• Once the bar is at shoulder height, bend your knees and thrust at the hips to explosively press it overhead.

14 - Upright Row

Benefits - Upright rows primarily target the deltoid muscles, and also engage the upper traps and upper back.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the pump bar in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.

• Lift the weights by raising your elbows and pulling them toward your ears. Ensure your elbows to remain higher than your wrists.

15 - Lunge and Twist

Benefits - The lunge part of the exercise works on your lower leg muscles, whilst the twist strengthens your core, and in particular your oblique muscles.

• To perform a pump bar lunge and twist, rest the bar on your upper back, step into a forward lunge, and twist your torso toward the front leg.

16 - Curtsy Lunge

Benefits - A curtsy lunge enhances leg strength, hip mobility, and core stability.

• Rest the bar on your upper back, step one foot behind and across the opposite leg, bending both knees, then return to the starting position.

17 - Front Squat

Benefits - Front squats require a lot of core strength to remain upright, therefore they can be more challenging than a back squat. Similarly, this exercise works on the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glute muscles.

• Hold the bar in front of your chest and keep your elbows high in line with the bar.

• Squat down while maintaining an upright posture then drive back to the starting position.

18 - Glute Bridge

Benefits - The glute bridge strengthens the gluteus muscles, improves hip stability, and lower back support.

• Lie on the floor with the pump bar across your hips.

• Bend your knees, keep your feet flat, and lift your hips off the ground, squeezing the glutes at the top.

19 - Single Leg Glute Bridge

Benefits - This exercise specifically targets the glutes and hamstrings while engaging the core for stability.

• Get into the same position as your glute bridge and lift one leg off the floor so that all of your weight is transferred to the foot on the floor.

• Lift your hips off the ground and squeeze your glutes simultaneously.

20 - Burpee Over Bar

Benefits - The burpee over bar is a full body conditioning exercise that also works on your agility.

• Rest the bar safely on the floor.

• Start by doing a standard burpee, then jump over the bar laterally and repeat this sequence.

21 - Lunge and Press

Benefits - This exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and core. It also requires a combination of leg strength, shoulder stability, and coordination.

• Hold the bar at shoulder height, lunge forward, step back and press the bar overhead once standing.

• Alternate legs for each lunge.

22 - Step Ups

Benefits - Step ups are a unilateral movement that strengthen your lower body muscles and work on your balance.

• Rest the pump bar on your upper back.

• Step onto an exercise step with one foot and lift your body, extending at the hip and knee.

• Step back down and alternate legs or do all of one side and then the other.

23 - Step Up and Press

Benefits - This is a full-body exercise, enhancing lower body strength, shoulder stability, and balance. It targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and core.

• Hold the bar at shoulder height.

• Step onto an exercise step with one foot while simultaneously pressing the bar overhead.

• Step back down and alternate legs.

24 - Reverse Lunge and Knee Drive

Benefits - This targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core and improves your explosive power.

• Start by resting the bar on your upper back.

• With your front foot on an exercise step, step back into a reverse lunge.

• Explosively drive your back knee up towards your chest.

25 - Exercise Step Chest Press

Benefits - The step chest press aids chest muscle development and improves upper body strength, targeting the pectoral muscles, shoulders, and triceps.

• Lie on your back on an exercise step with your knees bent, feet flat, and the bar at chest height.

• Push the pump bar upward until your arms are fully extended, then lower it back down.

26 - Hip Thrust

Benefits - The hip thrust promotes strong glute development and enhanced hip strength.

• Rest your upper back against an exercise step with your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.

• Place the pump bar over your hips and thrust your hips upwards.

27 - Single Leg Hip Thrust

Benefits - The single leg hip thrust places more emphasis on the glute and hamstring muscles of one leg, making it a great movement if you have muscular imbalances.

• Get in the same position as your traditional hip thrust but lift one foot off the ground.

• Place the pump bar on your hips and thrust upward with the leg that's planted on the floor.

28 - Lunge

Benefits - Lunges work the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, improving overall leg strength, balance, and stability.

• Stand with your feet together, take a step forward, and lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.

• Push off your front foot to return to the starting position.

29 - Reverse Curl

Benefits - The reverse curl improves forearm and bicep strength, targeting the brachioradialis, biceps, and forearms.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the pump bar with an overhand grip.

• Curl it upward toward your shoulders, keeping elbows close to the body, then reverse back down.

30 - Bicep Curl

Benefits - The bicep curl increases bicep strength and size, targeting the biceps brachii for improved arm aesthetics and functional strength.

• Hold the pump bar with an underhand grip.

• Curl it upward toward your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your body.

31 - Triceps Extension

Benefits - The triceps extension exercise is a single-joint movement that focuses on the triceps muscles.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the barbell overhead with your hands close together and lower it behind your head whilst bending your elbows.

• Extend your arms upward to complete the exercise.

32 - Front Raise

Benefits - The front raise improves shoulder strength and definition as it targets the anterior deltoid muscles.

• Hold the pump bar with an overhand grip in front of your thighs.

• Keeping your arms straight, lift the barbell to shoulder height, then lower it back down.

With all of these exercises, you can put together your own pump bar set workout aimed to elevate your heart rate, increase cardiovascular fitness and improve overall muscle tone.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

   

   

Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Exercise Type > Strength