Bodybuilding Coach Eugene Teo Shares Why He Doesn’t Use Barbells

Mastering strength training techniques is essential for achieving optimal results in any fitness program. Strength coach Eugene Teo, known for his innovative approach to physical training, recently stirred the fitness community with his controversial views on the use of barbells in workouts. In his latest video, Teo challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding barbells, asserting that they are often ineffective for the majority of people. He argues that there are safer and more individualized alternatives that can yield the same, if not better, results. This article explores Teo’s perspective on why barbells might not be the best option for most individuals and the alternatives he recommends instead.

Strength Coach Eugene Teo Challenges the Barbell

Strength coach Eugene Teo takes advantage of his channel to share suggestions and insights on coaching strategy and how to stay away from some of the most prevalent workout mistakes. In his most up-to-date online video, Teo makes a bold assertion and shares all the reasons he thinks barbell exercises are not an efficient way to attain consistent gains for most exercisers.

Barbells: Overrated and Overused?

“I believe barbells are the most overrated and overused implements out there,” he suggests. “In common, if I can change out a barbell training with another training, I will. And I advise this for the vast majority of other people.”

“They force your body into one rigid plane of movement that isn’t great for most people.” He cites the case in point of the barbell bench press, in which the arms are extended outwards. Teo believes that keeping the elbows at an angle closer to your torso creates a stronger, more stable position, which is more challenging to accomplish while holding the bar, leading to unnecessary rotation in your joints. One alternative to the barbell bench press would be the weighted pushup, which flips the entire body but retains the movement pattern—and allows for elbow tucking.

The Case Against the Barbell Bench Press

Teo’s not alone in stepping away from the barbell bench press—Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. also quit the common gym staple for some time. “By switching to dumbbells and no longer battling shoulder pain, I was able to focus on squeezing my chest instead of simply pushing the weight. This contraction ultimately helped me gain even more strength and size in my pecs,” Samuel writes.

Expanding the List of Alternatives

Teo thinks you can broaden that list of exercises even beyond the bench. “There is absolutely no reason why you can’t swap out all of your barbell exercises for dumbbells, cables, machines, or bodyweight exercises,” he says. “You are still performing compound movements, and you’re still able to use very heavy loads. While the total weight on the bar may be different, the actual tension you’re putting on your muscles will be about the same, because you’re able to direct that weight more effectively and efficiently.”

When to Use Barbells: Lower Body Considerations

But Teo is not an absolutist about ditching barbells. He adds that he does include the bar into his lower body workouts, using moves such as the Romanian deadlift and split squat—but he says he tends to rotate them in as variations rather than plan his sessions around them. Teo points out that he avoids relying on these types of exercises as they can load up and fatigue the lower back, and instead prefers unilateral exercises and moves that use a dumbbell, machine, or trap bar. “They allow you to produce a lot more force through your body and direct it towards your goals, and they are a lot more customizable to everyone’s unique structure,” he says.

Finding Balance: Barbells and Bodyweight Work

Teo acknowledges that not everyone will abandon the barbell—and based on your training goals and your focus, not everyone should (for example powerlifters, whose whole sport is based around the Big 3 barbell lifts). Instead, he advises figuring out how to complement those barbell lifts with bodyweight work in a way that works for you. “A lot of the top, elite-level powerlifters I’ve worked with would agree that there is a cost to barbell training, and they do as much as they can feasibly to balance out through smart programming and the utilization of accessory exercises,” he says.

This is exactly what happened with Samuel, who returned to barbell benching to find that he was even stronger at the lift thanks to his focused work doing variations with different equipment. “Quitting an exercise isn’t the end,” he writes. “It is the beginning of a freer version of fitness—and that version of fitness can push you to the gains you truly want.”

About the Author

Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues.