Barbell Skier
What Barbell Skier really gives you is round, durable shoulder caps, driven by heavy bilateral barbell loading.
How to do Barbell Skier
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Simultaneously lift the barbell up towards your shoulders while jumping slightly off the ground.
- As you reach the top of the movement, quickly reverse the motion and lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Skier Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Common Barbell Skier Mistakes
Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch
Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.
Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps
Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Skier
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Barbell Skier — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Skier?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up. Simultaneously lift the barbell up towards your shoulders while jumping slightly off the ground. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Skier work?
The Barbell Skier primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Skier should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Skier good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic shoulders patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Skier?
Try the Kettlebell Seesaw Press, Cable Cross-over Revers Fly or the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
