A free weight bar stabilizer, to be used with a standard size bar and attached barbell plates. The stabilizer includes a beam pivotally attached to a frame at a pivot point so that it is angularly movable in an arc between a raised position and a lowered position, and a carriage attached to the beam so that it is linearly movable radially out from the pivot point between a retracted position and an extended position. The carriage includes spaced distal arms with attachment points for attaching the bar to support its opposing ends. The bar is thus freely movable within an envelope defined by the ranges of the simultaneous angular movement of the beam and the linear movement of the attachment points on the carriage. The free weight bar stabilizer may also include a carriage counterweight that simultaneously moves on the beam in the opposite direction of the carriage to counterbalance the weight of the carriage, so it does not add to the quantity of the weight being lifted and reduce push and pull of the carriage. Further, the bar stabilizer may include an assisting weight mechanism to assist when working heavy negatives, by providing a counterweight to reduce the actual weight being lifted at a predetermined point as the beam moves toward the lowered position.