For most beginning guitarists, learning to properly produce the sound of a barre chord is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. It takes a lot of coordination and, yes, more strength than you usually need to exert when grabbing other chords. The keys to properly developing such coordination and strength are time, repetition and proper directionality of energy. In this lesson video, I intentionally steer clear of the barred "F" chord. Plan on trying that chord in two to three weeks, after you have spent 5 minutes per day practicing the progressive steps explained - on an E-minor chord. Instead, we will practice the skill of producing the proper pressure and directionality thereof with only the barring first finger. Then we combine the first with the middle finger only... then the first with the ring finger only... etc. always focusing on proper posture and alignment of the fretting hand. Each layer gets easy to execute or becomes easy quickly to then enable us to tackle the next layer of difficulty. We will master all levels within two to three weeks, always with ease and properly learned coordination.
Anyone can learn to play the infamous barred F chord. But trust me! If you commit to 5 minutes a day for two to three weeks on this approach, you will be playing that chord with ease as opposed to botching and hating it for months, maybe even years on end.