The benefits of building muscle include increased strength, metabolism, bone density and improved overall health. To maximize the amount of muscle in your body you should perform resistance training exercises. Resistance training involves movement working against an opposing force like gravity or weights. To maximize muscle growth, focus on exercises that target larger muscle groups, such as the exercises below. Performed them at 8 to 12 repetitions with a heavier weight load to gain muscle mass.
Squats
Squats are performed by moving into a sitting-like position and then back into a standing position. There are a variety of ways to perform squats with weights including with a barbell, dumbbells, a kettle bell and body bar. Performing a squat exercise will work the muscles in your upper thighs, hips, buttocks and abdominals. This exercise requires attention to form to prevent serious injury and should only be performed if you know the proper form. A leg press machine may be used to build the muscle strength necessary to do a squat, to practice proper form, or as a substitute.
Pull-ups
While pull-ups are a difficult exercise they are a great way to build your back muscles. Pull-ups are performed by pulling your chin above a sturdy bar. Even though you are pulling up with your arms you are actually engaging the muscles in your arms and back. You can work more muscles by varying the grips of your hands and distance of your arms on the bar. Maintaining proper form with limited swaying also incorporates your abdominal muscles. If available you can use an assisted pull-up machine, found in most gyms, which provides a weighted lift up until you build the strength to do them on your own. You may also start out with one or two pull-ups until you reach your desired repetition count.
Row
A row is a pulling action towards your body with the resistance coming from the opposite direction. During a rowing exercise, you pull your arm towards your body and slide your elbow tightly along the side of your body, poking your elbow behind you. It can be performed in various positions, including seated or standing with a cable pulley, kneeling on a bench with a dumbbell, or bent over while standing with dumbbells or a weighted bar. This exercise will work the larger mid back muscles including the latissimus dorsi, as well as your biceps.
Chest Press
Chest presses will help to add muscle mass to your body. A chest press is typically performed lying down on a weight bench that has a barbell holder. Weight is added equally to each end of the bar for the desired weight. Once in position on the bench with your feet flat on the floor, the bar is lifted off of the holder and lowered until your elbows reach the height of the bench. Techniques vary, but avoid dropping your elbows past your shoulders to avoid injury of the shoulder joint. Press the weight up fully extending your arms with a squeeze of your chest at the top. There are many variations of a chest press that will challenge your chest muscles. They include a seated chest press, a dumbbell chest press, a cable chest press, and a stability ball chest press.
Push Ups
One of the more commonly known exercises, the push up offers a primary workout for your arms, chest and shoulders. It additionally works your core and leg muscles. There is no equipment needed to perform a push up. All you need is a space long enough to extend your body. To perform this exercise lie on your stomach, place your hands on the floor shoulder width apart with your fingers facing forward. Press up onto your toes and push up through your hands. Maintain a straight back and neck by keeping your belly button pulled in. Extend you arms upward to a full extension, then lower yourself down until your chest touches the ground. Repeat.
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