Whether you are a beginning or experienced weight lifter, there are a set of basic muscle-building exercises you should perform consistently. These exercises are important because they strengthen large muscles and multiple groups of muscles through practical ranges of motion. There is at least one of these exercises for each major muscle group of your body.
Bench Press
The bench press exercise is very popular for strengthening your chest, shoulders and triceps. It can be performed using a barbell or dumbbells. To perform bench presses, start by lying with your back on a bench and feet on the ground. Next, position the barbell or dumbbells above your chest with your arms extended. Then repeatedly lower your hands until they are in front of your shoulders and powerfully extend your arms to press the weight back to the starting position.
Lat Pull-Downs
As their name suggests, lat pull-downs focus on the latissimus dorsi muscles on either side of your back. However, they also help strengthen other muscles on your upper back such as the rhomboids and trapezius. To perform the exercise, sit on a pull-down machine and grasp the overhead bar much wider than shoulder width with your palms facing forward. Then pull the bar downward to the top of your chest and slowly let it back up. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.
Shoulder Press
The shoulder press exercises your deltoid and triceps muscles. It can be performed from a seated or standing position and with a barbell, dumbbells or on a shoulder press machine. To prepare for the shoulder press exercise, either sit or stand with arms bent and hands in front of your shoulders. Then, to perform the exercise, repeatedly extend your arms to push the weight upward and lower back to the starting position.
Biceps Curls
Biceps curls work on your biceps muscles on the front of your upper arms. To perform the exercise, stand upright and hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing forward. Then bend both arms at the same time to lift the weight toward your shoulders. Once your arms are fully flexed, slowly extend them to lower your hands back to the starting position and repeat. For maximum effectiveness, be sure to keep your body still during the exercise.
Squats
Squats strengthen muscles on your anterior (front) and posterior (back) thigh, buttocks and lower back. They are a popular exercise because they work multiple muscle groups through a practical range of motion (standing up). To perform squats, first stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and toes directed forward. Next, place a barbell behind your neck on your upper back and shoulders or hold dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Then bend forward at the waist slightly and bend your knees to lower your body until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Finally, powerfully extend your knees and hips to stand back up to the starting position. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions. For safety purposes, be sure to keep your back straight throughout the movement.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (Second Edition)"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- Exercises for Shoulders: Shoulder Training
- Exercises for Arms: Biceps Training
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