Bodybuilding is a popular fitness pursuit that focuses on building muscle mass, strength, and definition. It requires dedication, discipline, and a well-designed training program that incorporates a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups. In this article, we will highlight the 50 most essential bodybuilding exercises that should form the cornerstone of any serious bodybuilder’s workout routine.
These exercises are not only effective in building lean muscle mass but also in improving overall strength, endurance, reducing body fat, and functional fitness. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, incorporating these exercises into your routine will help you achieve your bodybuilding goals and take your physique to the next level.
The legs are the biggest muscle groups in the body. They are also responsible for for growth hormone release than any other muscles, which results in more overall muscle growth all throughout the body. Here are the best weight training workouts to put into your routine.
The deadlift is almost synonymous with lifting weights and growing huge legs. The deadlift incorporates more muscles than any other exercise which makes it the ultimate strength training workout. This means that you can perform this lift with a lot of weight and overload your legs.
Some people prefer to deadlift as a back exercise, but it is an incredible leg workout and stimulates incredible muscle hypertrophy throughout the hamstrings and glutes. It does also highly activate the quads, but is mostly a hamstring and glute focused exercise.
Because of how much weight the deadlift allows you to lift, it is very strenuous on the body and it is critical that the deadlift is performed with proper form to avoid injury.
Everyone knows what the squat is. It is one of the core strength training exercises. If you had to choose only one leg exercise to do, make it the squat. Another exercise in which you can lift a lot of weight and incorporate all of the leg muscles.
There is little to no back activation when squatting, so all of the focus is put on the legs. The squat maximizes the pushing capabilities of the legs and is a highly overloaded lift.
For complete leg hypertrophy and muscle growth, nothing beats the squat and it must not be left out of anyone’s program.
Typically performed by caring weight in your hands such as dumbbells or kettlebells and taking lunging steps forward in a walking fashion.
Walking lunges are a great compound leg exercise to get rid of any muscle imbalances in the legs. Sometimes, without even knowing it, people will be using one leg more than the other and create an imbalance in both strength and size.
Lunges ensure that both legs are trained equally. Because unilateral movement (one side at a time), lunges also train stabilizer muscles that otherwise wouldn’t be trained effectively.
A variation of the deadlift, the RDL removes much of the back and quad activation and puts the focus strictly on the hamstrings and glutes. The difference being that while performing an RDL, the legs are kept almost entirely straight throughout the whole movement.
If you want to see huge growth in the posterior chain of your legs without the stress and risk of the deadlift, the RDL is perfect for you.
RDLs provide similar hamstring and glute hypertrophy as the deadlift with much lower weight. Focus on really stretching out your hamstrings on negative path, and squeezing hard at the top of the movement.
Think of the leg press as a seated replica of the squat. The leg press is a great way to really focus on mind muscle connection and perform a lot of high quality reps.
Since the weight and resistance path are 100% linear, you don’t ahve to worry as much about form and technique. You can perform a high number of reps knowing that your technique is consistent throughout the set.
The leg press is certainly not a replacement for the squat, but a great compliment to it in which you can clean up and improve your squatting weaknesses.
The trap bar deadlift is ideal for improving athleticism and explosiveness. It is very popular amongst athletes throughout all sports.
The range of motion is much lower compared to a traditional deadlift, but you can move more weight. Often performed in an explosive manner to improve speed and vertical, it is great for strengthening the fast twitch muscle fibers,
In terms of muscle activation, it is essentially a mix between a traditional deadlift and a barbell squat.
Another unilateral movement, the smith machine split squat is great for avoiding muscle imbalances. The motion of the exercise is almost the same as the lunges, but the weight is on your back instead of in your hands.
The smith machine provides stability and a consistent bar path much like the leg press does. This allows you to focus more on the muscle activation and less on technique.
The downside compared to lunges is that there will be less stabilizer muscle activation.
Donkey Kicks are performed by attaching a low mounted cable to your foot or ankle. They are very popular in the “gym girl” community for building the gluteus Maximus, but are an incredible exercise for both men and women.
They are a perfect way to isolate the glutes and build serious muscle mass.
Leg extension are the best way to isolate the quadriceps. By adjusting the direction you point your feet, you can shift the focus to all four heads of the quad.
You will quickly notice that leg extensions burn. Your quads will feel like they are on fire, and it will feel amazing.
These can be performed either seated or while lying on your stomach. The hamstring curl is the best way to isolate your hamstrings.
Focus on the stretch and contraction of the movement and reap the benefits. Just like the leg extensions, these will burn, but are an incredible way to exhaust the hamstrings.
Whether you do the seated or standing variation of the calf raise, it is important that you train calves. Some say that “calves are genetic”, but at the end of the day, that is just an excuse.
In order to have aesthetic legs, you need a balance between the upper and lower leg. So it is crucial that you train your calves. It will take time to see progress, but trust the process and do not skip calves.
Every weight training program is going to highly emphasize building muscle mass in the chest. It is certainly one of the major muscle groups that you should focus on.
The bench press is iconic and the most popular chest exercise out there, and this is not without good reason. The bench press allows you to overload the chest like no other.
Since the bench press allows for the use of large amounts of weight, it is very important that it is done correctly to avoid injury and maximize gains.
The chest is one of the most aesthetic muscle groups, and the bench press is the best way to train it.
Primarily targeting the upper chest, the incline dumbbell press is an incredible chest exercise, and happens to be my personal favorite.
Using the dumbbells is much easier on the shoulders and allows for a greater squeeze compared to an incline barbell bench press.
The upper chest is the muscle group that pops out of tank tops and creates a defined outline at the base of the neck, and there is no better way to train it than incline dumbbell press.
It is important to train all three sections of the chest. The decline bench press will target the lower chest. Having a carved out and bulging lower chest is highly sought after amongst all body builders.
It will feel a bit awkward when first performing this lift, but it is definitely worth it. After a few times, you will become comfortable being in declined position and will start being able to focus on the movement itself.
It is possible to perform a decline dumbbell variation, but the setup is difficult and uses up a lot of energy so decline barbbell bench press will be the best option.
Flat dumbbell press gives a couple advantages over flat barbell bench press. These are increased activation of stabilizer muscles and reduction of muscle imbalances.
The set up can be annoying and exhausting, but it is definitely worth it. These are a great way to slow down and focus on the mind muscle connection rather than the weight.
Peck deck flys are going to be the best way to isolate your chest. Start with low weight and really focus on the feeling of the movement.
You are not overloading your chest. Instead you are exhausting it in a hypertrophic fashion. These allow for full range of motion from the chest.
Another great lift to work out the lower chest. Put the cables up around shoulder height, step forward, and push downwards.
It is helpful to note that stepping a little farther forward will take stress off of the shoulders and give you better results without injury or discomfort.
Who hasn’t done push-ups? They are a classic and simple way to work the chest with only your body weight if you don’t have a gym or equipment.
If they begin to get too easy, add some weight via a vest or a plate on your back. Push-ups are also great to burn out your chest after completing other exercises.
In my opinion, the back is the most badass and appealing muscle group. The back contains more muscle groups than any other area of the body, so it is important thay your weight training routine has a large variation of exercises to build the most muscle mass.
The barbell row is one of the core compound exercises and has been found to provide more back activation than any other exercise. There are many variables at play when performing this exercise so it is vital that is is done correctly.
This can be done with an overhand or underhand grip. Overhand will put more focus on the upper back, while underhand will focus more on the lats (latissimus dorsi).
A classic and staple back exercise that is great for overloading the back and increasing stability. The pull up is a body weight exercise that can be performed with a wide, neutral, or close grip depending on what muscles you want to target the most.
The best part is, all you need is a bar to hang from. No fancy equipment. Just find a bar, and start pulling.
Chin ups are very similar to pull ups. The only difference being that your grip is reversed. When doing a chin up, your palms will be facing towards yourself. This one adjustment shifts the focus towards the lats and biceps.
Cable rows are a great way to focus on mind muscle connection and muscle contraction. The exercise path is fixed and linear similar to previously discussed exercises. There are tons of different cable attachments that allow you to focus on different areas of the back.
If you aren’t strong enough to do a lot of pull ups, incorporate lat pull downs. They are another cable exercise that mimics the pull up. They also have many attachments just like the cable row.
A must do in any back routine.
Dumbbell rows are a unilateral exercise that are excellent for building the back. It is best to perform this exercise in a triangle stance with one hand up on a bench for balance and support.
Dumbbell rows are great for overloading the back and targeting the lats. They are also great for strengthening stabilizer muscles. The dumbbell is one of my favorite strength training exercises.
These are the most popular way to isolate and train the traps (trapezius ). Grab heavy dumbbells and lift up your shoulders, squeezing at the top.
Big traps are a very aesthetic muscle group as they can be seen from all angles and pop out of the upper back. They also great for avoiding imbalances since there is equal weight in each hand.
When doing cable shrugs, you want the angle of resistance to be closer to 45 degrees. This resistance path follows the direction of the muscle fibers and is excellent for trap hypertrophy.
It is very similar to the dumbbell shrugs, but you are pulling at an agle rather than straight up.
Cable pull overs are one of the few isolation exercises to train the lats. It can take a while to learn how to do this properly in order to see the best results, but it is a great exercise.
The back is very hard to isolate, and with straight arm cable pull downs you can effectively do this and burn out the lat muscles.
It is crucial that you build muscle mass throughout you shoulders as they create the broad and appealing aesthetic to the upper body. Here are the best workouts for building muscle on the shoulders.
An amazing way to over load the front deltoids. Having the bar allows you to use a lot of weight and really fatigue the delts.
A classic and timeless lift that has been building shoulders for decades. No workout program is complete with out the military press.
The dumbbell overhead press has similar effects as the military press. The difference being instead of a barbell, you are pressing a dumbbell in each hand.
This is beneficial for muscle imbalances and stabilization. Many people say that using the dumbbells feels better and is less stressful on the shoulder joints. Use both to get the unique benefits of each.
The upright row must not be mistaken for a back exercise. It is a great workout that allows for the overloading of the lateral or mid deltoid. Instead of thinking of this lift as a row, imagine that you are lifting your elbows up like the chicken dance.
This is one of my favorite lifts for the lateral deltoid and is a great addition to every routine.
Definitely the most popular shoulder exercise, the dumbbell exercise will have your shoulders looking like the death star.
Focus on keeping your elbow slightly above your wrist and make sure you are not swinging the weight up. Instead, drag the weight up and momentarily pause at the top of the motion.
Anyone who is lifting weights must incorporate lateral raises into their training session.
Many people forget and neglect the rear deltoids. Make sure you are not onw of these people. They are also still considered compound exercises as they also train the traps.
Add rear delt flys to your shoulder workout. These can be done with dumbbells in a bent over stance, with cables, or with a pec deck machine.
The rear deltoids complete the round and full look of the shoulders as well as add size and definition to the back.
The triceps are responsible for two thirds of the total muscle mass of the upper arm. They are certainly one of the most important body parts of the upper body and need to be a center piece of any workout routine.
The name can be intimidating, but skull crushers are a fantastic exercise. They train and isolate the triceps in the lengthened position.
Skull crushers can be performed with either dumbbells or an EZ bar. The EZ bar variation is more popular, but dumbbells are great as well.
These are definitely the most popular way to train the triceps. They feel amazing and the cables offer stability and a consistent resistance path.
You will not be able to use very much weight when performing tricep rope push downs, so focus on the mind muscle connection and the squeeze at the bottom.
An improved version of the traditional dumbbell kickback. The cable allows for better resistance throughout the whole range of motion.
These train the triceps in the shortened position and are great for growing the short head of the triceps. It will feel as if your triceps are being pinched at full lockout and will break down a lot of muscle tissue.
This is the same movement as the classic bench press, except you are gripping the bar with a much closer grip. This shifts the emphasis from the chest to the triceps.
Close grip bench press one of the best ways to overload your triceps. It takes a bit of time to get used to the change in grip, but your triceps will thank you.
Diamond push ups are a body eight exercise that use the same concept as the close grip bench in that the narrower hand placement puts the focus of the movement on to the triceps.
They are also great if you are low on equipment or if the benches are all taken. If the movement is too difficult, place your hands on an elevated surface such as a bench or box. This will make the exercise easier and allow for more reps.
The biceps are the first muscle group that anyone shows off and flexes. Weight training has gained popularity from big flashy biceps.
EZ bar curls have been shown to generate more bicep activation than any other isolation exercise. Having the bar allows you to use larger amounts of weights.
The EZ bar is also better than a standard barbell because it takes stress off of the wrist and prevents injury and discomfort.
Incline dumbbell curls are a personal favorite of mine. Put a bench at an inclined angle of roughly 60-65 degrees. This will place your arms slightly behind your body.
Having your arms back in this fashion lengthens the bicep muscles and helps train the long head of the bicep. It is important to train both the long and short heads of the bicep. For the short head, the most popular exercise will be the . . .
The preacher curl does two things of importance. First, it puts your arm and elbow in front of your torso. This shortens the bicep and emphasizes the short head.
Secondly, it keeps your upper arm in a fixed position. This removes the ability to swing the weight and use momentum rather that strength.
The combination of these two advantages makes the preacher curl an extremely effective workout for bicep strength and hypertrophy.
Hammer curls are very popular. They train the biceps with a neutral grip. This will typically allow you to use more weight and overload the muscles.
Hammer curls are also the best way to train the brachialis muscle. The brachialis isn’t technically a part of the bicep, but does attach around the lower bicep insertion. This will make your biceps and overall arms bigger and more defined.
The addition of another muscle group makes hammer curls an essential lift for building muscle throughout the upper arm.
Drag curls are a bit of a hidden gem in the weight lifting world. They are not very popular, but they certainly are effective.
They look as if you are doing a barbell row incorrectly, but trust me, they work. They incorporate the pulling function of the biceps without using your back. Definitely try them out.
These are perfect to do at the end of a workout to burn out the biceps. You can use any cable attachment you prefer depending on which part of the bicep you want to target.
I recommend light weight and high reps. Make sure you focus on the feeling of the movement and really contract the bicep.
The forearms are often neglected, but strengthening and building your forearms is a non negotiable. Having developed forearms both looks good and increases your grip strength which makes building muscle elsewhere much easier.
It doesn’t get much simpler than the farmers walk. Just pick up some heavy weight and walk. Many people add these to their back routine because they are great at working the traps and mid back.
They are also fantastic for growing your forearms and building grip strength. Ideally, use dumbbells or kettlebells. Farmers walks will build and strengthen the entire forearm.
You can perform forearm curls with dumbbells or a barbell, but because of the limited movement in this exercise, cables are the best option. The cables will give constant tension that is hard to achieve with dumbbells or a barbell.
These will help add thickness and vascularity to your forearms as well as improve grip strength.
Typically done with either an EZ bar or a cable, reverse grip curls are great for building the top of the forearm. Your brachiali will be on fire just afew reps in.
The top of the forearms are often neglected, but they are very aesthetic and it is important tot train them.
Everyone wants chiseled abs. They look amazing and provide stability all throughout the core. Do not over complicate the abdominals. Stick to these essentials for building muscle in your core.
Machine crunches offer a larger range of motion as well as a constant resistance path compared to traditional crunches.
These are my personal favorites when training abs. They especially target the upper abdominals and help build the contrast between the lower chest and stomach.
Russian twists are a classic ab workouts. They are primarily used to work the oblique muscles.
The oblique muscles are the abdominal muscles on the side of the body and are responsible for a defined V taper as well as the sought after “shark gill” look.
Hanging leg raises are perfect for training the lower abdominals. Many prefer hanging from their elbows rather than their hands. This will take grip strength and balance out of the equation.
Focus on bring your whole pelvis up toward the ceiling rather than just your legs.
No matter how painful and annoying the plank is, it is undeniably a great abdominal exercise. You are forced to keep your entire core engaged and in a fixed position.
It is best to use the plank as a finisher after other abdominal exercises have already been done.
In conclusion, bodybuilding is a challenging yet rewarding pursuit that requires hard work, dedication, and discipline. The 50 essential bodybuilding exercises highlighted in this article train the entire body and are essential for any bodybuilding workout routine.
By incorporating these exercises into your workout routine, you can develop a balanced, symmetrical physique while also improving your functional fitness and overall health.
Remember, consistency is key when it comes to bodybuilding, so stay committed to your training program and always strive to challenge yourself with progressively heavier weights and more advanced exercises. With time and effort, you can achieve your bodybuilding goals and create the strong, muscular physique you’ve always wanted.
Before getting started, make sure you have an outlined plan such as:
– How many days per week
– Specific muscle building program
– Nutrition plan