dumbbells on a rack
Fitness, Glutes

What is the Best Exercise?

Often I am asked, “What’s the best way to grow my shoulders?” or “How can I strengthen my hamstrings?” There are so many exercises out there–too many to count! But, there are tried and true weight training exercises that I have incorporated into routines over the years. Below is a mini exercise library. It’s my gift to you. Bookmark it and reference it the next time you are looking to focus on a specific body part.

 

Chest

  • Bench press*
  • Dumbbell press
  • Incline dumbbell press
  • Decline dumbbell press
  • Dumbbell fly (flat)
  • Incline dumbbell fly
  • Cable fly
  • Underhand cable fly (bottom to top)
  • Pushup*
  • Chest dip*
  • TRX press

Triceps

  • Triceps dip*
  • Barbell skull crusher 
  • Dumbbell skull crusher
  • Triceps overhead press
  • Triceps kickback
  • Triceps pressdown
  • Triceps overhead cable press
  • Close grip barbell bench press
  • Narrow grip pushup
  • TRX overhead triceps extension

Back

  • Pullup*
  • Chinup*
  • Underhand bent over barbell row*
  • Overhand bent over barbell row*
  • Dumbbell single arm row
  • Seated row
  • Seated cable row
  • Wide grip seated cable row
  • Straight arm lat pulldown
  • Lat pulldown
  • Inverted row
  • TRX row

Biceps

  • Barbell curl
  • Preacher curl
  • Concentration curl
  • Dumbbell curl
  • Incline bicep curl
  • Hammer curl
  • Chinup
  • Zottman curl

Core

  • Cable crunch
  • Russian twist
  • V situp
  • Decline situp
  • Cable chop
  • Lying leg lift
  • Plank
  • Side plank
  • Thread the needle
  • Ball crunch
  • Toe touch
  • Bicycle crunches

Shoulders

  • Shoulder press
  • Military press*
  • Arnold press
  • Front raise
  • Side lat raise
  • Bent arm lat raise
  • Around the world
  • Rear delt dumbbell fly
  • Rear delt cable fly
  • Neutral grip shoulder pres

Quads

  • Leg extension
  • Raised goblet squat
  • Wall sit
  • Kneeling banded lean back
  • Stationary lunge
  • Sguats*
  • Front squat
  • Zercher squat
  • Goblet squat

Calves

  • Standing calf raise
  • Seated calf raise

Hamstrings

  • Leg curl
  • Ball leg curl
  • Nordic curl
  • Romanian deadlift
  • Stiff legged deadlift
  • Cable hamstring curl
  • Squats*
  • Adductor machine
  • Deadlift*

Glutes

  • Sumo deadlift*
  • Deadlift*
  • Hip thrust (variations)
  • Glute bridge
  • Squats*
  • Cable kickback
  • Donkey kickback
  • Frog pulse
  • Side lying leg lift
  • Banded crab walks
  • Abductor machine
  • Reverse lunge
  • Lunge
  • Step ups
  • Walking lunge
  • Elevated glute bridge
  • Hyperextension
  • Reverse hyperextension
  • Clam shells
  • Fire hydrant

*Compound movements that work more than one body part.

 

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