6 Exercises to Build Muscle and Get Stronger

If you’re looking to add some muscle and get stronger, these seven exercises are great places to start. Of course, weightlifting can be an intimidating activity, especially if you’re new to it, but it doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. Each of these exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home with minimal equipment, so there’s no reason not to try them all out! Just remember to keep increasing the weight each time you do the exercise; that way, you’ll feel strong and proud of your progress in no time!

1) The Deadlift

The deadlift is a great exercise for building overall strength and power. It works many muscle groups at once, including the legs, back, and arms. Plus, it can be done with a variety of weights, making it perfect for people of all fitness levels. If you want to build muscle and get stronger, the deadlift is a great exercise to add to your routine.

If you’re new to lifting weights, don’t start with a deadlift. It’s a challenging exercise that requires strength and can easily lead to injury if you’re not using proper form. Start with basic exercises like squats or lunges, which work similar muscle groups but in a safer way. Once you feel confident doing those exercises, try adding in deadlifts once per week. Work up to doing three sets of eight repetitions each at around 75 percent of your one-rep max weight on each set. In other words, start with just enough weight that you can perform eight reps comfortably before increasing your weight for each set. As you get stronger, increase your number of sets until you reach four total per workout session.

2) Pull Ups

Pull ups are a great way to build muscle and get stronger. They work your back, shoulders, and arms, and can be done with little equipment. Plus, they’re a great measure of fitness – the more you can do, the more powerful you are.

Doing pull ups is relatively simple – you’ll need a bar or handle you can hang from (like a door frame) and something sturdy to hold on to if you’re doing bodyweight pull ups. Grab onto the bar with an overhand grip, arms extended, slightly wider than shoulder width apart. When your arms are extended straight above your head, that’s when you’ve completed one rep. You can do multiple reps in a row if you’re strong enough.

3) Chest Presses

 

Start by lying flat on your back on a bench with a weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Slowly press the weights up above your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent. you should stop for a moment at the top of the lifting apparatus, and then lower the weights back down to the starting position. This is one rep. Aim for three sets of 12 reps each.

Chest presses are a great exercise for strengthening your chest muscles, particularly your pectoralis major. This muscle is responsible for lifting and moving your arms down towards your sides, so these presses can improve not only how well you can perform everyday tasks but also sports-related movements. A study published in Clinical Biomechanics revealed that doing bench presses twice a week for eight weeks helped people with carpal tunnel syndrome alleviate pain more quickly than those who did wrist curls alone. The study participants who did chest presses also reported less pain when performing tasks like lifting or reaching overhead by up to 52 percent compared to those in the wrist curl group. Other studies have shown similar findings, so if you’re looking for an exercise that builds strength while preventing injury, start with chest presses!

4) Back Squats

The back squat is one of the most effective exercises for building muscle and strength. It works your entire lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. The key to performing this exercise correctly is to keep your chest up and your core engaged throughout the movement. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head. Lower yourself down into a squat position, making sure to keep your knees behind your toes. From here, drive through your heels to return to the starting position.

If you want to build muscle mass, back squats are one of your best options. Unlike leg press machines, which use hydraulic resistance, a barbell allows you to add weight progressively over time as you become stronger. Barbell squats also require more muscle activation overall than some other exercises because they work both the concentric (positive) and eccentric (negative) portion of a movement. This means that even after your set is over, your muscles are still working hard to stabilize yourself in different positions as you put weight on and off of a barrow or rack.

5) Bent Over Rows

Bent over rows are a great exercise for targeting your back muscles. To do this exercise, start by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at the waist and lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor. From here, row the dumbbells up to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body. Reverse the motion and lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Repeat for 10-12 reps.
One of the most common muscle-building mistakes people make is doing high reps on exercises that target small muscle groups, such as arms or abs. This leads to a lower amount of growth since these muscles aren’t used to supporting heavy loads. In contrast, compound exercises like bent over rows train your major muscle groups by working multiple muscles at once. High rep training works best for smaller muscles so you should use compound movements when building mass in your arms or abs.

6) Shoulder Presses

The shoulder press is a great exercise for targeting the deltoids, which are the muscles that make up the rounded portion of your shoulder. This exercise can be done with dumbbells, barbells, or even kettlebells. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding the weight at shoulder level. Raise the weight overhead, extending your arms fully. Lower it back down to shoulder level and repeat.

If you’re looking for other effective deltoid exercises, consider one-arm dumbbell presses. These press your shoulders from different angles than standard shoulder presses so that you can hit all three portions of your deltoids. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level and extend both arms straight out in front of you, palms facing forward. Lower one arm down while keeping the other extended, then alternate until you’ve pressed each arm 6 times, then switch which arm is lowering first.