Exercises

Deadlift

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Secondary: Lower back, Upper back, Abdominals, Forearms

Preparation

• Position yourself with your feet about hip-width apart and the bar directly over the middle of your feet. Your knees should point in the same direction as your toes.

• Grip the bar just outside your legs and keep your arms straight. You can use a double overhand grip or a mixed grip, with one palm facing forward and the other backward.

• Push your hips back and bend your knees to reach the bar while keeping your spine in a neutral position.

• Keep your shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar and your head in line with your spine.

• Before lifting, brace your core and pull the slack out of the bar to build tension.

Execution

• Push through your feet and extend your knees and hips to lift the bar, keeping it close to your body until you are fully upright.

• Lower the bar by pushing your hips back and bending your knees as the bar moves toward the floor.

• Keep your core braced and your spine stable throughout the movement.

Other Information

• Flat shoes with a stable sole are recommended.

• Lifting straps can help if your grip strength becomes a limiting factor.

• A weightlifting belt can help you brace your core and increase intra-abdominal pressure.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift is a variation that places greater emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes. Unlike the conventional deadlift, the movement starts from an upright position with slightly bent knees. Push your hips back and lower the bar close to your legs while keeping your spine neutral. Lower the weight until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings, usually somewhere around the middle of your shins, then extend your hips to return to the starting position.

Stiff-Legged Deadlift
The stiff-legged deadlift is similar to the Romanian deadlift, but your knees remain almost fully extended throughout the movement. This places greater emphasis on the posterior chain, particularly the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Push your hips back and lower the bar while keeping it close to your legs and maintaining a stable spine. Then extend your hips to return to an upright position.

Squats

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes
Secondary: Adductors, Hamstrings, Abdominals, Lower back

Preparation

• Place the barbell on your upper back muscles, not directly on your neck. Grip the bar at a comfortable width and keep your wrists as straight as possible.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width or slightly wider apart and turn your toes slightly outward. Your knees should point in the same direction as your toes.

• Keep your spine in a neutral position and brace your core before starting the movement.

Execution

• Bend your hips and knees to lower your body as far as you comfortably can while maintaining a stable position.

• Push through your feet to return to the starting position, extending your hips and knees.

• Keep your heels on the ground and your torso stable throughout the movement.

Other Information

• Flat shoes with a stable sole or weightlifting shoes with a raised heel are both suitable, depending on your mobility and preference.

• A weightlifting belt can help you brace your core and increase intra-abdominal pressure.

• A spotter or properly positioned safety bars can provide additional safety when lifting heavy weights.

• It's perfectly normal for your knees to extend beyond your toes during a squat.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Front Squats
Front squats are a variation of conventional squats where the barbell rests across the front of your shoulders instead of your upper back. This requires a more upright torso and places greater emphasis on the quadriceps. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and support the bar with your fingertips or a crossed-arm grip, keeping your elbows high. Lower your body into a squat while maintaining an upright torso, then push through your feet to return to the starting position.

Bench Press

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Chest
Secondary: Shoulder, Triceps

Preparation

• Lie down on the bench with your feet firmly on the floor and your buttocks remaining in contact with the bench.

• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width, approximately 1.5 times your shoulder width, and keep your wrists stable.

• Pull your shoulder blades back and down and maintain a slight arch in your back. (Bench Press Arch)

• In the starting position, your arms are extended and the bar is positioned above your shoulders.

Execution

• Slowly lower the bar towards the middle or lower part of your chest, then press it back up to the starting position.

• Keep your elbows at a comfortable angle to your torso, usually around 45 to 70 degrees, rather than flaring them straight out.

• Keep your wrists and elbows roughly aligned and maintain a stable upper body throughout the movement.

Other Information

• A training partner or spotter can provide additional safety when lifting heavy weights. Alternatively, use a bench press station with properly adjusted safety bars.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Incline Bench Press
The incline bench press is a variation of the conventional bench press where the bench is inclined at an angle of about 30 to 45 degrees. This places greater emphasis on the upper chest and front shoulders. The execution is similar to the conventional bench press, but the bar is lowered towards the upper chest while keeping your shoulder blades stable.

Eccentric (Negative) Bench Press
In the eccentric bench press, the focus is on slowly and deliberately lowering the bar. Since you can generally lower more weight than you can press, heavier loads may be used with the assistance of a spotter or suitable equipment to help return the bar to the starting position. Alternatively, you can simply emphasize the lowering phase while using your regular working weight.

Overhead Press

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Shoulders
Secondary: Triceps, Upper chest, Upper trapezius

Preparation

• Grab the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width and keep your wrists aligned with your forearms.

• Begin in the starting position with the barbell resting on your upper chest and your elbows slightly in front of the bar.

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and maintain a stable position.

• Keep your spine neutral and tighten your abs and glutes.

Execution

• Press the barbell upward close to your face, moving your head slightly backward to allow the bar to pass.

• Once the bar has passed your forehead, move your head forward and extend your arms until the bar is positioned above your shoulders.

• Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position while keeping your torso stable.

• Avoid excessively arching your lower back during the movement.

Other Information

• Flat shoes with a stable sole are recommended.

• A weightlifting belt can help you brace your core and increase intra-abdominal pressure.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Dumbbell Shoulder Press
An alternative to the barbell shoulder press is the dumbbell shoulder press. The execution is similar, but you hold a dumbbell in each hand instead of using a barbell. This allows for greater freedom of movement and lets you adjust the weight independently for each arm.

Lateral Raises
Lateral raises are an isolation exercise that primarily targets the lateral heads of the shoulder muscles. With dumbbells or cables, raise your arms out to the sides with slightly bent elbows until they reach approximately shoulder height. Then lower the weight in a controlled manner. Unlike overhead presses, lateral raises focus on shoulder abduction without involving significant elbow extension.

Bent Over Row

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Upper back, Latissimus
Secondary: Biceps, Rear shoulders, Forearms, Lower back, Abdominals

Preparation

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

• Grab the bar with a shoulder-width or slightly wider overhand grip and keep your arms straight.

• Slightly bend your knees and lean forward from your hips until your upper body is nearly parallel to the ground, or at an angle you can comfortably maintain.

• Keep your spine neutral and brace your core to maintain a stable position.

Execution

• Pull the bar towards your lower ribs or navel by driving your elbows backward and bringing your shoulder blades together.

• Lower the bar in a controlled manner until your arms are extended, allowing your shoulder blades to move naturally.

• Keep your upper body stable and avoid using momentum to lift the weight.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Seated Cable Row
An alternative to the bent over row with a barbell is the seated cable row. Sit at a cable rowing machine and pull the handles towards your abdomen while moving your elbows backward. Keep your upper body stable and slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position. This variation also targets the upper back and latissimus, with the biceps and rear shoulders assisting, while placing less demand on the lower back.

Pull-Ups

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Latissimus, Upper back
Secondary: Biceps, Forearms, Rear shoulders

Preparation

• Grip the pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your palms facing away from you. Begin with your arms fully extended.

• If you want to use additional weight, you can attach weights to a dip belt.

Execution

• Pull your body upward by driving your elbows down towards your sides until your chin reaches or passes the bar.

• Lower yourself back to the starting position in a controlled manner until your arms are fully extended.

• Avoid swinging your body or using momentum to complete the repetitions.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Lat Pulldowns
An alternative to pull-ups is lat pulldowns. Sit at a lat pulldown machine and grip the bar approximately shoulder-width or slightly wider, with your palms facing forward. Pull the bar towards your upper chest while driving your elbows downward, keeping your upper body relatively stable. Then slowly return the bar to the starting position. This variation trains many of the same muscles as pull-ups while allowing you to adjust the resistance more easily.

Calf Raises

Muscle groups targeted

Primary:  Calves (Gastrocnemius, Soleus)
Secondary: ---

Preparation

• Place the barbell on your upper back muscles and grip it at a comfortable width.

• Stand on a stable elevated surface, such as a calf raise block, with your feet shoulder-width or slightly closer together. Only the balls of your feet should rest on the surface.

• Keep your legs straight without locking your knees and maintain a stable upper body.

• Lower your heels below the platform until you feel a comfortable stretch in your calf muscles.

Execution

• Raise your heels as high as possible by pushing through the balls of your feet.

• Slowly lower your heels back to the starting position, allowing your calves to stretch.

• Keep your knees straight and avoid bouncing or using momentum throughout the movement.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Seated Calf Raises
Another variation of calf raises is the seated version, which places greater emphasis on the soleus muscle. Sit at a seated calf raise machine with your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees and the balls of your feet resting on the platform. Raise your heels as high as possible, then slowly lower them until you feel a comfortable stretch in your calves. Keep your knees bent throughout the movement.

Curls

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Biceps
Secondary: Brachialis, Brachioradialis

Preparation

• Grab the barbell with a shoulder-width underhand grip, palms facing forward, and hold it in front of your body with your arms extended.

• Keep your elbows close to your sides and maintain a stable upper body.

Execution

• Bend your elbows to curl the bar towards your shoulders, keeping your upper arms mostly stationary.

• Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

• Avoid swinging your body or using momentum to lift the weight.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Hammer Curls
An alternative to classic barbell curls is hammer curls. In this variation, you hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body (neutral grip). Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders without rotating your wrists. This variation also trains the biceps but places greater emphasis on the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles.

Tricep Press

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Triceps
Secondary: ---

Preparation

• The exercise can be performed while standing or sitting.

• Grip the bar approximately shoulder-width apart and keep your wrists stable.

• Bring the bar into the starting position above your head, with your arms extended and your upper arms pointing upward.

• Keep your elbows relatively close together and maintain a stable upper body.

Execution

• Bend your elbows to slowly lower the bar behind your head as far as your mobility comfortably allows.

• Extend your elbows to press the bar back up to the starting position.

• Keep your upper arms relatively stable and avoid using momentum to lift the weight.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Dips
Dips are a compound exercise that primarily trains the triceps, chest and front shoulders. To perform them, support yourself on parallel bars with your arms extended. Bend your elbows to lower your body in a controlled manner until your upper arms are approximately parallel to the ground, or as far as your shoulder mobility comfortably allows. Then push yourself back up to the starting position. Depending on your strength level, you can perform assisted dips or add extra weight using a dip belt.

Crunches

Muscle groups targeted

Primary: Abdominals
Secondary: ---

Preparation

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Alternatively, you can keep your legs raised.

• If you want to increase the difficulty, you can hold a weight plate or dumbbell close to your chest.

Execution

• Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor, curling your torso towards your knees.

• Slowly lower your upper back to the starting position while keeping your lower back on the floor.

• Perform the movement in a controlled manner without using momentum.

Alternative Exercise Variations

Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging leg raises are another effective abdominal exercise that also involves the hip flexors. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms extended or use a captain's chair for support. Raise your legs in front of you while keeping them straight or slightly bent, and curl your pelvis upward at the top to engage your abdominal muscles. Then lower your legs in a controlled manner without swinging your body.

Closing Words

Knowing how an exercise should be performed is one thing. Actually performing it correctly is another. That's why I recommend finding a competent trainer who can show you the movements and check your technique. With the basics covered in this article, you'll also have a better idea of what to look for in a good trainer and be able to recognize questionable advice.

And if you'd like my feedback on your technique, feel free to send me a video of yourself performing an exercise. I'll be happy to take a look!

Update Status:
Originally created post: 05/2010
Last updated: 10/2026