Exercisetips

Listed below are Body-Solid’s picks of the best exercises you can do for each body part. These exercises can be done using free weights, machines and multi-station gyms. Learn to do each exercise in proper form. You can make substitutions in your training and try variations of each using different Body-Solid grips, cable attachments and accessories to slightly change the emphasis of a particular exercise. Note: Many movements, especially multijoint exercises, work more than one muscle group. For example, your front deltoids and triceps are stimulated during bench / chest pressing movements.

CHEST

This powerful muscle group is the cornerstone of a well-developed upper body. To most thoroughly work your pecs, include both pressing and fly movements and vary the angle of the bench from decline to flat to incline.

BENCH / CHEST PRESS

INCLINE PRESS

DECLINE PRESS

PEC FLY

INCLINE FLY

DECLINE FLY

CABLE CROSSOVER

DIPS

SHOULDERS

The shoulder joint, which has the greatest range of motion of all joints in the body, is best worked by training all three deltoid heads. Include a pressing movement followed by a raise for each of the three heads.

SHOULDER PRESS BEHIND THE NECK PRESS FRONT DELTOID RAISE LATERAL (SIDE) DELTOID RAISE

BENT-OVER LATERAL DELTOID RAISE REVERSE PEC-FLY

UPPER BACK

A powerful upper back is marked by both middle-back thickness and width (the sought-after V-taper). This is best achieved by combining various rows with pull-downs and pull-ups. Remember to vary your grip to slightly change the stimulus.

PULL UP

UPRIGHT ROW

LAT PULLDOWN

SEATED ROW

BENT OVER ROW

HIGH ROW

REVERSE GRIP PULLDOWN

TRAPS

A signature muscle of a strong upper back, well-developed traps help prevent neck injury. Shrug movements should be done with heavy weights in a straight up-and-down motion.

STRAIGHT BAR SHRUG

DUMBBELL SHRUG

BEHIND THE BACK SHRUG

UPRIGHT ROW

LOWER BACK

Important not only for spinal protection but also because it’s the seat of power for many exercises. If you spend a great deal of time crunching for abs, you need to balance your training for complete development and muscular balance.

PULL UP

UPRIGHT ROW

LAT PULLDOWN

SEATED ROW

BENT OVER ROW

HIGH ROW

REVERSE GRIP PULLDOWN

TRICEPS

This three-headed muscle on the back of your arm is involved in extension of the elbow. Like the biceps, the triceps cross the elbow and shoulder joints. Because of this, you can and should work the triceps through a variety of angles to ensure complete development.

LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION CABLE TRICEPS PRESSDOWN CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS REVERSE-GRIP PRESSDOWN TRICEPS PRESS

DIPS

BICEPS / FOREARMS

Atwo-headed muscle, the biceps’ primary focus is to flex your elbow and supinate your wrist. The ability to build your biceps peak is largely genetic, but exercises that maximally stress the short head will help.

BICEPS

STANDING BICEP CURL

SEATED BICEP CURL

INCLINE CURL

PREACHER CURL

CONCENTRATION CURL

ONE-ARM CABLE CURL

FOREARMS

WRIST CURL

REVERSE WRIST CURL

ABDOMINALS

The rectus abdominus has upper and lower regions, but you can’t isolate one area over the other. Still, include both upper and lower ab movement to more strongly emphasize those areas, and do twisting movements to work the obliques for complete development.

UPPER AB REGION

CABLE AB CRUNCH

DECLINE BENCH CRUNCH

LOWER AB REGION

REVERSE CRUNCH

HANGING KNEE RAISE

HIP THRUST

OBLIQUES

CABLE SIDE BEND

OBLIQUE CRUNCH

THIGHS / GLUTES

The main muscles of the thighs are the quadriceps which are composed of four muscles. You have several others near the hip joint, including the body’s largest muscle group, the gluteals. Multijoint movements (in which action occurs at both the hip and knee joints) are your best choice to work these muscles.

BACK SQUAT

FRONT SQUAT

LEG PRESS

LUNGE

REVERSE LUNGE

STEP-UP

LEG EXTENSION (does not work glutes)

HAMSTRINGS

On the back of the thighs, the hamstrings balance the quads and allow for a wide range of movement. Good exercise choices include those that work the hamstrings and both the hip and knee joints.

DEADLIFT STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT GOOD MORNING

LYING LEG CURL

SEATED LEG CURL ONE-LEGGED STANDING LEG CURL

CALVES

Calves consist of two major muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus. The latter is best worked when the knee is flexed, as in the seated calf raise.

STANDING CALF RAISE

SEATED CALF RAISE

DONKEY CALF RAISE

LEG PRESS CALF RAISE

HACK SQUAT CALF RAISE