Looking to Start Working Out? Try These 10 Exercises
The sheer volume of exercises you could do is mind-numbing and the gym scene can be intimidating. Just having to walk by treadmills and other machines can be enough to make your head straight back home feeling totally exhausted.
This is why we focus on at-home workouts. Here are ten of the best-targeted exercises for all you people who are looking for a simple and effective full-body workout.
Targeted Exercises to Try
1. Squats
Works: Thighs and buttocks
Squats can be difficult if you are not used to doing them. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can do them anywhere! They are a great way to tone your legs and your backside. Doing squats are also beneficial for other parts of your body, including your core.
Squats improve your circulation and help promote muscle growth in and around your entire body. The exercise is so vigorous that it creates an anabolic environment and makes the body release hormones that are essential for the growth of muscle tissue.
2. Pushups
Works: Chest, arms, abdominals, and shoulders
No matter how old-school it might be, pushups are one of the most effective strength training exercises. You must use the targeted muscles to move your own body weight. You go up, you go down, and you repeat the sequence.
Even though pushups produce results, they can be repetitive. Try and add a few variations to your routine.
3. The Plank
Works: Abdominals, chest, thighs, shoulders, lower back, and buttocks
We wouldn’t disagree if you said planks are boring. Frankly speaking, staring at the floor with pools of sweat running down your nose is not very inspiring; however, planks have become a benchmark for a balanced core.
A plank is essentially an isometric exercise used to build endurance in the abdominal area. Keep in mind that our core goes much beyond the abdominals.
4. Lunges
Works: Legs and butt
When people say the word “lunge”, it usually means groaning. It may not be your preferred exercise, but if there is one move that can really jump-start your weight-loss efforts and target your legs and butt it has to be this. You can modify your lunge workouts in many different ways in order to work on different muscles, but it’s important to do lunges properly so you don’t put unwanted strain on your joints.
Lunges help build your booty, sculpt powerful legs, and create better overall balance—if you twist the move a bit or add some equipment to the mix, you will see even bigger advantages.
5. Pike Roll-Out on Ball
Works: Core muscles
The ball pike roll-out is a calisthenics and fitness ball exercise that primarily targets the abs and, to a lesser degree, the forearms, glutes, hip flexors, lower back, obliques, quads, shoulders, and triceps. Wow, right?
The only ball pike roll-out equipment that you really need is a fitness ball. There are many different variations you can try out that may require different equipment if you get bored. Keep in mind the ball pike roll-out is an exercise for those with an intermediate level of physical fitness and exercise experience.
6. Burpees
Works: Legs, thighs, arms, and shoulders
Burpees hit almost every muscle group while providing aerobic and weight-bearing benefits. It even helps strengthen the core. Burpees can be modified to match your fitness level, but the more complex versions can lead to injury if the exerciser is not ready for it.
The burpee is also known as a squat thrust and it’s a full-body exercise.
7. Deadlift
Works: Back, core, calves, forearms, and hamstrings
The dead-lift is one of the most effective exercises for developing strength. While it is often thought of as a lower body exercise, it really is more complex than that. It is a full-body exercise that engages a lot of muscle mass, but it is one of the few exercises that directly target the hamstrings. It’s important not to neglect your hamstrings if you want to prevent injury.
The dead-lift also improves posture. We develop bodily frames without balance, which leads to a series of postural issues—hunched shoulders, weak backs, etc. Dead-lifting is concerned with the backside of our body. Posterior training provides balance to our body and gives us the reason to stand tall and with greater strength.
8. Shoulder Press
Works: Shoulders and arms
The shoulder press (also known as a military press) will benefit your arms and shoulders, but a lot of people don’t realize that the shoulder press can also help you carve harder abs and increase your bench press as well.
Check out this trap workout next.
9. Kick-Backs
Works: Triceps
A secondary mover, triceps are involved in chain movements like the pushup and shoulder press above. Triceps extend your elbow, so to work them out—you guessed it—you need to extend your elbow.
The easiest way to do this is either overhead or while bent over a bench. We’re focusing on the kick-backs performed over a bench. Put yourself into a flat back position, with your chest facing the bench, and keep one elbow tucked into your ribs at a 90-degree bend so you can extend the arm and flex your triceps.
10. Biceps Curls
Works: Biceps
It’s important not to forget the front of your arms. It can be easy to see muscular change here, but bulging biceps take a lot of work. Your biceps are necessary for a whole whack of things, so don’t leave them out! Simply performing biceps curls can strengthen your arms and improve your day-to-day.
Wrap-Up
Give these exercises a go and see how effective they can be. They will make your body stronger, your muscles more toned, and will also help prevent the dreaded plateau.
- 10 Targeted Exercises to Strengthen Your Body - August 31, 2020
- 5 Tips on How to Create a Workout Plan - April 13, 2016