Click on the name of the muscle, or the image, to see weight training exercises.
Lower body
Quadriceps (front of legs)
Compound exercises for the quadriceps also involve the glutes (buttocks), hamstrings and calves.
- Rear Squat (compound)
- Front Squat (compound with core strength)
- Leg press (compound)
- Deadlift (compound)
- Lunge (compound)
- Leg extension (isolation)
Hamstrings (back of legs)
- Leg curl (isolation)
Calves
- Standing calf raise (isolation)
- Seated calf raise (isolation)
Upper body
Compound exercises for the pectorals also involve the triceps and front deltoids.
- Bench press (compound)
- Pullover (compound)
- Flye (isolation)
5. Lats (upper back)
Compound exercises for the lats also involve the biceps and rear deltoids.
- Pulldown (compound)
- Bent-over row (compound)
Deltoids and Trapezius (shoulders)
Compound exercises for the shoulders also involve the arm muscles.
- Upright row (compound)
- Shoulder press (compound)
- Lateral raise (isolation)
- Shoulder shrug (isolation)
Arms
Triceps (back of arms)
- Parallel bar dip (compound)
- Pushdown (isolation)
- Triceps extension (isolation)
Biceps (front of arms)
- Bicep curl (isolation)
Brachioradalis / Pronator teres (forearms)
Strengthening forearms and grip strength is essential to allow you to move on to lifting heavier weights. Unless you use wrist hooks, strong grip is vital for deadlifts, cleans, shoulder shrugs and rows as your progress with the weight.
Waist
Abdominals (belly)
Compound exercises for the abdominals also involve the hip flexors.
- Leg raises (compound)
- Crunch (isolation)
Lower back
Some compound exercises for the legs also involve the lower back.
- Back extension (isolation)
- Good-morning (mentioned on the Bruce Lee workout) (isolation)
Bodybuilders commonly divide the body’s individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip, neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The most common exercises for these muscle groups are listed above.
The sequence shown above is one possible way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these first exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between “pushing” and “pulling” movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilizing muscles in the waist should be trained last. First ensure that you are familiar with all the major muscles.
I’m having pretty bad shin splints with pain on the insides of my legs right below my calf. Any idea what this specific muscle is caused? Know of any good exercises to strengthen this muscle or any other muscles that would take stress off my stained muscle?
Not sure what muscles are causing the problem. The general treatment for shin splits is to rest the legs, use ice packs after training, do some gentle stretching of the lower leg muscles. If the pain is too much to handle then take some anti-inflammatory medications. Compression and elevation if recommended if there is swelling.
Shin splints generally occur due to excessive usage and respond to rest and recovery. If problems persist you should get it checked by a doctor as it may not be shin splints. There could be a fracture or other tendon problems. Best to know.
I rested and did a lot of icing after I first got the “shin splints”. I returned after about 2 weeks of rest but they came back. I did some research and I think it may be the flexor hallucis longus that is giving me trouble. It seems the recovery plan for this is RICE and light stretching and strengthening exercises. If this continues I might have to go see a doctor. Thanks.
i have a tear in my levator scapulae and i am a very active volleyball player. i can not stop playing what exercises can help build strength?
That is a tricky one Gemma, really you should seek advice from a doctor or ideally a sports physiotherapist. Depending on the severity of the tear the recommended course of action may be massage, manipulation and rest, rather than strengthening exercises to start with to aid recovery. Doing too much may make the condition worse and lengthen the period of injury, so seek advice. It really would be wise to stop playing for the time being.
I want to lose my fat i hv on my tummy i love to lose my fat tummy
Hi Teresa, we have a page dedicated to this topic: http://www.motleyhealth.com/how-to-lose-belly-fat
hi again! i’m taking muay thai at a martial arts studio that i work at, and i know how much the elbows, knees, and legs are utilized. i was hitting a heavy bag with my shin alot and it really started to hurt the next morning. so i was just wondering, are there any exercises to strenghten the shin bone and overall leg muscle?
Hi Nino, kicking a heavy bag is a good start to conditioning the shins and strengthening the legs. Specific strengthening exercises include lunges and squats. Shin conditioning can be done by shin kicking tyres and rubbing them with wooden sticks (e.g. Filipino sticks). Best talk to the Muay Thai instructor though, they are bound to have their preferred methods.