When I started the best gym workouts a few years ago, most of the gym goers I know didn’t bother with exercise. All as one pumped the chest and biceps. That is, lifting the barbell for biceps and the bench press are my favorite exercises for several years of training.
The rest of the muscle groups, including the legs, back, shoulders, were also my favorite. However, they were without a spark in the eyes and special zeal. In the last two years of very intense training, I have developed a set of favorite exercises. Yes, I would not have thought that one day I would like the following options for working with weights.
But in those years I either did not do them, or I did it wrong. In some places, these are technically difficult exercises. During the performance of which it is necessary to feel the working muscle group well. Otherwise there are no benefits.
I learned to feel the best gym workouts through the efforts of the trainer and my own. I have studied thematic materials on the network. Likewise, I have watched videos with the participation of experienced athletes and trying to repeat what I saw. Let me talk about some of the best gym workouts.
Best Gym Workouts
In addition, a number of the best gym workouts below have come to my liking. They allowed me to solve certain problems. For example, with the growth of a certain muscle group or with an ever-aching lower back. Well, aside the lyrics, let’s move on to practice.
1. Bench press
How long do you bench press? “Is a classic question when discussing achievements in the gym, which is not surprising? One of the basic exercises that determine overall strength, besides the squat and deadlift.
And this is one of the few exercises that has remained a favorite after a few years of training. However, now I will not answer the above question in its traditional form: “How much do you press at a time?”
I stick to the number of repetitions in the range from 8 to 15. In addition, I perform the classic bench press at most once a month. The rest of the time I work more with dumbbells and at different angles of the bench. I would also do them in the crossover and on the uneven bars.
For me personally, a simple bench press is not very effective. It is because the shoulders work more than the pectoral muscles. In general, the working weight of the bar is 100-110 kg for 8-12 times in 3-4 basic approaches. However, this is one of my favorite exercises.
I will give one piece of advice that helped me personally to relieve the shoulders a little when doing the bench press. Bring your shoulder blades together, then the shoulders will be motionless.
By the way, this is a powerlifting technique for doing the exercise, excluding the bridge. I do not use it, as it reduces the range of motion and simplifies the exercise. The maximum range of motion is good for muscle growth. Again, a lot depends on the structure and how the muscles work. It is one of the best gym workouts.
What is good for one person may not work for another at all. Therefore, weight lifting is an individual sport with no universal advice. You need to try everything on yourself and choose the most effective exercises and principles.
2. Dumbbell bench press
In my honest opinion, I practically did not load my pectoral muscles with dumbbells, considering this exercise useless. When I started working with a coach, I did it automatically. They say, it is necessary and important. But gradually I began to really feel the work of the chest, and much better than during the barbell press.
I especially like options with different angles of inclination of the bench (30 degrees, 45 degrees, and upside down). Actually, the main progress in the appearance of the chest. It is especially in the upper part, in the so-called “collar.” It is one of the best gym workouts.
To this, I will add not only presses but also dumbbell spreads. The reason is simple – when pressing dumbbells, the amplitude is greater, plus the arms do not fix, they move freely. I can force the pectoral muscles to work and not the deltoid. Also, with the bar, you can fix them in the same plane and here your joint structure acts as a limitation and features of muscle attachment.
3. Crossover
I don’t recommend this exercise to beginners. They are really better off focusing on basic movements. But I highly recommend it to advanced athletes who want to give a certain shape to their chest. Reduction of arms in a crossover (movement from top to bottom), raises of arms (from bottom to top from the lower blocks), and lying information are great.
All these exercises allow you to perfectly trim the chest, outline them and give an athletic shape. It is important to feel that you are working with your chest and not with your hands or anything else.
There is no movement in the elbows, we use only the chest ones, specially trying to strain them. At the end of the exercise there is a burning sensation in the target muscle group. It means that everything is ok – the pectorals were pumping, and not it is not clear what.
The good thing about crossover work in comparison with a barbell or dumbbells is that the muscles are constantly in tension. In turn, with a bench press or dumbbells, when you fully extend the arms, the load from the muscles goes to the joints. It is one of the best gym workouts.
4. Side Dumbbell Raises
For a long time with training, there was a problem – they did not grow in any. True, from the workouts I did for them only the classics, like lifting dumbbells up, “Arnold press” or press the bar up while he sits and stands.
He achieved a visible result only by containing in the exercise program many kinds of dumbbell that bred to the side. These include sitting, standing, and lying on his stomach. It also includes lifting the dumbbells forward. He also added other exercises, including lifting a barbell or block in front of him. But most of all, I like the cultivation of dumbbells to the sides.
The exercise is quite difficult and you do not need to use a lot of weight when performing it. It is imperative to feel the target muscles and train the deltoid, not the arms, back, or anything else. You need to pull your elbows up, visualizing that you are pouring liquid from two jugs.
According to the explanation, everything appears simple. However, I learned about these muscles when I worked with dumbbells for a few months. The most significant thing is not to chase big weights. You don’t need them in the stated exercises and can only harm, totally breaking the execution method. It is one of the best gym workouts for men and women.
5. Deadlift
Honestly, I never liked this exercise before and did it because I had to. But obviously something was not going very well. It is because often after his heroic attacks on impressive weights for me, I received minor injuries in the lumbar spine.
There were no doctors, but such adventures brought little joy. For a long time, he even avoided doing deadlifts, blaming it for his problems. However, it was necessary to do it correctly and not push for weight.
As a result, I returned to this exercise, and it was this exercise that helped to solve problems with the lower back (often ached). It is an active workout of the press. I like it because it is simple and best gym workouts for the back.
Roughly speaking, I started all over again, that is, with minimal weights. I have previously learned the technique of performing the exercise. It is important that the bar is close to the legs during the entire movement.
Also, it is necessary to control the lower back. In no case you should hump your back, in which case the load falls directly on the spine. It is fraught with injuries. If you move the bar forward from the legs, then this also creates an extra and unnecessary load on the lower back.
When I started doing the exercise correctly, I was able to perfectly strengthen the extensor muscles of the back. At the same time, the lower back stopped hurting. Although, everything here influenced the complex, of course.
6. Hyperextension
This is the second exercise that made it possible to strengthen the back well. I previously avoided doing due to the eternal problems with the lower back. Again, when doing it, it is important to control the lower back, bend and unbend smoothly.
At the top point do not bend in an arc. In the starting position, the back is completely flat, and not arched. It is necessary to return to this position when extending. At the same time, the legs should be straight and not bend at the knees. It is one of the best gym workouts for back.
I do hyperextension once or twice a week with weight. I hold pancakes in front of me on half-outstretched hands. It’s more convenient for me than pressing them to my chest or placing them on my back. I highly recommend this exercise for strengthening the extensors of the back, and for girls it is also useful for training the buttocks.
7. Hammer curl with dumbbells
I don’t know why, but I just love this exercise for training brachialis. This is the brachialis muscle that runs between the biceps and triceps. She is partially responsible for the peak of the biceps. It is also one of the best gym workouts for brachialis training.
When you push it out when the arm is straining in a bent state, it will give good results. Most often I perform this exercise by sitting and resting by elbow. Occasionally I work while standing, but in this situation I have to particularly control my elbows so that they do not move.
8. Block pull to the chest
To do the exercise correctly, you need to try to pull your elbows down, and not bend your arms at the elbows. Imagine that the arms are just hooks. The block is pulled by the elbows. By the way, the same rule applies to pull-ups with a wide grip.
We lift the body at the expense of the back, not the arms. But if the goal is to train the biceps, then you can pull yourself to the horizontal bar with your hands. However, you should change the grip.
In the case of the block, it is better to work only with your back. Specifically for the muscles of the arms, this is a weak load. It falls more into the ligaments and tendons. Naturally, I perform on the upper and middle part of the back. I like many other exercises, but most of all I like all kinds of block pulls. Many experts say it is one of the best gym workouts.
Final Words
If there are discomfort in the knees when doing heavy exercises, then do not forget about a good warm-up. Also, also try to tire your legs with extensions beforehand. Weightlifting bandages also help.
All exercises mentioned above are the best gym workouts. You must get guidelines from your instructor to perform them in a better way. Only then, you can achieve better results. At the same time, you must remain consistent and patient until you see the outcomes.
Here’s my 8 best gym workouts and exercises. I understand that this is not quite the usual set, as for your favorite exercises. But we are all different, each has its own path of training and self-development. This topic is vast, so share your own sets of exercises and training experiences in the comments.
