Tag: lifts
These Are The 7 Most Important Lifts
The Best Seven Exercises You Can Do In The Gym
No two exercises are created equal. In this article, we won’t be getting into the argument if compound lifts are better than the isolation movements. We believe each has its place in your exercise arsenal.
If you’re like most people, you’ll want to make the most of your time in the gym. And how do you do that, you ask? It’s easy, you perform the exercises which are going to give you the best bang for your buck.
Squats
There are no surprises here. Squats are one of the best functional lifts which can add size to your legs and help you in building overall strength. If you have a back injury or can’t perform the barbell squats for some reason, you can try variations like the goblet or hack squats.
Make sure you’re focusing on contracting your muscles with each rep in all of the exercises you perform. Just going through the motions for the sake of it isn’t going to do much for you. Establishing a mind-muscle connection is key to building muscle mass.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
For many people, the upper pecs are a weak muscle group. Following a full ROM (range of motion) while performing the incline bench press can help in developing the stubborn muscle group.
If you perform these exercises in your HIIT workouts, 12-15 repetitions will be the optimal rep range. Keep your ego in check and focus on the form rather than the amount of weight on the bar.
EZ-Bar Skullcrushers
The skullcrushers are one of the most effective tricep exercises. Lie down on a flat bench with an EZ-bar in your hands extended at arm’s length so your upper arms are perpendicular to the floor at the starting position.
You need to keep your elbows and upper arms locked in the same place throughout the exercise. The bar should be a couple of inches away from your forehead at the bottom of the movement.
Squats are a must in your training program
Arnold Presses
While most shoulder exercises target a single deltoid out of the three heads, the Arnold presses work the anterior and medial delts. Performing the Arnold presses while sitting on an army bench eliminates the possibility of using momentum.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a full-body exercise that primarily targets the back. Performing the compound exercises regularly can improve your mobility, strength, and can help you in doing your day-to-day tasks.
Machine Preacher Curls
While most people love performing the dumbbell curls, they can’t get the most out of them as they lack the mind-muscle connection. Machine preacher curls are an isolation exercise that targets the peak of your biceps.
Hanging Leg Raises
Most people who workout want washboard abs but don’t know how to achieve them. After you have your diet in place, performing exercises like the hanging leg raises will help you bring the definition and symmetry in your abs.
Which is your favorite exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
The 10 Best Bodybuilding Exercises Of All Time
The 10 Best Exercises You Can Do
Some lifts are better than the others at giving you the results you have been working for. The exercises we’ll be sharing with you have passed the test of time and have proved their mettle.
In this article, we’ll give you a mix of compound and isolation exercises which can put your muscles gain on the fast track. We’ll list out at least one exercise for each muscle group which, according to us, is the best.
Make these lifts a part of your workout arsenal, and the results will speak for themselves.
Bench Press
The bench press is probably one of the first exercises taught to a beginner and for good reasons. Since the bench press is a compound exercise, it can help in building your core strength, muscle stabilizers along with your chest.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are one of the most bad-ass exercises. The deadlifts can help in building a strong foundation as they work almost your entire body. Getting your form right in the beginning is critical to getting the most out of the lift.
Machine Preacher Curls
Most people join a gym to build some killer guns. The machine preacher curls are an isolation exercise which works the peak of your biceps. If you don’t have a machine preacher bench in your gym, you can use a normal preacher bench combined with a low pulley machine.
Single-Arm Overhead Tricep Extensions
The long head of the triceps is arguably the hardest part to train and develop. Overhead exercises like the single-arm dumbbell overhead tricep extensions with a controlled movement can help you effectively target the muscle group.
Barbell Curls
Most people make the mistake of using momentum by swinging back and forth while performing the barbell curls. Maintain a strict form with an upright torso to make sure you don’t leave any gains on the table. You could also use an EZ bar if the straight barbell is too harsh on your joints.
Arnold Presses
The Arnold presses were invented by the GOAT, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Arnold presses train the majority of your shoulder. It trains the two out of three shoulder heads i.e. the anterior and medial deltoids.
Cable Flyes
The interior pectoral muscles can be hard to train and develop using the compound exercises. Cable flyes do a great job of isolating and annihilating your pecs and help in building the conditioning and striations in your chest.
Dumbbell Shrugs
The dumbbell shrugs are one of the easiest exercises to perform, and yet many people do them incorrectly as they let their egos get the better of them. Using dumbbells instead of the barbell gives you more leverage and range of motion which can help in better targeting your shoulders.
Standing Calf Raises
Calves are one of the most overlooked muscles groups. The calves are made up of two muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus. The standing calf raises can be performed on a calf machine or a smith machine and targets the gastrocnemius.
Squats
Did you think we were going to leave out the squat from the list? Could not happen in a century. The squats are the king of all exercises and help in building your legs, core, and overall strength.
Which other exercises deserve a place on this list? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements