When you start to work out, you should focus on compound exercises to get the most benefit for your workout time. Unless your going to be a competitive bodybuilder, you should stick to compound exercises for most workouts to always get the most benefit from your workouts. These are the exercises that you should do to get the best workout and build the most muscle.
For the workouts, you can do all the exercises each workout 3 times per week, or you can split it into two workouts and workout five days, doing each half every other day, just don’t do the same exercises two days in a row. Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. When you can do 3 sets of 12 reps, increase the weight by ten pounds.
1. Pushups are the number one upper body exercise you can do. There are many variations of pushups that you can do to hit different parts of the upper body. You can do them with your feet raised, with your hands close together, with your hands wide apart, etc. Look at 14 variations here for pushups.
2. Bench Press. The bench press has several variations as well that will focus on different parts of the chest. You can do bench press on a flat bench, incline bench, decline bench, with a barbell or with dumbbells, check variations here.
3. Pullups. Pullups are the best exercise you can do for your upper back (lats). Pullups are also great for working on your shoulders and arms. If you do them with an underhand grip as chin ups, they give your biceps a good workout as well. If you need to cheat to do real pullups, use a chair to get up to the bar and lower yourself down slowly until you can do them for real.
4. Squats. Start out with just your body weight, add weight when you can. Squats are the top muscle building exercise for overall muscle, because your leg muscles are so big. As you squat down, push your butt back and keep the weight behind your knees. Many people don’t like working legs but don’t skip squats.
5. Overhead press. Military press is another name for it. This is the best overall shoulder exercise. Add some variation as well. Raise up with a twist or raise up strait to get a little different workout on the shoulders.
6. Triceps push downs. This is more of an isolation exercise, but it’s hard to work your arms as well in compound exercises. You do work triceps in pushups, but I feel you need extra on triceps because they are such an important muscle to build because they are the biggest muscle in your arms. If you don’t have the equpment for push downs, do bench dips instead.
7. Biceps curls. As I said before, you will work your biceps doing chin ups, but it’s good to give them a better workout by doing a specific biceps exercise to compliment the triceps, and everyone wants muscular arms.
8. Rows. Rowing is another great back exercise, it can also be done with many variations. You can do rows with a barbell or dumbbells, you can do them bent over or seated on a cable machine. This is another exercise that many people don’t like, but it’s worth the effort because of the payback you get.
9. The last two exercises are for the abs. Regular sit ups are my favorite ab exercise. I think you get the best upper ab workout doing situps. Put a comfortable pad under your back and your set to go. When they get to be easy, add weight to your chest for more resistance.
10. strait leg raises. Lay on back, put your hands under your butt for support of your back. Keep your legs strait and raise your feet strait up and back down again. Don’t touch the floor when you come down, stop a couple of inches from the floor then go back up.
Try doing this exercise program for a couple of months along with a healthy diet and you will see and feel the difference. You will feel stronger and feel better overall.
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