Strength training is the foundation of muscle growth, endurance, and overall fitness. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced lifter, mastering the five basic strength training exercises can help you build full-body strength, improve posture, and prevent injuries.
These five movements target all major muscle groups and serve as the building blocks of any effective workout program. Let’s break them down! 👇
The squat is a fundamental lower-body exercise that builds leg strength, core stability, and overall power.
Muscles Worked:
✅ Quadriceps
✅ Hamstrings
✅ Glutes
✅ Core
How to Do a Squat:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your hips down as if sitting in a chair.
Keep your chest upright and knees aligned with your toes.
Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
💡 Tip: For maximum strength, add weights like a barbell (back squat) or dumbbells (goblet squat).
The deadlift is one of the most powerful exercises for building total-body strength. It targets multiple muscle groups and improves grip strength, posture, and core stability.
Muscles Worked:
✅ Lower back (erector spinae)
✅ Hamstrings
✅ Glutes
✅ Core
✅ Forearms & Grip Strength
How to Do a Deadlift:
Stand with feet hip-width apart and the barbell/dumbbells in front of you.
Hinge at the hips and bend your knees slightly.
Grip the bar just outside your legs and keep your back flat.
Drive through your heels and lift the bar up, keeping it close to your body.
Lower it back down with control.
💡 Tip: A strong deadlift helps with athletic performance, injury prevention, and muscle building!
The bench press is a compound movement that strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps while improving upper body pushing power.
Muscles Worked:
✅ Chest (Pectorals)
✅ Shoulders (Deltoids)
✅ Triceps
How to Do a Bench Press:
Lie on a flat bench with feet firmly on the floor.
Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width.
Lower the bar slowly to your chest while keeping elbows at 45 degrees.
Push the bar back up explosively to the starting position.
💡 Tip: Use a spotter when lifting heavy to ensure safety.
The overhead press (military press) builds shoulder, triceps, and core strength, making it a crucial exercise for upper body development.
Muscles Worked:
✅ Shoulders (Deltoids)
✅ Triceps
✅ Upper Chest
✅ Core
How to Do an Overhead Press:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell/dumbbells at shoulder height.
Keep your core tight and press the weight overhead.
Fully extend your arms and keep your back neutral.
Lower the weight slowly back to starting position.
💡 Tip: Engage your core to prevent back strain and improve posture!
A rowing exercise strengthens the upper back, lats, traps, and rear shoulders, which are essential for posture, pulling strength, and injury prevention.
Muscles Worked:
✅ Upper Back (Lats, Traps, Rhomboids)
✅ Rear Shoulders
✅ Biceps
✅ Core
How to Do a Barbell Row:
Hold a barbell/dumbbells with a shoulder-width grip.
Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight.
Pull the barbell towards your lower ribs.
Squeeze your back muscles at the top and lower slowly.
💡 Tip: Strong back muscles help balance pushing exercises like bench presses!
✅ They target all major muscle groups for full-body development.
✅ They build functional strength for real-life activities.
✅ They improve posture and athletic performance.
✅ They increase metabolism and burn more calories.
These five fundamental movements are used in powerlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit, and sports training to build real-world strength.
At My Ultimate Fitness Centre, we offer:
🔥 Strength Training Programs for all fitness levels.
🔥 Expert Personal Trainers to guide your progress.
🔥 State-of-the-Art Equipment for maximum results.
💥 Sign up today & get a FREE strength assessment!
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