Exercise Guides: How To's and Comparisons

The lat pulldown is among the best upper body exercises for building bigger latissimus dorsi muscles. In this article, we’ll cover how lat pulldowns activate the movement’s primary muscle groups and outline some of the significant benefits of this upper-body pulling exercise.

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The barbell squat is often considered to be the king of all exercises, and for good reason! The barbell squat trains nearly every muscle in the body simultaneously. Not to mention, it’s equally effective for building muscle and gaining strength. 

The front squat is a popular barbell squat variation. Like a barbell back squat, the front squat trains several muscle groups at once but places more emphasis on the quads.

Olympic weightlifters and CrossFit athletes commonly perform the front squat because it has a greater carry-over to the clean and jerk compared to back squats. With that said, the front squat is also included in powerlifting programs as an accessory lift to the barbell back squat. Bodybuilders often perform the front squat to place more tension on the quads and stimulate hypertrophy.

We will cover the benefits and the major muscle groups that are working during the movement. 

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The bench press is key to increasing chest size and upper body strength. The compound movement allows lifting the maximum amount of weight. Adjusting bench angle also helps target specific areas of the chest.

The three most common bench press variations are incline, flat, and decline. An incline bench press targets the upper chest, the flat targets the middle chest, and the decline targets the lower chest. 

The decline bench press, though not the most common variation, has several benefits which will be discussed in this article, along with the major muscle groups recruited for the movement.

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The deadlift is a popular compound exercise, but it can also pose a significant injury risk if performed without proper form. Here, we’ll explain how to lift with proper deadlift form and maximize strength while staying injury-free.

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The front squat is a great squat variation that targets the anterior chain and builds core, hip, and leg strength.

In this article, we’ll explain how to front squat with proper form. We’ll also cover some common mistakes when doing front squats and provide useful tips to perfect your technique.

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The incline bench press is a popular exercise that targets several upper body muscles, including the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In addition to building strength and muscle mass, this exercise can also help improve posture and reduce the risk of shoulder injury.

Here’s a closer look at the benefits of the incline bench press and the muscles worked. 

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Squats are a staple exercise for any serious lifter. Whether increasing glute mass, building strong legs, or maintaining healthy joints, all lifters should learn to squat properly.

Even squatting light, using the proper form is essential. Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know to squat with perfect form. We’ll cover some common squat mistakes and provide tips to perfecting squat form.

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Squats work nearly every muscle from your waist down, plus a few up top that fight to keep you upright under the bar. The primary movers are your quadriceps and glutes. The hamstrings, adductors, calves, spinal erectors, abs, and traps all pitch in as secondary muscles that stabilize the load and help drive you out of the hole.

This breakdown is built around the barbell back squat, which spreads the work across more muscle than any other squat variation. Switch the variation and you shift the emphasis. Front squats, goblet squats, and hack squats keep your torso more upright and lean harder on the quads, so dial in your front squat form if that’s your focus. Single-leg versions like split squats and lunges load one leg at a time, and you’ll find plenty of options in our Bulgarian split squat alternatives.

Below I break down all eight muscle groups the back squat trains, what each one does during the lift, and how to bring up the ones lagging behind.

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The barbell row is among the best exercises for increasing back strength. Here, we’ll explain how to perform a barbell row with perfect form. We’ll also detail the muscles worked by barbell rows and explain the main barbell row benefits.

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Deadlifts are a staple exercise for many gymgoers. Deadlifts are a multijoint compound exercise that build maximal muscle throughout the upper and lower body.

Here, we’ll cover the exact muscle groups used in deadlifts and explain how to increase muscle activation by deadlifting with proper form.

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The bench press is an essential lift for increasing upper body strength and muscle mass, and is one of the most popular pressing exercises for building developed chest muscles. 

However, the bench press is one of the most common causes of pectoral injuries and can cause severe pain and disruption to your training when done incorrectly.

Read on to learn how to perfect your bench press form, avoid common bench press mistakes, and learn some helpful tips to take your bench press to the next level.

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Lat pulldowns are among the best upper body strengthening exercises for your lats and back muscles. Here’s how to do lat pulldowns with proper form, as well as some technique tips and common mistakes.

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A strong core is crucial for nearly every physical movement. Many exercises exist for improving your midsection’s strength, stability, and definition. Most core exercises require minimal to no equipment and can be scaled according to experience or strength level.

The major muscle groups that the plank works include the core, glutes, hamstrings, upper back, and shoulder. Keep reading to discover why the plank is so effective for core strength.

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Deadlifts are commonly found in most strength-building programs with several variations to choose from, including the Romanian deadlift.

The Romanian deadlift, more commonly referred to as “RDL,” is a variation of the conventional deadlift that builds and strengthens the posterior chain. The RDL targets more glutes and hamstrings, and less back than the conventional deadlift. 

Furthermore, the movement begins from a standing position, whereas conventional deadlifts start from the floor. Considered to be a compound exercise, working several muscles simultaneously, the Romanian deadlift has numerous benefits.

This article will discuss the top five benefits of the Romanian deadlift, as well as key muscles worked.

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Although a well-equipped gym is ideal for building muscle strength and size, several bodyweight exercises are very effective and oftentimes underrated. They also require minimal to no equipment so that you can do them anywhere. One commonly used bodyweight exercise is the pull-up.

Not to be confused with chin-ups, the pull-up exercise involves pulling your chin or chest up to a bar from a dead hang with your palms facing away from you. The pull-up is well-known for increasing upper body strength and size and the only equipment needed is a pull-up bar. 

This article will review all of the muscles worked by the pull-up for determining best practice, form and execution to be included in any workout.

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In addition to being a world-renowned actor and politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably the most famous bodybuilder of all time. Like Arnold himself, the Arnold press is a well-known shoulder exercise. The movement takes the conventional dumbbell shoulder press and rotates it in extension to make it even more challenging and effective.

The Arnold press is a great addition to your routine if you want to build bigger and stronger shoulders. This article will cover the benefits of the Arnold press and which muscles it targets to help determine if the exercise is a worthy addition to a weightlifting program. 

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