Adding the overhead press, also known as the military or strict press, to a workout routine increases upper body strength. The overhead press is a compound movement that targets the anterior and lateral delts, upper chest, and triceps. If performed standing, it also helps improve core strength.

The lift has great carry-over to other movements, such as the clean and jerk, snatch, push press, and bench press. Overall, the overhead press is a very functional exercise that can benefit athletics and daily activities.

It’s important to note that performing the military press with proper form requires good shoulder mobility before attempting to press a lot of weight overhead. 

The overhead press is safe when applying proper form. This article will explain how to apply correct technique, including tips and common mistakes to avoid. 

[Read more…]

The T-bar row is a compound back exercise that targets multiple muscle groups at once. This exercise has numerous benefits, including building a solid back, improving posture, and increasing overall strength. This article will dive into the muscles worked during T-bar rows and explore why it is a practical exercise.

[Read more…]

The Bulgarian split squat is a unilateral exercise that targets multiple muscles in the lower body. This single-leg squat variation has numerous benefits when performed with proper form.

This article will explain how to perfect the Bulgarian split squat form, provide some helpful technique cues, and avoid common form mistakes when performing this challenging lower-body exercise.

[Read more…]

Bear crawls are an excellent full-body workout that can be done anywhere, anytime, without equipment. As a compound bodyweight exercise, the bear crawl engages multiple muscle groups, including the core, shoulders, chest, and legs. We’ll look closer at the muscles worked during bear crawls, the benefits of this exercise, and how to do it with perfect form.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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. 

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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. 

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

Barbell back squats an excellent compound exercise that primarily targets the lower body but also engages several muscles in the upper body. Here, we’ll cover all the muscles that squats work and how for optimal muscle growth and strength gains.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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. 

[Read more…]