|
|
The Top Ten Weight Training Exercises for Building Muscle
By Jason Ferruggia
1) Deadlift- Not many weight training exercises work as many muscle
groups and build muscle as fast as the deadlift. The neck, traps,
upper, middle, and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, biceps,
forearms, and abs are all utilized in the deadlift. No other exercise
is a better test of overall body power. While uninformed people always
ask, "how much can you bench," the question they really should ask is,
"how much can you deadlift?" A deadlift is the most basic exercise
anyone can do. Bending down and picking a weight up off the floor is
the one weight training exercise that mimics everyday real life
situations. Most people will rarely find themselves on their back
needing to push a heavyweight off their chest but everyone has to bend
down and pick things up. If you could only do one exercise to build
muscle this would be the one to do.
2) Squat- The squat has been known for years as the "king of all muscle
building exercises" and for good reason. I'm not talking about sissy
boy half squats either; I'm talking about real below parallel, full
squats. If you don't at least break parallel it's not a squat. Like
deadlifts, squats involve an enormous amount of muscle mass and
stimulate the release of anabolic hormones such as testosterone. This
is great for building muscle fast. The squat is probably the most
revered exercise among serious lifters and the power rack is considered
our sacred ground. If you ever want to develop any kind of real lower
body strength and build muscle fast, you have no choice but to squat.
3) Chin up- Not many exercises will build muscle in the upper body like
chin ups. Known as the upper body squat, chins stimulate nearly every
muscle from the traps down to the abdominals. Any exercise that allows
you to move your body through space as opposed to moving a weight or
fixed implement around you has a much higher degree of neuromuscular
activation, and therefore a much greater potential to elicit gains in
size and strength. Look at the development of male gymnasts and you will
see for yourself what years of chin ups and dips can do for the upper
body. If you want to build muscle fast, be sure to include chin ups in
your weight training program.
4) Parallel Bar Dip- A close second to chin ups as one of the best upper
body exercises for building muscle fast, and for all the same reasons.
If you want big arms you had better include dips in your training
program. No other weight training exercise will add slabs of muscle to
the triceps as effectively as dips. A huge chest and enormous pair of
front delts are also a pleasant side effect that comes with regularly
performing this outstanding muscle building exercise.
5) Hang Clean & Push Press- A total body muscle building exercise which
hits the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower and upper back, traps,
shoulders, biceps, triceps, and forearms. Although it is, by
definition, an Olympic lift, it can be done in more of a strict manner
to really target the traps, upper back, and shoulders. When done in this
manner, it is not performed solely with the intention of developing
explosive speed like most Olympic lifts are performed. Doing the clean
and push press in this manner is a form of power bodybuilding and will
really blow up the traps and shoulders. If you could only pick one
weight training exercise for building muscle, this might be the one.
It’s a shame you don’t see this in more bodybuilding programs.
6) Bench Press- This is one of the three powerlifting exercises and
along with Military Presses, is the greatest of all pressing movements
for building muscle in the upper body. When looking at the
effectiveness of an exercise, the questions to be asked are what will
allow the lifter to use the most weight and what exercise involves the
most muscle mass. The bench press meets both of these prerequisites and
besides being incredibly effective as a muscle building exercise, it is
one of the best measures of upper body power.
7) Military Press- Also known as the front press, this was once
considered the number one measure of upper body power and was the
premier muscle building exercise for the upper body. In the old days of
strength training most people didn't even do bench presses; every weight
training exercise was done standing up. Bench pressing was looked down
upon as a show lift and real men only did overhead presses to build
muscle. Bench pressing took over with the development of powerlifting
and bodybuilding and the military press took a back seat. It is still
however, a great measure of upper body power and should be done by
anyone interested in building an impressive set of shoulders and
building overall muscle mass throughout the upper body. Even though
some uninformed doctors will have you believe that overhead pressing can
be dangerous, old time strong men argue that there would not be as many
shoulder injuries as there are today if the military press had remained
the upper body weight training exercise of choice. Equally effective
variations of the military press include the push press, push jerk and
split jerk.
8) Bent Over Rows- When it comes to building muscle in the upper back
and lats, bent over rows are hard to beat. This weight training exercise
can be performed many different ways; palms up, palms down, wide grip,
close grip, to the abdomen, to the sternum, with an ez bar or with a
straight bar. However you do them, nothing will develop thickness in
the back like rows will, and anyone who has been involved with
bodybuilding for a while will tell you there is nothing more impressive
than a well developed back, muscular back.
9) Good Mornings- Although they are a rarely performed weight training
exercise by a large majority of bodybuilders, good mornings remain one
of the staples of a good size and strength gaining program. Powerlifters
seem to be the only ones who know about the muscle building properties
of this outstanding exercise. The reason this muscle building exercise
is often avoided is that good mornings are brutally hard work. But that
hard work brings huge rewards. Good mornings will build muscle fast and
pack tons of size on your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. They are
also one of the best weight training exercises to help improve your
squat and deadlift, which is the main reason they are a mainstay in
powerlifting.
10) Pushup- Yes, you read that right, I said pushups are one of the best
weight training exercises to build muscle fast. For a beginner pushups
are the absolute best muscle building exercise to do for the pecs, delts,
and triceps. However, as you make progress and get stronger pushups
become too easy and are usually forgotten about. That is a huge mistake.
There are several varieties of pushups that can be used by intermediate
and advanced lifters such as elevated pushups on pushup handles,
dumbbells, or chairs. Pushups can also be done on gymnastic rings
hanging from chains and suspended a foot or so above the ground to make
them even more challenging. When either of these versions of this
awesome muscle building exercise becomes too easy you can have a partner
hold weight on your back, use a weighted vest or even drape heavy chains
across your back. If you are looking for more variety, Hindu pushups are
another great version of this exercise and can sometimes humble even the
strongest of men.
So there you have it, the best weight training exercises for building
muscle fast. All the food and supplements and drugs in the world are
worthless if you train like a Nancy boy. Machines and isolation
movements are as effective as running on a treadmill when it comes to
getting big and strong. Stick with the weight training exercises above;
make them a staple in your training, and start saving up for a new
wardrobe. Its time to build muscle fast!
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for
his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He
is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also
has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great
muscle building information, please visit
http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/ |
|
|
