The 7 Best Exercises For Muscle Building & Getting Ripped

By Arun Chase

You know, one of the most common questions I get is “Arun, which exercises are the best if I want to build the most muscle and get ripped?”.

Well, for starters you want to always stick to compound exercises (those are exercises which work multiple muscles at the same time) and exercises which use free weights. These provide the most tension on your muscles, and hence get you amazing results!

However, out of those that meet his criteria, there are 7 exercises that are essential to include in your workouts! If you aren’t using  these, you need to substitute them in for better results. Here they are…

Essential Exercise #1 – Squats

Muscles Worked: Quadriceps (front of upper legs), Hamstrings (back of upper legs), Glutes (buttocks) and Calves

Steps:

1. Put an empty barbell on the rack, just above shoulder height, and put on the chosen weight (choose a weight, where you’ll tire out after doing between 6- 12 reps)
   
2. Step under the bar and place the barbell on the back of your shoulders (just under the neck) and your hands on either side. Now lift the barbell off the rack by straightening your legs and your body.
3. Now, move away from the rack and set your feet to shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointing out and keep your head up and back completely straight. This is your starting point
4. Next, as you breathe in, bend your knees, sitting backwards with your hips, whilst keeping your back straight. Carry on going till your thighs are pretty much parallel to the floor.
5. Now straighten your legs, pushing off the floor, as you breathe out. Carry on going till you return to the starting position, making sure you do not lock your knees.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 for as many reps as you can.
   

Variations:

• Using a narrower stance will work your quadriceps (front of upper legs) more, whilst using a wider one will hit your glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings (back of upper legs) more.

Essential Exercise #2 – Bench Press

Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders And Triceps

Steps:

1. Find the bench press are, and lie on the bench directly under the bar.
2. Grip the bar by placing your hands just a little more than shoulder width apart and lift the bar from the rack. Hold it straight over you with your arms up as straight as possible without locking your elbows. That is your starting position.
3. Now take 3 seconds to lower the bar (and resist the weight) down towards your chest,touching the bar just above the nipples. Make  sure you do NOT rest the bar on the chest, just touch it. You should breath in through this movement.
4. Then push back up to the starting position taking between 1-2 seconds for that movement, and breathing out whilst you do this. It is important you focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles and that you squeeze your chest as you get to the top of the motion.
5. Repeat the movement till failure (choose a weight so that you can  do between 6-10 reps, no more and no less)
6. When you are done, place the barbell back in the rack.

Variations:

• Can use dumbbells instead of a barbell – great if you suffer from muscle imbalances.
• Can also use different inclines of bench to work different parts of the chest. An inclined bench will work the upper chest, whilst a declined bench will work the lower chest.
• Can use a closer grip to work the triceps more.

Essential Exercise #3 – Deadlifts

Muscles Worked: Lower back, Glutes (buttocks), Hamstrings (back of upper legs), Lats (the sides of your back), Middle Back, Quadriceps (front of upper legs), Traps (the shoulder muscles around your neck), Abdominals

Steps:

1. Get a loaded barbell and put it on the floor in front of you. Whilst keeping your back as straight, bend your knees, and bend forward from the hips slightly. When you get to the bottom, grasp the bar using a shoulder width, overhand grip. This will be the starting position.
2. Now start to lift up by pushing with your legs whilst simultaneously getting your upper body into an upright position. When your legs are pretty much straight (knees shouldn’t be locked though) and you are In the upright position, stick your chest out and bringing the shoulder blades back. You should feel your lower back muscles being used.
3. Now slowly lower the bar to the starting position, remembering to keep your back straight and only moving your knees and your hips.
4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 for 6-10 reps per set. Always choose the heaviest weights possible, so you can just about complete this number of reps.

Essential Exercise #4 – Military Press

Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Traps (shoulder muscles around your neck) and Triceps

Steps:

1. Grab a barbell (with weights attached) with an overhand grip, wider than shoulder width apart, and lift it up to shoulder height, in front of your neck, but so that your knuckles now face the ceiling and your palms face away from you i.e. your elbows are below your shoulders. That’s your starting position.
2. Now lift the barbell up towards the ceiling, until your arms are fully extended (but without locking your elbows). Breathe out as you do this.
3. Bring the barbell down to the starting position slowly, resisting the weight as you do so. Breathe in as you do this.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for 6-10 reps.
   

Variations:

• Can do this behind your neck, but there is an increased risk of injury, so do this if you’re experienced
• Also can do this seated or standing.

Essential Exercise #5- Pull ups

Muscles Worked: Lats (side of back), Biceps, Middle back

Steps:

1. Use a WIDER grip than your shoulders on the pull up bars, and keep your palms facing away from you (this will build width). Hang from the bar with your legs crossed, knees bent and up in the air behind you. This is your starting position.
2. Now lift yourself up until the bar touches the top of your chest, breathing out as you do this. Make sure you don’t swing your legs through this movement.
3. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position as you breathe in.
4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 for 6-10 reps per set. Add weights on a dip belt if you need to increase resistance. You want to make sure you tire out after completing the allocated number of reps.

Variations:

• Using a closer grip will work the center of the back more
• Using a grip with your palms facing you will work your biceps more.
• Can add weight by using a weight belt.

Essential Exercise #6- Bent Over Row

Muscles Worked: Middle back, Lats (side of back), Biceps, Shoulders

Steps:

1. Grab a barbell with the weights on, with an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart and let your arms hang down but with a very small bend in the elbows. As you stand, bend your knees slightly, and bend forward at the waist (whilst keeping your back straight) until your back is almost parallel to the floor. As you do this keep your head up. That is your starting position
2. Now bend your elbows more, keeping them tight to your torso (your torso should not move through this movement, so keep it stable throughout) and pull the barbell upwards till it reaches around halfway between the bottom of your chest and your upper belly. Try and concentrate on using your lats through this movement, and also breathe out as you do this.
3. Now just lower the weight to the starting position as you breathe in. Remember keep your torso completely stable and don’t lock your elbows.
4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 for 6-10 reps per set. Always choose the heaviest weights possible, so you can just about complete those number of reps.

Variations:

• You can face your palms away from your body, and this will work your biceps more (in fact facing your palms away is a great variation which you should look to include).
• Use a closer grip to work the center of your back more, or a wider grip to hit your lats more.

Essential Exercise #7- Dips

Muscles Worked: Triceps, Chest, Shoulders

Steps:

1. Find the dipping bars (two parallel bars which are around your chest height, and are shoulder width apart). Now grab both bars and lift yourself up fully on the bars until your arms are fully extended (stopping just before you lock your elbows). That is your starting position.
2. Now whilst keeping your elbow tucked into your body, and keeping your torso upright (do not bend forward), slowly lower you body downwards. This should only involve your upper arms whilst keeping your forearms perpendicular to the floor. Keep going till your upper arms become parallel to the floor. Inhale through this movement.
3. Again, whilst keeping your forearms in the same position, drive yourself upwards towards the starting position, using your triceps. Exhale as you do this.
4. Repeat doing as many reps as you can. But if you can do more than 10 reps add a weight belt. And if you can’t manage 6 reps, then use either an assisted dipping machine or have someone spotting you and pushing you up from your legs.

Variations:

• By leaning forward around 30 degrees as you lower yourself and bring yourself up, you’ll work your chest more.

There We Have It…

Now you know which exercises are essential to your workout! And you now also have enough variations described above, to make sure you don’t get bored either!

Give them a try today! Oh and let me know if you already are using these in your workouts by hitting the “Facebook Like” button below …

See you next time.