10 Most important Gym Exercises


Where the gym is a very ‘each their own environment, everyone has their own go-to exercises, routines, and setups. When it comes to exercises in your routine, some will always be advantageous, no matter what your approach. These 10 exercises should have a place in most gym goers' plans.


1. Plank

Often overlooked, but core exercises have a great carry-over to nearly all your other exercises in terms of strength and stability.

2. Squats

Whether it’s barbell, dumbbell, or goblet style to ease spinal compression, squats are an absolute foundation of leg training. They can be easily adapted too for people with poorer joints.

One of the best back exercises you can do! It isolates the muscles in the back, lats, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings which makes it an ideal tool for strength training.

4. Bench press

Another great upper-body exercise that will work your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Another foundation ‘pushing’ exercise that will help you to get stronger and more defined in your upper body.

5. Romanian Deadlift

Not only are Romanian deadlifts great for working your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, but they’re also great for injury prevention. A good strong posterior chain (your back) has amazing carry-over to your overall mobility, movement, and strength too.

Most important Gym Exercises
                                         
6. Hip Thrusts

A favorite among women in the gym, although men certainly shouldn’t be skimping on this exercise…The glutes are the biggest set of muscles in your body (relative size). This move hits them directly. Strong glutes will help with a healthy back, flexibility, injury prevention, and carry-over to aid lifts like the squat and deadlift.

7. Push Ups

Push-ups are beneficial for building upper body strength. They work the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. When done with the correct form, they can strengthen the lower back and core too! Pushups are a fast and effective exercise for building your strength.

8. Pull Ups / Inverted Rows

Another great back exercise that will work it like no other. It also demands good core strength, and total upper body strength and will work your grip too. Pull-ups can be done full, assisted, or even inverted as a great variety.

9. Hamstring Curl

Everyone focuses on the exercises that they can ‘see’ i.e. all the front muscles. But hamstrings are yet another reason to give your posterior chain some love. Strong hamstrings enable your knees, legs, back, and hips to function smoothly and provide protection from injuries. Hamstring strengthening exercises can improve overall leg strength, relieve lower back pain, and increase flexibility.

Some prefer the standing barbell overhead press to the bench press itself. This exercise demands huge effort from your abs and all the assistance muscles that get used to pressing the barbell (or dumbbells) overhead; this move can help massively develop your shoulders and chest and can be done standing or seated.
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