Exercises to build muscle, strength, and definition for bodybuilding
Bodybuilding exercises
Bodybuilding exercises focus on hypertrophy: building muscle size through targeted resistance training. These exercises are designed to maximize muscle growth and strength while creating a balanced, aesthetic physique. Whether you’re looking to bulk up, lean out, or sculpt a more defined body, bodybuilding exercises give you the foundation to achieve your physique goals. This overview outlines the best exercises and how to structure your bodybuilding routine for optimal results.
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90 Degree Alternate Heel Touch
The 90 Degree Alternate Heel Touch trains controlled side bending, helping improve core control and coordination through slow, precise movement.
90 Degree Heel Touch
The 90 Degree Heel Touch builds controlled side-to-side core tension, helping improve stability and coordination with simple, steady movement.
Alternate Lying Floor Leg Raise
The Alternate Lying Floor Leg Raise builds core control by lifting one leg at a time while keeping the lower body stable on the floor.
Alternate Standing Dumbbell Curl
The Alternate Standing Dumbbell Curl builds arm strength by lifting one weight at a time, helping improve control and balance between sides.
Assisted Pull-Up
The Assisted Pull-Up helps you build pulling strength by reducing bodyweight resistance, making it easier to learn proper pull-up technique and control.
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Back Extension On Stability Ball
The Back Extension on Stability Ball is a controlled bodyweight exercise that strengthens the lower back while improving balance and core control.
Band Resisted Push Up
The Band Resisted Push Up is a push-up variation that increases upper-body strength by adding band resistance to the pressing movement.
Banded Hip Thrusts
Banded Hip Thrusts are a lower-body strength exercise that builds glute power and tension through band resistance.
Barbell Bench Press
The Barbell Bench Press is a foundational chest exercise used to build upper-body pushing strength with a barbell on a flat bench.
Barbell Bent Over Row
The Barbell Bent Over Row is a powerful compound exercise that builds back strength, improves posture and supports overall pulling performance.
Barbell Clean And Jerk
The Barbell Clean and Jerk is an explosive full-body lift that builds power, coordination and total-body strength in one fluid movement.
Barbell Curl
The Barbell Curl is a basic arm exercise that builds strength and size by lifting a bar through a controlled bending motion.
Barbell Deadlift
The Barbell Deadlift is a foundational strength exercise that builds full-body power and proper lifting mechanics and improves control.
Barbell Decline Bench Press
The Barbell Decline Bench Press is a chest exercise that emphasizes lower chest strength using a barbell on a downward-sloping bench.
Barbell Front Raise
The Barbell Front Raise builds shoulder strength and control by lifting a fixed bar through a controlled front-to-shoulder range.
Barbell Front Squat
The Barbell Front Squat is a lower-body strength exercise that builds quad strength while reinforcing an upright, stable squat position.
Barbell Good Morning
The Barbell Good Morning is a hinge-based exercise that strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and lower back while reinforcing proper hip mechanics.
Barbell Hip Thrust
The Barbell Hip Thrust is a compound lower-body strength exercise that builds glute power through loaded hip extension.
Barbell Incline Bench Press
The Barbell Incline Bench Press is a chest exercise that emphasizes upper chest strength by pressing a barbell on an inclined bench.
Barbell Lunge
The Barbell Lunge is a compound lower-body exercise that builds leg strength, balance and control through unilateral loading.
Barbell Preacher Curl
The Barbell Preacher Curl isolates the arms by removing momentum, helping you focus on controlled strength and steady muscle tension.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
The Barbell Romanian Deadlift is a compound strength exercise that builds hamstring and glute strength while improving hip control.
Barbell Seated Calf Raise
The Barbell Seated Calf Raise is an isolation strength exercise that builds calf size and strength through controlled ankle movement.
Barbell Shrug
The Barbell Shrug is a strength exercise that builds upper-back and neck strength by lifting the shoulders against a loaded barbell.
Barbell Squat
The Barbell Squat is a compound lower-body strength exercise that builds leg power, full-body strength and movement control.
Barbell Standing Military Press
The Barbell Standing Military Press builds overhead pressing strength by moving a barbell from shoulder height to lockout while standing.
Increase muscle size, symmetry, and functional strength
Training goals for bodybuilding development
The goal of bodybuilding is to increase muscle mass and strength while maintaining muscle symmetry and definition. By focusing on progressive overload, bodybuilding exercises promote hypertrophy, leading to larger and more defined muscles. Training also improves joint stability, strength, and muscle endurance. Balancing your training routine with proper nutrition and rest ensures sustainable gains and reduces the risk of injury.
Focus on compound lifts and isolation movements for balanced development
Best bodybuilding exercises for muscle growth and strength
The best bodybuilding exercises include compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups, which engage multiple muscle groups and allow for maximum load. To build muscle symmetry, isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, and leg extensions target specific muscles for focused development. A balanced bodybuilding routine combines both compound and isolation exercises to develop size, strength, and muscle definition.
Train with free weights, machines, or bodyweight for muscle growth
Equipment options for bodybuilding training
Bodybuilding exercises are traditionally done with free weights like dumbbells and barbells, which provide the most versatility and allow for progressive overload. Machines help isolate muscles with controlled motion and are perfect for targeting specific muscle groups. Resistance bands, kettlebells, and bodyweight exercises also play a role in bodybuilding programs, particularly for stabilizer muscles and endurance training. The key is using a variety of equipment to maximize muscle activation and ensure continuous progress.
Structure your training to target muscle groups and improve symmetry
Training plans featuring bodybuilding exercises
Bodybuilding training plans typically involve a split routine, where different muscle groups are trained on different days to allow for optimal recovery. For example, you might have a chest and triceps day, followed by a back and biceps day, and a legs day. Each session should include compound exercises followed by isolation movements to ensure full muscle development. The app helps you design a bodybuilding training plan tailored to your goals, experience, and available equipment, ensuring each workout targets the right muscle groups and volume for growth.
Frequently asked questions about bodybuilding exercises
Overtraining can happen when you push your muscles too hard without allowing enough recovery time. To avoid overtraining, make sure to balance your workouts with rest days, incorporate active recovery, and listen to your body. Avoid training the same muscle group on consecutive days, and ensure you're getting enough nutrition to support muscle repair. Tracking your progress and taking deload weeks every 4–6 weeks helps to manage training volume and intensity.
Bodybuilding typically involves 4–6 days of training per week, focusing on different muscle groups each day. A common split is to train each muscle group 1–2 times per week, with adequate recovery time in between. Rest and nutrition are just as important as the workouts themselves, so ensure you get plenty of sleep and consume the right amount of protein to support muscle repair and growth.
Yes, bodybuilding can be done at home, although it may be harder to match the variety of equipment available in the gym. Home training with dumbbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises can still target all major muscle groups. If you’re serious about bodybuilding at home, investing in adjustable dumbbells, a bench, and resistance bands can help create a more effective setup for muscle growth.
For bodybuilding, aim for 3–4 sets per exercise with 8–12 reps per set. This rep range is ideal for hypertrophy (muscle growth). For compound lifts, use heavier weights with fewer reps (4–6), and for isolation exercises, use lighter weights with higher reps (12–15). Ensure progressive overload by gradually increasing weight or reps over time to stimulate muscle growth.
The best bodybuilding exercises include compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows, which engage multiple muscle groups for mass and strength. Isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg extensions, and calf raises target specific muscles for definition and symmetry. A well-rounded bodybuilding routine uses both types of movements to achieve full muscle development.
Integrate bodybuilding exercises into full-body and split routines
