Best Strength Exercises

Strength

Strength exercises make your muscles stronger. Even small increases in strength can make a big difference in your ability. We can find this type of exercise in Lifting weights, using a resistance band with your own body weight.

 

Best strength exercises

1. Squat

One of the purest tests of strength, the squat incorporates almost all the muscles in your legs and core, says Yellin. The GIF above shows a bodyweight squat, which is a good way to nail down your form. Once your form is solid, you can add weight by holding dumbbells or a bar in front of your shoulders (front squat), resting a barbell on your back (back squat), or holding a weight in front of you (goblet squat)

2. Deadlift

Deadlifts are considered hands-down one of the best exercises to train the backside of your body, namely your glutes and hamstrings. And because you’re working from a stable base, you can really load up the weight on these. There are a bunch of different varieties of deadlifts, like the Romanian (as pictured above, where you lower the weight as you hip hinge), traditional barbell (where you pull the weight from the floor), and sumo (with a wider stance and toes pointing out.)

Proper form is essential to protect your lower back, so it’s a good idea to practice this with a lighter weight in front of a mirror until you feel comfortable with the exercise.

3. Push-Up

Moving your own bodyweight is one of the best signs of strength, says Fagan. If a regular push-up from the floor is too challenging at first, you can modify it by elevating your hands on a step or a table—the higher your hands, the easier it will be. The push-up works all the pressing muscles in the upper body, including your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and can help you get stronger in the dumbbell or barbell chest press.

4. Glute Bridge

Bridges target one of the biggest muscles in the lower half—the glutes, says Yellin. They’re also a major contributor in the development of power from the legs, as well as core stabilization.

5. Bent-Over Row

This exercise uses all the pulling muscles in your upper body, including the back, shoulders, and biceps, says. “It also requires the legs and core to maintain a strong position”. 

Working on increasing your rowing strength can also help you get to your first bodyweight pull-up—a challenging exercise that’s also a great indicator of strength