15 Best Gym Exercises for Beginners (2023)
New to the gym? Not sure what exactly to do and how to do it properly? In this article we will cover the top 15 gym exercises and everything you need to know as a beginner to get you on track to achieving your goals, whether it’s to put on muscle, lose fat or get in the best shape of your life.
These specific exercises have helped me in my fitness journey. Without these exercises and constant learning over time, I wouldn’t have achieved what I wanted. So take some inspiration, use what you would like and experiment with it, see what works and what doesn’t and cater it to your specific needs.
Quick Tips for Beginners:
- Prioritize correct technique before going heavyweight
- Warm up before going heavy
- Don’t try to max out every session
- Consistency is key, you don’t see results in months it takes years
15 Best Gym Exercises
Bench press
If you’ve ever seen any lifting before, this is sure to come to mind and for good reason. The bench press is an incredible compound exercise that helps target the chest, shoulders, triceps and even some core. It’s a classic exercise to start off with and it’s great to progress with over time as you learn the correct techniques, cues and signs.
Deadlift
Some consider this the greatest exercise of all time. The deadlift is another terrific compound lift that targets the upper and lower back, quads, hamstrings, abdominals, glutes and hip flexors. Talk about an all-in-one exercise. It’s great for strength and muscle development and is rightfully a go for many beginners and advanced lifters.
Barbell Squats
Another pillar of the great compound lifts. The squat is the king of the lower body along with the deadlift. It hits the quads, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, adductors, hip flexors, and calves. This is performed by athletes in practically all sports to boost overall lower body strength and it can translate to faster running, bigger jumps and greater coordination.
Dumbbell Incline Chest Press
The Dumbbell incline primarily focuses on the upper fibres of the chest. This gives the aesthetic bodybuilder chest appearance and it will help make it pop out more. Many people prefer dumbbells over barbells as it is felt more closely and allows for better hypertrophy gains. It’s another staple and can help with increasing strength and musculature of the upper chest.
Leg Press
The leg press is phenomenal as it can target the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves all in one. It can be modified to bias specific muscles of the lower extremity, which can help balance out an overall physique or strengthen weaker areas of your body. It also requires less stability than free weight exercises and is a great way to progress by overload.
Leg Curls
Leg curls are amazing in biasing the hamstring muscles. This is commonly done in a seated machine or lying variation. Regardless of which one you choose, it removes any stress on your back and hips. It’s great for strength and hypertrophy.
Lateral raises
Want to get those boulder shoulders? Well, lateral raises can help you achieve just that. This is a great exercise to put muscle on the lateral deltoids to get the aesthetic shoulders. Make sure to start off with a lightweight to perfect the form and gradually increase the weight to get the best results. This can be done standing or seated and depends on your preference and what works well for you.
Shoulder press
Another classic shoulder exercise that primarily works the anterior and lateral deltoids as well as the traps and triceps. This strengthens the deltoids and can improve general posture. It can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell in a seated or standing position.
Bulgarians
These are effective lower-body exercises. If you want massive quads and hamstrings then this is the exercise for you. Bulgarian split squats are a unilateral exercise that can be described as weighted lunges with one foot supported. It requires some balance and puts the quads in a a great position to grow.
Barbell Rows
This is a fantastic back exercise that works in both the upper and lower regions. It should be done at a slow tempo to effectively contract the muscles and then brought back down slowly to feel the stretch. It’s a go-to back exercise for all gym goers, so try it out for yourself.
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
A great hamstring exercise that works at the hip joint rather than the knee joint. It can load up and work the biceps femoris long and short head, semimembranosus and semitendinosus. It can be done with dumbbells or a barbell and it has a similar pattern to a deadlift. It also engages the core and the glutes. It’s a great exercise to put into your workout if you want to strengthen your hamstrings.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups don’t get enough credit for what they provide. It’s an exercise that can be performed anywhere with a bar to hang and go to. It primarily targets the upper back but also hits the biceps, core and shoulders. It can be progressed over time by increasing repetitions or putting on weight if body-weighted pull-ups become easy.
Lat pull-downs
These are great for gaining a wide back. Lat pulldown is a classic exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi (lats). That is the largest muscle group in the back and is great for hypertrophy and muscle growth. It can help provide a muscular and wide physique, which makes an overall physique stand out.
Incline Bicep Curls
Instead of doing normal curls, try out some incline bicep curls next time. These work the biceps long head and allow for a greater range of motion as you’re not restricted by your body as you are standing up. Going light on these is beneficial as getting the correct form is vital for putting tension on the biceps.
Triceps Pushdowns
Another classic exercise that is used to target the triceps brachii medial and lateral head. It can be done in several variations with different handles to bias specific parts of the triceps. Generally, make sure to have your elbows locked whilst doing the movement contract hard at the bottom and slowly bring it up on the eccentric movement.