Barbell or dumbbell lunges
At a squat rack, position bar on the back of the shoulders.
Lunge forward with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot. Lower body by flexing knee and hip of
front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position
by forcibly extending the hip and knee of the forward leg. Repeat by alternating lunge with
opposite leg.
Keep torso upright during lunge.
Barbell reverse lunges
At a squat rack, position bar on the back of the shoulders.
Extend one leg back on forefoot. Lower body on other leg by flexing knee and hip of front leg
until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by
extending hip and knee of forward leg. Repeat by alternating rear lunge with opposite leg.
Barbell bent over row
Bend knees slightly and bend over bar with back straight. Grasp bar with either a wide over hand
grip, or a shoulder width underhand grip. (Grips may vary).
Pull bar to upper waist, pause briefly, then return until arms are extended and shoulders are
stretched forward. Repeat.
Barbell Squat
From a rack with barbell upper chest height, position bar high on back of shoulders and grasp
barbell to sides. Dismount bar from rack and stand with shoulder width stance.
Descend until thighs are just past parallel to floor. Extend knees and hips until legs are straight.
Return and repeat.
Keep head forward, back straight and feet flat on the floor. Knees should point same direction as
feet throughout movement.
Bench press
Lie supine on bench. Dismount barbell from rack over the upper chest using a wide oblique
overhand grip.
Lower weight to upper chest. Press bar until arms are extended. Repeat.
Can also be done on an incline or decline bench.
Cable curls
Grasp low pulley cable bar or rope. Stand close to pulley.
With elbows to side, raise bar until forearms are just short of vertical. Lower until the arms are fully extended. Repeat. Sit on platform with knees bent and grasp cable attachment. Position knees with a slight bend. Pull cable attachment to abdominal area while straightening lower back. Pull shoulders back and push chest forward during contraction. Return until arms are extended, shoulders are stretched forward, and lower back is flexed foward. Repeat. Chest supported row Position seat so that your stomach is resting up against the pad. Grab handles and row. Keep your chest up and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pause briefly then return slowly to starting position, making sure to fully straighten your arms and separate your shoulder blades. Repeat. Step up and grasp bar with an underhand, shoulder- width grip. Pull body up until the chin is above the bar. Lower body until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat. For triceps dips: With elbows close to body and hips straight, lower body until shoulders are slightly stretched. Push body up in same posture and repeat. For chest dips: Allow elbows to flare slightly and your torso to lean forward. Sit down on bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. Kick weights to shoulder and lie back. Position dumbbells to the sides of the upper chest with elbows under dumbbells. Press dumbbells up with elbows to the sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to the sides of the upper chest. Repeat. Position dumbbells to each side of shoulders with elbows below wrists. Press dumbbells until arms are extended overhead. Lower and repeat. Stand with dumbbells in hand as shown. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause slightly, then squat back up to the returning position. At the top of the movement, go right into raising the dumbbells over head, using the momentum from the squat. That’s one rep. Lower the dumbbell’s back to returning position, and repeat.
Cable row
Chin up
Dips
Dumbbell chest press
*Can also be done on an incline or decline bench.
Dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell thrusters
Good mornings
Place a barbell on an upright and duck underneath it, just as you would if you were about to
squat. With the bar on the "meaty" area of your traps (upper back), descend downward, lowering
your upper body until the lower ribs make contact with your inner thighs. Pause slightly, then
raise the trunk back to upright.
These are best performed with a slow tempo (speed of movement), avoid “bouncing” on the
bottom of the movement and avoid going too heavy.
Hack squat
Lie supine on back pad with shoulders under shoulder pad. Place feet on platform slightly higher
than base of sled. Extend hips and knees. Release dock levers.
Flex hips and knees to descend until knees are just short of complete flexion. Raise sled by
extending knees and hips. Repeat.
Hanging leg raises
Grasp and hang from high bar.
Raise legs by flexing hips and knees until thighs are just pass parallel to floor. Return until hips
and knees are extended. Repeat.
To make this easier, simply keep your knees bent.
High row, cable, rope
Sit on platform with knees bent and grasp cable attachment. Straighten lower back and position
knees with a slight bend.
Pull rope attachment high, to right under neck. Pull shoulders back and push chest forward during
contraction. Return until arms are extended and shoulders are stretched forward. Repeat.
Kneeling hamstring curls
Mount machine by placing supporting knee on horizontal pad and other leg under roller pad with
knee against vertical pad. Grip handles and place forearm on padded arm rest.
Flex the foot of the working leg and raise ankle to back of thigh by flexing knee. Lower ankle
until knee is straight. Repeat until desired reps are reached, then do the opposite leg.
Lateral raises
Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs. Bend over at hips slightly with knees bent.
With elbows slightly bent, raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain
elbows' height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat. Grasp cable bar with a wide grip. Sit with thighs under supports. Pull down cable bar to upper chest. Pause slightly and return until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat. Leg press Sit on machine with back on padded support. Place your feet on platform. Extend hips and knees. Release dock lever and grasp handles to sides. Lower sled by flexing hip and knee until your kneeds are just short of complete flexion. Return by pushing up with your legs, extending the knees. Repeat until the desired reps are reached. * Can also be done one leg at a time. In that case, make sure you start with your weaker leg and do the same amount of reps for each leg (even if your strong leg can do more). Sit on machine with back against padded back support. Place front of lower leg under padded lever. The back of your knees should be just off the pad. Grasp handles to sides for support. Flex working foot/feet and move lever forward by extending knees until legs are straight. Return lever to original position by bending knees. Repeat. *Can also be done one leg at a time. Lie on bench and position dumbbells over head with arms extended. Lower dumbbells by bending elbow until they are to sides of head, and briefly touching the tops of your shoulders. Pause, then extend arms back up to the starting position. Repeat Facing bench, stand between bench and lever pads. Lie prone on bench with knees just beyond edge of bench and lower legs under lever pads. Grasp handles. Raise lever pad to back of thighs by flexing knees. Lower lever pads until knees are straight. Repeat. . Sit on preacher bench placing back of arms on pad. The seat should be adjusted to allow the arm pit to rest near the top of the pad. Grasp curl bar with shoulder width underhand grip. Raise the bar until forearms are just short of vertical, with the back of the upper arm remaining on the pad. Lower the barbell until arms are fully extended. Repeat. Lie prone on floor with hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Raise body up off floor by extend arms with body straight. Keeping body straight, lower body to floor by bending arms and retracting your shoulder blades. Chest should touch, but not rest, on the floor. Push body up until arms are extended. Repeat. To make this exercise easier, do them with your knees on the ground. To make this exercise harder, elevate your feet on a bench.
Lat pulldown
Leg extension
Lying dumbbell extensions
Lying hamstring curls
Preacher curls
Push ups
Seated dumbbell bicep curls
Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing out, arms straight.
With elbows to the sides, raise the dumbbells as far as you can without moving your elbows!
Lower to original position and repeat.
Standing bar curls
Grasp bar with a shoulder width under hand grip.
With elbows to side, raise bar until forearms are vertical. Lower until arms are fully extended.
Repeat.
Stiff-leg deadlift
Stand with bar in hand, shoulder-width, mixed grip. Feet should be should-width apart. Bend
knees and bend over with lower back straight.
Lower bar to the top of the feet by bending hips. Bend the knees slightly during the decent and
keep waist straight, flexing only slightly at the bottom. With knees bent, lift the bar by extending
at hips until standing upright. Pull shoulders back slightly if rounded. Repeat.
Sumo Deadlifts
Position feet under bar with very wide stance. Squat down and grasp bar between legs with a
shoulder width or slightly narrower mixed grip (one hand having an underhand grip, the other
hand with an over-hand grip, as shown in picture).
Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if
rounded. Return and repeat.
* Throughout lift keep hips low, shoulders high, arms and back straight. Knees should point same
direction as feet throughout movement. Keep bar close to body to improve mechanical leverage.
This is a complicated movement to do! Practice before going too heavy!
Triceps pushdowns
Face high pulley and grasp cable attachment with overhand grip. Stand with feet shoulder width
apart, bend at the hip, elbow to the front.
Extend arm down and pull elbows toward body slightly. Return until forearm is close to upper
arm and elbows are to the front. Repeat.
Walking lunges
Stand with barbell or dumbbells grasped to sides. Step forward with first leg. Land on heel then
forefoot. Lower body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in
contact with floor. Stand on forward leg with assistance of rear leg. Lunge forward with opposite
leg, bringing that leg now to the front. Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite legs, until the set
is complete. Keep torso upright during lunge.