Weekly Training Article | The Best Muscle Building Exercises | 5/17/10-5/23/10

By Shawn LeBrun

Everyone wants a healthy, good-looking body. And the truth is, you'll have to work hard in order to achieve this. That starts with using the proper equipment, having a good diet and a healthy way of living.

To get the most muscle growth possible, you want to use the best muscle building exercises in the gym. If you want to build muscle, you're going to have to lift heavy weight using effective weight lifting exercises. There's no getting around this. If you want to build muscle, you will need to apply the appropriate amount of resistance to your muscle.

You'll need to use simple compound movements. Compound movements are weight training exercises that use more than one muscle group to complete a lift. Free weights are dumbbells and barbells. By using these effective muscle building exercises, free weights and compound movements, you force your body to work harder. By forcing your body to work harder, you add more stress to the targeted and supporting muscles.

Remember to use proper form when lifting weight, especially heavy weight. Lifting heavy weight for the sake of lifting heavy will result in poor form, which will lead to injuries.

If you're a beginner, it's best if you use a combination of free weights, machines and body weight exercises. In order to lift heavy, you need to establish the correct form and balance. This takes time, practice and patience. Once you've established the correct form and balance, try adding more weight lifting exercises, especially free weight exercises.

If you're having trouble or not sure about certain weight lifting exercises, always ask for advice. Never attempt an exercise you're not sure about. Ask a gym employee for advice. If you can't find a gym employee, ask one of the regulars. The regulars are usually more than happy to provide some guidance and help when it comes to muscle building exercises.

Before going into a heavy weight lifting workout, make sure you're properly warmed up. Never attempt to lift heavy weights when you're cold. Lifting heavy weight when you are cold will result in injuries. Include a warm-up (5 to 10 minutes) using an aerobic activity, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of stretching.

Here’s a series of muscle building exercises that you can use for the chest area:
Flat bench press
Flat bench press with dumbbells
Flat bench dumbbell flyes
Incline bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Parallel bar dips
Decline dumbbell bench press
Incline dumbbell flyes

Muscle building exercises for back:
Bent over rowing
Wide grip chins
Lat machine pull downs
Low cable pulley rows
One arm dumbbell rows
Dead lifts
Shrugs
Good mornings
Hyperextensions
T bar rowing

Exercises for hamstrings:
Lying leg curls
Stiff legged dead lifts

Exercises for shoulders:
Shoulder press
Seated dumbbell press
Side lateral raises

Muscle building exercises for calves:
Standing calf raises
Seated calf raises
Leg press calf extensions
Standing one legged calf raises

Exercises for biceps:
Standing barbell curls
Seated alternate dumbbell curls
Incline dumbbell curls
Standing dumbbell curls

Exercises for quadriceps:
Squats
Leg press
Leg extensions
Hack squats

Muscle building exercises for triceps:
Close grip bench press
Lying triceps extensions
Standing cable press downs
Seated overhead barbell extensions
Triceps bench dips
Overhead rope extensions

Exercises for abs:
Crunches
Knee ups
Hanging leg raise
Incline knee raises
Incline sit-ups
Roman chair sit-ups

That was a list of the best muscle building exercises you should use in the gym. Always remember to use proper form on each exercise.

If you have any questions on how to perform one of these muscle building exercises, ask advice from someone who is experienced. You don't want to use trial and error, since you could harm yourself.

Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net