Exercises for Specific Muscle Groups

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Weight trainers commonly divide the body's individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip, neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The most common exercises for these muscle groups are listed below. (Videos of these and other exercises are available at exrx.net and from the University of Wisconsin.)

The sequence shown below is one possible way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these first exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between "pushing" and "pulling" movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last.

Lower body 1. Quadriceps (front of legs) Compound exercises for the quadriceps also involve the glutes (buttocks), hamstrings and calves. squat (compound) leg press (compound) deadlift (compound) lunge (compound) leg extension (isolation) 2. Hamstrings (back of legs) Compound exercies for the hamstrings may also involve the lower back (Romanian deadlift). leg curl (isolation) Romanian deadlift (stiff leg deadlift) (compound) 3. Calves standing calf raise (isolation) seated calf raise (isolation)

Upper body 4. Pectorals (chest) Compound exercises for the pectorals also involve the triceps and front deltoids. bench press (compound) pullover (compound) Fly (isolation) 5. Lats (upper back) Compound exercises for the lats also involve the biceps and rear deltoids. chin-up and pull-up (compound) pulldown (compound) bent-over row (compound) 6. Deltoids and Trapezius (shoulders) Compound exercises for the shoulders also involve the arm muscles. upright row (compound) shoulder press (compound) lateral raise (isolation) shoulder shrug (isolation)

Arms 7. Triceps (back of arms) parallel bar dip (compound) pushdown (isolation) triceps extension (isolation) 8. Biceps (front of arms) biceps curl (isolation) Waist 9. Abdominals (belly) Compound exercises for the abdominals also involve the hip flexors. leg raise (compound) crunch (isolation) 10. Obliques (sides) Any rotational movement will engage the obliques. 11. Lower back Some compound exercises for the legs also involve the lower back. back extension (isolation) good-morning (compound) deadlift (compound)

This page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Weight Training"