There is something about a workout that makes you feel better. Whether you’re looking to build muscle or lose weight, a well-rounded workout can make you stronger, healthier and happier.
The best way to maximize your workout is by understanding how your muscles are targeted in different exercises. It will help you select the right ones for each part of your body.
Lunges
Lunges are a great way to build strength, improve balance and coordination, increase flexibility and burn fat. They can also be used to warm up and cool down.
Whether you do them with or without weights, lunges are a fantastic exercise for strengthening the lower body and core. They’re also a good choice for beginners and advanced athletes alike.
As with most exercises, it’s important to keep proper form when doing lunges to reap the full benefits from the workout. This includes making sure you’re engaging your feet and that your knees don’t push past your toes.
If you have a history of knee pain or injuries, it’s best to avoid lunges altogether. This is especially true if you haven’t improved your balance or developed muscle strength and mobility in the knee and ankle joints.
Pullups
Pull ups are a highly effective workout exercise that is great for building strength and improving posture. They also help to strengthen the back, arms and chest muscles.
The pull up is one of the most versatile exercises that can be done at home, in the gym or even outside. This is because they require minimal equipment and can be performed by anyone, regardless of fitness level.
To do a pull up, start on the floor with your hands gripping the bar at shoulder distance. Bend your knees and lift your body until you chin is above the bar.
Once you are at the top, slowly lower yourself down and repeat. This will help to build the strength you need to do more difficult variations of the pull up.
Farmer’s Walk
The farmer’s walk is an entire body exercise that works both the upper and lower body. It targets muscles such as the quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, lats, erectors, traps, upper back and abs.
The farmers walk is also a great workout for developing grip strength. Holding a heavy dumbbell or barbell and walking forward for a recommended length will challenge your grip, forearm and upper arm.
Farmer’s walks are often used in strongman training and can be incorporated into any fitness routine. They are also a great option for building endurance, as they can be performed at high heart rates to keep your aerobic capacity high.
Farmer’s walks can be performed using lighter weights for muscle endurance, or more weight and longer distances for muscle hypertrophy. Alexander recommends using 30-60 seconds of lower-resistance farmer’s walks for cardio, or a higher-resistance load to build strength.
Squats
Squats are a key workout exercise that helps to build lower body strength and mass. They also boost calorie burn, improve posture, and promote balance and core strength.
A squat is a compound movement, meaning it uses multiple muscles and muscle groups to lift the bar. The main driving force is your quadriceps, but the exercise also requires the use of hamstrings, glutes, calves, and other upper body muscles to stabilize your torso.
You can do a variety of squat variations in your workout, including sumo squats and single-leg box squats. These exercises are a great way to add complexity to the move and work different muscle groups simultaneously.
Another popular variation is the goblet squat. It’s a progression from the normal squat, and places more emphasis on your core while also engaging your upper body.
