Weight Training Exercises by Muscle Group

Chest

Bench Press

Lie back on a flat bench (or inclined) and grasp the barbell at a little wider than shoulder width. Lift it from the supports and lower it straight down to your chest.

Keep your elbows flared out throughout the motion. Lightly touch your chest with the bar and press upward, keeping your feet flat on the floor and lower back pressed against the bench.

Don't bounce it for leverage.

Shoulders

Seated Behind the Neck Barbell Press

Sit on a bench designed for shoulder presses, reach up and grasp the bar with a palms-forward grip, hands a bit wider apart than shoulder width.

Unrack the bar and bend your elbows to lower it to a position behind your head as far as you can comfortably go without resting it on the back of your shoulders.

Keep your head up; don't lean your head forward to lower the bar. Press the bar straight overhead to arms length, pause at the top and repeat.

Standing Dumbell Lateral Raise

Stand upright, holding a dumbell in each hand at your side.

Bend your elbows slightly and keep them locked in this angle throughout the movement. Lift both dumbells out to your side in a wide arc, leading with your elbows, to a position about even with your ears.

Pronate your wrists slightly (rotate your thumbs slightly downwards) as you lift the weights for maximum stress on the side delts.

Back

Bend-Over Barbell Row

This exercise is the bread and butter of back development.

Keep your upper body at about 45 degree angle to the floor and your back very straight.

Bring the bar into your lower midsection in a smooth, powerful contraction squeezing your back before conntrolling the negative. Dont allow your shoulders to become involved in the motion, like your shrugging but thats not rowing, loose some weight if this happens.

Seated Cable Row

Keeping your back straight throughout the movement is critical, as many people lean too far forward as well as pull too much with there lower back.

The movement should be full but don't stretch your lats to the point where you're bending forward. By arching your back you'll better keep the worklload on your lats, not your lower back.

Keeping your knees slightly bent to avoid putting preasure on your joints, pull with a strong, forceful action, brining your elbows back as far as you can and really squeezing your lats before releasing.

Front Pull-Down

As with the pull-up take a grip just outside shoulder-width, you can't get a full contraction of the muscles if your grip is too wide and its contraction that gives results.

Also don't lean too far back when doing pull-downs or your lower back will be doing too much of the work. Arch your back a little bit so that you're working your lats.

Pull the bar to the top of your chest in a smooth motion, holding the peak contraction momentarily to really feel your lats working.

Arms

Incline Bench Curl

As with Standing Dumbell Curl, but on an incline bench.

Lean all the way back to get a slightly greater stretch, and keep your shoulders and elbows back as well.

Standing Dumbell Curl

Hold the dumbells at your sides (palms facing in), keeping your elbows locked at your sides.

Without swinging, curl the weight towards your shoulder, turning your palms up as you complete the movement.

Squeeze your bi's hard at the top and slowly return to the start position.

Triceps Press Down

Your arms should be bent roughtly 90 degrees so that your forearms are parallel to the floor. Press down on the handle and extend your elbow joints until your arms are nearly straight.

Bring the handle back to the start position under control. Concentrate on keeping your elbows stationary at your sides and your wrists locked.

Throughout the movement keep your shoulders still and resist temptation to raise or lower them.

Flat-bench Skullcrusher

Focus on keeping your elbows in and pointed above your head to keep tension on your triceps throughout the range of motion.

You can further stretch the long head by positioning the upper arm about 45 degrees above the plane of the bench.

Legs

Barbell Squat

Position a straight bar across your upper back.

Grasping it at both hands, stand erect with your feet about shoulder width apart, descend into a deep squat position; knee bent to 90 degrees, back straight, weight on your heels and chin up.

Hold momentarily then explode upwards to the starting position. Don't allow the bar to lose contact with your upper-back.

Lying Leg Curl with Hip Extention

Lie facedown on a leg curl machine with your knees just off the end of the thigh pad and the backs of your ankles secured firmly against the angle pad.

Grasp the handles, keeping your torso and thights pressed firmly against the pad. Contract your hamstrings to bend your knees and lift the ankles pad towards your glutes, as your hamstrings near full contraction forcefully contract your glutes and hamstrings to raise your thights slightly off the pad.

Hold momentarily before returning to the start position.