EXERCISETIP
Listed below are Body-Solid’s picks of the best exercises you can do for each bod y part. These exercises can be
done using free w eights, m achines and m ulti-station gyms. Learn to do each exercise in proper form . You can
make substitutions in your training and try variations of each using different Body-Solid grips, cable attachm ents and
accessories to slightly change the em phasis of a particular exercise. Note: M any movements, especially multijoint
exercises, work more than one m uscle group. For exam ple, your front deltoids and triceps are stim ulated during
bench / chest pressing movements.
CHEST
This pow erful m uscle group is the
corne rstone of a w e ll-develop ed upper
body. To m ost " :
"..J '',
work your
pe cs, inclu de bo th pressing and fly
m ovem ents and va ry the angle of the
bench from decline to flat to incline.
BENCH / CHEST PRESS
INCLINE PRESS
DECLINE PRESS
PEC FLY
INCLINE FLY
DECLINE FLY
CABLE CROSSOVER
DIPS
SHOULDERS
The sh o u ld e r jo in t, w hich has the
greatest range of motion of all joints in
the body, is best worked by training all
three deltoid heads. Include a pressing
m ovem ent follow ed by a raise for each
of the three heads.
SHOULDER PRESS
BEHIND THE NECK PRESS
FRONT DELTOID RAISE
LATERAL (SIDE) DELTOID RAISE
BENT-OVER LATERAL DELTOID RAISE
REVERSE PEC-FLY
UPPER BACK
A pow erful upper b a ck is m arked by
both m iddle-back thickness an d width
(th e so u g h t-after V -taper). T his is
be st achieved by co m bin ing various
rows w ith pu ll-do w ns and pull-ups.
Rem em ber to vary your grip to slightly
chang e the stim ulus.
PULL UP
UPRIGHT ROW
LAT PULLDOWN
SEATED ROW
BENT OVER ROW
HIGH ROW
REVERSE GRIP PULLDOWN
TRAPS
A signature m uscle o f a strong upper
back, well-developed traps help prevent
neck injury. Shrug movements should
be done with heavy weights in a straight
up-and-dow n motion.
STRAIGHT BAR SHRUG
DUMBBELL SHRUG
BEHIND THE BACK SHRUG
UPRIGHT ROW
LOWER BACK
Im portant not only for spinal protection
bu t also becau se it’s the seat of power
for m any exercises. If you spend a great
deal of time crunching for abs, you need
to balance your training for com plete
developm ent and m u scular balance.
PULL UP
UPRIGHT ROW
LAT PULLDOWN
SEATED ROW
BENT OVER ROW
HIGH ROW
REVERSE GRIP PULLDOWN
TRICEPS
This three-headed muscle on the back
of your arm is involved in extension of
the elbow. Like the biceps, the triceps
cross the elbow and shoulder joints.
Because of this, you can and should work
the triceps through a variety o f angles
to ensure com plete developm ent.
LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION
CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION
CABLE TRICEPS PRESSDOWN
CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS
REVERSE-GRIP PRESSDOWN
TRICEPS PRESS
DIPS
BICEPS / FOREARMS
A tw o -he ad e d m uscle, th e b ic e p s ’
prim ary fo cus is to flex your elbow and
supinate yo ur wrist. The ab ility to build
your b ice ps pe ak is largely genetic,
but exercises that m axim ally stress the
short head will help.
BICEPS
STANDING BICEP CURL
SEATED BICEP CURL
INCLINE CURL
PREACHER CURL
CONCENTRATION CURL
ONE-ARM CABLE CURL
FOREARMS
WRIST CURL
REVERSE WRIST CURL
ABDOMINALS
The rectus abdom inus has upper and
lower regions, but you ca n ’t isolate one
area over the other. Still, inclu de both
up p e r an d low er ab m ovem ent to more
strongly em phasize those areas, and
do tw isting m ovem ents to w ork the
oblique s for co m plete developm ent.
UPPER AB REGION
CABLE AB CRUNCH
DECLINE BENCH CRUNCH
LOWER AB REGION
REVERSE CRUNCH
HANGING KNEE RAISE
HIP THRUST
OBLIQUES
CABLE SIDE BEND
OBLIQUE CRUNCH
THIGHS / GLUTES
The main m uscles of the thighs are the
quad riceps which are com po sed of four
m uscles. You have several others near
the hip joint, including the bo dy’s largest
m uscle group, the gluteals. M u ltijoint
m ovem ents (in w hich action occurs at
both the hip an d knee joints) are your
best choice to w ork these m uscles.
BACK SQUAT
FRONT SQUAT
LEG PRESS
LUNGE
REVERSE LUNGE
STEP-UP
LEG EXTENSION
(does not w o rk glutes!
HAMSTRINGS
On the ba ck of th e th ig h s, the
ham strings ba lan ce the qu a d s and
allow for a w ide range of m ovement.
G ood exercise ch oices include those
that work the ham strings and both the
hip and knee joints.
DEADLIFT
STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT
GOOD MORNING
LYING LEG CURL
SEATED LEG CURL
ONE-LEGGED STANDING LEG CURL
CALVES
Calves consist of two m ajor muscles,
the gastrocne m ius and soleus. The
latter is best w orked when the knee is
flexed, as in the seated ca lf raise.
STANDING CALF RAISE
SEATED CALF RAISE
DONKEY CALF RAISE
LEG PRESS CALF RAISE
HACK SQUAT CALF RAISE
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