List of Weight Training Exercises

List of weight training exercises

Pistol Squat

This is a partial list of weight training exercises orga-nized by muscle group.

1 OverviewThe human body can be broken down into dierent mus-cles and muscle groups. The muscles can be worked andstrengthened by exercise. This table shows major mus-cles and the exercises used to work and strengthen thatmuscle.

2 Lower body[1]

2.1 Quadriceps (front of thigh)

2.1.1 Squat

Hack squat machine

The squat is performed by squatting down with a weightheld across the upper back under neck and standing upstraight again. This is a compound exercise that also in-volves the glutes (buttocks) and, to a lesser extent, thehamstrings, calves, and the lower back. Lifting beltsare sometimes used to help support the lower back, asare tight-tting squat suits which compress the lowertorso. The freeweight squat is one of 'The Big Three'powerlifting exercises, along with the deadlift and thebench press.[2]

Equipment Squats can be performed using only thepractitioners body weight. For weighted squats, abarbell is typically used, although the practitionermay instead hold dumbbells, kettlebells, or otherweighted objects. Individuals uncomfortable per-forming freeweight squats may use a Smith machineor hack squat machine.

Major variants See also: Squat (exercise) VariantsCommon variations include front squats, in whichthe weight is held across the upper chest, and boxsquats, in which the practitioner rests briey on abox or bench at the bottom of the movement.

2.1.2 Leg press

Leg press machine

The leg press is performed while seated by pushing aweight away from the body with the feet. It is a com-pound exercise that also involves the glutes and, to a lesserextent, the hamstrings and the calves. Overloading themachine can result in serious injury if the sled moves un-controllably towards the trainer.[3]

Equipment Leg press machine.

1

2 2 LOWER BODY

Dumbbell deadlift.

2.1.3 Deadlift

The deadlift is performed by squatting down and liftinga weight o the oor with the hand until standing upstraight again. Grips can be face down or opposing withone hand down and one hand up, to prevent dropping.Face up should not be used because this puts excess stresson the inner arms. This is a compound exercise that alsoinvolves the glutes, lower back, lats, trapezius (neck) and,to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves. Liftingbelts are often used to help support the lower back. Thedeadlift has two common variants, the Romanian deadliftand the straight-leg-deadlift. Each target the lower back,glutes and the hamstrings dierently.

Equipment Dumbbells, barbell, trapbar or Smith ma-chine.

Major variants Sumo (wider stance to emphasise theinner thighs); sti legged (emphasizes hamstrings);straight-legged deadlift (emphasizes lower back).

2.1.4 Leg extension

The leg extension is performed while seated by raisinga weight out in front of the body with the feet. It is anisolation exercise for the quadriceps. Overtraining cancause patellar tendinitis.[4] The legs extension serves toalso strengthen the muscles around the knees and is anexercise that is preferred by physical therapists.

Equipment Dumbbell, cable machine or leg extensionmachine.

2.1.5 Wall Sit

The wall sit, also known as a static squat, is performed byplacing ones back against a wall with feet shoulder width

Leg extension machine.

apart, and lowering the hips until the knees and hips areboth at right angles. The position is held as long as pos-sible. The exercise is used to strengthen the quadriceps.Contrary to previous advice in this section, this exerciseis NOT good for people with knee problems because theknees bear most of the load, especially when they are heldat right angles (90 degrees).

Equipment Body weight, wall or other at vertical sur-face, exercise ball placed behind the back is optionalas well.

2.2 Hamstrings (back of legs)

2.2.1 Leg curl

Leg curl machine.

The leg curl is performed while lying face down on abench, by raising a weight with the feet towards the but-tocks. This is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings.[5]

Equipment Dumbbell, cable machine or leg curl ma-chine.

Major variants Seated (using a leg curl machine vari-ant); standing (one leg at a time).

2.4 Hips 3

2.2.2 Snatch

The snatch is one of the two current olympic weightliftingevents (the other being the clean and jerk). The essenceof the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to lockedarms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. Thebarbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage (typi-cally to mid [ chest] height) (the pull) at which point thebarbell is ipped overhead. With relatively light weights(as in the power snatch) locking of the arms may notrequire rebending the knees. However, as performed incontests, the weight is always heavy enough to demandthat the lifter receive the bar in a squatting position, whileat the same time ipping the weight so it moves in an arcdirectly overhead to locked arms. When the lifter is se-cure in this position, he rises (overhead squat), complet-ing the lift.

2.3 Calves2.3.1 Standing calf raise

Dumbbell standing calf raise.

The standing calf raise is performed by plantarexing thefeet to lift the body. If a weight is used, then it rests uponthe shoulders, or is held in the hand(s). This is an isola-tion exercise for the calves; it particularly emphasises thegastrocnemius muscle, and recruits the soleus muscle.[6]

Equipment Bodyweight, dumbbells, barbell, Smithma-chine or standing calf raise machine.

Major variants One leg (the other is held o theground); donkey calf raise (bent over with a weightor machine pad on the lower back).

2.3.2 Seated calf raise

Seated calf raise machine

The seated calf raise is performed by exing the feet tolift a weight held on the knees. This is an isolation exer-cise for the calves, and particularly emphasises the soleusmuscle.[7]

Equipment Barbell or seated calf raise machine; canalso be done on a leg press machine.

2.4 Hips

3 Upper body

3.1 Pectorals (chest)

Smith machine bench press

The bench press or dumbbell bench-press is per-formed while lying face up on a bench, by pushinga weight away from the chest. This is a compoundexercise that also involves the triceps and the front

4 3 UPPER BODY

deltoids, also recruits the upper and lower backmus-cles, and traps. The bench press is the king of allupper body exercises and is one of the most popularchest exercises in the world. It is the nal exercisein 'The big 3'.

Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith ma-chine or bench press machine.

Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis onthe upper pectorals), decline ~ (more emphasison the lower pectorals), narrow grip ~ (moreemphasis on the triceps), push-up (face downusing the body weight), neck press (with thebar over the neck, to isolate the pectorals), ver-tical dips (using parallel dip bars) or horizontaldips (using two benches with arms on the nearbench and feet on the far bench, and droppingthe buttocks to the oor and pushing back up.)

Dumbbell ye

The chest y is performed while lying face up ona bench or standing up, with arms outspread hold-ing weights, by bringing the arms together above thechest. This is a compound exercise for the pectorals.Other muscles worked include deltoids, triceps, andforearms.

Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or pecdeck machine.

Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis onthe upper pectorals), decline ~ (more emphasison the lower pectorals), cable crossover.

Cable crossovers Dips

3.2 Lats (Upper back)

Pulldown machine

The pulldown is performed while seated by pullinga wide bar down towards the upper chest or behindthe neck. This is a compound exercise that also in-volves the biceps, forearms, and the rear deltoids.

Equipment: cable machine or pulldown ma-chine.

Major variants: chin-up or pullup (using thebody weight while hanging from a high bar),close grip ~ (more emphasis on the lower lats),reverse grip ~ (more emphasis on the biceps).

The Pull-up is performed by hanging from a chin-up bar above head height with the palms facing for-ward (supinated) and pulling the body up so the chinreaches or passes the bar. The pull-up is a com-pound exercise that also involves the biceps, fore-arms, traps, and the rear deltoids. A chin-up (palmsfacing backwards) places more emphasis on the bi-ceps and a wide grip pullup places more emphasison the lats. As beginners of this exercise are oftenunable to lift their own bodyweight, a chin-up ma-chine can be used with counterweights to assist themin the lift.

Equipment: chin-up bar[8] or chin-up ma-chine.

The bent-over row is performed while leaning over,holding a weight hanging down in one hand or bothhands, by pulling it up towards the abdomen. This isa compound exercise that also involves the biceps,forearms, traps, and the rear deltoids. The torsois unsupported in some variants of this exercise, inwhich case lifting belts are often used to help sup-port the lower back.

Equipment: dumbbell, barbell, Smithmachineor T-bar machine.

Major variants: cable row (using a cable ma-chine while seated).

3.3 Deltoids (shoulders) 5

Dumbbell bent-over row

3.3 Deltoids (shoulders)

Cable machine upright row

The upright row is performed while standing, hold-ing a weight hanging down in the hands, by liftingit straight up to the collarbone. This is a compoundexercise that also involves the trapezius, upper back,forearms, triceps, and the biceps. The narrower thegrip the more the trapezius muscles are exercised.

Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith ma-chine or cable machine.

Shoulder press machine

The shoulder press is performed while seated, orstanding by lowering a weight held above the headto just above the shoulders, and then raising it again.It can be performed with both arms, or one arm at atime. This is a compound exercise that also involvesthe trapezius and the triceps.

Major variants: 360 Degree Shoulder Press(wrists are rotated while weights are lifted,then weights are lowered in front of the headbefore being rotated back to the rst position).

The military press is similar to the shoulder pressbut is performed while standing with the feet to-gether. (It is named military because of the sim-ilarity in appearance to the at attention positionused in most militaries) Unlike the seated shoulderpress, the military press involves the majority of themuscles of the core as stabilizers to keep the bodyrigid and upright, and is thus a more eective com-pound exercise.

Equipment: dumbbells, kettlebells, barbell,Smith machine or shoulder press machine.

Major variants: Arnold Press (dumbbells areraised while rotating the palms outwards).

Dumbbell lateral raise

The lateral raise (or shoulder y) is performedwhile standing or seated, with hands hanging downholding weights, by lifting them out to the sides untiljust below the level of the shoulders. A slight varia-tion in the lifts can hit the deltoids even harder, whilemoving upwards, just turn the hands slightly down-wards, keeping the last nger higher than the thumb.This is an isolation exercise for the deltoids. Alsoworks the forearms and traps.

Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or lat-eral raise machine.

6 4 WAIST

Major variants: front raise (lift weights outto the front; emphasis is on the front del-toids), bent-over ~ (emphasis is on the reardeltoids), 180 degree lateral raise (weights areheld slightly in front of the body and lifted overthe head in a circular motion).

3.4 Triceps (back of arms)

Cable machine pushdown

The pushdown is performed while standing bypushing down on a bar held at the level of the upperchest. It is important to keep the elbows at shoulderwidth and in line with shoulder/legs. In other words,elbows position should not change while moving theforearm pushes down the bar. This is an isolationexercise for the triceps.

Equipment: cable machine or pulldown ma-chine.

Lying dumbbell triceps extension

The triceps extension is performed while standingor seated, by lowering a weight held above the head

(keeping the upper arms motionless), and then rais-ing it again. It can be performed with both arms, orone arm at a time. This is an isolation exercise forthe triceps. It is also known as the french curl.

Equipment: dumbbell(s), barbell, cable ma-chine or triceps extension machine.

Major variants: lying ~ (lying face up withthe weights over the face), kickback (bent overwith the upper arm parallel to the torso).

3.5 Biceps (front of arms)

Dumbbell biceps curl on the preacher bench

The Preacher curl is performed while standing orseated, with hands hanging down holding weights(palms facing forwards), by curling them up to theshoulders. It can be performed with both arms, orone arm at a time.

Standing barbell curl Alternating rotating dumbbell curl Hammer curl The Zottmann curl gives a stronger focus to fore-arm training compared to the traditional curl.

4 Waist

4.2 Lower back 7

4.1 Abdominals

Crunch

Main article Abdominal exercise

The crunch is performed while lying face up on theoor with knees bent, by curling the shoulders uptowards the pelvis. This is an isolation exercise forthe abdominals.

Equipment: body weight, dumbbell or crunchmachine.

Major variants: reverse ~ (curling the pelvistowards the shoulders), twisting ~ or side ~(lifting one shoulder at a time; emphasis is onthe obliques), cable ~ (pulling down on a cablemachine while kneeling), sit-up ~ (have [chest]touch your knees), vertical crunch (proppingup to dangle legs and pulling knees to the [chest] or keeping legs straight and pulling uplegs to a 90 degree position). Reverse hangingcrunch (using gravity boots or slings to hanghead down and pulling to a 90 or 180 degreeform)

Seated leg raise

The leg raise is performed while sitting on a benchor at on the oor by raising the knees towards theshoulders, or legs to a vertical upright position. Thisis a compound exercise that also involves the hipexors.

Equipment: body weight or dumbbell. Major variants: hanging ~ (hanging from ahigh bar), side ~ (lying on side), knee raise (ly-ing on back, drawing knees to chest).

TheRussian Twist is a type of exercise that is used towork the abdomenmuscles by performing a twistingmotion on the abdomen. This exercise is performedsitting on the oor with knees bent like in a sit-upposition with the back typically kept o the oor atan angle of 45. In this position, the extended armsare swung from one side to another in a twisting mo-tion with or without weight.

Equipment: body weight, kettlebell, medicineball, or dumbbell.

Major variants: back kept o the oor at 45angle, back rested on exercise ball, feet restingon the oor, anchored or kept o the oor.

4.2 Lower back4.2.1 Back extension

Back extension on a Roman chair

The back extension is performed while lying face downpartway along a at or angled bench, so that the hips aresupported and the heels secured, by bending down at thewaist and then straightening up again. This is a compoundexercise that also involves the glutes.

Equipment Body weight, dumbbell or back extensionmachine.

Major variants Without bench (lying face down on theoor).

4.2.2 Deadlift

The deadlift is a very eective compound exercise forstrengthening the lower back, but also exercises manyother major muscle groups, including quads, hamstrings

8 5 REFERENCES

and abdominals. It is a challenging exercise, as poor formor execution can cause serious injury.[9] A deadlift is per-formed by grasping a dead weight on the oor and, whilekeeping the back very straight, standing up by contractingthe erector spinae (primary lower back muscle). Whenperformed correctly the role of the arms in the deadliftis only that of cables attaching the weight to the body;the musculature of the arms should not be used to lift theweight. There is no movement more basic to everydaylife than picking a dead weight up o of the oor, and forthis reason focusing on improving ones deadlift will helpprevent back injuries.

4.2.3 Good-morning

The Good-morning is a weight training exercise in whicha barbell, two dumbbells, or no weight at all is held onthe shoulders, behind the head. The person bends for-ward and bows at the hips and recovers to upright. Thegood-morning is so called because the movement resem-bles bowing to greet someone. It involves the hamstringsbut is primarily used to strengthen the lower back; thedegree of knee bend used will change the focus nearlystraight-legged involving the hamstrings most.

5 References[1] Johnson-Cane, Deidre; Cane, Jonathan; Glickman, Joe

(2000). The Complete Idiots Guide to Weight Training.Indianapolis: Alpha Books. p. 169. ISBN 0-7865-4251-9.

[2] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 170

[3] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 173.

[4] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 175.

[5] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 177.

[6] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 179.

[7] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 180.

[8] http://pullupbar-chinupbar.com/equipment/types-of-pull-up-bars/

[9] Johnson-Cane et al., p. 187

96 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses6.1 Text

List of weight training exercises Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%20of%20weight%20training%20exercises?oldid=661694458 Contributors: Arvindn, William Avery, Michael Hardy, Ronz, Darkwind, Nikai, Finlay McWalter, Hankwang, Matt Crypto,OverlordQ, Abdull, Rich Farmbrough, Billymac00, BrokenSegue, Cmdrjameson, Physicistjedi, GeorgeStepanek, Wtmitchell, StephanLeeds, MrVibrating, Woohookitty, Mandarax, Bgwhite, Grafen, Frogular, Muu-karhu, EverettColdwell, Sandstein, GraemeL, Drasstic,SmackBot, Heathert, Od Mishehu, Ohnoitsjamie, Chris the speller, Yankees76, Deli nk, OrphanBot, Pissant, MikeWall, Mikewall, Kuru,Dave3141592, Foede, Stwalkerster, Beetstra, Iridescent, Amakuru, DeusAllatus, Halbared, Yaris678, Gogo Dodo, Entropicraven, Tawker-bot4, Omicronpersei8, Arb, Epbr123, Figgie123, Mojo Hand, West Brom 4ever, Aericanwizard, Dfrg.msc, The Fat Man Who NeverCame Back, AntiVandalBot, MER-C, PhilKnight, Magioladitis, VoABot II, Adrian J. Hunter, WLU, Scottalter, Jackson Peebles, Mar-tinBot, Kiore, CFCF, Trusilver, Sallypursell, Prasannavigneshr, Cireshoe, Philip Trueman, AllPurposeGamer, Vipinhari, Deekayfry, In-sanity Incarnate, Iceman111111, Steven Zhang, Fullobeans, ClueBot, CounterVandalismBot, Excirial, S1ammage, PixelBot, Aitias, Blink-ingBlimey, Physicaltnet, Pichpich, Rror, SilvonenBot, Osarius, Addbot, AkhtaBot, Mohamed Ouda, Tide rolls, Rmogul, Arbitrarily0,Martothir, Yobot, Eric-Wester, Ripper404, AnomieBOT, DemocraticLuntz, Materialscientist, GB fan, LilHelpa, Faisalee, Samwb123, Ja-cobs99, Listor1989, Heathermaus, DrilBot, Momergil, Hoo man, Fama Clamosa, Waso99, 8newsky, EmausBot, Rockin291, Kalell1983,Wikipelli, 1234r00t, Honeydoilookfat, SporkBot, Coretnessabs, Traintogain, EdoBot, DASHBotAV, ClueBot NG, The Master of May-hem, Axis of eran, Widr, CarpalTunnelEx, BrazucaNY, Halcyon209, Kevinpmcgowan, Tlpierce, TylerDurden8823, Mfwnoface, Skyfoxy-delta, Tentinator, Nsteel, Luke Laupheimer, Jgcastor, Monkbot, Pullupbarguide and Anonymous: 183

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10 6 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

6.3 Content license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

OverviewLower bodyQuadriceps (front of thigh)SquatLeg pressDeadliftLeg extensionWall Sit

Hamstrings (back of legs)Leg curlSnatch

CalvesStanding calf raiseSeated calf raise

Hips

Upper bodyPectorals (chest)Lats (Upper back)Deltoids (shoulders)Triceps (back of arms)Biceps (front of arms)

WaistAbdominals Lower backBack extensionDeadliftGood-morning

ReferencesText and image sources, contributors, and licensesTextImagesContent license