The 15 best muscle building exercises

The key to successful muscle development is combining strength training with a protein-rich diet. In order for the muscles to grow, they must be trained regularly until exhaustion and pushed by constantly renewed training stimulations. If you want to have more theoretical knowledge, also read the following content: Hypertrophy: how muscle development really works. In this guide, we’ll show you the top 15 exercises you can use to optimally train all muscle groups.

Of course, if you want to be in good shape, it’s not enough to train. Diet is just as important. To build muscle, you need to consume enough nutrients. For example, our Whey Protein is a great post-workout shake that gives your body everything it needs.*

Here are our top 15 muscle building exercises you can do both in the gym and at home:

Deadlifts

Deadlifts, also known as deadlifts, are one of the most important core exercises in bodybuilding. They are very effective because they train the whole body. You can do this with a barbell or simple dumbbells. When you are at home, a high resistance band is also suitable. There are different variations of the exercise, which use different parts of your thigh and gluteal muscles: the deadlift with the legs slightly apart is called the Romanian deadlift. If the legs are wide apart, it’s called a sumo deadlift.

Muscles: thighs, buttocks, lower back, trunk

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Advice: legs slightly bent, back straight, buttocks pushed back during the descent

Squats

Squats are also part of the basic full body exercises. In the gym, it is best to train with a barbell in a power rack. In the beginning, make sure a trainer shows you how. At home, you can also use dumbbells or simply perform the exercise with your own body weight.

Muscles: thighs, glutes, core

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Advice: keep your back straight and your knees at ankle level, squat as low as possible

Don’t like to do squats? Here are 7 effective alternatives to the squat!

Bench press (bench press)

Another important basic exercise is the bench press. Here, the focus is on the upper body muscles, especially the pecs. But the trunk also has to work hard. Use a barbell or two single dumbbells. Ideally, do the exercise on a weight bench. Alternatively, you can also do your bench press while lying on the floor.

Muscles: chest, arms, trunk

Breathing: inhale on the way up, exhale on the way down

Tip: firmly press the feet, buttocks and shoulders into the ground, contract the belly

When it comes to muscle building, our Creatine Capsules are a great support. They can increase your physical performance during intensive training** and thus help you get the most out of your strength training.

Pull Ups

When it comes to strength training, pull-ups are one of the most effective and demanding exercises. They work your body from head to toe, not just your arms! Only by establishing full tension will you be able to pull your body up on your own. If you can’t do pull-ups yet, read on here: 6 exercises to prepare for pull-ups

Muscles: arms, upper back, trunk

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Tip: always start in a fully suspended position, stretching your stomach and buttocks

Overhead Press (shoulder presses)

The ultimate exercise for a beautiful V-shaped back is the shoulder press. Again, you can choose between a barbell or single dumbbells. At home, a resistance band is suitable. The good thing about exercise is that you also train your chocolate bars!

Muscles: shoulders, arms, upper back, core

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Advice: keep your shoulder blades still and your back straight, contract your stomach

Rowing

Rowing is a great exercise for the back muscles that also works the arms. Practicing it with a barbell is just as effective as with simple dumbbells. You can just as well train on a cable pull rowing machine. If you don’t have the proper weights handy, use a resistance band.

Muscles: back, arms, trunk

Breathing: inhale while releasing, exhale while pulling

Advice: keep your shoulder blades still and your back straight, contract your stomach

Lunges (lunges)

Among leg exercises, lunges are a classic. Similar to squats, they also train your mid-body, so they’re a great whole-body exercise. The big advantage of lunges over squats is that you work unilaterally, one side at a time. This challenges your core muscles even more and trains your balance. You can perform the exercise with just your body weight or, for more intensity, use a barbell or two single dumbbells.

Muscles: thighs, trunk

Breathing: inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up

Tip: front knee is at ankle level, keep upper body straight

Curtsy Lunges (cross lunges)

The Curtsy Lunge (cross lunges) are a high-performance variation of the classic lunge. The focus is more on the outside of the legs and buttocks. The trunk must also work with this unilateral exercise, which is perfect for having strong abdominal muscles. For this extra challenge, bring two dumbbells!

Muscles: thighs, buttocks, trunk

Breathing: inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up

Tip: Front knee is at ankle level, briefly touch back knee to floor at side of front heel keeping upper body straight

A good recovery plays a decisive role in the development of your muscles! Provide your body with the essential minerals it needs, like those found in our Recovery Aminos.

Donkey Kicks

Donkey Kicks are the ultimate kick in the ass. This targeted buttock exercise works the entire back. For more intensity, attach a looped resistance band above your knees.

Muscles: back of the thighs, buttocks, lower back

Breathing: inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up

Tip: bend your feet and push your heels towards the ceiling while sheathing your stomach, without rounding your back.

Glute Bridge (small bridge)

The Glute Bridge is another classic exercise for working the lower body. You effectively train the back of the thighs and buttocks with this exercise. To go further than the variant with your own body weight, you can put one or two dumbbells on your pelvis.

Muscles: back of the thighs, buttocks, lower back

Breathing: inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up

Tip: push your buttocks up and keep them in the air as you come back down, while keeping your shoulders and heels on the ground

Chair

The chair is another very effective exercise for working the entire thighs and glutes. Start with your own body weight. If that’s not difficult enough for you, add a dumbbell that you place on your thighs or hold in front of your upper body.

Muscles: thighs, buttocks, calves

Breathing: inhale and exhale continuously

Tip: keep your back straight against the wall, press your heels firmly on the ground, bend your knees over your ankles to form a 90 degree angle with your legs.

Bicep Curls

If you want to specifically define certain muscles or work on increasing your muscle size, isolation exercises are a useful addition to your strength training. Be sure to include Biceps Curls, the most popular exercise for strong arms, in your program.

Muscles: arms, trunk

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Advice: keep your shoulder blades still and your elbows very close to your waist, your back straight, contract your stomach

Trizeps Dips

If Biceps Curls were included, Trizeps Dips should be included as well. This isolation exercise is also an essential part of an effective arm workout. Here you specifically target the underside of your arms. To sum up: make sure you have firm arms!

Muscles: arms, upper back, trunk

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Advice: keep your shoulder blades still, your elbows pointing backwards, your back straight, contract your stomach

Crunches

With almost all strength exercises, you also automatically train your middle body. Still, it can’t hurt to put more strain on your abdominal muscles. Crunches are a particularly effective core exercise.

Muscles: stomach

Breathing: inhale while descending, exhale while ascending

Tip: press lower back to floor, keep shoulder blades still and chin against chest

Board

The plank, also called arm press or forearm press, is an exercise that is the perfect end to any strength training, because it is one of the exercises that work the entire body intensely. You can do this on the palms of the hands or on the forearms. And if you feel like going the distance, try the Rock Plank variation and shift your body weight forward and then back with control.

Muscles: belly, back, shoulders, buttocks

Breathing: inhale and exhale continuously

Advice: place the elbows or the palms of the hands at shoulder level, contract the abdomen and the buttocks, the body is in a straight line, move the heels away from the body