Top 10 Exercises To Build Your Program

After ranking my top 10 foods that you should be eating, I thought it would be beneficial to put together another top 10 list, this time with exercises. If you can incorporate these 10 exercises with the 10 foods I recommended, you will be well on your way to achieving better health. These exercises are based on multiple factors that include versatility (variations for progression or regression), compound movements (how many muscles are used in the exercise), and difficulty (is this exercise hard to execute or keep proper form). These are the exercises I use with my clients the most, some of them are an every session occurrence. Overall these are the best exercises for your body.

10. Arnold Press

If an exercise is named after Arnold Schwarzeneggerr, it deserves consideration in any ranking, and starts off my list. As I was compiling my list, the big thing I noticed was the lack of upper body exercises. It goes to show that most arm exercises are limited in compound movements and have high occurrences of improper form. When starting with a new client, I generally go heavy on core and lower body exercises first. This isn’t to say that upper is unimportant and should be ignored, but I would focus on having a higher ratio of core and lower body exercises in my workout. With that said, I need an obligatory arm exercise, so if I had to go with one to do frequently, it would be the Arnold Press. The Arnold Press, while similar to a shoulder press, is a better alternative because it recruits the full group of deltoid muscles. (posterior, anterior, and medial). Instead of simply raising the dumbbells above your head, the added mini-fly motion will hit muscles you would normally miss, which will result in stronger and more stabilized shoulders. The exercise can be done while seated or standing; choose the standing variation to strengthen back muscles and seated if you want to focus on maximum shoulder strength. For an advanced move, I like to add some bicep action in and use a curl-to-Arnold Press variation.

Muscles: Deltoids, Trapezius, Triceps, Serratus Anterior

Progression: Curl to Arnold Press

9. Rows

Row, row, row, and row some more! This upper body exercise has so many variations that you will never run out of ways to row. You can use a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, or a TRX. Rows are a classic “pull” exercise that primarily focus on strengthening the back (latissimus dorsi) and also work your arms and stabilize the core. The key for the row is to make sure you are always ONLY using your arms to pull, NOT BODY, and keep the back straight. Don’t slump the shoulders when pulling. A mistake that people make is on the eccentric (release), they let the weight pull their arms forward. There should always be a slow and controlled release. With so many variations to choose from, I recommend alternating between 2 or 3 that you really like. Personally, I go with the TRX Row, Kneeling Kettlebell Row, and Seated Row. Definitely start with a light weight (8-12 reps) because form can be hard to keep with this exercise.

Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Biceps Brachii

Progression: Inverted Row

8. Glute Bridge/Hip Thrusts

Ahh, the ultimate booty builder, but (no pun intended) this exercise serves a greater function. As i’ve said before, the glutes (along with core muscles) are the most important and underdeveloped muscles, so everyone should be doing this exercise regardless of if you want to improve the look of your butt. Strong glutes are important because they help support the lower back and core, leading to decreased chances of imbalances and poor posture. With so many people dealing with lower back pain, strong glutes are critical. The hip trust can be done with a barbell, resistance bands, plates, or using the glute drive machine. When thrusting, you want to make sure that you don’t overextend your hips, but also make sure you don’t under-extend to make the exercise less effective. There is a sweet spot that lands between your hips being parallel to the knees or slightly above the knees at the peak of the movement. Many people will try to use too much power in the movement and go beyond this point, which then can hurt the lower back. This is one exercise where you want to focus on going heavy (75-95% max) with low reps (3-6), once you have the correct form down.

Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Quadriceps, Hamstrings.

Progression: Barbell Hip Thrust

7. Farmers Walk

Maybe the most simple yet effective exercise there is. It also is the most practical. Every time you carry groceries in, you utilize the farmer’s walk. Doing this exercise won’t make you look cool or advanced (which is why it’s under-utilized in the gym), but I guarantee it will get you results fast. If you have a slim or petite frame, you should be doing the farmer’s walk almost every session. The reason for this is it has the greatest bang for your buck. It’s a complete full body exercise and there isn’t a muscle that it doesn’t engage. The key with this exercise is to stand and walk with a straight posture (no slumping shoulders, no pelvic tilt). On the pick-up and put-down, you want to keep a motion similar to deadlift. Once again, this is another exercise where you should go heavy and focus on reaching a max (75-95%). You should aim to carry a minimum of 30-50ft and do 6 carries.

Muscles: Deltoids, Trapezius, Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads.

Progression: Inverted Kettlebell Carry

6. Pallof Press

This is the very first exercise I start off with for most new clients. The pallof press is the ultimate stabilizer movement, with the purpose being to keep the core and legs still and engaged during the pressing movement. You must use your core, glutes, and shoulders to keep the resistance from pulling you towards the anchor. During the press, make sure you are pressing in a straight line-straight ahead in the center of the chest in a controlled and slow motion. The resistance should be enough that you feel you are being pulled, but not enough that you can’t press in the correct manner. Use a wide stance (a little more than hip-width) and lock your glutes and core during the movement. You want to try for medium resistance (65-75% of max) and repetition (3 sets of 12-16 reps). Once you master the pallof press at a high resistance (85-95%), there are lots of progressions to make including the overhead and kneeling pallof press.

Muscles: Obliques, Erector Spinae, Glutes, Deltoids.

Progression: Overhead Pallof Press, Kneeling Pallof Press

5. Mountain Climbers

An exercise that builds both core muscles and endurance, mountain climbers are a great calorie killer and ab builder. I love using mountain climbers as a way to begin a workout to get the body warm and core engaged for the remainder of the workout. There are two starting positions for this exercise, a plank position on the forearms or a push-up position on the hands. The plank position will be more difficult and typically used for slow pace climbers while the push-up position is better for easier but high-intensity climbers. Depending on how strong your core is and if you prefer more cardio will decide which form you should choose. On either form, you need to make sure you have a neutral spine and leveled hips. The biggest fault most people make is elevating the hips (butt in the air) when climbing. Make sure that you are fully driving the knees in and extending the legs back to the start position during the motion (no half climbers) for full benefits. You want to aim for failure when doing mountain climbers, which means to do as many as possible until you run of strength and/or endurance (try for 3 sets of failure).

Muscles: Rectus Abdominis, Quads, Glutes, Deltoids

Progression: Twisting Climbers

4. Deadlift

Many fitness professionals argue that the deadlift is king, meaning it would be #1 on their list. It is hard to argue with all the benefits of this compound movement. The deadlift primarily works the hamstrings and glutes, two of the most inactive and important muscles. This would be great in itself, but its ability to strongly work secondary muscles in the back, core, and shoulders is what separates the deadlift from other exercises. The one major downside and why I put it at #4 is because it is also a very risky exercise that can easily cause injury if it is not done properly (especially to the back). The key to avoiding injury is the placement of the weight and keeping the back straight and shoulders locked. You want to hinge at the hips, with a slight bend in the knees, your butt should stick out and pull up through your hamstrings. I suggest starting using a kettlebell or hex-bar to minimize injury risk. Start with 3 sets of low weight (50-65%) and medium reps (8-12) and work up your weight with lower reps once you have the form mastered.

Muscles: Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae, Traps, Lats.

Progression: Barbell Deadlift

3. Push Up

The most famous and traditional exercise there is, you know, the one you have been doing since elementary school. The base exercise used to build a stronger upper body is and will always be the push up. There is something that just feels great about being able to push your entire body weight up. The push up mainly targets the chest muscles (pectorals) while also recruiting your deltoids, triceps, and biceps, in addition to putting your abs to work for stabilization. You may not be able to start with a complete push up and will need to start on your knees or at a standing incline using a bar, box, or TRX. No matter what variation you start with, you always want to make sure you are getting the full ROM (range of motion). Simplistically, this means all the way down, all the way up. Make sure your body stays in a straight line and you aren’t sagging your hips. Your arms should stay at shoulder height with your head and neck straight. This is an exercise where you want to rep to failure or until you feel your form is deteriorating. With so many variations and progressions, the push up should live on forever in your workouts.

2. Plank

Another classic exercise that is very simple to perform but also very excruciating to endure. The plank is the baseline to gauge how strong your core is. If you can plank for 2+ minutes, you can assume you have a pretty solid core. If you only last for say only 20 seconds, you definitely need some work. For the plank, the biggest fault is having the lower back fall in. This often occurs during the plank as you begin to lose core strength, so watch your form for the duration. Another common mistake is starting with the hips raised (butt in the air) as this makes the plank easier. You also want to make sure you keep the hands/forearms straight and keep them from turning inwards. You should attempt to raise your plank time by small increments each session and slowly build up. I suggest either doing 1 set with your max time or doing 3 sets if your time is very short. Try to mix in some side planks as well to work the obliques.

Muscles: Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Erector Spinae, Deltoids.

Progression: Stability Plank, One-legged Plank

1. Squat

And here we are, finally at the top exercise you need to be doing. The squat, a fundamental movement needed in daily life that can be used to torch lower body muscles. The squat is a compound movement that strengthens the entire lower body while also stabilizing the core, back, and upper body. When doing fitness assessments, the squat is often used as the main exercise to gauge where a person is functionally. The squat form can tell a lot about a person and the muscle imbalances that they do or don’t have. The important pattern to look for is to make sure your knees and feet are straight (they often turn in or out) and you are not leaning forward on the descent. If these are happening it more than likely means you have tight muscles that need to be stretched and rolled. The ideal ROM is to get your butt as low to the floor as possible. I first like to start clients with bodyweight squats and then move to kettlebell squats once the form is ideal. Going straight to high weight barbell squats can cause knee issues. Start low to medium weight (60-75%) with high reps (12-16) for 3 sets. Once you feel like your range and strength is optimal, then go for high weight (85-95%) and low reps (4-8). The squat can be hard to master and having someone check your form is critical to success.

Muscles: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae, Rectus Abdomonis.

Progression: Barbell Front Squat

There you have it, my top 10 exercises you should be incorporating into your workout plan. These 10 should be done at least weekly and multiple times if possible. If you incorporate these 10 exercises with my top 10 foods, you should begin to see tremendous results. Now this is just a starting point and are not the only exercises you should be doing. If you want a custom workout plan that will surely incorporate these exercises, please send us a message for a consultation.