Nutrition

Basic exercises: learning the right technique. Basic exercises in bodybuilding: a list of 5 basic exercises

In bodybuilding, all exercises are divided into basic and isolating. The first just form the basis of this sport. Basic exercises are designed to help gain muscle mass by shocking the muscles.

The difference between basic and isolating exercises is that when performing basic exercises, several muscles or their groups work at once, as well as stabilizing muscles.

It is with the basic exercises that you should start training. When you first visit the gym, you should not do isolation exercises, because first you need to develop the body as a whole. For maximum effect in the future, it is recommended to include isolating exercises, but still do not forget about the basic ones.

The concepts of "basic exercise" and "heavy weight" are very closely related, which is one of the key points in bodybuilding.

For example, if you want to pump up the biceps, it is not enough to do exercises exclusively for the biceps. Biceps can and will increase in volume and acquire some relief. But real mass cannot be obtained in this way. The basic exercises include, for example, barbells for standing biceps, but even this will not give a sufficient impetus to produce the necessary hormones and for growth. And if you do squats, then such a push will happen. From the produced testosterone, not only the legs will grow, but also the rest of the muscles, including the biceps.

Also, due to the fact that several muscles are involved in basic exercises during loads, you can work with more weight, which again gives impetus to growth. The body has the ability to adapt to external conditions, including physical stress. Therefore, only basic exercises, their correct implementation and building up working weights, can provide muscle mass.

So, let's look at the list of basic exercises.

Basic chest exercises

Bench press

The bench press is a basic free weight exercise. To perform it, they lie down on a bench, lower the bar of the bar until it touches the chest, and then raise it until the elbow joint is fully extended. The grip should be wide enough, more than shoulder width. In bodybuilding, the bench press is used as an exercise to develop the muscles of the chest, triceps, and also the anterior delta bundle.

Incline Bench Press

The bench press on an incline bench allows you to work out the upper sections of the chest muscles (if performed in the “head over legs” position) or their lower sections (in the head-down position).

Dumbbell press

With the dumbbell press, the bottom point of the movement is much lower than with the barbell press, which allows you to perfectly work out the pectoral muscles. In addition, you can change the trajectory of movement, squeeze parallel dumbbells, bring them together at the top point, which involves new muscle bundles and has a slightly different effect on them.

Breeding dumbbells

Due to the fact that the lying dumbbell breeding involves the same muscles as the bench press, the load is focused on the inner edge and middle of the pectoralis major muscle. In this case, the chest is given a convex shape, a clear separation between its muscles is achieved. The layout is also done to improve the relief of the pectoral muscles. Performing this exercise, you can improve your results in wrestling, tennis, boxing, gymnastics, acrobatics, basketball, badminton.

Pullover

This auxiliary exercise is aimed primarily at strengthening the pectoral muscles, the latissimus dorsi and, indirectly, the triceps. Pullover is usually performed as an additional exercise when working on the pectoral muscles.

Basic back exercises

Pull-ups

Deadlift

As a complex movement, almost all muscles are involved in the deadlift: either to stabilize the position or to lift the weight. This exercise is used to increase the strength and mass of the muscles of the legs, back, and indeed the whole body.

Bent over row

Regularly performing this exercise, you can develop the latissimus dorsi, large round muscles, as well as influence a number of others, which will allow you to achieve a visual and actual thickening of the back. This exercise is used as an addition to various deadlift variations in order to fully work out the back muscles.

Block pull behind the head

This exercise allows you to create an aesthetic V-shaped torso. In this case, the hands should not go back, but move strictly in the plane of the body. The grip should not be wide, optimally when at the bottom point the forearm is perpendicular to the crossbar. The back should bend, and the legs should be in focus.

Basic leg exercises

Deadlift

already described above

Squats

Squatting with a barbell primarily involves the quadriceps, synergists (helping in movement) in this case are the gluteal muscles, soleus muscles, along with the adductors of the thigh. The calf and thigh muscles act as stabilizers. The back extensors, abdominal muscles and others also work.

Rise on socks

Exercise perfectly develops the calf muscles. You can perform both sitting and standing. To achieve the best result, it is reasonable to combine both options.

Basic hand exercises

Push-ups on the uneven bars

Performing this exercise requires very simple equipment - bars. You can find them in almost any yard, not to mention gyms. For the development of the triceps and pectoral muscles, this is perhaps the best exercise. This also applies to a large number of auxiliary muscles located in the shoulder girdle. Push-ups allow you to qualitatively work out the triceps and chest, but the degree of load depends on the position of the hands.

french press

In order to increase the strength and volume of the triceps, apply the French press. It affects all bundles of the triceps, especially the upper and long ones. It also allows you to visually increase the volume of the hand.

Close Grip Press

To develop the upper part of the triceps and increase its strength and volume, it is worth using a bench press with a narrow grip. At the same time, despite the largest working weight compared to other triceps exercises, this exercise is used, as a rule, as an addition to pumping the triceps. The reason is simple: in addition to the triceps, the front bundle of the delta and the top of the pectoral muscles work. Another advantage of the close grip press is that you can work out the shape of the triceps very well. When this muscle goes into failure, and the performer continues the exercise with the help of the anterior deltoids and chest muscles, it is these repetitions that allow for excellent grinding of the triceps.

Barbell curl for biceps

With this basic exercise, you can increase the strength and build mass of the biceps. The load is distributed evenly over both bundles of the biceps, the muscles of the inner surface of the forearm and the shoulder muscle.

If you change the width of the grip, you can shift the load on different bundles of biceps. The narrower the grip, the more the internal beams work. And vice versa.

Lifting dumbbells for biceps

In order to develop the biceps of the shoulder and forearm, lifting dumbbells to the biceps is used. The exercise involves turning the hands outward during lifting. This allows you to achieve maximum contraction of the biceps and synergistic muscles. For training the biceps, this exercise is considered one of the best, since turning the palm while bending the elbow adds efficiency.

Basic shoulder exercises

Press from behind the head

This basic exercise is used by most bodybuilders to develop the shoulder girdle. It perfectly loads the middle and anterior deltoid muscles, as well as the upper part of the trapezius muscles.

Standing press

For the development of triceps and muscles of the shoulder girdle, it is recommended to perform a dumbbell or barbell press overhead in a standing position. Here, the main load falls on the deltoid muscles with the main emphasis on the anterior section, as well as on the triceps.

Breeding dumbbells in an incline

With the help of this exercise, the rear deltas, the rotator cuff muscles and the trapezius muscle are pumped. Incline dumbbell raises are best for developing the shape and definition of the deltoid muscles.

Pull to the chin

The exercise is suitable for working out the middle deltas, top and middle of the trapezoid. Also, the pull to the chin separates the trapezius from the deltas, allowing you to draw and hone the shape of the trapezius muscles, as well as draw a clear line between the deltas and the trapezoid.

Shrugs

Scars are used to develop the trapezius muscle. The exercise is quite simple: holding the weight in straight arms, lowered along the body, the shoulders are raised as high as possible, after which the shoulders fall back without bending the arm at the elbow. Shrags are usually performed with kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells or on a special simulator. The bar can be positioned both in front of the hips and behind the body.

Basic exercises for the press

I'll just give you a list:

Twisting

Reverse crunches

Hanging leg raises

Oblique twists

Conclusion

A distinctive feature of basic exercises is that several muscles or their groups are involved in the work. Thanks to this, the athlete gets the opportunity to work with large weights, which is a powerful impetus for muscle growth. Performing basic exercises for someone who wants to achieve a significant result is a must.

Basic barbell exercises

Despite the fact that there are a huge number of exercises in bodybuilding, only a few of them are basic, and all the rest are secondary. In order to train effectively and make the muscles grow, you must first learn the technique of these particular basic exercises.

The key difference between basic exercises is that they load all the major muscle groups of the body at once - as opposed to isolating exercises that work only one muscle group (for example, the biceps). In addition, basic exercises are always performed with a barbell.

Testosterone and basic exercises

Scientific studies show that the more different muscle groups involved in a given exercise at the same time, the more that exercise affects the body's production of testosterone and other anabolic hormones that the body needs for muscle growth (1).

In other words, if you want to gain muscle mass, you must approach body training in a complex way, and not just “pump biceps” or “pump chest”. A beginner who has learned to perform basic exercises correctly is able to increase body weight by 5-7 kg in the first months of training.

The most important exercises

When performing multi-joint basic exercises with heavy weight, the entire body of the athlete is subjected to a load. In addition to the muscles of the arms, body and legs, the respiratory and even the central nervous system are included in the work - this is what provides a significant hormonal response.

It should be noted that the greatest efficiency of muscle growth is achieved with heavy strength training and a low number of repetitions of exercises - no more than 5-7 repetitions. In turn, this requires the use of large working weights and perfect adherence to technique.

List of basic exercises

Basic exercises are five multi-joint exercises performed with a barbell: bench press, standing barbell press, barbell squat, bent over row and deadlift. It is these exercises that most strongly affect muscle growth and increase the hormonal background of the body.

At the same time, most of the secondary exercises performed with dumbbells or in simulators are variations of the basic exercises. For example, a seated dumbbell press or a shoulder press in a simulator is a modified standing barbell press. Exactly like the bench press is, in fact, a variation of push-ups.

Deadlift

Deadlift is the number one basic exercise for the muscles of the body. If you only do it and give up any others, you will still see the result in the form of mass gain, since it is the deadlift that involves the maximum number of muscles in the work.

In order to learn how to perform the deadlift correctly, it is recommended to start with minimal weights on the bar and using a stand - lifting the weight "from the ground" breaks the technique, not allowing you to keep your hips tense and your back perfectly straight.

Squats

Barbell squats are a basic exercise for developing leg muscles, from the glutes and quadriceps of the thigh to the calves. With the correct execution technique, the spine and abdominal muscles are also included in the work, forming a steel press.

Learning the correct squat technique is recommended in a special frame that allows you to squat with a small weight, but with an emphasis on the full feeling of the muscles working. You should start the movement by pushing your buttocks up, while straightening your knees and not thinking about the muscles of the legs.

Bench press

The bench press is a key exercise for developing the muscles of the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscles. Depending on the angle of the bench and the width of the arms on the bar, it is possible to include various bundles of the pectoral muscle in the work.

In order to learn how to perform a bench press correctly, you must first learn how to do push-ups correctly. Perform push-ups from the bench, focusing on the fact that the movement is made by the power of the pectoral muscles. The press must be constantly tense.

Rod pull to the belt

The pull of the bar to the belt is a basic exercise for developing the muscles of the back and giving it a visual width. When performed correctly, the deltas, pectoral muscles, forearms and numerous muscles of the hand holders are also included in the work.

It is recommended to start learning how to perform a barbell row in an incline with a block pull to the belt while sitting in the simulator. First, you pull the weight to your knees, then almost to your chest, while bringing your shoulder blades together. It is in the phase of pulling the weight to the chest that you should feel the tension of the latissimus dorsi.

Standing barbell press

The standing barbell press (also called the "military press") develops the shoulder girdle, deltoid muscles, arms, improves posture and strengthens the muscles of the abdominal press. It is this basic exercise that forms the classic athletic figure with broad shoulders.

It is recommended to start training in the standing barbell press with a standing dumbbell press, paying special attention to ensuring that the weight moves exclusively vertically, and the body is statically tense. Remember also that a lot of weight can be traumatic for the joints.

Benefits of basic exercises

Muscle growth and fat burning at the same time. Basic exercises require an increased consumption of nutrients from the body. During the training itself, glycogen is actively used, and after the end of the training, recovery processes are launched that burn fat.

Increased appetite. Due to the acceleration of metabolism, the desire to consume food increases significantly. This is especially important for skinny ectomorphs who have problems gaining muscle mass due to a constant lack of appetite.

Increase testosterone and libido. Since testosterone is the main male sex hormone, its high level definitely increases attraction. The good news is that making love after strength training helps muscles grow faster.

Improving the symmetry of the muscles. Properly performed basic exercises have a positive effect on the symmetry of muscle development. As a result, not just pumped, but athletic and powerful physique is formed.

Strengthening the muscle-brain connection. Most beginners can't force a certain muscle with willpower, which indicates a weak connection between the brain and muscles. Performing heavy basic exercises can improve this connection, increasing the effectiveness of the training.

The most important for gaining muscle mass are basic exercises that increase testosterone levels through a complex effect on the body. Five such exercises are highlighted in the basic group: deadlift, squat, bench press, bench press, and traction to the belt.

Scientific sources:

Best Stimulators of Growth by Tom McCullough, MEd., source

Research ‘The Effects of Testosterone on Muscle Size’, source

Which can be used even with beginners. At the initial stage, the weight of your own body is quite enough for their implementation, and it is fundamentally important to master the correct technique. Complicating elements (additional resistance, weights, unstable platforms, etc.) need to be added after the technique is mastered, and the weight of one's own body becomes insufficient for further progress in the results.

1. Squats

The squat is a movement similar to sitting down on a low stool. The squat is one of the best exercises for the lower body. During the squat, the gluteal muscles, the muscles of the back of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles of the thigh, and the muscles of the lower leg work. It is important to perform it correctly in order to avoid too hard impact on the knees and back and avoid injuries.

The movement is driven by the hips, not the knees. It is necessary to keep the knees above the ankles, and the feet should be directed forward when bending the legs. Don't let your knees move forward of your toes. The entire foot should be kept on the floor, the weight of the body moving towards the heels so that the gluteal muscles perform the main action, and not the hip flexors and quadriceps femoris. It is necessary to actively contract the gluteal muscles and include the stabilizing muscles. The upper body should be stabilized with a slight natural curve in the lower back, with the shoulders dropped and turned back.

If your client's heels come off the floor while doing a squat, then the triceps calf muscle is most likely overstretched. To eliminate this tension, something should be placed under the heels (for example, pancakes from the bar - see photo), which will allow the heels to return to the support. To correct tense calf muscles, it is necessary to add stretching of these muscles to the training program.

2. Lunges

The lunge is an exaggerated form of walking. Lunges are also considered to be one of the best exercises for the lower body. When performing lunges, the main muscles of the lower limb, as well as the muscles of the pelvis, work. From the main stance, one leg is pushed forward about 30 centimeters, the knees are strongly bent and then unbent, lifting the body up, the legs return to the position together. The lunge can be performed forward or backward, and even performed in place if space is limited.

The ideal technique is one in which the upper torso is held vertically with the shoulders down and turned back. The feet should be parallel to each other, the knee of the "front" leg should not "go beyond" the toes. The pelvis should not turn, both anterior superior iliac spines should point forward (as if the iliac bones are the headlights on your car and you are driving straight ahead).

The mass of one's own body is sufficient for most people, lunges are quite load-bearing with the right technique and without additional weights. But at a subsequent, more advanced level, you can use additional weights in the arms / on the shoulders.

3. Push-ups

Push-ups are another fundamental functional exercise, which is based on the basic movement that is often found in everyday life - this is repulsion from something. Push-ups develop the pectoral muscles, the muscles of the arms, and the muscles that stabilize the lumbar spine.

Push-ups are a very popular exercise, but very few people understand the intricacies of its technique and perform it correctly. But this exercise is worth learning - it is extremely effective.

When doing push-ups in the classic version (hands are narrow on the floor), the elbows should be kept as close to the body as possible, push-ups should be strictly upwards, without completely straightening the elbows at the top point of the movement (and, moreover, without making a sharp movement of straightening at the end - which, to unfortunately, they do it very often, until “a click in the elbow joint). The whole body from head to toes should be absolutely straight - an imaginary straight line should pass through the ear, shoulder, thigh, knee and ankle. To prevent the middle part of the body from sagging to the floor, you need to tighten the stabilizing muscles, pull in the stomach.

Oddly enough, execution speed does not play a big role in achieving a training effect. It doesn't matter if you do 20 slow push-ups in a minute or 60, the result will be the same, provided that you perform it correctly.

Push-ups are distinguished by a huge number of possible options - both in the direction of complication and in the direction of relief. If push-ups with straight legs on the floor are too difficult, you can put your hands on a higher support to make it easier. For example, you can start push-ups against a wall (the easiest option), then from a lower stable surface (table, chair, etc.) until you can finally do push-ups from the floor. What you should not do is use kneeling push-ups, as in this version it is very difficult to feel the alignment of the whole body and the stabilizing muscles will not be sufficiently involved in the work. It is better to get used to push-ups with a completely straight body right away, let there be a higher support first. It can be gradually lowered as you get used to it.

You can also make push-ups more difficult in many ways. For example, you can put your feet on an elevation, or you can put your feet on a fitball (unstable support), which will cause a greater load on the muscles, which will additionally be involved in maintaining balance. To increase the load, you can also lift one leg or additionally raise the opposite arm, an even more difficult option is the same with the legs on the fitball.

4. Pull-ups

Pull-ups are an example of a series of pulling (or "pulling") movements that are the opposite of push-ups (push-ups). - a very effective exercise, it affects the muscles of the back, arms and muscles that stabilize the spine. In addition, it can be performed almost anywhere, you just need to find a crossbar or horizontal bar (if you wish, this is not difficult).

When pulling up, you need to ensure that the entire shoulder girdle is tense, the shoulders should be turned back and lowered down. And this position of the shoulders must be maintained at all stages of movement. This will reduce the possibility of injury, allow you to perform traction more comfortably and efficiently by tying the entire shoulder girdle together. The movement should be performed with full amplitude, but overstretching when extending the arms should be avoided.

The pull places high demands on the strength of the upper body, so not everyone can perform this movement on their own and correctly even once at the initial stage. This is especially true for women. Therefore, you need to specifically learn to pull yourself up.

It is better not to use special simulators for this, in which assistance is provided by supporting the knees on the platform. The problem is that in this version the lower body is in a relaxed state, not allowing the simultaneous manifestation of the total strength of all the constituent parts of the body, called functional strength. (Similar to push-ups, which should not be done on your knees, but rather start with a higher support but keep your legs straight.)

Instead, it is better to use the help of a support partner from below, as shown in the photo, or, if there is no one to help, it is better to put something on which you can press with your toes to facilitate the exercise.

Particular attention should be paid to the performance of the inferior part of the movement - lowering down. (also called eccentric - negative phase of movement). You need to go down slowly. It seems less difficult than pulling up quickly over and over again, but it requires constant muscle tension, which develops proper technique and makes the execution more and more free and easy.

For greater participation in the movement of the biceps (biceps of the shoulder), the hands must be turned so that the palms are directed towards the face (grip from below). This position of the hands will allow you to distribute a large load on the biceps and chest muscles while simultaneously tensing the whole body.

In any embodiment, the legs and the whole body should be stretched and tense: the body should not dangle and sway, there should not be a “bouncing” movement - this is how it looks when they try to compensate for the lack of strength with inertia from body swaying.

Incorrectly strenuously pulling the neck and chin to reach the crossbar - this may cause pain in the neck and shoulders. It is necessary to ensure that the movement is performed due to the strength of the muscles of the arms and shoulder girdle.

5. Rotations

Rotations are movements that we constantly do in life, turning the torso. Rotational movements should definitely be included in functional training in order to reduce the chance of back injury during torso rotations. Almost all the so-called "lumbago" of the back occur at the moment of combining some kind of effort (lifting something) with a turn of the torso. Even the elementary movement of getting out of the car sometimes ends with “grabbing the back”: one leg is on the ground, the other is still in the car, the body is still bent at the hip joint, and the movement from the car to the side-up is accompanied by a slight twisting - in the absence of functional connections in body with such a movement, you can get a back injury.

There are a lot of rotational exercises. Here we will analyze only one, the basic one. This exercise is associated with resistance to twisting of the spine, it allows you to improve the strength and stability of the deep muscles of the stabilizers.

Attach a rubber band to a fixed object at waist height, such as a door handle. Grasp the rubber band with both hands and slowly stretch it, turning the torso without simultaneously rotating the pelvis (the pelvis remains motionless!), The muscles that stabilize the lumbar spine should be constantly tensed. Control the vertical position of the body. Then turn to the other side, standing with the other side to the place where the rubber is fixed.

These are just 5 of the most basic functional exercises that can be used with clients of any fitness level, choosing the right variation, degree of difficulty, number of repetitions and combination with other types of training during the training period.

In bodybuilding, there are countless different strength exercises with barbells, dumbbells and machines - however, only a few of them are basic, and all the rest are secondary. In order to train effectively and, it is necessary first of all to study the technique of these particular basic exercises.

The key difference between basic strength exercises is that they are multi-joint and load all the major muscle groups of the body at once - as opposed to isolating ones that work only one muscle group (for example, biceps or abs). In addition, basic exercises are most often performed with a barbell.

Basic barbell exercises

Scientific studies show that the more different muscle groups simultaneously involved in a particular strength exercise, the more that exercise affects the body's production of growth hormone, and other anabolic hormones that the body needs for muscle growth and mass gain (1) .

In other words, if you really want to gain muscle mass, you should approach training your body in a complex way, and not just “pump biceps” or “pump chest”. A beginner who has learned to perform basic exercises correctly is quite capable of increasing body weight by 5-7 kg in the first months.

Multi-joint basic exercises

Most beginners can't force a specific muscle at will (let alone consciously engage that muscle while exercising), indicating a weak neuromuscular connection between the brain and muscles. Performing heavy basic exercises can improve this connection, increasing the effectiveness of the training.

Cons of basic exercises

The main disadvantage of basic exercises is that they really require perfect knowledge of the correct technique. Performing these exercises with a lot of weight significantly increases the risk of injury even with the slightest mistake - which is why it is best to learn the correct technique for these exercises with.

In addition, many beginners tend to progress too quickly, unnecessarily increasing the working weight and doing more frequent strength training than their body needs. It must be remembered that basic training must be performed. Otherwise, the result will be chronic overtraining.

***

The most important for gaining muscle mass are multi-joint basic exercises that increase the level of testosterone and other hormones due to the complex effect on the body and the central nervous system. Five such exercises are highlighted in the basic group - deadlift, squat, bench press, bench press and traction to the belt.

In bodybuilding, there are various types of exercises that can be divided into:

multi-articular– work with a barbell, free weight, own body weight;
isolated– work on simulators, blocks, frames.

They differ from each other in that the first is basic exercises for mass gain, and the second - grinding / polishing, carving specific details from the total volume of the mass.

The classic basic exercises in powerlifting are:

There are more basic exercises in bodybuilding, a complete list of basic exercises for muscle groups in bodybuilding is presented below.

One of the main exercises for strengthening the back muscles. To perform, you need a horizontal bar or crossbar, which is easy to make even at home. This is the simplest exercise, but its value lies in the fact that it is basic and allows you to use a large number of different muscle groups.

already described above

Exercise perfectly develops the calf muscles. You can perform both sitting and standing. To achieve the best result, it is reasonable to combine both options.

If you change the width of the grip, you can shift the load on different bundles of biceps. The narrower the grip, the more the internal beams work. And vice versa.

This basic exercise is used by most bodybuilders to develop the shoulder girdle. It perfectly loads the middle and anterior deltoid muscles, as well as the upper part of the trapezius muscles.