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1. There are certain exercises in the gym that should form
the basis of all training routines, whether a seasoned
professional or a complete newbie. They are especially
important for a newbie wanting to achieve quick gains in
lean muscle and size, or to reduce body fat as quickly as
possible. They are also the most effective strength and
conditioning exercises that exist. The simple reason being,
they involve heavy lifting and are incredibly effective. Each
of the below exercises when performed correctly use
several muscle groups at the same time. This not only
means you are working the body as a unit, you are
effectively improving strength and muscle tone in several
different areas at once in as short time as possible. Boxers,
sprinters, bodybuilders and power athletes all over the
world, use these common lifts regularly in their training

2. Squats

3. Probably the most taxing move to perform, you either love
or hate completing squats. Many beginners believe this
lower body exercise just concentrates on the legs;
however, this could not be further from the truth. There is
no doubt it is the best exercise to lead to trouser busting
thighs and a firm gluteus, yet it will also work your entire
core and back. Perform free weight squats, preferably
using a squat rack, Olympic bar and having a spotter on
hand, or try with a pair of dumbbells or a smith machine if
not available, make sure you go as heavy as possible
whilst maintaining form. Squatting heavy will build
immense power throughout your whole body whilst
releasing natural growth hormone to help increase long-
term muscle mass. As you will be causing the whole body
to work as a unit, you will be burning off more calories as

4. Deadlifts

5. Similar to squats, deadlifts are certainly not everyone's
cup of tea. Again, they are a move that works almost the
entire body; lower back, hamstrings, entire core and
posterior chain. Like squats, use an Olympic bar, and if you
are a beginner, use little weight or no weight at all. It is
essential that you perfect the technique before you start
adding serious weight to the bar, as if performed
incorrectly can put serious strain on the lower back. There
are various different techniques you can perform, straight
legged, stiff-legged, and Romanian being some of them.
Perfect one, and then try another to keep working the
body from different angles. Like squats, once you start to
go heavy you will begin to see some serious improvements
in size, strength or fat loss. Try them for yourself, no
matter how strenuous you think your workouts are, they

6. Bench press

7. The bench press is probably everyone's favorite exercise; it
is also the most commonly used. Bench pressing may be
the best exercise to build the mirror muscle
pectorals, however it is also one of the best strength and
conditioning exercise used by rugby players, footballers
and professional athletes alike. Not only does it work the
chest, it is also very taxing on the triceps. If you are
looking to add more size to your triceps, do you think a
few dumbbell kickbacks with a low weight would work
better than bench-pressing 100 kilograms for five to eight
reps. Heavy weights build muscle, fact.

8. This exercise should again be performed with free weights
over machines, this because machines can eliminate some
of the resistance and the need to keep a tight core.
Preferably use an Olympic bar and where possible always
use a spotter, this so you will have someone close by to
help you squeeze out that last rep and take the bar off you
when you have finished. Have trust, it makes a big
difference. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder
width, then lower slowly and in a controlled manner to
your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together and
feel the stretch across your chest before powering the bar
up, then immediately begin lowering again. Mix up your
routine by inclining your bench to hit the upper pectorals
or declining to work the lower pectorals.

9. Chin Ups / Pull Ups

10. Chin-ups or pull-ups predominantly work the biceps or
back depending on your grip. By grabbing the bar with an
underhand grip, i.e. palms facing towards you, then you
will be using the biceps to pull yourself up. This is a chin
up. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, i.e. palms facing
away from you, and you will be using the back, specifically
the laterals. This is a pull up.

11. When performing chin-ups you can use either a narrow
grip on the bar to work the long head of the bicep, or a
wider grip to work the short head. Mix it up every now
and then, you will be able to feel more tension placed on
the different heads depending on the width. When
performing pull-ups, you should hold onto the bar with a
slightly wider than shoulder width grip. On either
exercise, ensure you are fully hanging from the bar with
your arms fully stretched, and then power yourself up so
your chin is over the bar before slowly lowering yourself
back down to the starting position. Immediately and
forcefully, pull yourself back up to perform the next rep.

12. Chin-ups or pull-ups can be a very difficult exercise to
perform at first, which is one of the reasons they are so
effective. You are certainly lifting a much heavier weight
(your own body weight) when performing a chin-up over a
regular bicep curl. To make things easier there are various
things you can try, including performing negative reps. A
negative rep is where you grab the bar and start the move
with your chin above the bar, use a weight bench to help
you get up there if needed, then as slowly as you possibly
can lower yourself to the hanging position. Repeat this
until you can no longer slowly lower yourself down.
Another option is to use an elastic chin-up assist band if
you have one; they are not very expensive to buy. You just
attach one end to your bar and place your knees inside the
other. If you train at the gym then they should have chin-

13. Shoulder Press

14. Shoulder presses are a killer of an exercise and you will
normally find yourself fatiguing quickly when performing.
You can perform shoulder presses either standing up or
sitting down, however, use free weights over a smith or
shoulder press machine. Standing up uses your core more
than sitting down, nevertheless in either variation you
should ensure your core is kept tight at all times to
prevent pressure being exerted onto your lower back. Use
a low weight at first, start with a straight bar or dumbbells
held around chin level and ensure your elbows are at right
angles. Power the weight past your face and hold over
your head with your arms straight, tuck your chin into
your chest when the bar is in the upright position, then
slowly lower back down keeping your elbows at right
angles. Immediately power the bar back up for your

15. In summary, the above exercises will see your achieve you
training objectives much quicker if incorporated into your
training routine. You can perform them in a conventional
split, where each muscle groups trained once a week.
Alternatively, they are most effective when used in a push
/ pull or full body workout when performed more than
once a week with at least forty-eight hours rest in
between.

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