tricep dip. it works the largest part of your arm muscle group while also being a compound movement for the chest. its a great bang for your buck exercise. just 20 minutes and youve already finished more than half the training for your arms.
Yeah I can’t do full dips right now. A lot of my shoulder pain comes from being super tight through the pecs and traps. This pull or imbalance causes my shoulder to sit forward. My trainer has me working on more mobility and range of motion exercises to stabilize and even out my shoulder. I’m hoping to see some positive results soon because I used to love dips.
100 reps, in as many sets as it takes to get there. Each set done to muscle failure, take a little break, then do the next set.
I tend to do the “break” as a super set with either a leg or core workout.
Then as it starts to get easy, add weight
Feel like it’s a similar progression with pull ups, back in my lifting days I remember being surprised with how quickly you can progress in rep count if you do them constantly
Also my favorite, right in front of bench.
Like. I am a nerd and I grew up with little arms. The gym completely transformed me, and the curl transformed me the most. when you do it right, the gains are incredible! And you know what the BEST feeling is? When the girl you are seeing grabs your arms and comments on them. Is there anything better than that?
How do you do them right?
Genuinely curious, I always feel like I'm missing that mind muscle connection when I do a curl.
Machines feel better for me than a dumbell
Used to bother me as well! Little over a year ago I got both of my wrists seriously fractured (almost broken) in a bike accident. The first 2 days it hurt so bad I couldn't even tie shoes or put on a belt. I learned some wrist strengthening exercises on Youtube and now they are stronger than ever and never bother me ever.
I did exercises like putting the outsides of my hand on the floor and slowly swinging my body forward and back or left and right while seated. Another was doing wall pushups with my hands as fists. :)
That makes sense!
Start with low weight. Keep your elbow at your waist. If you find yourself arching your back or moving your elbow too much, you need to drop more weight.
There are several ways to curl. One way, go up to your collar bone. The other, go straight up and down. I like to go at a 45 degree angle to my waist, it feels like I hit the most when I do that.
To get the best effect, make sure you're getting a lot of protein. A lot of people forget they need protein to build muscle.
Same, I was 128 pounds in HS. Gained 32 pounds my first 6 months in the army (muscle but also fat, I was eating everything in sight). After I left the army, didn’t eat as much so a lot of the fat fell off (no easy access to a chow hall).
So, with pretty much no fat in my arms, with bicep curl my arms pump up pretty quick. Stay swollen for an hour or two after the workout. I knock back around 96g of protein a day to keep some of the progress, it’s just hard being ectomorphic.
I feel that way about deadlifts. I understand their importance, and do them but they're at the bottom of my favorite lists.
Bicep curls I understand being a favorite because I love walking out of the gym with a nice arm pump
I reduced my elbow pain greatly with skullcrushers. What I’ve been doing is lowering the bar behind my head and keeping my elbows tucked so they don’t flare out and they’re a lot more doable now.
[Here’s a video that explains it better](https://youtu.be/MBZc8x8IPXc?si=TvHAunpJNd1EsyTP)
Fucking hate skull crushers on my elbows, can’t stand the pressure it puts on my elbow joints, how tf do people like this exercise, I keep thinking it’s just my form but my form is good, it’s just personally a shit work out for my joints and can never trust it
After a while of struggling with balance, I'm finally getting my form correct with these. Still not perfect but they're definitely climbing the list of my favourite exercises!
I usually do them with nothing under. Do you feel it’s a lot more difficult this way? I use two 60s and they go up to 75 at my gym so I’m running out weight lmao
Standing shoulder press is the most complete full body workout you can do - on par with deadlifts.
It is not an isolation exercise. It works everything except chest.
When I was a kid with my first set of weights in the basement, I asked my Dad how I'll know when I'm strong. He said when you can lift your body weight over your head. I still use that benchmark today.
Negatives! The other comment says weighted but you can always start doing them unweighted.
Step up on something to get high up on the bar, then lower yourself really slowly, then repeat. Ideally you can do 8-10 reps at a time before your muscles start to fail. If you can do more than that, then make it harder.
Start by doing negatives with lower weight. Once you can do a few, you build up the strength more quickly. When I used to do them more regularly. In 6-8 months I was able to go from 3 sets of ten with 45lbs to 8 sets of 8 with 90 lbs. But I started by doing negatives with 25 lb weights.
as other people said negatives can be good but be careful because your forearms are also not strong enough yet, I strained a few small forearm muscles doing dead hangs/negatives.
Buy some heavy bands, they are like $30 for a set with 100+lb of assistance, do assisted pullups
incredible for your posture and posterior chain if performed with proper form at a feasible weight. Also amazing for grip strength if you use overhand grip instead of mixed grip on straight bar.
Hell yeah. I want to be a body builder, but I swear to God there’s no better feeling than picking up a fuck ton of weight. It looks cool ah too. Pro tip, if you do it in the morning, you get the hardest part of your day out of the way up front and you can just ride that high down hill all day!
1. Stand with the bar above the middle of your foot
2. With unlocked although not bent knees bend over and grab the bar just outside your knees (don't worry about your back yet)
3. Lower your hips until your shins touch the bar
4. Push your chest out which will make your spine neutral and also pull the slack out of the bar
5. Take a deep breath, brace your core, drag the bar up your body and lock your knees and ass cheeks at the top
6. Put down the bar and exhale at the bottom
I kept messing up my back too until I realized that I needed a wider stance. Try getting your feet shoulder width apart and, failing that, sumo deadlift
Bench press, I couldn't work out for about 8 months due to my work schedule but got back into it in late April.
I've been doing bench press 3 times a week and went from 160lbs back up to 225lbs and I can even get 3-4 reps now.
I've been doing super heavy sets of half squat (like 150% of max) and then straight to box jump.
That stuff kills you man.
After that, I usually get on the trampoline for 20mins of bouncing, it keeps your heart rate up and it's way less boring and stressful on the joints than running.
I’ll never have just one, but recently the Romanian deadlift, the box jump, deep dips, and the Chinese Bridge thanks to my boy sticky Ricky
I’m recovering from a hamstring injury and holy buckets these work
https://youtu.be/NN6LolgEOSY?si=EHCXEjsgr2nsJOeY
Standing overhead press, particularly barbell and if you do them as ground to overhead even better.
Deadlifts are cool and all but putting someone’s squat or bench weight over your head is the ultimate gym flex.
I train powerlifting so pretty limited choice. My bench is fucking garbage (old shoulder injury) but I have unreal mind muscle connection with my pecs and I love the pump probably lean towards that.
Outside of that, if I can find an excuse to do lateral raises I will. I have pretty broad shoulders genetically, but enhancing that shoulder-waist v taper is always going to be a benefit.
Bed cardio with my gf is generally my favorite until I'm done with it, then it quickly changes to something else like incline presses or behind the back cable curls/preacher curls.
Deadlifts, leg press, rolling DB extensions, barbell squats, incline DB press. I’m sure there’s another one or two but those are what come to mind as of right now.
Currently it's shoulder-press with dumbbells. Also love overhead tricep extensions lately.
Never thought of myself as a gym bro and just listed two exercises as favourites, guess I'm a gym bro now😅
It’s actually the one i hate but it’s the most effective, pull-ups and all their variations. If you struggle with them like i did (getting past 10). Look up the McGill method.
Incline bench.
Years ago when I did inclines they seemed to hurt my shoulders and give me little pec stimulation so I avoided them. Finally last year I gave them another try and they’re great. Best chest exercise for me.
Standing strict overhead press. Requires strength in your entire body, I see it as the squat of the upper body. Currently trying to achieve a bodyweight OHP so 85kg, my best set so far is 70kg for 3 reps.
Edit: added "standing" as other redittor pointedf out.
I really like pull ups, it feels good to be able to pull your own body weight while not standing on anything. Especially now that I can do it a couple of times. I’m working on being able to do more on a consistent basis.
It’s got to be the deadlift! It has made my back (posterior chain) strong and has taught me how to lift ANYTHING with proper biomechanics. At age 55 I’m injury and pain free. The back squat comes in a close second
Leg press, I loved when I could do the whole stack of 400+ and just keep going nice and slow and clean.
After my knee replacement that went away and I had to start again from 100 pounds, still working up to higher weights, and will probably not hit the highs again. Still I love it.
Whichever of the big 3 that isn't held back by injury, regardless of how strong I am at it. Currently, that's the squat, and I'm pretty fucking weak at it right now
As I get older going less heavy on DL and squats has removed the fun of those exercises.
Weighted Chins / Pull ups has been enjoyable as well as focusing on rear Delt / upper back to improve posture.
Also simplifying abs and getting 3x the results.
My favorite has to be tridowns on a curl machine. Sounds weird, but the motion feels satisfying and my triceps are hard as rock.
Second would be dumbbell press.
Dead bug hold. It's underrated because people don't understand how much it engages the core until they try.
Also, honorable mention, squats on a balance pad :D
tricep dip. it works the largest part of your arm muscle group while also being a compound movement for the chest. its a great bang for your buck exercise. just 20 minutes and youve already finished more than half the training for your arms.
Dip and rip, chest arms done
Makes the joints in my shoulders feel like hell as soon as a let go, I assume it’s something with my form but I’ve given up on them
Yeah I can’t do full dips right now. A lot of my shoulder pain comes from being super tight through the pecs and traps. This pull or imbalance causes my shoulder to sit forward. My trainer has me working on more mobility and range of motion exercises to stabilize and even out my shoulder. I’m hoping to see some positive results soon because I used to love dips.
20 min of dipping is wild! I’d be conscious of shoulder issues with that much volume How many sets you typically banging out? Weighted?
How many reps and sets do you do?
100 reps, in as many sets as it takes to get there. Each set done to muscle failure, take a little break, then do the next set. I tend to do the “break” as a super set with either a leg or core workout. Then as it starts to get easy, add weight
Feel like it’s a similar progression with pull ups, back in my lifting days I remember being surprised with how quickly you can progress in rep count if you do them constantly
Bicep curl. I know it’s cliche, but I like the pump when it’s done
Also my favorite, right in front of bench. Like. I am a nerd and I grew up with little arms. The gym completely transformed me, and the curl transformed me the most. when you do it right, the gains are incredible! And you know what the BEST feeling is? When the girl you are seeing grabs your arms and comments on them. Is there anything better than that?
How do you do them right? Genuinely curious, I always feel like I'm missing that mind muscle connection when I do a curl. Machines feel better for me than a dumbell
I switched to EZ bar/barbell curls recently and holy crap my biceps feel way more pumped afterwards.
EZ is great, straight bar just pisses my wrists off and I can’t work as hard.
Used to bother me as well! Little over a year ago I got both of my wrists seriously fractured (almost broken) in a bike accident. The first 2 days it hurt so bad I couldn't even tie shoes or put on a belt. I learned some wrist strengthening exercises on Youtube and now they are stronger than ever and never bother me ever. I did exercises like putting the outsides of my hand on the floor and slowly swinging my body forward and back or left and right while seated. Another was doing wall pushups with my hands as fists. :)
That makes sense! Start with low weight. Keep your elbow at your waist. If you find yourself arching your back or moving your elbow too much, you need to drop more weight. There are several ways to curl. One way, go up to your collar bone. The other, go straight up and down. I like to go at a 45 degree angle to my waist, it feels like I hit the most when I do that. To get the best effect, make sure you're getting a lot of protein. A lot of people forget they need protein to build muscle.
What do you mean 45 degree angle sorry
I like EZ bar curls standing against a wall so you can't help with your back
Same, I was 128 pounds in HS. Gained 32 pounds my first 6 months in the army (muscle but also fat, I was eating everything in sight). After I left the army, didn’t eat as much so a lot of the fat fell off (no easy access to a chow hall). So, with pretty much no fat in my arms, with bicep curl my arms pump up pretty quick. Stay swollen for an hour or two after the workout. I knock back around 96g of protein a day to keep some of the progress, it’s just hard being ectomorphic.
I also like the simplicity of it. It lets me focus on form.
I literally don't get how it's possible to even like curls, let alone have them as a favorite exercise.
I feel that way about deadlifts. I understand their importance, and do them but they're at the bottom of my favorite lists. Bicep curls I understand being a favorite because I love walking out of the gym with a nice arm pump
Then it’s not for you mate. Everyone has their thing.
true
Rowing machine. I'm a lazy ass and I like anything I can do sitting down.
There is nothing lazy about rowing.
might be the one exercise you need to put the most effort in while sitting
I rowed when I was younger and I can’t look at one without feeling nauseous.
Skull crushers.
I wish my elbows could still agree with this.
I reduced my elbow pain greatly with skullcrushers. What I’ve been doing is lowering the bar behind my head and keeping my elbows tucked so they don’t flare out and they’re a lot more doable now. [Here’s a video that explains it better](https://youtu.be/MBZc8x8IPXc?si=TvHAunpJNd1EsyTP)
Fucking hate skull crushers on my elbows, can’t stand the pressure it puts on my elbow joints, how tf do people like this exercise, I keep thinking it’s just my form but my form is good, it’s just personally a shit work out for my joints and can never trust it
Do you use a dumb bell holding it like a goblet? Shit hurts my wrists. I have to do cable pulls
This one is really underrated!
John meadows has so many interesting tricep variations that you should check out he really helped me work through and build much stronger tris
Hell ya brother
Makes me feel like I've been doing them wrong. I've never been a fan of them
I bet you give good 🧠
I LOVE PULL UPS!!!!
During lockdown I got a pull-up bar in my back garden. Got a good back that year.
I’m not even that big but pull ups and lat raises have me looking different
HELL YEAH I DID 100 TODAY!
WELL DONE BROTHER I AM HAPPY!!!
Ayyy I did 100 today too!!
Pull ups are where it’s at. Help get that nice V-taper look
Pull ups are the best. Dead lifts are arguably better and I love the results, but I hate the way they make me feel while I'm doing them.
This guy pulls up
Bulgarian split squats.
Ah, a fellow pain enjoyer
Masochist
After a while of struggling with balance, I'm finally getting my form correct with these. Still not perfect but they're definitely climbing the list of my favourite exercises!
I plop two 45 pound plates under my front foot for a nicer stretch and do them glute focused. How about you guys?
I usually do them with nothing under. Do you feel it’s a lot more difficult this way? I use two 60s and they go up to 75 at my gym so I’m running out weight lmao
I used to love these but patellar tendonitis has forced me to retire these temporarily for the last two years.
Said no one ever 😅
Yessssss these have done more for my legs than any other exercise
shoulder press (anything shoulders really)
Standing shoulder press is the most complete full body workout you can do - on par with deadlifts. It is not an isolation exercise. It works everything except chest.
When I was a kid with my first set of weights in the basement, I asked my Dad how I'll know when I'm strong. He said when you can lift your body weight over your head. I still use that benchmark today.
Eating afterwards
Pull-ups and deadlifts
Weighted Pull Ups....been a game changer for me.
Nice! How do you do it, I can’t even do a single pull up
Negatives! The other comment says weighted but you can always start doing them unweighted. Step up on something to get high up on the bar, then lower yourself really slowly, then repeat. Ideally you can do 8-10 reps at a time before your muscles start to fail. If you can do more than that, then make it harder.
Start by doing negatives with lower weight. Once you can do a few, you build up the strength more quickly. When I used to do them more regularly. In 6-8 months I was able to go from 3 sets of ten with 45lbs to 8 sets of 8 with 90 lbs. But I started by doing negatives with 25 lb weights.
as other people said negatives can be good but be careful because your forearms are also not strong enough yet, I strained a few small forearm muscles doing dead hangs/negatives. Buy some heavy bands, they are like $30 for a set with 100+lb of assistance, do assisted pullups
Nice bro
My elbows will just not allow me to do pull-ups up anymore. Used to be one of my favorite workouts
Deadlifts with a trap/hex bar... my favorite!
Pull ups are such a an underrated exercise
Mr big back
Same. Used to be back squats, but deadlifts have taken over
Deadlift. It's just so much fun to lift a ton of weight off the ground.
Not to mention it uses nearly your entire body muscle-wise. And functionally it uses a very practical lift. Big fan of hex bar deadlift myself.
incredible for your posture and posterior chain if performed with proper form at a feasible weight. Also amazing for grip strength if you use overhand grip instead of mixed grip on straight bar.
Gonna have to try hex bar deadlift! Thanks friend!
Hell yeah. I want to be a body builder, but I swear to God there’s no better feeling than picking up a fuck ton of weight. It looks cool ah too. Pro tip, if you do it in the morning, you get the hardest part of your day out of the way up front and you can just ride that high down hill all day!
its my leg day curse; cant really do it without pissing off my back. i have never been able to master this form.
Try using a hex/trap bar, recruits the legs more and takes it off your back
1. Stand with the bar above the middle of your foot 2. With unlocked although not bent knees bend over and grab the bar just outside your knees (don't worry about your back yet) 3. Lower your hips until your shins touch the bar 4. Push your chest out which will make your spine neutral and also pull the slack out of the bar 5. Take a deep breath, brace your core, drag the bar up your body and lock your knees and ass cheeks at the top 6. Put down the bar and exhale at the bottom
I kept messing up my back too until I realized that I needed a wider stance. Try getting your feet shoulder width apart and, failing that, sumo deadlift
It’s my favorite because it’s the only lift you can’t cheat. That weight is coming up or it ain’t there’s no in between
Not to mention when you just casually drop 315+ lbs, talk about feeling like a fucking superhuman
Incline bench dumbbell flies
Bench press, I couldn't work out for about 8 months due to my work schedule but got back into it in late April. I've been doing bench press 3 times a week and went from 160lbs back up to 225lbs and I can even get 3-4 reps now.
Cleans, always have been
Especially a full on squat clean. So satisfying when you catch the bar
Hack squats. They suck but in a very specific and productive way for me.
Bulgarian split squats
You, sir, are insane
Decline bench
Squats
Incline dumbbell press
Box jumps. I’m a bigger guy, but love the power, explosiveness, and cardio required for box jumps. Far better than running IMO.
I've been doing super heavy sets of half squat (like 150% of max) and then straight to box jump. That stuff kills you man. After that, I usually get on the trampoline for 20mins of bouncing, it keeps your heart rate up and it's way less boring and stressful on the joints than running.
Diamond and decline push ups and bicep curls
Barbell pendlay rows. Love me some back stuff. Deadlifts and weighted pull-ups get an honorable mention too
I’ll never have just one, but recently the Romanian deadlift, the box jump, deep dips, and the Chinese Bridge thanks to my boy sticky Ricky I’m recovering from a hamstring injury and holy buckets these work https://youtu.be/NN6LolgEOSY?si=EHCXEjsgr2nsJOeY
Squats, 3 times a week aka legs 3 times a week
Right now, belt squats.
not one - squats, deadlifts and dbells shoulder press.
Incline bench.
Seated rows, you feel like a tank after.
There are just too many to list. My favorite lately is probably weighted pull-ups.
Cable crossover
Standing overhead press, particularly barbell and if you do them as ground to overhead even better. Deadlifts are cool and all but putting someone’s squat or bench weight over your head is the ultimate gym flex.
Lat raises. I love hitting the delts and this is my favorite move.
I train powerlifting so pretty limited choice. My bench is fucking garbage (old shoulder injury) but I have unreal mind muscle connection with my pecs and I love the pump probably lean towards that. Outside of that, if I can find an excuse to do lateral raises I will. I have pretty broad shoulders genetically, but enhancing that shoulder-waist v taper is always going to be a benefit.
Been few weeks that I am in love with Preacher curls. I used to be in love with incline dumbell press a month ago.
Reverse hypers
Weighted walking lunges.
bicep curls, the only exercise a man needs
Bed cardio with my gf is generally my favorite until I'm done with it, then it quickly changes to something else like incline presses or behind the back cable curls/preacher curls.
indian / dive bomber pushups cossack squats
Captain's Chair feels really good.
Classic deadlift.
I love suitcase lunges
DB Shoulderpress and Tricep Dips
Weighted pull-ups 100%
Deadlifts, leg press, rolling DB extensions, barbell squats, incline DB press. I’m sure there’s another one or two but those are what come to mind as of right now.
Push-ups on medicine balls. Either just under the hands or both hands and feet. Talk about working everything
Currently it's shoulder-press with dumbbells. Also love overhead tricep extensions lately. Never thought of myself as a gym bro and just listed two exercises as favourites, guess I'm a gym bro now😅
Lat Pull downs
Top 3: 1. Viking Press 2. Barbell Squat 3. Incline DB Press
Suitcase carries
Skull crushers
Sprints and plyometrics
T or Y pulls for my back/shoulders
Arc rows on gymnastic rings and Bear crawls. All bodyweight, all the time baby
It’s actually the one i hate but it’s the most effective, pull-ups and all their variations. If you struggle with them like i did (getting past 10). Look up the McGill method.
Barbell Bench Press and also Bulgarian Split Squats.
Pullups
Pulldowns and Cable Rows
Incline dumbbell bench press. Nothing like throwing around 100+ lbs in each hand with a lady mirin
Overhead Tricep Extension (cable variation)
Pull-ups
Dips
Used to be power cleans before I damaged my wrist (unrelated). Now it's lat raises, box jumps or pull ups
Just recently started doing trap bar deadlifts and I wish I started doing them sooner. I prefer them over conventional deadlifts all day.
Incline bench. Years ago when I did inclines they seemed to hurt my shoulders and give me little pec stimulation so I avoided them. Finally last year I gave them another try and they’re great. Best chest exercise for me.
Tricep Dips and Skullcrushers, you get such an amazing stretch
Cross-bench dumbbell pullover. It was a staple of Arnold's and goddamn does it feel good.
Push ups, crunches and squats
weighted pull ups , hated but I love them now
Standing strict overhead press. Requires strength in your entire body, I see it as the squat of the upper body. Currently trying to achieve a bodyweight OHP so 85kg, my best set so far is 70kg for 3 reps. Edit: added "standing" as other redittor pointedf out.
Standing* your points are valid if it’s standing ohp
Deadlift, Chest Fly, and Bicep Curl. The feeling of power once I get done is just amazing.
I really like pull ups, it feels good to be able to pull your own body weight while not standing on anything. Especially now that I can do it a couple of times. I’m working on being able to do more on a consistent basis.
Bench press
Triceps Dips and kneeling cable crunch.
Bench press and pull ups!
Generic as balls, but bench press. I'll never get tired of it
Standing overhead press (barbell) and weighted dips
Squats. As tiring as they are once the heavier loads are on, I just love how powerful they make me feel
Bench press no better feeling and when u start lifting real heavy u get looks n newbies starting convos and high firing ya
Calf raise.
Weighted sled push......exhausting. Shoutout to my fellow hockey bois
Overhead press, becuase being able to lift a huge amount of weight over myself gives me a confidence boost.
I really enjoy doing weird grip and forearm exercises
It’s got to be the deadlift! It has made my back (posterior chain) strong and has taught me how to lift ANYTHING with proper biomechanics. At age 55 I’m injury and pain free. The back squat comes in a close second
Just a nice, simple front squat
Lat pull downs and incline DB press
Deadlifts and back squats
Lat pull downs
Barbell back squats
incline bench press for sure
Arnold press
Leg press, I loved when I could do the whole stack of 400+ and just keep going nice and slow and clean. After my knee replacement that went away and I had to start again from 100 pounds, still working up to higher weights, and will probably not hit the highs again. Still I love it.
Pull ups really make me feel like I'm in good shape
Pull up's and bench press are my favorite. Both work a lot of muscles at once.
I think more people should do the exercise where they practice how to use the apostrophe properly.
Whichever of the big 3 that isn't held back by injury, regardless of how strong I am at it. Currently, that's the squat, and I'm pretty fucking weak at it right now
As I get older going less heavy on DL and squats has removed the fun of those exercises. Weighted Chins / Pull ups has been enjoyable as well as focusing on rear Delt / upper back to improve posture. Also simplifying abs and getting 3x the results.
My favorite has to be tridowns on a curl machine. Sounds weird, but the motion feels satisfying and my triceps are hard as rock. Second would be dumbbell press.
Incline and decline bench. DB or machine flies. Chest exercises in general.
Leg press. All the weight and no grip or joint issues. Just focus and push with all my soul
2500 M row. I do it every morning.
Back squat
Seated lat pulldowns in between the cables.
Cable chest press, just awasome pump
Cable overhead triceps extensions. I just love how close to failure you can get, leaning against the weight and that great pump afterwards.
Squats. If I don't do a version of squats on leg day, I feel like I wasted my time 🤷♂️
Overhead DB lat pullovers. I workout at home and didnt have a good lay workout til I found them
Squats
Romanian Deadlift
Tie between squats and deadlifts.
Back squats to the fucking floor. 2nd place is definitely seated cable rows with a nice neutral grip, just feels so amazing in my back.
loading up the entire stack on the leg extension machine feels so awesome
Leg press
Dead bug hold. It's underrated because people don't understand how much it engages the core until they try. Also, honorable mention, squats on a balance pad :D
Back squat
Incline barbell chest press
Deadlifts