My 5 Favorite Muscle Building Exercises
I love building muscle. It's what I'm most passionate about. It's what I think about when going to sleep and what I think about when I wake up.
Most experts will agree on the best muscle building exercises. I think it's important to use the ones that you enjoy doing.
For example, deadlifts are an amazing muscle building exercise, but I hate doing them because they just are not fun.
So I don't do them.
There is nothing wrong with that.
My advice is that instead of picking a great exercise and performing it half-ass, you should pick an exercise you like and perform it with 100% intensity.
That's my philosophy.
I also believe that you should focus on just a few compound exercises and try to constantly improve on these by either increasing the weight and/or the reps.
My 5 Favorite Muscle Building Exercises
1 – Lat Pulldowns
Lat Pulldowns are a great back exercise. I recommend these for most people over pull ups because I feel that most people can create a better mind-muscle connection with lat pulldowns.
2 – Seated Cable Rows
Seated Cable Rows are another great back exercise. I prefer these over 1-arm dumbbell rows simply because I feel it more in my back when I perform the cable rows.
Again, it's the mind-muscle connection that is critical for muscle growth.
3 – Weighted Pushups
As most of you know, I hate the barbell bench press. They destroy the shoulders and are more of a front deltoid exercise than they are a chest-building exercise.
Pushups are the most under-appreciated muscle-building exercise in existence.
Once you can bang out more than 20 push-ups then you should add weight.
4 – Dip Machine
The dip machine is great for the chest and triceps. I prefer these over bodyweight dips.
I feel like I have much more control and I like that I can manipulate the load.
5 – Goblet Squats
Squats are awesome. There are barbell back squats, barbell front squats, hack squats, and goblet squats.
I love goblet squats.
You can use a dumbbell or weighted vest or both.
A Perfect Split with the above exercises
Monday
1a) Lat Pulldowns 5 sets x 12-15 reps
1b) Weighted Pushups 5 sets x 12-15 reps
2) Goblet Squats 2 sets x 15-20 reps
Tuesday – off
Wednesday
1a) Seated Cable Rows 5 sets x 8-12 reps
1b) Dip Machine 5 sets x 8-12 reps
2) Goblet Squats 2 sets x 15-20 reps
Thursday – off
Friday
1) Goblet Squats 2 sets x 8-12 reps
2a) Lat Pulldowns 2 sets x 8-12 reps
2b) Weighted Pushups 2 sets x 8-12 reps
3a) Seated Cable Rows 2 sets x 8-12 reps
3b) Dip Machine 2 sets x 15-20 reps
Saturday & Sunday – off
If you follow the above split, keep records, and try to increase the weights consistently, you will make huge gains in muscle.
