Weightlifting exercises build muscle, burn fat, and
speed up the metabolism. Weight lifting exercises also build a firm, muscular
body.
There are weightlifting exercises to develop all
parts of the body. We’ll give you some of the basic weight lifting
exercises here. If you are interested in weight lifting, you should
join a gym. People who are really serious about weight lifting may
eventually purchase home equipment but that is a big investment and
certainly not feasible for beginners. There is another advantage to
joining a gym, and that is the fact that they will have trained staff
that can teach you the proper way to use the equipment and help you
develop a weightlifting routine that is right for you.
Pectorals (Chest)
The bench press is done while lying on a
bench on your back. It involves pushing a weight away from the
chest. These are compound weight lifting exercises, meaning that
they involve other muscles as well as the pectorals. The bench
press also includes the triceps (back of arms) and front deltoids
(shoulders).
The chest fly is done while lying on a
bench on your back. Your arms are outspread and holding weights. You
bring your arms together above your chest. These are compound
weightlifting exercises that also include the triceps, deltoids, and
forearms.
Lats (Upper Back)
The pulldown is done while sitting by
pulling down a wide bar toward the chest. This is a compound
exercise that also includes forearms, the biceps (front of arms),
and rear deltoids (shoulders).
Deltoids (Shoulders)
The shoulder press, also called the
military press, is done while sitting down by lowering a weight from
above the head to just above the shoulders, and then lifting it back
up again. It can be performed with both arms at once or one arm at
a time. These are compound weight lifting exercises that also
involve the triceps and the trapezius (a large muscle across the
back of the neck, shoulders, and upper back).
Biceps (Front of Arms)
The biceps curl can be done while
standing up or sitting down, with hands hanging down at the sides
holding weights, palms facing forward, by curling them up toward the
shoulders. It can be performed with both arms at once or one arm at
a time. These are isolation weightlifting exercises for the biceps.
Triceps (Back of Arms)
The pushdown is done standing up by
pressing down a bar held at the level of the upper chest. This is
an isolation exercise for the triceps.
Quadriceps (Front of Thighs)
The squat is done by holding a weight
across the upper chest or back while squatting down and standing
upright again. This is a compound exercise. It also includes the
lower back, the glutes (buttocks), the hamstrings (back of thighs),
and the calves.
The leg extension is done while sitting
down by straightening the legs to lift a weight out in front of the
body. It is an isolation exercise, meaning it only involves the
quadriceps.
Hamstrings (Back of Thighs)
The leg curl is done while lying on your
stomach on a bench, by lifting a weight with the feet toward the
buttocks. This is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings.
Calves
The seated calf raise is done by flexing
the feet to raise a weight held on the knees. This is an isolation
exercise for the calves.
When performing these weight lifting exercises, you
should go slow and concentrate on the muscles you are working. Speed is
not the point of the exercises. If you are able to do them very
quickly, then you are not using enough weight. You don’t want to use so
much weight that you can injure yourself doing weightlifting exercises,
but your want enough weight to have to work at them. The professional
staff at a gym can help you determine the right amount of weight for you
to start with, or you can hire a personal trainer for one-on-one
attention.
More than weightlifting exercises on our
benefits to exercise page
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