How to properly perform basic bodybuilding exercises. Basic exercises: learning the correct technique

In almost any gym, the trainer will assure you that it is the basic exercises that will help you build muscle at the initial stage of bodybuilding training. And, of course, he will be right. You may be tormented by the question: “Why exactly the base?” It would seem that you can work all the muscles of your body without using it, focusing on isolation. But no. You can gain a huge amount of muscle mass thanks to heavy multi-joint exercises that involve almost your entire body.
Many people think that there are only three basic exercises in bodybuilding: bench press, deadlift and squats. But that's not true. These include all those exercises that involve several muscle groups and involve several joints at once. As a rule, the base in bodybuilding is done only with free weights, but there are exceptions to the rules. You can perform a basic exercise in the same block simulator. For example, pulling the upper block to the chest - it can be considered basic, because several muscle groups work (latissimus dorsi and biceps), and two joints are also included (shoulder and elbow). But for now we will consider those treasured 3 exercises, the so-called “golden trinity”.
List of basic (classic) basic exercises in bodybuilding
Bench press

Deadlift

Back Squats

Typically, these exercises are performed with heavy weights in the repetition range of 10-12 - this is the best option; your body will definitely respond to this load. It is also important to rest between sets, enough, but not too much, about 2 minutes will be enough for you to restore your breathing and prepare for the next approach.
Basic bodybuilding exercises should be intelligently combined in your training program. Beginners should build their program exclusively from such exercises. More experienced athletes use isolation in their training; it includes approximately 20 - 30% of the total load.
The technique for performing this basic bodybuilding exercise is extremely simple. We grasp the bar in such a way that at the bottom point of the movement (the moment the bar touches the chest) the angle at the elbow joint is 90 degrees. With this manner of execution, the pectoral muscles will be used to the maximum. With a narrower arm position, the emphasis will shift to the triceps. There are several variations of execution. With different angles of the bench, different parts of the pectoral muscles will be activated.

Let's talk about the classic version of the deadlift, when your feet are shoulder-width apart. The most important thing to do correctly when performing this exercise: do not bend your back at the waist under any circumstances, this can lead to serious injury. Considering that this exercise usually involves a lot of weight, an injury may completely leave you without iron sports. The deadlift involves almost all the muscles of your body, of course, the back muscles work to a greater extent.

One of the best basic exercises in bodybuilding. Many beginners do not like to squat, because... It is not possible to perform squats technically in just one try. The story is the same as with the deadlift: under no circumstances bend your lower back. The placement of the legs may be different. Target muscle group: legs. The front surface of the thigh (quadriceps) works to a greater extent.

Final rules for basic bodybuilding exercises
Work with heavy weights, but do not forget about technique - the main component of any exercise.

Eat plenty of food. Good and hard workouts require a lot of energy, so you need to eat a lot. Including a lot of fatty and sweet foods in your diet is not the best option.

Get enough rest. This also applies to rest between sets and rest between workouts.

In this article, we looked at only the 3 most popular basic exercises, which, by the way, are also the main disciplines in powerlifting. We consider no less important basic movements:
For the back – bent-over barbell rows, pull-ups, bent-over dumbbell rows.

For the chest – dumbbell bench press, dips.

For legs – deadlifts, leg presses, lunges.

For deltas – military press, wide-grip barbell row to the chin, seated dumbbell press.

For triceps - close-grip press, push-ups on narrow bars, French bench press.

For biceps – biceps barbell lifts with a direct and reverse grip, pull-ups with a narrow grip, hammers.

Your training should consist of these exercises, as they are the most effective, as confirmed by many professional athletes and experienced trainers.
Stanislav Lindover on basic bodybuilding exercises

Top 6 Best Basic Exercises for Natural Bodybuilding

Basic barbell exercises are multi-joint exercises used in strength training to gain muscle mass. The basic ones are squats with a barbell on the shoulders, bench press lying on a straight bench, standing barbell overhead press, deadlift and bent-over barbell row. Studies show that when they are performed, the body produces the most testosterone¹.

These five exercises make up. It should be noted that other multi-joint exercises can repeat and complement the basic exercises. For example, a platform leg press can replace squats, and a seated block row can replace a bent-over barbell row. The only exception is the deadlift - it cannot be replaced.

The main advantage of basic exercises is that, when performed correctly, they involve all muscle groups - including the abs and arms. However, incorrect technique can cause serious harm to the athlete. Because multi-joint exercises are performed with barbells and other free weights, there is a risk of sports-related joint injury.

Exercises for gaining mass

The benefits of basic exercises for muscle growth

The main advantage of basic exercises is the simultaneous growth of muscles and fat burning. The reason is that basic exercises require the body to consume more nutrients. During strength training, it is actively used, and after the end of the training, recovery processes that burn fat are launched.

With regular training using basic exercises, the metabolism gradually increases, leading to an increase in appetite - which, again, is necessary for gaining muscle mass, since without additional calories the muscles simply will not grow. This plays a particularly important role for naturally thin ectomorphs who have problems gaining weight.

Building an athletic physique

Technically correct execution of basic exercises has a positive effect on the symmetry of muscle development. As a result of training according to the basic program, not just a pumped-up, but a powerful and athletic physique is formed. In addition, basic exercises have a positive effect on the brain-muscle connection.

Most beginners cannot use the willpower to tense a specific muscle (let alone consciously engage that muscle during training), which indicates a weak neuromuscular connection between the brain and muscles. Performing heavy compound exercises can improve this connection, increasing the effectiveness of the training.

Disadvantages of basic exercises

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

In addition, many beginners tend to progress too quickly, unnecessarily increasing the working weight and conducting 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.

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The most important for gaining muscle mass are multi-joint basic exercises that increase testosterone and other hormones through a complex effect on the body and central nervous system. Five of these exercises are allocated to the basic group - deadlift, squats, bench press, standing barbell press and rows.

Most uninformed gym goers favor machines by using a variety of isolation block machines in their workout routines. In fact, it is free weights - barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells - that can speed up the process of increasing the volume of all muscle groups due to the peculiarities of the basic exercises with which the equipment is used.

What are basic exercises?

Basic exercises are techniques that use free weights (barbells, dumbbells), simultaneously using several muscles or muscle groups, as well as several joints. These exercises are recommended to be performed by a trained person, since they are technically complex and require good control of your own body.

The best basic exercises for gaining mass

Squats

Lie down on a horizontal bench, position your head under the barbell.
Grab the bar with a wide grip, remove the bar from the racks and place it above your chest, forming a slight arch in your chest.
As you inhale, gently lower the barbell to the highest point of your chest, but without touching it. Elbows point to the floor.
Exhale and press the barbell up.

Pull-ups

There are several options, depending on the grip and position of the hands, you can either expand or thicken the back muscles. Mainly work latissimus dorsi muscles, additionally– biceps, deltoids. One of the most common basic exercises in bodybuilding.

Grab the bar with a wide grip.
Exhaling, straining your back and arms, pull yourself up to the bar with the middle of your chest, arching your chest.
Bring your shoulder blades as close as possible to each other.
As you inhale, relax, but straighten your elbows without jerking.

Bent-over barbell row

develops latissimus dorsi, teres major, biceps brachii, posterior deltoids and trapezius.

Grasp the barbell with a medium grip and lift it off the floor.
Bend your knees, slightly tilt your body forward and stabilize the motionless position of your torso. The spine should be straight.
Hands are lowered freely, with an exhalation, pull the barbell to your stomach, gather your shoulder blades together. It is important to feel the tension more in the muscles of the back, not the arms.
As you inhale, smoothly straighten your arms. Raise your body only at the end of the exercise, most importantly, don't sway.

Army press

Develops deltoid muscles (anterior and middle bundles), triceps, serratus anterior muscles.

Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width grip and place the barbell in front of you under your chin. Elbows in the same plane as the body.
Exhale and press the barbell overhead, fully extending your elbows.
As you inhale, lower the barbell a little slower, without touching your collarbones.

Dips

The exercise requires special equipment and good physical fitness. will involve triceps and pectoralis major muscles.

Place your palms on the bars under your shoulder joints.
As you inhale, bending and moving your elbows back, lower your body until the shoulder and elbow joints are in the same horizontal plane.
Exhale as you push up, reaching the starting position.

Barbell row to the chin

It also belongs to the basic ones, as it involves two joints. Develops deltoid muscles, trapezius, partially biceps.

Grasp the barbell with a shoulder-width grip. Keep your arms straight at the elbows.
As you exhale, stretch the bar along your torso to your chin, pulling your elbows toward the ceiling.
As you inhale, slowly lower your arms. It is important not to rock your body.

A set of basic exercises

Day 1 (Legs, shoulders)

Squats 4x8-12;
Deadlift 4x8-12;
Lunges 4x8-12;
Romanian deadlift 4x8-12;
Military press 4x8-12;
Barbell row to the chin 4x8-12.

Day 2 (Back, chest, arms)

Wide grip pull-ups 4x8-12;
Pull-ups with a narrow reverse grip 4x8-12;
Bent-over barbell row 4x8-12;
Bench press 4x8-12;
Dips 4x8-12;
4x8-12.

Detailed video about basic exercises

Hi all! Do you do basic bodybuilding exercises? Well, yes, a stupid question, especially if you are a serious bodybuilder. Without the bench press, squats, deadlifts and standing chest presses, it is difficult to imagine true bodybuilding in its classic form.

The base is like the main dish, everything else is just seasoning. But still, you shouldn’t be fanatical about it. Many outstanding athletes completely exclude some basic exercises.

They will be very useful to you, especially if you cannot squat with a barbell for any reason. But let's once again pay attention to the most basic exercises in bodybuilding and, perhaps, in this article you will learn something new for yourself regarding these exercises.

The barbell push from the chest is a super exercise for mass!

This exercise is considered basic and perfectly builds all the muscles of the shoulder girdle, as well as the back and legs. Moreover, this exercise alone can significantly increase the volume of lean muscle mass. To be specific:

By setting a goal and working according to a clear training plan, you can add 10-15 kg in a year. lean muscle mass with just this one exercise!

It is unlikely that everyone involved in bodybuilding will succeed in this, but those who have put this exercise at a serious level in their training and who train selflessly show exactly these numbers.

This is exactly the result that beginner weightlifters often show. This exercise is divided into 2 stages. First, you throw the barbell over your chest, thereby working your legs and back. Then, with a sharp push, you lift the barbell up onto your straight arms, working all the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Let's look at the technically correct execution of the exercise:

1st phase: To start, squat down and grab the barbell as if you were doing a deadlift. Just take the barbell not with an uneven grip, but with your palms facing you.

The lower back should be arched, and the back should not be rounded under any circumstances. You begin to lift the barbell purely by straightening your legs. When the bar rises above the knees, you will need to lift the bar.

2nd phase: At this stage, you need to strongly straighten your body and move your shoulders to give momentum to the upward movement of the barbell.

3rd phase: You need to rotate your hands and sit under the barbell, which will already be pulled down after the jerking movement of your shoulders. Take the barbell to your chest and stand completely straight.

4th phase: Without any pause, you need to bend your knees and push the barbell up, while simultaneously applying effort with your legs and arms. Raise the barbell above your head with straight arms and also without pausing, throw the barbell onto the floor (just not on concrete, like in my basement).

Leg training

Legs are quite a difficult thing to pump up. The muscle fibers of the leg muscles may be poorly developed in many beginning athletes. There could be a lot of reasons for this. This is a feature of the muscle fibers themselves, which react to heavy weights and explosive training, and insufficient knowledge in this area and laziness, etc. But that’s not about that now.

The specific tips given below should help everyone who puts them into practice to increase muscle mass in their legs. This is a universal protocol for successful leg training:

It is advisable to train your legs on the very first day of your training week (Monday or Tuesday) separately from all muscle groups.
Quadriceps need to be trained in pumping mode, and this means a minimum of 12-15 repetitions per set. On the contrary, the buttocks and biceps of the thighs need to be “bombed” with a small number of repetitions; they respond well to this. Namely 4-6 repetitions with heavy weight.
At the end of the week, pay special attention to your hamstrings and work them out in your next workout.
Do specific workouts once a week, if possible. During such leg training, you will need to jump onto high supports, run short distances at a powerful pace, and jump forward and up from a standing position. This is a fundamentally different workout for your legs and it affects them in a special way.

Bench press

Bodybuilding experts who have studied muscle function during the bench press have noticed that during this basic exercise, the muscles of the upper back are subject to static tension. This is necessary in order to ensure stabilization of the arms. Exactly the same role is played by the triceps, which tense statically at the very beginning of the exercise. This tension helps keep your elbows bent at right angles. But since the force of static tension in the back and triceps muscles is too small, this prevents you from pressing 100%.

To solve this problem, you just need to force the triceps muscles and back muscles to contract much more intensely. An ordinary rubber shock absorber closed in a ring, which you need to put on your wrist and twist it in a figure eight, will help you achieve this goal. Only after you have stretched the shock absorber can you grab the barbell. This very stretching activates the stabilizer muscles, as a result they contract stronger and this will definitely make you press harder.

If you work in this style for at least a couple of weeks or a month, then at the end you will gain 100% in bench strength, and therefore in muscle mass!

How to do a deadlift correctly

This mega-exercise is considered incredibly important for those who have decided to seriously gain weight. As they say, “you can’t get more basic.” But here everything is not so simple, naturally. This exercise is recognized as one of the most traumatic for bodybuilders.

There is a particular danger for those who have worked in a sedentary job for a very long time and thereby significantly weakened the muscles of the lower back. For such people, the deadlift should be almost a forbidden exercise. No, of course you can and should do deadlifts, but with a special approach. Follow these tips and you'll deadlift injury-free while adding weight to the barbell:

You must set yourself the goal of developing simply impeccable technique for this exercise, bringing it to automatism. In this exercise, this is especially important, because later you will be able to lift “brutal” weights and any mistake in technique can cost you serious injury, very serious. Therefore, I considered it necessary to once again pay attention to the technique, giving you a clear scheme for performing the exercise in 3 stages. Please note again:

Start: lift the weight off the support or floor very slowly.

Middle: immediately after lifting the barbell from the support, begin to accelerate the rate of lifting, but without sudden movements. Everything is very smooth.

Finish: after the bar passes the line of your knees, the lifting speed should become maximum. But don't lean too far back due to inertia. This can cause injury to the lower back due to hyperextension. When the body is strictly vertical, stop and fix this position.

IMPORTANT: for deadlifts, use special “pulls” that will help you hold the weight with your hands. They look like this:

Kettlebells to help the “base”

Kettlebells will help you activate and significantly speed up progress in all basic exercises. In the near future you can experience for yourself the truth of this statement and its effectiveness. After some effective kettlebell exercises, you should feel the following:

clear fat burning effect
increase in functional strength
more pronounced muscle relief and definition

This effect is achieved by jerks, pushes and swings, which are characteristic of all exercises with weights. I advise you to try at least 3 exercises on yourself, which are described below. These exercises are little known in bodybuilding and are rarely used. If you suddenly become interested, you can try them for yourself, and then write down in the comments what it gave you. It will be very cool and interesting, so don't be shy!

1) "Gladiator" - to perform this exercise, you need to lean sideways on your straight arm. The free leg must be raised and held in weight. With your free hand, press the weight upward. After the number of repetitions acceptable to you, turn over to the other side and repeat the exercise.

2) Kettlebell squat press - to begin with, you need to take a squat position, but at the same time you need to keep your arm straight with the kettlebell above your head. The second hand holds the second weight, which lies on the floor. Stand up from a squat position and at the same time lift the second kettlebell with your other hand to your shoulder. Press the kettlebell overhead.

3) Lunges with kettlebells - you need to squeeze 2 weights above your head and hold them with straight arms. In this position, do walking lunges. Walk 10 meters, turn around and go back.

Try, experiment, dare. Perhaps these exercises will especially “spur” your progress in basic bodybuilding exercises. Be that as it may, always remember the ability of our muscles to respond favorably to new loads and exercises. So surprise them and they will thank you generously!

At the end of the article, I advise you to watch a useful video. Well done guys, they made a really good and useful video. You will learn some more “tricks” regarding basic bodybuilding exercises that I did not describe in this article:

Or maybe the “base” is not needed at all?

Nowadays, I increasingly come across opinions on the Internet of people who are against performing squats with a barbell, deadlifts, and any jerking of barbells, lifting them overhead, etc. I have yet to meet opponents of the bench press, either in reality or virtually. There are quite adequate reasons for this that can be explained.

Firstly, due to improper execution of basic exercises, people get injured because they work with heavy weights. . But should this be taken as inevitable? No, 100% no. Injuries occur due to incorrect execution technique, this is understandable. And anyone who is against the base for this reason simply has not mastered the impeccable technique and has lost caution.
Secondly, many do not see the effect of the base. Again, it’s all about how the weight is built up and the technique is followed. If you do everything correctly, it is impossible not to get results!
Thirdly, many bodybuilders say that the squat-dead-press base is the base for powerlifters. But for bodybuilders such a base is not the main one. There is a deal of truth in it. Indeed, powerlifters focus on these 3 exercises. And indeed bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things. But, nevertheless, all successful bodybuilders make this very base and you will not convince them that you can do without it.

This can be debated forever, and there will always be debate about it. Some do, some don't. And everyone thinks that he is right. I believe that the wisest thing in this situation would be to remain unconvinced and not convince anyone.

Because the most important thing in this matter is not naked rightness, but a concrete result. If you say that the base is nonsense, show in practice that it is so. Create yourself a beautiful body without a base, and everyone will shut up.

And if you say that you can’t go anywhere without a base, you should look the part. In short, no matter what you say, theory will not work here - prove it in practice.

Personally, I did the base, squatted with a barbell, and did the deadlift. Then I gave it up for a while and continued training without these exercises. Then he resumed again.

The base helped me build my core muscles even though I hated squats and deadlifts. Let us know in the comments what and how you feel about this. Have your say.

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Training should be based on basic exercises. They are the best method for gaining muscle mass. It is advised to start your workout with basic exercises, since the body spends a lot of resources on their implementation, and therefore at the end of the workout you simply do not have enough strength to do the basic exercises to the fullest.

Basic exercises in bodybuilding are the basis of training, be sure to include them in your training program!

The main difference between basic exercises and isolating exercises is that in isolating exercises only one muscle is loaded, while in basic exercises several muscles are loaded. Thus, when performing basic exercises in bodybuilding, you give stress not to one, but to several muscle groups.

Let's look at a specific example. Let's take the basic exercise bench press, where the triceps, shoulders, and pectoral muscles are loaded. An isolating exercise would be a French press, where only the triceps are loaded, or dumbbell flyes to the sides, where only the deltoids are loaded. I hope you get the point.

Probably everyone associates the phrase “basic bodybuilding exercises” with lifting huge weights. That’s right, it’s the heavy weights in basic exercises that give the body the impetus to grow muscle mass.

And of course, it is necessary to constantly increase the load so that the body does not get used to it, but experiences something new. Increase the weight or number of repetitions, or shorten the breaks between sets. In a word, you need to prevent your muscles from getting used to the monotonous load.

Another rule you need to remember. To grow muscle mass, it is necessary to put stress on large muscle groups:

back
pectoral muscles

It is the muscles of the legs and back that make up 80% of human muscles. If you grow these muscle groups, then smaller muscles will also begin to develop.