My first time at the gym, I was intimidated and overwhelmed by all of the different exercise machines, benches, and free weights in front of me. There are so many muscles in your body, and so many different ways to workout each of those muscle groups, it’s no wonder that gyms have such a wide variety of options for their patrons. Unfortunately, for those of us just beginning to explore the gym, all these choices make the gym seem less than “user friendly.”

This post focuses on describing some basic resistance training moves, and includes the muscle groups targeted by each exercise. If you are a new member at the local recreation center, reading up on these exercises will give you a good starting off point for planning out a good weight training regimen. And if you’re a bona fide gym rat, this article might be a helpful refresher in getting “back to basics” when it comes to lifting.  

1. Bicep Curl (Biceps). Arguably the most common weightlifting movement that comes to mind, the basic bicep curl involves bending (i.e., “curling”) your arm at the elbow towards your shoulder against resistance/weight. Varying how your wrists are turned during the movement will target different areas of your biceps. (Tip: Your lower arms past your elbow should be doing the moving. A lot of movement in your upper arm will “cheat” you on your workout by reducing the range of motion or allowing you to use momentum, rather than your muscles, to lift the weight.)

See an example of a dumbbell bicep curl here.

2. Tricep Extension (Triceps). Pretty much the opposite in movement to the bicep curl, the tricep extension is a straightening of your arm(s) from a bent position against the resistance. Common forms of this movement include sitting upright and lifting a dumbbell over your head or lying on a bench and extending a gripped barbell with arms past your head and the bench. (Tip: Keep your elbows in towards your body while extending to help isolate your triceps.)

See an example of a dumbbell tricep extension here.

3. Chest Press (Chest). Whether performing the typical bench press or a pushup, you engage your pectoral muscles by “pushing” resistance away from you with arms at a starting position to the side of your chest. You can focus on different areas of your chest by changing the angle of your arms’ movement as you press. For example, a “decline” chest press is done with your body on a bench angled so that your head is lower than your legs. In this position, your arms are moving more towards your legs as you push the weight away, focusing the resistance on your lower chest.

See an example of a barbell chest press here.

4. Shoulder Press (Shoulders). Sometimes called an “overhead press” or “military press,” you strengthen your shoulders as you push a weight/resistance upwards over your head. (Tip: You can work your abdominals some while doing this movement if you stand. Maintaining your balance while lifting the weight overhead will engage your core muscles.)

See an example of a dumbbell shoulder press here.

5. Rows (Back). The basic row exercise is done by pulling towards your torso against resistance. Typically, the row is done in a seated position with a machine, or can be done by standing in a bent-over position and pulling free weights towards your stomach. (Tip: Keep your shoulders back and stick your rear out behind you if you do a bent-over row. Doing so will help keep your legs under you to support your body and relieve stress on your back as you lift.)

See an example of a barbell bent-over row here.

6. Crunch (Upper abs). Similar to a sit-up, in that you lie with your back against the ground and knees bent. However, instead of pulling your upper body all the way so that your chest approaches your knees, you stop the movement once your shoulders are off the ground. Stopping there focuses on your abs for the entire movement, whereas doing the full sit-up can cause undue strain on your lower back and hips. (Tip: Focus on flexing/contracting your abdominal muscles, rather than using your arms or neck, to “pull” your upper body off of the floor.)

See an example of a weighted incline crunch here.

7. Leg Raise (Lower abs). To work on the lower area of your tummy, lift your legs towards your chest against resistance or gravity. There are lots of variations with respect to leg positions and body angles, but the general idea of raising our legs towards you is the same. As with the crunch above, make sure you are contracting your abs, not using your legs, to perform the movement.

See an example of a vertical leg raise here.

8. Squat (Quads, glutes). The squat involves pushing resistance with your legs away from your body and will work the front part of your upper legs (quadriceps) and your glutes (butt). This movement can even be done at home using your own body weight for the resistance as you “squat” down on your own legs and then return to a standing position.
 
See an example of a dumbbell squat here.

9. Leg curl (Hamstring). To work the back part of your upper legs, you can curl your legs towards your back against resistance. Many fitness centers have a machine that allows you to easily perform this movement.

See an example of using a leg curl machine here.

10. Calf raise (Calves). This exercise is done by bending at your ankles so that your feet point away from your body. Again this can be done with your own body weight (just stand on your tiptoes!), or can be done on a leg press machine or while holding additional weight to increase the workout on your calves.

See an example of using a calf press machine here.

There are plenty of exercise moves that I’ve left out here. (Off the top of my head, I can think of lat pulldowns, chest flies, and lunges.) However, this list is a good set of basic weightlifting moves from which to build your own workout. You can tap into a lot of other exercises by simply varying the angle, weight/resistance type, or starting position of the moves described here. In addition, look for more posts on this site in the future that talk about various muscle groups and exercises in more depth and specificity.

UPDATE: Now that you’ve read about the different moves you can perform at the gym, if you need help with figuring out the number of sets, reps, and weight for these exercises, you can check out some guidelines here.

Got any other favorite resistance training moves you want to share? Feel free to mention them in your comment below!