For a lot of people, this is daunting and for beginners perhaps even intimidating not knowing what to do or where to start with what muscle groups to focus on. For anyone looking to build strength, muscle, or simply improve fitness, understanding what specific muscles will help you reach your goal is an important part of the process. In this article we are going to discuss the best muscles to focus on in the gym, and how to train them for optimal success.
Metas
The core muscles are sometimes neglected, however they play an integral role with strength, stability, and posture. These are: rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis. By performing exercises that target the entire core, including planks, Russian twists or leg raises, you can stabilize your midsection and actually improve your performance while making injury less likely to occur.
Strength in legs
Powerful legs are the source of many functional lifts and movements, making them foundational for overall strength and athleticism. Include specific leg training, prioritizing exercises that work all of the main muscle groups in the legs (squats, lunges, deadlifts, leg press/exercises like this -) Compound movements are great for strength-building and also work multiple muscles at once, which means you’re getting a more efficient workout.
Back
Good posture, balance and injury prevention are all too important to have a weak back. Focus on your back with pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts. They not only work the muscles of the upper and lower back, but they also activate the stabilizing muscles promoting back health and durability.
Chest (Pectoralis Major and Minor)
Chest trains a large area in the upper body area, chest contributes to aesthetics while playing a significant role in strength acts. Be sure to work the chest with bench press, push up and chest flies. Changing the angle and grip on these movements will recruit different areas of the chest for a more comprehensive development.
Shoulders
Strong shoulders help with upper body strength as well as shoulder stability and function. Mix it up with overhead presses, lateral raises and upright rows to hit the deltoids at different angles. Shoulder injuries are not uncommon, and proper shoulder training can help you prevent imbalances that lead to one-sided muscular development.
Arms
The arms are smaller muscle groups that contribute to many upper body movements and much of the aesthetic outcome. Isolate the biceps with curls and hammer curls, then target the triceps with movements such as tricep dips and skull crushers. To build balanced and well-defined arm muscles, it is essential to incorporate both compound exercises (which target multiple muscle groups) as well as isolation exercises.
Cardiovascular fitness
Regardless of the strength behind your muscles, if you never add a little bit of speed into the equation — as in, cardiovascular exercise — then forget about health and fitness. Add activities such as running, cycling or rowing to the workout routine for aerobic endurance exercise and fat loss objectives.
If you want to hit your fitness goals, there are better ways than others, like no gym muscle workouts and having a plan of what muscles to target. Focusing on the core, legs, back, chest, shoulders and arms means strength building while also encouraging stability and better athleticism. Be sure to mix up your workouts, include compound and isolation exercises both, and pay attention to what your body is telling you in order to avoid injury and keep making gains!
