Introduction
In this article we will keep it short and sweet, giving you three exercises every great workout plan should include. In fact, if you only do these three alone, you could build a great body. Here they are:
The Pullup
Pull-ups are one of the best upper body strength tests. If you can pull your body weight over the bar, you rock. If you can do it ten times with proper technique, you are fantastic! However, that’s something not many people can do.
What makes pull-ups amazing is their simplicity, yet effectiveness. Pulling your body up is so basic, but so hard to do. Yes, pull-ups are functional, but they also build strength and add width to your back and thickness to your arms.
Pull-ups primarily hit lats, but they also hit biceps and other back muscles. If you choose to do chin-ups, which is an underhand, close grip brother of pullups, you will hit your biceps even harder, taking some weight of your lats.
However, because pullups are ultra hard, especially is you are overweight, you might not be able to do a single one, if you are a beginner.
If that’s the case, try only doing the negative (lowering) portion, by jumping up the bar. Or use a lat machine until you build up the strength.
Squat
Whether with barbells, dumbells or just your bodyweight, the squat is the most essential lower body movement you simply must do.
Squats hit your quads, but also your glutes, and other leg muscles. They also promote mobility, as they require “triple flexion,” your hips, knees, and ankles have to work at the same time.
Because of this, squats are very demanding, and you will find yourself catching breath pretty soon.
Working out big leg muscles boosts testosterone, which will have effects all over your body. The size of leg muscles affected by squats will also burn tons of calories, even after your workouts.
Overhead press
Also known as military press, if one of the best exercises for the upper body strength and size. The best option is to do it with a barbell, but dumbells will do just fine. You can also do an inverted floor press, but this is inferior compared to other variations.
OHP hits our delts hard and is the best way to get broad shoulders. Besides delts, your triceps will get a terrific workout, increasing the size of your arms. However, because you are lifting weight above your head, your core muscles will work overtime, trying to keep everything stabilized.
Just make sure to start light, this exercise is tough to do. Once you get tired, you can switch to doing push press, which is an OHP variation that uses leg drive. Help yourself to get the weight up, but then lower it slowly. Good luck the next day, as you will be very sore.
Conclusion
These three exercises when combined hit triceps, biceps, lats, delts, core, quads, glutes, and a lot of other muscles that support the movements. As you can see, this is really a lot, almost the entire body, and that’s the reason why we think these three mammoths should be a part of every single workout plan. Every personal trainer at our gym in West Palm Beach knows this, and our plans have all of them.
