The 15 Best Strength Training Exercises to Build Muscle and Strength

Strength training is essential for building both muscle and strength, but not all exercises are created equal. The right exercises can maximize your efforts to produce better muscle growth, increased strength, and boosted overall fitness. 

Whether you’re new to strength training or looking to refine your routine, incorporating key movements can help you achieve your goals more efficiently. Together, we’ll cover the 15 best strength training exercises to build muscle and strength, ensuring a well-rounded and effective workout plan that you can incorporate into your existing routine or use to build a place to start. 

In this blog, we’ll review why building strength is so important, along with the 15 best strength training workouts, including:

• Squat

• Deadlift

• Bench press

• Overhead press

• Pull-up

• Bent-over row

• Romanian deadlift

• Lunges

• Bicep curl

• Triceps dip

• Step-ups

• Face pulls

• Calf raises

• Farmers carry

• Plank

Let’s dive in! 

Why strength training is important

Strength training goes beyond just building muscle—it enhances bone density, improves metabolism, increases functional fitness, and helps prevent injury. By incorporating compound and isolation movements, you can target multiple muscle groups, boost overall strength, and enhance athletic performance. Additionally, strength training complements cardio workouts by improving endurance, stability, efficiency, and power output. 

The 15 best strength training exercises

Each of these exercises is a fundamental movement that can help you build muscle and strength efficiently. Try grouping a few together in a circuit or adding them into your existing workout plans to enhance your routine. 

1. Squat

What it is: The squat is a foundational lower-body exercise that builds strength in the legs, glutes, and core. Squats can be performed with just your own bodyweight or by holding weights like a dumbbell or kettlebell in order to add intensity. 

How to perform squats:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your feet slightly turned out (not parallel).

2. Lower your body by bending or hinging at the hips and knees, keeping your chest up.

3. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground while maintaining an engaged core

4. Push through the soles of your feet with an emphasis on driving through the heels as you return to the starting position.

Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core.

2. Deadlift

What it is: Deadlifts are a compound exercise that strengthens the posterior chain, grip, and core. They can be performed using a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebells. 

How to perform deadlifts:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell in front of you, similar to the squat setup. 

2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grip the bar.

3. Keep your back flat as you lift the bar by driving through your heels.

4. Stand tall, then lower the bar back down with control.

Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, core, grip strength. 

3. Bench press

What it is: A bench press is a classic and powerful upper-body pressing movement that develops upper-body strength. There are several variations as well, each targeting a different area of the muscles in your chest and arms. While typically performed with a barbell, bench presses can also be performed with dumbbells. 

How to perform bench presses:

1. Lie on a bench with your feet planted on the floor.

2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.

3. Lower the bar to your chest.

4. Press the bar back up until your arms are fully extended. 

Muscles targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.

4. Overhead press

What it is: The overhead press is a pressing movement that builds the upper-body and core strength. It is typically performed with a barbell, but kettlebells and dumbbells can be substituted. 

How to perform overhead presses:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells at shoulder height.

2. Press the weight overhead, keeping your core engaged.

3. Lower the weight back to the starting position with control.

Muscles targeted: Shoulders, triceps, core.

5. Pull-up

What it is: Another classic exercise, the pull-up is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the upper back and arms. For those looking to add intensity, you can wear a weighted belt or band to create more resistance. Alternatively, for those just starting, you can use a pull-up assist machine or resistance bands to work up to an unassisted pull-up. 

How to perform pull-ups:

1. Hang from a sturdy pull-up bar with an overhand grip.

2. Pull your chin above the bar by engaging your back and arms.

3. Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position. 

Muscles targeted: Lats, biceps, upper back.

6. Bent-over row

What it is: A bent-over row is a compound pulling exercise that builds back and arm strength. 

How to perform a bent-over row:

1. Stand with a barbell or dumbbells and bend over, hinging at the hips. 

2. Pull the weight toward your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.

3. Lower the weight back down with control.

Muscles targeted: Lats, traps, biceps, lower back.

7. Romanian deadlift

What it is: The Romanian deadlift is a variation of the deadlift that emphasizes lower-body development through hamstring and glute development. The main difference is that the Romanian deadlift begins with the weight in your hands in standing position, while the classic deadlift begins with the weight on the ground. The goal of this exercise is to strengthen the “hinge” movement, so the weights only touch the ground at the start of the exercise and at the end of that set of reps. 

How to perform Romanian deadlifts:

1. With an overhand or mixed grip, hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of you with a slight bend in your knees. 

2. Hinge or “lift” at the hips, lowering the weight while keeping your black flat.

3. Engage your hamstrings and glutes to return to standing position. 

Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back.

8. Lunges

What it is: Lunges are another traditional exercise that mimic a natural human motion. They incorporate a unilateral lower-body movement to enhance balance and strength. They can be made more intense by holding a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells. Also, you can target different muscles by alternating between front and back lunges.

How to perform a forward lunge:

1. Step forward with one leg, lowering your back knee toward the ground.

2. Keep your front knee in line with your ankle, not going past the toes, and your back straight.

3. Push through your front foot to return to standing.

4. Repeat on the other side. 

How to perform a backward lunge:

1. Step backward with one leg, lowering your back knee toward the ground.

2. Keep your front knee in line with your ankle and your back straight.

3. Push through your back foot to return to standing.

4. Repeat on the other side. 

Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core.

9. Bicep curl

What it is: Bicep curls are a classic isolation movement for strengthening the arm muscles. They can be performed with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands. 

How to perform bicep curls:

1. Hold dumbbells with palms facing forward.

2. Curl the weight toward your shoulders, keeping elbows close to your sides.

3. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the curl.

4. Lower the weights back down with control.

Muscles targeted: Biceps.

10. Triceps dip

What it is: Triceps dips are a bodyweight exercise that builds arm, chest, and shoulder strength. They can be performed with a weight bench, parallel bars, a chair, or even stairs. 

How to perform triceps dips:

1. Position yourself in front of your sturdy device, such a bench or chair.

2. Place your hands on the end of the surface behind you with the heel of your palms facing forward.

3. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle while maintaining a tall, upright posture.

4. Push back up to the starting position and repeat.

Muscles targeted: Triceps, shoulders, chest.

11. Step-ups

What it is: Step-ups are a straightforward lower-body exercise intended to improve strength, balance, and stability. They can be performed with a weight bench, stairs, or another sturdy surface that can safely withstand your bodyweight. You can add intensity by holding dumbbells or kettlebells. 

How to perform step-ups:

1. If using weights, hold them at your sides.

2. Step onto a bench or stair with one foot.

3. Drive through your heel to lift your body up.

4. Step back down and repeat on the other leg. 

Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.

Related blog: How Much Strength Training Should You Do Per Week?

12. Face pulls

What it is: These may sound like a medieval procedure at your local medspa but in the gym setting, they’re an upper-body exercise that improves shoulder health and posture. They can be performed with a cable machine or by using resistance bands. 

How to perform face pulls:

1. Use a cable machine or resistance band attached to a sturdy anchor. 

2. Pull the handles toward your face while keeping your elbows high.

3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Muscles targeted: Rear delts, traps, upper back.

13. Calf raises

What it is: Calf raises isolate your calf muscles to build strength and balance. They can be performed with just bodyweight or by holding weights like dumbbells or kettlebells.

How to perform calf raises:

1. If using weights, hold them at your sides.

2. Stand with feet hip-width apart.

3. Raise your heels off the ground.

4. Lower back down with control. 

Muscles targeted: Calves.

14. Farmers carry

What it is: Not just for farmers anymore! This is a functional exercise that builds grip and core strength and will have you longing for that homestead life. 

How to perform a farmers carry:

1. Hold heavy weights in each hand.

2. Walk forward while maintaining a strong posture and engaged core. 

3. Continue for a set distance or time.

4. Gently place the weights down while maintaining good posture.

Muscles targeted: Grip, forearms, core, shoulders.

15. Plank

What it is: Planks are a classic exercise designed to increase your stability and test your endurance. Side effects may include the slowing down of time and cursing under your breath. There are a variety of variations of planks that can increase or decrease intensity as well. 

How to perform a classic plank:

1. Lower yourself to your knees and place your hands on the floor in front of you in line with your shoulders.

2. Step your legs behind you.

3. Hold your body in a straight line on your elbows and toes.

4. Engage your core by concentrating on pulling your navel toward your spine. Imagine a lit candle under your naval—this helps you engage your core in a powerful and supportive manner. 

5. Hold this position for your desired amount of time.

Muscles targeted: Core, shoulders, lower back. 

Get started with strength training today!

Incorporating these strength training exercises into your workout routine can help you build muscle, enhance strength, and improve overall fitness. 

One of the best ways to invest in your health and incorporate strength-training workouts into your routine is to consider a rowing machine like Hydrow. These indoor rowers offer an immersive and efficient total-body workout, targeting 86% of your muscles in each rowing stroke.

Hydrow’s extensive library of workouts has something for everyone, and the instruction from our elite Athletes will help you learn and progress safely and effectively in your strength training workouts. 

Learn more about Hydrow’s strength training workouts today!