7 Best Strength Training Exercise To Build A Strong & Fit Body

What are Strength training exercises ?

Strength training exercise, also known as resistance training , is a form of exercise that is designed to improve muscular strength, endurance and  power by performing those exercises which includes resistance to challenge muscles. This resistance can be come from using a variety of equipments such as machines, free weights, resistance bands r bodyweight exercises.

The aim of strength training is to improve overall fitness, including improved bone density, muscle mass, increase strength, improve cardiovascular system, balance and better metabolism. Performing strength training regularly, overload the muscles with resistance, which makes them stronger over time and helps to build aesthetic power and prevent injury. 

This process also known as hypertrophy, occurs by stimulating your muscles to create tiny tears in muscle fibres while performing strength exercise. These tiny tears sends signals to your body to repair and rebuild the muscles, which leads to increase in strength and size over time. These type of exercises can be performed in multiple ways, such as performing ( HIIT ) or by performing multiple sets of single muscle consisting of 8-12 reps each set. 

Strength training can be performed by any age group. This training can improve athletic performance by improving more density, muscle mass and reduce the risk of injury, which is especially important for women and older adults. 

Strength training is effective way to improve muscle strength and tone, and it can be done using only your body weight. Exercises such as squats, lunges and push-ups are great example of bodyweight exercise which can help your to achieve your fitness goal. The best part of this exercises is that you don’t need any special equipment, so you can performed it anywhere, whether you are inside or outside. One of the benefits of bodyweight exercises is that they can be modified to make them more challenging, by adding weight.

What are the benefits of Resistance training for beginners ?

Strength training has number of health benefits. Here are some key benefits :

1. Boosts energy and mood : Strength training can help to improve mood and boosts energy. Endorphins are a hormone present in our body, which can acts as natural painkiller and mood enhancer. So performing strength training helps you to release this hormone, which can give you a feeling of increasing energy and help you to feel more focused and alert throughout the day. Also, strength training can helps you to sleep better at night.

2. Builds muscle : Performing strength training exercises such as resistance band training, weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, stimulate your muscles to create tiny tears in muscle fibres, this process also known as hypertrophy. These tiny tears sends signals to your body to repair and rebuild the muscles, which leads to increase in strength and size over time. Also strength training helps to boosts the production of testosterone level, which play important role in muscle building. 

3. Increases bone density : Strength training is very beneficial for increasing bone density. Performing strength training exercises creates stress on your bones, which helps to reduce the risk of fractures and prevent osteoporosis, it also stimulates the production of new bone tissue. Hips, spine and wrists are the areas which are under most stress during strength training exercises, over time this can lead to increase bone density especially in these areas. 

4. Improves balance and coordination : In addition to building muscles, strength training exercises also helps to improve balance and coordination. Exercise like single-leg movements that requires you to stabilise your body on unstable surface like a stability ball can challenge your balance and coordination. By engaging in strength training exercises, you not only strengthen your muscles, but also improves your neuromuscular control. This means that you become more efficient at coordinating your muscles movements, which can lead to better overall balance and coordination.

5. Reduces the risk of chronic diseases : Performing regularstrength training exercises helps to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve several markers of health. Research has shown that strength training can help to lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control and lower cholesterol levels. In addition, strength training can help to reduce inflammation in the body, which is a key factors in the development of chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. 

Here Are 7 Best Strength Training Exercises

Squats 

Squats are very effective strength training exercise that target the lower body and can build strength and muscle mass in your lower body, including your hamstrings, calves, glutes and quads. Here are some tips for performing squats as strength training exercise.

Steps :

1. Start with your feet shoulder width apart and should be pointed slightly outward.

2. Engage your back and core muscles by pulling your novel into your spine and squeeze your glutes.

3. Slowly lower down your body by bending knees as if you are sitting on chair, keep your hip backward and knees should not cross your toes. Keep your face forward and chest up.

4. Lower your body until thighs become parallel to the floor. 

5. Pause for a second in downward position, then push through your heels to get back into the starting position, squeezing your glutes and straightening your legs.

6. Repeat this steps for desired number of repetitions.

Tips :

1. Start without weight : If you are performing squat exercise for the first time, it’s best to start with bodyweight squats to perfect your form and it also helps in building strength. 

2. Use proper form : Performing squat in proper form is very important to prevent any injury. For this, keep your lower back straight in whole exercise, avoid crossing toes with your knees, keep your hips backward, toes should be shoulder width apart and should be pointing slightly outward.

3. Gradually increase weight : Don’t lift too heavy if your are beginner, start with warmup sets and gradually you can start adding weight to your squat. Use weights that allows you to perform squat in proper form or in full depth.

4. Vary your squat variations :  There are 3 variations in barbell back squat that target different muscles in your lower body. Experiment performing it in standard, narrow and wide squat variations. 

Deadlifts

Deadlift is one of the best strength training exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, including lower back, hamstrings, glutes, forearms and quadriceps. Here is step to step guide on how to perform deadlift with proper form. 

Steps :

1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart, with the barbell position in front of you. The bar should be centred over your mid-foot.

2. Slowly lower yourself by bending knees, keeping your hip backward grasp the bar with overhead grip. Your palms should be positioned slightly wider than your shoulders width and palms should be pacing towards the floor.

3. Keep your back straight and chest up while performing this lift.

4. Take a deep breath, engaging your core muscles, keeping shoulder back and down lift the bar off the floor by driving through your heels. Keep the bar near to the shins while lifting the off the floor. 

5. Once the bar is above your knees, squeeze your glutes and straighten your lower back by bending slightly backward. 

6. After holding for a second, lower down the bar to the floor by bending your knees. Keep your lower back straight while performing this exercise.

7. Repeat this steps for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips :

1. Begin with proper set-up : Before lifting the bar ensure that you are standing in the centre of the barbell. Toes should be shoulder width apart and slightly pointing outward. Keep the barbell in contact with your shins while lifting off the floor.

2. Maintain proper posture : While performing deadlift proper posture is very important to prevent any injury. Keep your shoulder back and down, core muscle should be engage and keep your lower back straight throughout the movement. 

3. Drive through your heels : While lifting the bar off the floor, drive through your heels rather than toes. This will prevent any injury to the heels. 

4. Control the weight : Avoid slamming down the bar to the floor, lower down the bar to the floor in controlled manner. This method can prevent you from injury.

Bench Press 

This exercise primarily targets your chest muscles, but it is a classic strength training exercise that targets the muscles of triceps and shoulders too. Here are some steps for performing this exercise with proper form.

Steps :

1. Lie on the bench and grab the bar with your palms slightly wider than your shoulder facing away from the body. Keep your feet in contact with ground making a small arch in your back and move your shoulder back towards each other.

2. Taking deep breath, lift your chest up and unrack the bar. Hold the bar above your chest with your arms extended and keep your elbows slightly toward your torso. 

3. Keeping your elbows tucked in, slowly lower the bar until it reaches to the bottom area of the chest and your forearms perpendicular to the floor. 

4. Pause and drive the bar back to the starting positing by engaging your triceps, shoulders and chest. Exhale at the top extended position.

5. Repeat these steps for desired number of repetitions.

Tips :

1. Focus on proper form : Maintaining proper form throughout the movement is very important for proper hitting the targeted muscle and to prevent any injury. Means keep your glutes and upper back in contact with table. Keep your shoulders backward and lift the chest up. Avoid arching your back excessively and don’t hit the bar hardly to your chest. 

2. Breathe properly : Breathing is very important while performing any exercise, so breathe in while unracking the bar off the bench and hold it until the bar reaches your chest. Exhale while lifting the bar off the chest.

3. Use full range of motion : Avoid half range of motion, lower the bar until it reaches to the chest and press it all way up. Using full range of motion will promote strength gains and you will feel great pump in your chest. 

4. Vary your grip : Different grip width target different muscles of chest like a narrow grip will target the triceps more, while a wider grip will place more emphasis on the outer chest. 

Overhead press

Overhead press is a compound exercise which targets multiple muscle groups with single movement. Muscles targeted in overhead press are shoulders, triceps and upper back. Here are the steps for performing Overhead press :

Steps :

1. Stand in the front of barbell rack with your feet hip width apart and grip the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, palms should facing forward. Unrack the bar and move towards your shoulders, with your elbows tucked and upper arms will be parallel to the ground.

2. Take a deep breath and engage your core muscles. Stabilise your lower back and generate maximum power.

3. Exhale and press the bar upward ( over your head ) by locking your elbows and keep your wrist straight, elbows tucked in. 

4. Balance the bar over your head and hold for a second.

5. Inhale and then slowly lower the bar to the starting point ( at shoulder level ) by bending your elbows. 

6. Repeat this movement for 12-16 repetitions.

Tips :

1. Start with light weight : If you are new to this exercise start, it’s important to start with light weight. This will help you to learn proper technique and form for hitting the targeted muscles.

2. Engage your core : Keep your core muscle engage throughout the movement, this will prevent swinging and help to perform every rep in proper form. 

3. Use full range of motion : Avoid half range of motion, lower the bar until it reaches to the neck and press it all way up. Using full range of motion will promote strength gains and you will feel great pump.

Lunges

Lunges are effective strength training exercise that targets multiple muscle groups in lower part of the body, including glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Here are some steps for performing lunges with proper form :

Steps :

1. Start this exercise in standing position by holding dumbbells in both hands. Toes should be hip width apart and keep dumbbells to your sides.

2. Take a large step forward with your left foot and keep other foot at same position.

3. Slow lower your body by bending both knees until your left thigh become parallel to the floor or your left knee is directly above your ankle.

4. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and down and torso should be straight ( like in standing position ).

5. Push through your left heel to get back into starting position. 

6. Repeat this same movement with your other leg.

Tips :

1. Start without weight : If you are new to this exercise start with bodyweight before lifting heavy weights. This will help you to achieve proper form and technique before adding extra weight

2. Step out far enough : Make sure not to step so far with front foot so that your front knee cross your toes. Your front knee should remain above your ankle and your back should be pointing towards the floor.

3. Keep your back straight : Keep your back straight through the movement, don’t allow your body to lean froward or avoid arching your back and keep your shoulders back and down. While performing this exercise engage your core muscles for maintaining proper form.

4. Push through your heel : When stepping back into the standing position, push through your heel not toes. This will help to engage your hamstrings and glute muscles throughout the movement.

Pull-ups 

Pull-ups are great strength training exercise for building strength in upper body, especially in your back, forearms and biceps. Here are some steps for performing this exercise :

Steps :

1. There are different types of variations in this exercise like neutral grip, overhand grip and underhand grip. Try all of them and find out which is suitable and more effective for your.

2. If you are new to this exercise then you should start with associated pull-ups exercise. This will help you to build up strength and help to achieve proper form.

3. While performing this exercise, keep your chest up, core muscles should be engage and shoulders back and down. Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin reaches the bar level. Keep your elbows close to your the sides of your chest. 

4. After reaching the bar, slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

5. You can switch your hand grip to target different muscle of your back.

6. Start with 1-2 sets of 5-8 reps and gradually increase your reps like 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps as you get stronger.

Tips :

1. Use full range of motion : Try to perform this exercise with fun range of motion like go all the way down to a dead hang at the bottom of each rep and pull all the way up until your chin reaches the bar level.

2. Engage your core : Keep your core muscle engage throughout the movement, this will prevent swinging and help to perform every rep in proper form. 

3. Keep your shoulder down : Keep you chest up and shoulder should be back and down. This will help you to properly hit the targeted muscles into back.

4. Avoid swinging : While pulling yourself upward avoid swinging your body, this will decrease the effectiveness of the exercise and increase the chance of injury. Pull yourself in clean manner to get full benefit of this exercise.

Romanian deadlifts

Romanian deadlift is one of the best exercise for targeting lower and upper body, including glutes, hamstrings, lower back and grip strength. Here are some step for performing this exercise :

Steps :

1. Start this exercise holding loaded barbell with overhand grip and your feet should be placed shoulder width apart. 

2. Keep your chest up, core engaged, hinge at your hips and slowly lower down the barbell toward your feet until you feel stretch in your hamstrings.

3. When you reach the point where your hamstrings got stretched or when not able to keep back straight, pause for second and then pull the barbell to get back into the starting position.

4. Repeat this movement for at least 10-12 repetitions. 

Tips :

1. Start with light weight : If you are new to this exercise start, it’s important to start with light weight. This will help you to learn proper technique and form for hitting the targeted muscles.

2. Keep your back straight : It’s very important especially in Romanian deadlift to keep your back straight throughout the movement. This will reduce the risk of injury and will help you engage your glutes and hamstrings.

3. Don’t go too low : Avoid lowering the barbell too deep. Instead, focus on lowering the barbell until your feel stretch in your hamstrings. 

4. Engage your core : Engaging your core muscle while performing this exercise will help you to maintain proper form and stability throughout the workout.