Workout Programs

Primary Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Equipment: Barbell, Squat Rack, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Position the barbell on your upper back, feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed out.

Execution: Lower your body by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your chest up and core tight. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then drive through your heels to return to standing.

Key Points:

• Keep your chest up throughout the movement
• Drive through your heels
• Maintain a neutral spine
• Control the descent

Common Mistakes:

• Knees caving inward
• Heels lifting off the ground
• Forward lean
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae, Traps, Lats

Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell over mid-foot. Bend at hips and knees to grip the bar with hands just outside your legs.

Execution: Drive through your heels, extend your hips and knees simultaneously, keeping the bar close to your body. Stand tall with shoulders back, then reverse the movement.

Key Points:

• Keep the bar close to your body
• Drive through your heels
• Maintain a neutral spine
• Engage your lats

Common Mistakes:

• Rounded back
• Bar drifting away from body
• Hips rising too fast
• Hyperextending at the top

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Chest, Anterior Deltoids, Triceps

Equipment: Barbell, Bench, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar. Grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, feet flat on the floor.

Execution: Unrack the bar and lower it to your chest with control. Press the bar up and slightly back toward your face, maintaining tension throughout.

Key Points:

• Keep your shoulder blades retracted
• Maintain a slight arch in your back
• Control the descent
• Press in a slight arc

Common Mistakes:

• Bouncing off the chest
• Flaring elbows
• Lifting feet off the ground
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Anterior Deltoids, Triceps, Core

Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Start with the bar at shoulder level, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, elbows slightly forward.

Execution: Press the bar straight up overhead, keeping your core tight and avoiding excessive arching. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Keep your core tight
• Press straight up
• Avoid excessive arching
• Control the descent

Common Mistakes:

• Excessive arching
• Pressing forward instead of up
• Loose core
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Lats, Rhomboids, Middle Traps, Posterior Deltoids

Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Execution: Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight. Pull the bar to your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower with control.

Key Points:

• Keep your back straight
• Pull to your lower chest
• Squeeze shoulder blades
• Control the descent

Common Mistakes:

• Rounded back
• Pulling to the stomach
• Using momentum
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Lats, Rhomboids, Middle Traps, Biceps

Equipment: Pull-up Bar

Instructions:

Setup: Hang from the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, arms fully extended.

Execution: Pull your body up until your chin clears the bar, focusing on pulling with your back muscles. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Start from a dead hang
• Pull with your back
• Chin over the bar
• Control the descent

Common Mistakes:

• Kipping or swinging
• Not reaching full extension
• Pulling with arms only
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment: Dumbbells

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides.

Execution: Step forward with one leg, lowering your body until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Push back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Key Points:

• Keep your torso upright
• Step far enough forward
• Both knees at 90 degrees
• Push through the front heel

Common Mistakes:

• Stepping too short
• Leaning forward
• Knee caving inward
• Not reaching 90 degrees

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae

Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Execution: Hinge at the hips, keeping your legs relatively straight, and lower the bar along your legs. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings, then return to standing.

Key Points:

• Hinge at the hips
• Keep the bar close
• Feel the hamstring stretch
• Drive hips forward

Common Mistakes:

• Bending the knees too much
• Rounding the back
• Bar drifting away
• Not feeling the stretch

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Chest, Anterior Deltoids, Triceps

Equipment: Dumbbells, Bench

Instructions:

Setup: Lie on the bench, holding dumbbells at chest level with your palms facing forward.

Execution: Press the dumbbells up and slightly together until your arms are fully extended. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Control the descent
• Press up and together
• Full range of motion
• Stable core

Common Mistakes:

• Bouncing off the chest
• Flaring elbows
• Incomplete range of motion
• Unstable core

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Lateral Deltoids

Equipment: Dumbbells

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your body.

Execution: Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the floor. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Lead with your pinkies
• Raise to shoulder height
• Control the descent
• Avoid swinging

Common Mistakes:

• Using momentum
• Raising too high
• Leaning back
• Not controlling the descent

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Biceps

Equipment: Dumbbells

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing forward.

Execution: Curl the dumbbells up by flexing your biceps, keeping your elbows at your sides. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Keep elbows at your sides
• Full range of motion
• Control the descent
• Avoid swinging

Common Mistakes:

• Using momentum
• Moving the elbows
• Incomplete range of motion
• Leaning back

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Triceps

Equipment: Dumbbells

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands overhead.

Execution: Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending at the elbows. Extend your arms to return to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Keep elbows pointing forward
• Full range of motion
• Control the movement
• Stable core

Common Mistakes:

• Flaring elbows
• Incomplete range of motion
• Using momentum
• Unstable core

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment: Leg Press Machine

Instructions:

Setup: Sit in the leg press machine with your back flat against the pad and feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.

Execution: Lower the weight by bending your knees until they reach 90 degrees. Press through your heels to return to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Keep your back flat
• Full range of motion
• Press through your heels
• Control the movement

Common Mistakes:

• Incomplete range of motion
• Lifting the hips
• Knees caving inward
• Using momentum

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Hamstrings

Equipment: Leg Curl Machine

Instructions:

Setup: Lie face down on the leg curl machine with your ankles under the pad and your knees at the edge of the bench.

Execution: Curl your heels toward your glutes by flexing your hamstrings. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Keep your hips down
• Full range of motion
• Control the movement
• Squeeze at the top

Common Mistakes:

• Lifting the hips
• Incomplete range of motion
• Using momentum
• Not controlling the descent

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Calves

Equipment: Bodyweight or Dumbbells

Instructions:

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides or using bodyweight.

Execution: Rise up onto your toes by contracting your calf muscles. Lower with control to the starting position.

Key Points:

• Full range of motion
• Control the movement
• Squeeze at the top
• Stable core

Common Mistakes:

• Incomplete range of motion
• Using momentum
• Not controlling the descent
• Unstable core

Variations:

Primary Muscles: Posterior Deltoids, Rhomboids, Middle Traps

Equipment: Cable Machine

Instructions:

Setup: Stand facing the cable machine, holding the rope attachment with both hands at chest level.

Execution: Pull the rope toward your face, separating your hands and bringing your elbows back. Return to the starting position with control.

Key Points:

• Pull to your face
• Separate your hands
• Bring elbows back
• Control the return

Common Mistakes:

• Pulling too low
• Not separating hands
• Using momentum
• Incomplete range of motion

Variations: