Ten Exercises to Build a Rock Solid Physique
There is no secret that building a body that looks like it was chiseled from stone takes years of hard work and dedication. But the thing many people may not realize is that it may not require as much time as you think. Getting in shape also doesn’t really require a lot of variety initially. Doing the basics will yield immense results for the first one to five years of strength training. The focus should be to get strong leaning on compound movements, which recruit the most skeletal muscle tissue during each and every repetition. Your big muscles will lead the way—the glutes, back, abdominals, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, and shoulders—and the smaller muscle groups will be there as secondary or tertiary support! There is far too much time spent trying to build the chest, biceps, and triceps while neglecting the muscles that will actually build a bigger chest, biceps, and triceps.
The way hormones work is that when the body is under intense load, it will release growth hormone and testosterone to help it become more resilient and build the muscles back bigger and stronger for the second time it gets put under that intense load. Did you know that you don’t actually build muscle in the gym? It is actually broken down in the gym and repaired and rebuilt for the next 24-72 hours, especially while you are sleeping. Actually, at Formal Fitness Training we would make the argument that recovery is actually more important than the workout you are doing at the gym.
Before we unveil the ten exercises you should be doing immediately, we will first go over a few more truths.
- You only need to lift weights 2-3 days per week initially and then increase to a maximum of four days as you advance.
- Training Core and Calves multiple times per week will yield greater results as well as legs twice.
- If you aren’t getting an adequate protein intake, your results will suffer.
- If you aren’t sleeping 7-9 hours per night, your results will suffer.
- If you aren’t getting stronger, you likely aren’t eating enough calories.
- You should not do an exercise just because you see an influencer doing it. You should know why you are doing the exercise.
- You need way less cardio than you think; 30 minutes of walking with purpose per day will likely fulfill what you need.
- Supplements will make you broke and will not make you jacked (exceptions are protein powders, protein bars, multivitamins, fish oil, creatine, and caffeine).
- Learn from people who are actually doing the work and have been for years. Many young people look good simply by existing and eating whatever they want, but to be in shape at forty requires serious effort.
Here are the ten best exercises to get results. Ordered from absolute favorite to tenth favorite. They must be programmed properly, so if you don’t know how to program, reach out to us, and we will help you out!
- Barbell squats to 90 degrees
- Hex Bar Deadlift (flipped over, utilizing the bottom grips)
- DB Flat Bench Press
- Pull-up or pull-up assist
- Sled Drives
- Sled Pulls
- Military Press (Shoulders)
- Seated Shoulder Width Grip Cable Row
- Weighted Plank
- Weighted Side Plank
Now! Go! Get in the trenches and start unearthing some hard-earned muscle!
Michael Hartman
My mission is to give personal training participants a safe and effective workout designed specifically for their goals. Dealing with many sports injuries over the years taught me how to come back stronger every time. The competition is with yourself... Strive to bring out your best self and get better every day!
