‘What are the best strength training exercises?’. This is a very popular question. I have been training consistently for 20 years. The answers I will give will be my opinion from anecdotal and evidence-based results that I’ve seen over these years.
This includes many conversations with world leading Strength & Conditioning coaches and lots of experimentation for myself. I’ll take the guesswork away from you and announce my 5 best exercises for building strength.
Let’s get into it…
Compound vs Isolated Exercises
All movements are broken into ‘isolation’ exercises and ‘compound’ exercises.
Isolation exercises are exercises where there’s only movement around a single joint. For example, a bicep curl, or calf raise. Then you have compound exercises. These are multi-joint exercises such as squats, bench presses and deadlifts. For developing strength we want to focus on using compound exercises working multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
The 5 Best Strength Training Exercises
In no particular order, here are the exercises, broken down into 5 categories: squat, upper body push, upper body pull, carry and lunge.
1. Back Squat
This is arguably the king of lower body exercises – the squat.
To perform a squat, simply lower your hips from a standing position until your thighs are parallel to the floor or deeper, depending on your flexibility and strength. You then need to push through your heels to stand back up, straightening your legs and returning to the starting position.
There are many forms of squat but as a true indicator of lower body strength this is king. Shows strength in your quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings as well as lower back.
2. Bench Press
Very similar to the squats an indicator of ‘push’ strength, this exercise primarily works the chest muscles but also engages the shoulders and triceps, making it a brilliant compound movement for upper body strength.
This exercise can be modified in various ways (flat, incline, or decline) to target different parts of the chest, shoulders, and triceps, offering a comprehensive workout for the upper body.
3. Chins / Pull Ups
A deceptively hard exercise which looks easy – chin/pull ups. If you’re able to complete 3 strict chin ups, you have a better level of strength than the majority of the population.
Both exercises engage the back muscles, arms, biceps and forearms for pull-ups, shoulders, and core (for stabilisation).
As well as muscle strength, they also improve grip strength, since you’re holding onto the bar throughout the movement. This has added benefits for other exercises and daily activities, like lifting the shopping into the car or carrying heavy objects. It’s a win-win!
4. Farmers Carry
I like this exercise with dumbbells or even inside a hex bar. This one may surprise a few people. If you’re able to carry 1.5x your bodyweight for 20m then this is excellent carry strength.
There’s no point being immensely strong on 5 different isolated upper body metrics if you’re unable to carry load. We want you mechanically strong and functionally strong too.
This is as close to a full body movement as you can get which is why I love it. Everything has to be engaged.
5. Bulgarian Split Squat
Yes, we already have a squat so why do I put another lower body exercise? It’s important to have a single leg strength metric.
The Bulgarian split squat is such a brilliant indicator of your lead leg strength isolated from the other. You may be surprised how much stronger one leg is than the other. This is why single leg movements are so important to include in your leg program and not just focus on double leg movements like squat and leg press alone.
There we have it! If you’re able to be strong in these 5 movements, you have pretty much covered all the bases and you will be a very well rounded, strong individual.
I feel some trainers get obsessed with traditional lifts such as shoulder press, deadlifts and other fixed mechanical moves, but as I’ve mentioned we need a mix of mechanical and functional strength to be a robust individual.
Some may be wondering why I haven’t used deadlifts. If I could add a 6th exercise it would be a hex bar deadlift. I only wanted one double leg strength exercise, so the squat pipped it.
I’d always choose the hex bar over the straight bar. Only because the lift then shifts the emphasis into the legs and not so much the lower back. I see too many horrible techniques with the straight bar deadlifts which are crying out future injury so I’m staying away from this one.
Straight bar deadlifts haven’t been used in any elite sporting environments I’ve witnessed because of its potential injury risk (controversial but it’s a strong belief of mine). Injury mitigation should be one of the highest priorities in your training plans and strength development.
How We Can Help Your Training
If you’re looking for expert guidance to take your athletic performance from good to great, you’re in right place. Discover our range of online fitness memberships, CO-founded by rugby legend Sam Warburton OBE, offering expertly crafted programmes that instil an athlete’s mindset.
Take action today, and let SW7 guide you to the results you’ve always wanted.
And for more tips and insights from our knowledgeable team, check out our health & fitness advice page, covering topics like ‘Personal Trainer Vs Fitness App‘, ‘Top 10 Exercises for Muscle Growth‘ and ‘How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle‘.