Just hit the gym but don’t know what to do?

Struggling with your form of the exercises?

Here are a selection of effective strength training exercises that you can incorporate into your routine:

Exercise #1: Squats

Squats are a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core. To perform a squat:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, keeping your chest upright and your weight on your heels.

• Go as low as you comfortably can, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

• Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

Exercise #2: Deadlifts

Deadlifts engage various muscle groups, primarily the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and traps. Here’s how to do a conventional deadlift:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with the barbell centred in front of you.

• Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest lifted, and grasp the bar with an overhand grip.

• Keep your arms straight as you lift the bar, driving through your heels and extending your hips forward.

• Stand up tall, ensuring your shoulders are pulled back and your core is engaged.

• Lower the bar back to the ground by reversing the movement.

Exercise #3: Bench Press

The bench press is a classic exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Follow these steps for a standard bench press:

• Lie on a flat bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

• Grab the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

• Lower the bar slowly to your chest while maintaining control and keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.

• Press the bar back up explosively, fully extending your arms without locking your elbows. – Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Exercise #4: Lunges

Lunges work the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging the core for stability. Here’s how to perform a lunge:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.

• Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground, and your left knee is just above the floor.

• Keep your torso upright, with your front knee directly above your ankle.

• Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.

• Repeat on the other side, alternating legs for each repetition.

• You can carry dumbbells on you to add resistance

Exercise #5: Overhead Press

The overhead press targets the deltoids, triceps, and upper back. Follow these steps to perform an overhead press:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell or dumbbell at shoulder level, palms facing forward.

• Press the weight upward by extending your arms overhead, keeping your core engaged.

• Lower the weight back down to shoulder level with control.

• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Takeaway

Remember to start with weights appropriate for your fitness level and gradually increase them as you become stronger.

Also, ensure you maintain proper form throughout each exercise to minimize the risk of injury and maximize effectiveness.

Once again, you can slow down the rate at which you perform the rep to increase time under tension.

Quality is better than quantity, hence you should be having high-quality and intense workout sessions, in which you give your body adequate time to recover and yourself time to recover mentally.