16 Best Exercises to Build Muscle & Strength (Science-Backed)

If you want to build muscle and strength efficiently, the most effective approach is to focus on compound, science-backed exercises that deliver maximum results for your time and effort. These 16 proven movements—validated by research and expert trainers—should form the backbone of your workout routine.

Why does this matter? Choosing the right exercises helps you avoid wasted time, reduces injury risk, and ensures all major muscle groups develop evenly. This guide gives you everything: what to do, how to do it, and why it works—plus expert tips, actionable steps, and the latest science.
For official technique videos and guidelines, see the American Council on Exercise Exercise Library.

Why Compound, Science-Backed Exercises Work Best

Compound exercises are movements that train multiple muscle groups and joints at once. They are consistently shown to build muscle and strength faster than isolation exercises or machines:

• Research from over 140 studies confirms that functional, free-weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, and presses not only increase strength but also improve coordination and real-life performance (Tom’s Guide, 2024).
• Progressive overload—the gradual increase of weight, reps, or time—is essential. Even 30 minutes, twice per week, can produce significant muscle and strength gains if you focus on the right movements (Prevention, 2024).
• Full range of motion and slow tempos (2–4 seconds per rep) lead to greater muscle activation and growth (MDPI, 2024).

The 16 Best Exercises to Build Muscle and Strength

The 16 best exercises to build muscle and strength—backed by research and top trainers—deliver the most effective results for athletes, lifters, and fitness enthusiasts of all levels. These foundational movements hit every major muscle group, ensure balanced development, and support long-term joint health and performance. Below you’ll find muscles worked, unique benefits, step-by-step “How To Do It” instructions, trainer cues, and pro tips for every move.

Lower Body Compound Movements

1. Barbell Back Squat

Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, core, lower back

Why It’s Great:
The back squat is the single most effective lower-body exercise, according to numerous EMG studies and real-world results. It activates more muscle mass than almost any other lift, strengthens the core, and supports hormone release for muscle growth (StrongLifts, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Set a barbell in a squat rack at upper-chest height. Step under the bar so it rests on your upper traps.
2. Grip the bar wider than shoulder-width, pull elbows down and back.
3. Lift the bar off the rack and step back, feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Brace your core and keep your chest up.
5. Lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping weight over your midfoot.
6. Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
7. Drive up through your heels to stand, extending your hips and knees.

Trainer Tip:

• Squat as deep as your mobility allows (at least parallel).
• Keep your knees tracking over your toes—don’t let them cave in.
• Avoid rounding your lower back.

Common Mistakes:

• Letting heels rise off the floor.
• Leaning too far forward.
• Collapsing knees inward.

2. Deadlift

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, traps, forearms

Why It’s Great:
The deadlift is a full-body strength builder and a key test of total power. Research shows it’s one of the most efficient moves for activating posterior chain muscles (BarBend, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, barbell over the middle of your feet.
2. Bend at the hips and knees to grip the bar, hands just outside your knees.
3. Set your back flat, brace your core, pull your shoulder blades back.
4. Push the floor away as you stand up, driving your hips and knees together.
5. Fully extend at the top, then lower the bar by pushing your hips back.

Trainer Tip:

• Keep the bar close to your body throughout the lift.
• Do not round your lower back—maintain a strong core brace.
• Use a double-overhand or mixed grip for heavy loads.

Common Mistakes:

• Bouncing the bar off the floor.
• Hips rising too fast.
• Rounding the back.

3. Bulgarian Split Squat

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, core

Why It’s Great:
Single-leg training improves balance, stability, and corrects muscle imbalances. It’s favored by strength coaches for both athletes and bodybuilders (Healthline).

How To Do It:

1. Stand about two feet in front of a bench, facing away.
2. Place one foot on the bench behind you (laces down).
3. Keep your torso upright and brace your abs.
4. Lower your back knee toward the floor until your front thigh is parallel.
5. Push through your front heel to return to standing.

Trainer Tip:

• Keep the front knee aligned with your toes.
• Don’t let your torso lean forward.

Common Mistakes:

• Using too much weight and losing balance.
• Letting the front knee cave in.

4. Walking Lunge

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core

Why It’s Great:
Walking lunges challenge single-leg strength, hip mobility, and coordination. Great for injury prevention and athleticism (ACE Fitness).

How To Do It:

1. Stand tall, holding dumbbells at your sides (optional).
2. Step forward with your right foot, lowering both knees to 90 degrees.
3. Push off your back foot and step forward into the next lunge with your left foot.
4. Continue alternating legs.

Trainer Tip:

• Take longer steps for more glute activation.
• Keep your chest lifted and abs tight.

Common Mistakes:

• Allowing knees to cave inward.
• Leaning forward excessively.

Upper Body Push Movements

5. Barbell Bench Press

Muscles Worked: Chest, triceps, front deltoids

Why It’s Great:
Bench pressing is the most effective exercise for chest growth and upper body pushing power. It’s consistently ranked as the top EMG chest activator (Wikipedia, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Lie on a bench with feet flat, eyes under the bar.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.
3. Unrack the bar, lower it to your mid-chest, elbows at 75 degrees.
4. Press up explosively to full extension.

Trainer Tip:

• Pinch your shoulder blades together and keep them retracted throughout.
• Keep your wrists stacked over your elbows.

Common Mistakes:

• Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• Flaring elbows out too wide.

6. Incline Dumbbell Press

Muscles Worked: Upper chest, shoulders, triceps

Why It’s Great:
Targets the upper (clavicular) chest—often underdeveloped—and provides a longer range of motion (Men’s Health).

How To Do It:

1. Set a bench to 30–45 degrees incline.
2. Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
3. Press weights up over your eyes, fully extending arms.
4. Lower back down until elbows are below the bench.

Trainer Tip:

• Squeeze your chest at the top.
• Lower slowly for time under tension.

Common Mistakes:

• Setting the bench too high.
• Letting elbows drift too low or wide.

7. Overhead Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)

Muscles Worked: Shoulders, triceps, upper chest, core

Why It’s Great:
A classic test of shoulder and core strength. The overhead press is a must for building strong, rounded deltoids (Stronger By Science, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Stand with feet hip-width, grip barbell at shoulder height.
2. Brace your abs, press the bar overhead until arms are straight.
3. Lower to the collarbones with control.

Trainer Tip:

• Do not arch your lower back; squeeze your glutes and abs.
• Look straight ahead.

Common Mistakes:

• Pressing too far in front of or behind the body.
• Leaning back excessively.

8. Push-Up (and Variations)

Muscles Worked: Chest, triceps, shoulders, core

Why It’s Great:
Push-ups develop the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and are easily scaled for any level.

How To Do It:

1. Start in a high plank, hands slightly outside shoulders.
2. Lower your chest to the floor, elbows at 45 degrees.
3. Push back up to full extension.

Trainer Tip:

• Keep your body in a straight line; don’t let hips sag or pike.
• Pause briefly at the bottom for more muscle tension.

Common Mistakes:

• Flaring elbows too wide.
• Incomplete range of motion.

Upper Body Pull Movements

9. Pull-Up / Chin-Up

Muscles Worked: Lats, upper back, biceps, forearms, core

Why It’s Great:
The best bodyweight exercise for back, biceps, and grip strength. Essential for upper body development (Stronger By Science, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Hang from a pull-up bar, palms away (pull-up) or towards you (chin-up), arms fully extended.
2. Pull your chest to the bar by driving elbows down and back.
3. Lower under control to a full hang.

Trainer Tip:

• Use a full range of motion.
• Control the lowering phase.

Common Mistakes:

• Using momentum (“kipping”).
• Not reaching chin over the bar.

10. Bent-Over Barbell Row

Muscles Worked: Lats, mid-back, rear delts, biceps, core

Why It’s Great:
Builds a thick, strong back and improves posture (Built With Science, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Hold a barbell, feet hip-width, slight knee bend.
2. Hinge forward from the hips, torso nearly parallel.
3. Row the bar to your waist, elbows close to your body.
4. Lower the bar with control.

Trainer Tip:

• Don’t jerk the bar; use smooth, controlled reps.
• Keep your lower back flat.

Common Mistakes:

• Rounding the upper back.
• Using excessive momentum.

11. Seated Cable Row / Inverted Row

Muscles Worked: Mid-back, lats, biceps, rear delts

Why It’s Great:
Row variations are excellent for isolating the back without lower back strain (Examine.com, 2025).

How To Do Seated Cable Row:

1. Sit at a cable row machine, feet on the platform.
2. Grab the handle, arms extended.
3. Pull the handle to your midsection, squeezing your back.
4. Slowly extend your arms back.

How To Do Inverted Row:

1. Set a bar at hip height, lie underneath, grip bar shoulder-width.
2. Keep body straight, pull chest to the bar.
3. Lower back down with control.

Trainer Tip:

• Pause at peak contraction.
• Don’t let shoulders round forward.

Common Mistakes:

• Leaning back too far.
• Letting wrists bend excessively.

Posterior Chain & Explosive Power

12. Kettlebell Swing

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core, grip

Why It’s Great:
Powerful move for athleticism and conditioning. Raises heart rate and metabolism (NCBI, 2024).

How To Do It:

1. Stand with feet wider than hip-width, kettlebell in front.
2. Hinge at hips, grab kettlebell.
3. Swing kettlebell between legs, then drive hips forward explosively.
4. Swing up to shoulder height; repeat.

Trainer Tip:

• Power the movement with hips, not arms.
• Snap hips forcefully at the top.

Common Mistakes:

• Squatting instead of hinging.
• Using shoulders to lift instead of hips.

13. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back

Why It’s Great:
Top choice for isolating hamstrings and glutes while teaching proper hip hinge mechanics (Healthline, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Stand tall, barbell at thighs.
2. Soften knees, hinge at hips to lower the bar along legs.
3. Lower until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings.
4. Squeeze glutes to return to standing.

Trainer Tip:

• Keep bar close to legs.
• Don’t round your back.

Common Mistakes:

• Bending knees excessively.
• Letting the bar drift away from legs.

14. Plank (and Variations)

Muscles Worked: Core, shoulders, glutes

Why It’s Great:
Builds core strength, stability, and helps prevent injuries (Mayo Clinic, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Place forearms on the ground, elbows under shoulders.
2. Extend legs behind you, feet hip-width.
3. Keep body in a straight line; brace abs and glutes.
4. Hold for time.

Trainer Tip:

• Don’t let hips sag or pike up.
• Squeeze quads and glutes throughout.

Common Mistakes:

• Holding breath.
• Breaking the straight line from head to heels.

15. Hanging Leg Raise (or Knee Tuck)

Muscles Worked: Lower abs, hip flexors, grip, lats

Why It’s Great:
Directly targets lower abs, builds core and grip strength (Men’s Journal, 2025).

How To Do It:

1. Hang from a pull-up bar, arms fully extended.
2. Keeping legs straight, raise them to hip height (or tuck knees for easier version).
3. Lower slowly; repeat.

Trainer Tip:

• Don’t use momentum or swing.
• Pause at the top for added challenge.

Common Mistakes:

• Bending elbows or swinging body.

Accessory & Longevity

16. Face Pull (or Band Pull-Apart)

Muscles Worked: Rear delts, upper back, rotator cuff, traps

Why It’s Great:
Critical for shoulder health, posture, and injury prevention (T-Nation, 2025).

How To Do Face Pull:

1. Set a rope on a cable machine at upper-chest height.
2. Grip with both hands, thumbs pointing back.
3. Pull rope to your face, elbows high and out.
4. Squeeze rear delts at peak contraction.

How To Do Band Pull-Apart:

1. Hold a resistance band at shoulder height, arms straight.
2. Pull band apart, stretching across chest.
3. Return with control.

Trainer Tip:

• Use light weight and high reps.
• Keep elbows above wrists.

Common Mistakes:

• Using momentum.
• Allowing shoulders to roll forward.

Muscle Building Workout Routine (Example)

Schedule:

• 4 workout days per week (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
• 1–2 rest or active recovery days
• Each muscle group gets trained twice weekly

Day 1: Lower Body (Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core)

• Barbell Back Squat – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
• Romanian Deadlift – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
• Walking Lunge – 3 sets x 12 reps (each leg)
• Plank (or variation) – 3 sets x 45 seconds

Day 2: Upper Body Push & Pull (Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms)

• Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
• Overhead Press (Barbell or Dumbbell) – 3 sets x 8–10 reps
• Bent-Over Barbell Row – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
• Face Pull (or Band Pull-Apart) – 3 sets x 15–20 reps

Day 3: Rest or Active Recovery

• Light cardio, walking, stretching, yoga, or foam rolling

Day 4: Lower Body & Explosive Movements

• Deadlift – 4 sets x 6–8 reps
• Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 sets x 10 reps (each leg)
• Kettlebell Swing – 4 sets x 15 reps
• Hanging Leg Raise (or Knee Tuck) – 3 sets x 10–12 reps

Day 5: Upper Body & Bodyweight

• Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
• Pull-Up or Chin-Up – 4 sets x max reps (add weight if advanced)
• Seated Cable Row or Inverted Row – 3 sets x 10–12 reps
• Push-Up (any variation) – 3 sets x 12–20 reps

Day 6–7: Rest or Active Recovery

• Optional: mobility drills, easy hiking, foam rolling, or full rest

How to Structure Your Workouts for Maximum Results

• Train each muscle group 2–3 times per week for optimal growth (Stronger By Science, 2024).
• Do 3–5 sets per exercise, using 8–12 reps for muscle growth or 4–8 reps for strength.
• Rest 60–90 seconds for hypertrophy, 2–3 minutes for strength lifts.
• Tempo: Use a 2–4 second rep, focusing on slow lowering phases for maximum tension (MDPI, 2024).
• Progression: Add weight, reps, or sets every 1–2 weeks.
• Log your workouts and strive for consistent progress.
• Warm up with dynamic stretching; cool down with light stretching for recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I build muscle with light weights?

Yes—if you train to failure. Recent studies confirm that lighter weights performed for high reps (20–30) can build muscle as effectively as heavy weights, provided you reach near-muscular failure (Healthline, 2024).

Are machines or free weights better for muscle and strength?

Free weights and compound moves are superior for functional strength, balance, and long-term results. However, machines are useful for beginners, rehab, and isolating weak points (Harvard Health, 2024).

Can I get results with bodyweight exercises only?

Absolutely. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks are highly effective and backed by science for building muscle, especially when you train close to failure (Woman & Home, 2024).

What is the most important factor for progress?

Consistency and progressive overload. Stick to your program, increase difficulty over time, eat enough protein, and recover well.

Conclusion

The smartest, most effective way to build muscle and strength is to use these 16 science-backed exercises as the foundation of your training. Whether you want a powerful physique, better athleticism, or just improved daily strength, you’ll see faster and safer results.

References & Official Resources

• Tom’s Guide – Free Weights vs. Machines (2024)
• Prevention – 30 Minutes Weight Training (2024)
• Mayo Clinic – Strength Training (2024)
• Healthline – How to Build Lean Muscle (2024)
• MDPI – Effects of Repetition Duration (2024)
• Harvard Health – Building Better Muscle (2024)
• ACE Fitness Exercise Library (2024)
• Wikipedia – Bench Press (2024)