These Are The 10 Best Exercises For Men

Accelerate your gains with the 10 best exercises for men.

by Men's Health

October 19, 2017

You’ve heard the advice: switch up your routine every four to six weeks to avoid plateaus. But with so many exercises to choose from, this can easily become an exercise in frustration – unless you start with the moves below. Pepper them throughout your workouts or combine all 10 for the ultimate total-body circuit. Either way, you’ll enjoy the same payoffs: more muscle, fewer injuries and a body that seems tailor-made for slim-fit shirts. These are the 10 Best Exercises For Men.

1 / Chest: Neutral-grip Dumbbell Bench Press

“Dumbbells don’t lock in your arms like a barbell, so your stabilising muscles work harder,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Joe Dowdell.
Do this: Lie on a flat bench and hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest, palms facing in. Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Pause, then press them back up. Do 10 reps.

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2 / Shoulders: Half-kneeling Single-arm Bottom-up Kettlebell Press

“Holding the bell upside down builds shoulder stability,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Greg Robins. And single-arm reps torch your core.
Do this: Hold a kettlebell in your left hand in front of your shoulder, bottom up. Step forwards with your right foot and kneel on your left knee. Press the bell overhead 10 times. Stand up, switch sides and repeat.

3 / Biceps: Dumbbell Incline Curl (aka The Spider Curl)

The incline positions your arms behind you, giving a greater range of motion than you’d get with a standard curl, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Martin Rooney.
Do this: Lie on an incline bench and let the weights hang at arm’s length, palms forwards. Curl the weights, pause, lower them halfway, pause five seconds and finish lowering. Do 10 reps.

4 / Triceps: Dumbbell Floor Press

While traditionally thought of as a chest exercise, this move also nails the triceps. “It allows for a greater load on the triceps than a press down,” says Robins. It’s also easier on the elbows.
Do this: Lie on your back on the floor and hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest with your arms straight, knees bent and feet flat. Lower the weights until your upper arms touch the floor. Do 10 reps.

5 / Back: Dumbbell Chest-supported Row

“This is the equal but opposite exercise to the bench press,” says Robins. “You’ll correct muscle imbalances while building incredible back strength.”
Do this: Lie facedown on a bench set to its lowest incline. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length, palms facing back. Row the weights to your ribs, turning your hands so your palms face in. Do 10 reps.

6 / Core: Half-kneeling Rotational Cable Chop

“This exercise trains your core for exactly what it’s designed to do: provide stability and transfer power across multiple planes of motion,” says Dowdell.
Do this: Attach a rope to a cable station; kneel on your right knee, your left side  facing the machine. Rotate as you pull the rope past your right hip. Do 10 reps, switch sides and repeat.

7 / Quads: Barbell Front Squat with Heels Elevated

“Elevating your heels helps keep your torso upright, reducing the chance of a lower-back injury,” says Dowdell. It also increases the load on your quads.
Do this: With your heels on weight plates, hold a barbell across the front of your shoulders with your palms facing up. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Do 10 reps.

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8 / Glutes: Barbell Hip Thrust

“This activates your glutes better than any other exercise because it keeps them under tension throughout the entire lift,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Bret Contreras.
Do this: Sit on the floor, your upper back against a bench, a padded barbell across your hips. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips so your body is straight from shoulders to knees. Hold for five seconds. Do 10 reps.

9 / Hamstrings: Barbell Straight-leg Dead Lift

“This exercise teaches the all-important ‘hip hinge,’ which is essential to powerful, safe movement both in the gym and out on the field,” says Contreras.
Do This: Grab a barbell and let it hang at arm’s length in front of you. Keeping your knees slightly bent, push your hips back and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Do 10 reps.

10 / Calves: Standing Dumbbell Single-leg Calf Raise

This can be done anywhere there’s a step or platform. “It helps enhance ankle mobility, which will boost performance in other lower-body exercises,” says Contreras.
Do this: Grab a dumbbell and stand on a step. Cross your left foot behind your right ankle, balancing on the ball of your right foot. Raise your right heel.  Do 10 reps, switch  sides and repeat.

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