Exercise Directory: List of Strength Training Exercises

Here you will find our complete list of strength training exercises.

All strength training exercises have detailed instructions, muscles worked, and a video demonstration.

All exercise descriptions are also available for free in our workout log app.

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Feel free to use these exercise descriptions, images, and videos on your website as long as you link to us as the source.

Muscle Directory: Complete List of All Exercises

Here is our complete list of strength training exercises, sorted by muscle group and name.

Chest Exercises

1. Assisted Dip
2. Band-Assisted Bench Press
3. Bar Dip
4. Bench Press
5. Bench Press Against Band
6. Board Press
7. Cable Chest Press
8. Clap Push-Up
9. Close-Grip Bench Press
10. Close-Grip Feet-Up Bench Press
11. Cobra Push-Up
12. Decline Bench Press
13. Decline Push-Up
14. Dumbbell Chest Fly
15. Dumbbell Chest Press
16. Dumbbell Decline Chest Press
17. Dumbbell Floor Press
18. Dumbbell Pullover
19. Feet-Up Bench Press
20. Floor Press
21. Incline Bench Press
22. Incline Dumbbell Press
23. Incline Push-Up
24. Kettlebell Floor Press
25. Kneeling Incline Push-Up
26. Kneeling Push-Up
27. Machine Chest Fly
28. Machine Chest Press
29. Medicin Ball Chest Pass
30. Pec Deck
31. Pin Bench Press
32. Plank to Push-Up
33. Push-Up
34. Push-Up Against Wall
35. Push-Ups With Feet in Rings
36. Resistance Band Chest Fly
37. Ring Dip
38. Seated Cable Chest Fly
39. Smith Machine Bench Press
40. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
41. Smith Machine Reverse Grip Bench Press
42. Standing Cable Chest Fly
43. Standing Resistance Band Chest Fly

Shoulder Exercises

1. Arnold Press
2. Band External Shoulder Rotation
3. Band Internal Shoulder Rotation
4. Band Pull-Apart
5. Banded Face Pull
6. Barbell Front Raise
7. Barbell Rear Delt Row
8. Barbell Upright Row
9. Behind the Neck Press
10. Cable Internal Shoulder Rotation
11. Cable External Shoulder Rotation
12. Cable Front Raise
13. Cable Lateral Raise
14. Cable Rear Delt Row
15. Cuban Press
16. Devils Press
17. Dumbbell Front Raise
18. Dumbbell Horizontal Internal Shoulder Rotation
19. Dumbbell Horizontal External Shoulder Rotation
20. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
21. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
22. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
23. Face Pull
24. Front Hold
25. Handstand Push-Up
26. Jerk
27. Kettlebell Halo
28. Kettlebell Press
29. Kettlebell Push Press
30. Landmine Press
31. Lying Dumbbell External Shoulder Rotation
32. Lying Dumbbell Internal Shoulder Rotation
33. Machine Lateral Raise
34. Machine Shoulder Press
35. Monkey Row
36. One-Arm Landmine Press
37. Overhead Press
38. Plate Front Raise
39. Poliquin Raise
40. Power Jerk
41. Push Press
42. Resistance Band Lateral Raise
43. Reverse Cable Flyes
44. Reverse Dumbbell Flyes
45. Reverse Dumbbell Flyes on Incline Bench
46. Reverse Machine Fly
47. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
48. Seated Barbell Overhead Press
49. Seated Kettlebell Press
50. Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press
51. Smith Machine Landmine Press
52. Snatch Grip Behind the Neck Press
53. Squat Jerk
54. Split Jerk
55. Turkish Get-Up
56. Wall Walk
57. Z Press

Bicep Exercises

1. Barbell Curl
2. Barbell Preacher Curl
3. Bayesian Curl
4. Bodyweight Curl
5. Cable Crossover Bicep Curl
6. Cable Curl With Bar
7. Cable Curl With Rope
8. Concentration Curl
9. Drag Curl
10. Dumbbell Curl
11. Dumbbell Preacher Curl
12. Hammer Curl
13. Incline Dumbbell Curl
14. Kettlebell Curl
15. Lying Bicep Cable Curl on Bench
16. Lying Bicep Cable Curl on Floor
17. Machine Bicep Curl
18. Overhead Cable Curl
19. Reverse Barbell Curl
20. Reverse Dumbbell Curl
21. Resistance Band Curl
22. Spider Curl
23. Zottman Curl

Triceps Exercises

1. Barbell Standing Triceps Extension
2. Barbell Incline Triceps Extension
3. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension
4. Bench Dip
5. Crossbody Cable Triceps Extension
6. Close-Grip Push-Up
7. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
8. Dumbbell Standing Triceps Extension
9. EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension
10. Machine Overhead Triceps Extension
11. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension (Lower Position)
12. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension (Upper Position)
13. Smith Machine Skull Crushers
14. Tate Press
15. Tricep Bodyweight Extension
16. Tricep Pushdown With Bar
17. Tricep Pushdown With Rope

Leg Exercises

1. Air Squat
2. Banded Hip March
3. Barbell Hack Squat
4. Barbell Lunge
5. Barbell Walking Lunge
6. Belt Squat
7. Body Weight Lunge
8. Bodyweight Leg Curl
9. Box Jump
10. Box Squat
11. Bulgarian Split Squat
12. Cable Machine Hip Adduction
13. Chair Squat
14. Curtsy Lunge
15. Depth Jump
16. Dumbbell Lunge
17. Dumbbell Walking Lunge
18. Dumbbell Squat
19. Front Squat
20. Glute Ham Raise
21. Goblet Squat
22. Ground to Overhead
23. Hack Squat Machine
24. Half Air Squat
25. Heel Walk
26. Hip Adduction Against Band
27. Hip Adduction Machine
28. Jump Squat
29. Jumping Lunge
30. Kettlebell Front Squat
31. Kettlebell Thrusters
32. Kettlebell Tibialis Raise
33. Landmine Hack Squat
34. Landmine Squat
35. Lateral Bound
36. Leg Curl On Ball
37. Leg Extension
38. Leg Press
39. Lying Leg Curl
40. Nordic Hamstring Eccentric
41. One-Legged Leg Extension
42. One-Legged Lying Leg Curl
43. One-Legged Seated Leg Curl
44. Pause Squat
45. Pendulum Squat
46. Pin Squat
47. Pistol Squat
48. Poliquin Step-Up
49. Prisoner Get Up
50. Reverse Barbell Lunge
51. Reverse Body Weight Lunge
52. Reverse Dumbbell Lunge
53. Reverse Nordic
54. Romanian Deadlift
55. Safety Bar Squat
56. Seated Leg Curl
57. Shallow Body Weight Lunge
58. Side Lunges (Bodyweight)
59. Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat
60. Smith Machine Front Squat
61. Smith Machine Lunge
62. Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift
63. Smith Machine Squat
64. Sumo Squat
65. Squat
66. Standing Cable Leg Extension
67. Standing Hip Flexor Raise
68. Standing Leg Curl
69. Step Up
70. Tibialis Band Pull
71. Tibialis Raise
72. Vertical Leg Press
73. Zercher Squat
74. Zombie Squat

Back Exercises

1. Assisted Chin-Up
2. Assisted Pull-Up
3. Back Extension
4. Banded Muscle-Up
5. Barbell Row
6. Barbell Shrug
7. Block Clean
8. Block Snatch
9. Cable Close Grip Seated Row
10. Cable Wide Grip Seated Row
11. Chest to Bar
12. Chin-Up
13. Clean
14. Clean and Jerk
15. Close-Grip Chin-Up
16. Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
17. Deadlift
18. Deficit Deadlift
19. Dumbbell Deadlift
20. Dumbbell Row
21. Dumbbell Shrug
22. Floor Back Extension
23. Good Morning
24. Gorilla Row
25. Hang Clean
26. Hang Power Clean
27. Hang Power Snatch
28. Hang Snatch
29. Inverted Row
30. Inverted Row with Underhand Grip
31. Jefferson Curl
32. Jumping Muscle-Up
33. Kettlebell Clean
34. Kettlebell Clean & Jerk
35. Kettlebell Clean & Press
36. Kettlebell Row
37. Kettlebell Snatch
38. Kettlebell Swing
39. Kroc Row
40. Lat Pulldown With Neutral Grip
41. Lat Pulldown With Pronated Grip
42. Lat Pulldown With Supinated Grip
43. Machine Lat Pulldown
44. Muscle-Up (Bar)
45. Muscle-Up (Rings)
46. Neutral Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
47. One-Handed Cable Row
48. One-Handed Kettlebell Swing
49. One-Handed Lat Pulldown
50. Pause Deadlift
51. Pendlay Row
52. Power Clean
53. Power Snatch
54. Pull-Up
55. Pull-Up With a Neutral Grip
56. Rack Pull
57. Renegade Row
58. Rope Pulldown
59. Ring Pull-Up
60. Ring Row
61. Scap Pull-Up
62. Seal Row
63. Seated Machine Row
64. Single Leg Deadlift with Kettlebell
65. Smith Machine Deadlift
66. Smith Machine One-Handed Row
67. Snatch
68. Snatch Grip Deadlift
69. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
70. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
71. Sumo Deadlift
72. Superman Raise
73. T-Bar Row
74. Towel Row
75. Trap Bar Deadlift With High Handles
76. Trap Bar Deadlift With Low Handles

Glute Exercises

1. Banded Side Kicks
2. Cable Glute Kickback
3. Cable Pull Through
4. Cable Machine Hip Abduction
5. Clamshells
6. Cossack Squat
7. Death March with Dumbbells
8. Donkey Kicks
9. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
10. Dumbbell Frog Pumps
11. Fire Hydrants
12. Frog Pumps
13. Glute Bridge
14. Hip Abduction Against Band
15. Hip Abduction Machine
16. Hip Thrust
17. Hip Thrust Machine
18. Hip Thrust With Band Around Knees
19. Kettlebell Windmill
20. Lateral Walk With Band
21. Machine Glute Kickbacks
22. One-Legged Glute Bridge
23. One-Legged Hip Thrust
24. Reverse Hyperextension
25. Romanian Deadlift
26. Smith Machine Hip Thrust
27. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
28. Standing Hip Abduction Against Band
29. Standing Glute Kickback in Machine
30. Standing Glute Push Down
31. Step Up

Ab Exercises

1. Ball Slams
2. Bicycle Crunch
3. Cable Crunch
4. Captain’s Chair Knee Raise
5. Captain’s Chair Leg Raise
6. Copenhagen Plank
7. Core Twist
8. Crunch
9. Dead Bug
10. Dead Bug With Dumbbells
11. Dragon Flag
12. Dumbbell Side Bend
13. Dynamic Side Plank
14. Hanging Knee Raise
15. Hanging Leg Raise
16. Hanging Sit-Up
17. Hanging Windshield Wiper
18. High to Low Wood Chop with Band
19. High to Low Wood Chop with Cable
20. Hollow Body Crunch
21. Hollow Hold
22. Horizontal Wood Chop with Band
23. Horizontal Wood Chop with Cable
24. Jackknife Sit-Up
25. Kettlebell Plank Pull Through
26. Kneeling Ab Wheel Roll-Out
27. Kneeling Plank
28. Kneeling Side Plank
29. Landmine Rotation
30. L-Sit
31. Low to High Wood Chop with Band
32. Low to High Wood Chop with Cable
33. Lying Leg Raise
34. Lying Windshield Wiper
35. Lying Windshield Wiper with Bent Knees
36. Machine Crunch
37. Mountain Climbers
38. Oblique Crunch
39. Oblique Sit-Up
40. Pallof Press
41. Plank
42. Plank with Leg Lifts
43. Plank with Shoulder Taps
44. Side Plank
45. Sit-Up
46. Weighted Plank

Calves Exercises

1. Barbell Standing Calf Raise
2. Barbell Seated Calf Raise
3. Calf Raise in Leg Press
4. Donkey Calf Raise
5. Eccentric Heel Drop
6. Heel Raise
7. Seated Calf Raise
8. Standing Calf Raise

Forearm Flexors & Grip Exercises

1. Barbell Wrist Curl
2. Barbell Wrist Curl Behind the Back
3. Bar Hang
4. Dumbbell Wrist Curl
5. Farmers Walk
6. Fat Bar Deadlift
7. Gripper
8. One-Handed Bar Hang
9. Plate Pinch
10. Plate Wrist Curl
11. Towel Pull-Up
12. Wrist Roller

Forearm Extensor Exercises

1. Barbell Wrist Extension
2. Dumbbell Wrist Extension

Neck Exercises

1. Lying Neck Curl
2. Lying Neck Extension
3. Prone Neck Bridge
4. Supine Neck Bridge

Cardio Exercises & Equipment

1. Rowing Machine
2. Stationary Bike

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Every Body Part

This is our recommended list of the best strength training exercises for every major muscle group.

These are time-tested classics that have proven their effectiveness both in the trenches and in the research labs. Which exercise is best for you will depend on your anatomy, background, and preferences, but this list should give you a starting point.

For most of the muscle groups below, we try to list at least one compound exercise and one isolation exercise. By combining two or three of the strength exercises listed for each muscle group, you should be able to work most of the muscle fibers of the target muscles effectively.

Chest

1. Bench Press
2. Incline Dumbbell Press
3. Bar Dips
4. Standing Cable Chest Fly

Read more about the best chest exercises.

Shoulders

1. Overhead Press
2. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4. Reverse Dumbbell Fly

Read more about the best shoulder exercises.

Back

1. Deadlift
2. Lat Pulldown
3. Pull-Up
4. Barbell Row
5. Dumbbell Row

Read more: How to Train Your Back Muscles

Biceps

1. Barbell Curl
2. Dumbbell Curl
3. Hammer Curl

Read more: How to Train Your Biceps

Triceps

1. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension
2. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
3. Tricep Pushdown
4. Close-Grip Bench Press

Read more about the best tricep exercises.

Quadriceps

1. Squat
2. Hack Squats
3. Leg Extension
4. Bulgarian Split Squat

Read more: How to Train Your Quad Muscles

Hamstrings

1. Seated Leg Curl
2. Lying Leg Curl
3. Romanian Deadlift

Read more: How to Train Your Hamstring Muscles

Glutes

1. Squat
2. Hip Thrust
3. Romanian Deadlift
4. Bulgarian Split Squat

Read more: How to Train Your Glute Muscles

Abs

1. Cable Crunch
2. Hanging Leg Raise
3. High to Low Wood Chop
4. Crunch

Read more: How to Train Your Abs

Calves

1. Standing Calf Raise
2. Seated Calf Raise

Read more: How to Train Your Calf Muscles

Related articles:

• How Many Exercises Should You Do per Muscle Group?
• Top 20 Bodybuilding Exercises for Every Muscle Group
• Top 20 Powerlifting Exercises For Strength & Mass

What Are the Four Basic Strength Training Exercises?

The four basic strength training exercises refer to the four fundamental movements of resistance training.

They are four movements that, together, cover a large part of what we can do with our bodies.

The idea is that if you do at least one exercise for each fundamental movement, you will have worked almost all your major muscle groups.

At least one exercise from each of these four basic movements should be included in every comprehensive strength training program.

The four fundamental movements are:

• Push something away from you. Examples: bench press, overhead press, push-ups, machine chest press.
• Pull something towards you. Examples: pull-ups, lat pulldown, barbell row, dumbbell row, cable row.
• Hip hinge. Examples: deadlift, good morning, Romanian deadlift, clean, kettlebell swing.
• Squat. Examples: squat, front squat, Bulgarian split squat, goblet squat, leg press.

Push, pull, hinge, and squat. That’s it.

Generally speaking:

• Pushing exercises work your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Pulling exercises work your lats, traps, and biceps.
• Hip hinge exercises work your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
• Squat exercises work your quads, glutes, and adductors.

Pick one exercise from each category and train it once or more per week, and you will have an excellent strength training program for basically your entire body.

• If you train with a barbell and pick one exercise from each category, it might be bench press, barbell row, deadlift, and squat.
• If you train with kettlebells, it might be kettlebell press, kettlebell row, kettlebell swing, and goblet squat or front squat with the kettlebells in the rack position.
• If you train with machines, it might be chest press, machine row, back extension, and leg press.

Additions to the Four Basic Movements

Can’t we leave a nice thing alone?

Alright.

If you want to get fancy, there are two things you can add.

1. Abdominal Training

While the back of your core gets plenty of training in most hip hinge and squat exercises, your abs and obliques (the front and sides) don’t.

To rectify this, you could add an ab exercise from the list of exercises above.

2. Vertical and Horizontal Pushing and Pulling

For even more comprehensive upper body training, you could split up the pushing and pulling movements into horizontal and vertical planes of motion.

• Horizontal movements have your arm working about 90 degrees out from your body, i.e. where the arm would be horizontal if you were standing upright. Examples:
  • Horizontal pushes: bench press, dumbbell chest press, and push-ups.
  • Horizontal pulls: barbell row, dumbbell row, and cable row.
• Vertical movements have your arm working over your head. Examples:
  • Vertical pushes: overhead press, dumbbell shoulder press, and kettlebell press.
  • Vertical pulls: lat pulldown and pull-up.

Horizontal and vertical movements will emphasize slightly different muscles, or different regions in large muscles, and can thus lead to more complete training.

What Makes a Strength Training Exercise Good For Building Muscle?

An exercise is effective for building muscle if it:

• Works the muscle through a long range of motion.
• Is stable enough for your muscle power to be the limiting factor, and not your balance.
• Trains multiple muscles simultaneously (these exercises are often called compound exercises).

Of course, you don’t have to train several muscles in the same exercise, but it is time-effective to use compound exercises as they will help you train all your major muscle groups more quickly.

Is There One Exercise That Works the Entire Body?

Not that we’re aware of. But …

A lot of people would say the deadlift.

While the deadlift certainly uses a lot of muscle mass at the same time, it doesn’t work all major muscle groups.

The deadlift primarily works your posterior chain: your glutes, lower back, hamstrings, adductors, traps, and of course grip.

This leaves out the muscles in your upper arms, shoulders, lats, and abdominals. Your quads aren’t worked very effective either.

Another exercise that comes to mind is the clean and jerk (or clean and press). The clean and jerk basically combines a deadlift-like movement with an overhead jerk, adding some work for your legs, shoulders and arms.

You might argue, however, that the clean and jerk is actually two exercises combined (the clean and the jerk), and thus not “one exercise for the whole body”.

No matter how you slice it, both the deadlift and clean and jerk are still two fantastic exercises, and if one of them was all you ever did, you would still do pretty good.

Are Free Weight Exercises Better Than Machines?

Free weights refer to all kinds of training equipment that isn’t attached to something. The most common ones being barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.

Machines refer to training equipment that is fixed in one way or another. For example, it could be machines for leg presses or leg extensions, or smith machines.

While some may preach the superiority of one or the other, the truth is that free weights and machines both have their pros and cons that you should consider when planning your training.

To learn which is better for your goals, check out our article on free weights vs. machines.

Which Are the Most Popular Exercises?

We analyzed millions of workouts from hundreds of thousands of users of our workout tracker to find the most popular exercises. You can see the results in the article: The Most Popular Gym Exercises for Men & Women.

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