BEST BEGINNER’S EXERCISES TO DO IN THE GYM

   Elbow past the bros and onto the bench press. But arm yourself with our muscle-building manual below and you'll gain the confidence to take on any barbell – or bro. – and use the exercises to create a bespoke workout that fits your nascent training goals. Good luck.

Seated barbell press

How to

Sit on the bench holding a barbell in front of your shoulders with an overhand grip. Press the weight up above your head until your arms are fully extended. Return slowly to the start position.

Pull-ups

How to

Grab the handles of the pull-up station with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended. Your hands should be around shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, exhale and drive your elbows towards your hips to bring your chin above the bar. Lower under control back to the start position

Inverted Rows

How to 

Set up a bar in a rack at waist height. Hold it at shoulder-width, with an underhand grip, and hang underneath. Position yourself with heels out in front of you and arms fully extended. Your body should be straight from shoulders to ankles. Flex at the elbows to pull your chest up to the bar. Lower yourself back to the start position under control.

Seated row

How to

Sit in front of a pulley column and set your feet firmly at its base. Grab the handle and, with your arms extended, lean back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs. Now, keeping the torso stationary, pull the handles back towards your chest, 

squeezing your back muscles hard.

Cable Flys

How to

Attach stirrup handles to the high pulleys of a cable crossover machine. Take one in each hand – your arms should be outstretched with a slight bend at the elbow. Place one foot slightly forward, brace you core, and pull the handles slightly downward and across your body until your hands meet, then slowly return to the start position.

Face Pulls

How to

Stand opposite a high pulley column with the handle attached at eye level. Grab it and exhale as you pull the weight directly towards your face, focusing on bringing your shoulder blades together. For perfect form, ensure your upper arms are parallel to the ground.

Bulgarian split squat

How to

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand facing away from a bench with one leg resting on it, laces down. Squat down with your standing leg until the knee of your trailing leg almost touches the floor. Push up through your front foot to return to the start position.

Weighted ab curl

How to

Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel in front of it, with the handles held either side of your neck. Without moving your hips, contract your abs to bring your elbows to your thighs. Pause for a moment then slowly return to the starting position.

Ab wheel rollout

How to

Get on all fours, holding an ab wheel in both hands. (if you don’t have one, use a small barbell with a towel wrapped around it). Roll forward, keeping your back straight, knees on the floor and extending your arms in front of you, and then tighten your abs to pull yourself back to the starting position.

Dumbbell step up

How to

Stand holding dumbbells at your side with palms facing towards your body. Place your right foot onto the bench and push up through your heel to lift yourself up and place your left foot on the platform. Step back down with your left foot, concentrating on flexing your hip and the knee of your right leg. Repeat on the other side.

Dumbbell bench press

How to

Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, holding them in front of your shoulders. Breathe out and use your chest to push the dumbbells up, straightening your arms. Pause for a second with your arms fully extended and then return under control to the start position.

Underhand lat pulldown

How to

 
Grab the overhead bar with a grip narrower than shoulder width apart and your palms facing towards you. Lean your torso back to around 30 degrees and set your core. Keeping your elbows in and your upper body stationary, pull the bar down until it touches your chest. Hold for a second before slowly extending your arms to the start position.

Seated dumbbell curl

Tricep pushdown

How to
Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. Keeping your elbows tucked in at your sides grab the handle, tense your core, and bring your hands down until your arms are fully extended, then return to the starting position. Only your forearms should move.