The Best Exercises for Building Strength

Add these moves to your routine ASAP.

When it comes to the best strength training exercises, it’s based on the goals you’ve set for yourself. Keep reading for the best strength exercises to try using your own body weight or resistance, and how many repetitions you should be doing to reach your goals.

The Best Bodyweight Exercises for Building Strength

In the list below, you’ll find 16 of the best bodyweight exercises that build strength and increase lean muscle mass. These moves have survived the test of time for a reason — they’ll help you achieve the muscle and mobility you’re striving for.

16 Strength-Building Bodyweight Exercises:
Push-Ups
Air Squats
Squat Jumps
Inverted Rows
Chin-Ups
Glute Bridges
Bear Crawls
Burpees
Tricep Dips
Pull-Ups
Plank
Front Lunges
Reverse Lunges
Side Lunges
Curtsy Lunges
Step-Ups

The Best Resistance Training Exercises for Building Strength

Here are 10 great exercises for helping you firm up, add size and get stronger. And no surprise, this list isn’t much different than the one above. The only difference is adding resistance to the moves via bands, dumbbells or barbells.

10 Strength-Building Resistance Training Exercises:
Squats
Lunges
Bench Press
Deadlifts
Bent-Over Rows
Skull Crushers
Bicep Curls
Shoulder Press
Upright Row
Step-Ups

How Many Reps Should I Do?

If you’re wondering how many reps you should do, you first need to know the difference between hypertrophy, strength and power. Here’s the short answer. Hypertrophy means building muscle, so the main goal is to increase muscle mass. Strength is the ability to lift heavier loads of weight, which requires neural adaptation. Power is based on time — lifting weights faster, with a primary focus on speed.

Hypertrophy	Strength	Power
Great for muscle growth	Great for gaining maximum strength	Great for becoming explosive
Load: 60-80% max	Load: 90-100% max	Load: 0-40% max or 70-80% max
Volume: 6 workouts per week	Volume: 3 workouts per week	Volume: 2-3 workouts per week
3-5 sets of 8-12 reps	3-5 sets of 3-5 reps	3 sets of 3-5 reps (max explosive)
Contraction: Slow 2:1 tempo	Contraction: Fast, maximal	Contraction: Fast, explosive
Rest: 1-2 min between sets	Rest: 3 min between sets	Rest: 3-5 min between sets

Start your free trial with Gymondo today and explore a huge selection of strength training workouts using resistance or your own body weight. See you on the mat.

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