Not all exercises build muscle equally. Some movements load multiple joints, recruit massive amounts of muscle fiber, and let you push heavy weight through a long range of motion. Others barely register. If your goal is muscle growth, exercise selection matters — a lot. Here's the research-backed list of the best exercises for every major muscle group, and how to program them.
The best muscle-building exercises share a few things in common: heavy loading, long range of motion, and multi-joint action.
Why Compound Movements Are King
Compound exercises — movements that cross two or more joints — are the foundation of every serious muscle-building program. Squats, deadlifts, presses, rows. They earn their spot at the top for three reasons:
- More muscle recruitment. A bench press hits chest, front delts, and triceps simultaneously. A pec deck hits chest — period. More muscle per rep means more growth stimulus per set.
- Heavier loading. You can bench 225 lbs, but you're not doing 225 on a chest fly. Heavier loads create more mechanical tension, the primary driver of hypertrophy.
- Hormonal response. Heavy compound lifts produce a greater acute rise in testosterone and growth hormone. The effect is modest, but it adds up over months and years.
That doesn't mean isolation exercises are useless. They fill gaps that compounds miss — lateral raises for side delts, curls for biceps peak, leg curls for hamstrings. But compounds should account for 60-70% of your total training volume.
The 80/20 Rule of Exercise Selection
80% of your muscle growth will come from 20% of the exercises you do. Nail the basics — squat, hinge, press, pull, row — and everything else is fine-tuning.
Best Exercises by Muscle Group
Chest
| Exercise | Type | Sets x Reps | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | Compound | 4 x 6-8 | Heaviest pressing load, massive chest activation |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Compound | 3 x 8-12 | Upper chest emphasis, greater ROM than barbell |
| Dips (weighted) | Compound | 3 x 8-10 | Deep stretch at the bottom, heavy loading potential |
| Cable Flye | Isolation | 3 x 12-15 | Constant tension through full ROM, peak contraction |
Back
| Exercise | Type | Sets x Reps | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Row | Compound | 4 x 6-8 | Heaviest horizontal pull, hits lats + traps + rhomboids |
| Pull-Ups (weighted) | Compound | 3 x 6-10 | Best lat builder, long ROM under load |
| Seated Cable Row | Compound | 3 x 10-12 | Constant cable tension, great mind-muscle connection |
| Chest-Supported Row | Compound | 3 x 10-12 | Removes lower back from the equation, pure back work |
Shoulders
| Exercise | Type | Sets x Reps | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press | Compound | 4 x 6-8 | Heaviest pressing for delts, trains all three heads |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Isolation | 4 x 12-15 | Only way to directly target side delts for width |
| Face Pull | Isolation | 3 x 15-20 | Rear delts + external rotators, critical for balance |
Legs
| Exercise | Type | Sets x Reps | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | Compound | 4 x 6-8 | King of leg exercises — quads, glutes, core, everything |
| Romanian Deadlift | Compound | 3 x 8-10 | Best hamstring builder, massive stretch under load |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | Compound | 3 x 8-10 | Unilateral quad/glute work, fixes imbalances |
| Leg Press | Compound | 3 x 10-12 | Safe way to push heavy quad volume after squats |
| Leg Curl | Isolation | 3 x 10-12 | Targets hamstrings at short muscle lengths (RDL misses this) |
Arms
| Exercise | Type | Sets x Reps | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Curl | Isolation | 3 x 8-10 | Heaviest curl variation, maximum bicep tension |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | Isolation | 3 x 10-12 | Deep stretch on the long head, peak contraction |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | Compound | 3 x 8-10 | Heavy tricep loading through full ROM |
| Overhead Tricep Extension | Isolation | 3 x 10-12 | Targets the long head — the biggest tricep muscle |
How to Pick the Right Exercises
Not every exercise on this list belongs in your program at the same time. You need 2-4 exercises per muscle group per session, not 8. Here's how to choose:
| Criteria | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Range of motion | Longer ROM = more mechanical work per rep. Prefer deep squats over partial squats, full pull-ups over half reps. |
| Stretch under load | Exercises that load the muscle in a stretched position (RDLs, incline curls, overhead extensions) produce more growth per set. |
| Loadability | Can you progressively add weight? Barbell and dumbbell exercises are easier to overload than most machines. |
| Stability demands | Free weights challenge stabilizers. Machines isolate the target. Both have a role — compounds first, machines to finish. |
| Pain-free execution | The best exercise for growth is the one you can do consistently without joint pain. Swap barbell bench for DB bench if your shoulders hate it. |
Sample Hypertrophy Routine (4-Day Upper/Lower)
Here's how to slot these exercises into a practical upper/lower split focused entirely on growth. Each muscle gets hit twice per week with 10-16 working sets — right in the hypertrophy sweet spot.
Upper Day A (Strength Focus)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 | 3 min |
| Barbell Row | 4 | 6-8 | 3 min |
| Overhead Press | 3 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Weighted Pull-Ups | 3 | 6-8 | 2 min |
| Lateral Raises | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Barbell Curl | 2 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
Lower Day A (Quad Focus)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 6-8 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2 min |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
Upper Day B (Volume Focus)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10-12 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10-12 | 2 min |
| Weighted Dips | 3 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Chest-Supported Row | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec |
| Cable Flye | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Face Pulls | 3 | 15-20 | 60 sec |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 2 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Overhead Tricep Extension | 2 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
Lower Day B (Posterior Chain Focus)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 8-10 | 3 min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 8-10 each | 2 min |
| Leg Press (high foot) | 3 | 10-12 | 2 min |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 15-20 | 60 sec |
Progression Rule
Use double progression. When you can hit the top of the rep range on all sets, add 5 lbs (upper body) or 10 lbs (lower body) next session. Log everything — if you're not tracking, you're guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the single best exercise for overall muscle growth?
If you could only pick one, the barbell squat. It trains the largest muscle groups in your body (quads, glutes, spinal erectors) through a full range of motion under heavy load. Nothing else comes close for total muscle recruitment.
Are machines or free weights better for hypertrophy?
Both work. Free weights recruit more stabilizers and allow natural movement paths. Machines provide constant tension and are safer to push to failure. The best programs use both — compounds with free weights first, then machines to accumulate more volume.
How many exercises per muscle group do I need?
Two to four per session is plenty. One heavy compound, one moderate-weight compound or machine exercise, and one isolation movement covers all your bases. More exercises doesn't mean more growth — more hard sets does.
Should I change exercises frequently?
No. Stick with the same core exercises for 8-12 weeks so you can track progression. Switching exercises every week makes it impossible to know if you're getting stronger. Change when progress stalls or something causes pain.
Do I need to do deadlifts for muscle growth?
Conventional deadlifts are great for overall strength, but they're not essential for hypertrophy. Romanian deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups can cover all the same muscles with less systemic fatigue. If you enjoy deadlifting, keep it. If not, skip it.
Track Your Lifts With AMUNIX
AMUNIX logs every set, tracks progressive overload, and shows you exactly when to add weight. Your coach can program your exercises and monitor your progress in real time. No spreadsheets, no guesswork.
Related Articles
- Push Pull Legs: The Complete PPL Training Guide
- Hypertrophy Training: The Science-Based Guide to Building Muscle Size
- The Upper Lower Split: The Best 4-Day Workout Program
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Always warm up before lifting and consult a qualified trainer if you're unsure about exercise form. This guide is for educational purposes only.