RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Exercises for bodybuilding: the best picks for every muscle

Published October 24, 2026

The best exercises for bodybuilding are the incline dumbbell press, machine chest press and dips for the chest, the lat pulldown and chest-supported row for the back, the hack squat and leg press for the quads, the Romanian deadlift and lying leg curl for the hamstrings, the dumbbell shoulder press and lateral raise for the shoulders, barbell curls and cable pressdowns for the arms, and standing calf raises. Pick one or two per muscle, train each muscle twice a week, and take most sets to 0 to 2 reps short of failure.

  1. Incline Dumbbell Press Chest
  2. Chest Dip Chest, Triceps
  3. Lat Pulldown Lats
  4. Chest-Supported Row Upper Back, Lats
  5. Hack Squat Quads, Glutes
  6. Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  7. Dumbbell Lateral Raise Shoulders
  8. Barbell Curl Biceps
  9. Cable Triceps Pressdown Triceps

Chest

An incline press for the upper chest, a machine press to push the flat chest close to failure, and dips for the lower chest cover the whole muscle.

Upper chest and front delts

Incline Dumbbell Press

Chest

Bodybuilders are judged on a full upper chest, and the incline press is the main way to build it. Dumbbells let each arm travel its own path and reach a deeper stretch than a barbell.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench to about 30 degrees and sit back with a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick the weights up as you lie back, holding them over your upper chest.
  3. Lower them to the sides of your chest with elbows angled slightly in, feeling the stretch across your pecs.
  4. Press back up until your arms are straight over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Deep stretch at the bottom
  • Shoulder blades pinned to the bench

Common mistakes

  • Setting the bench so steep it turns into a shoulder press: around 30 degrees keeps the chest working.

Swap for: Incline Barbell Bench Press, Machine Incline Press, Smith Machine Incline Press

Build a session with Incline Dumbbell Press

Chest volume without balance limits

Machine Chest Press

Chest

A machine press lets you push a set right up to the edge of failure safely, with no spotter and no stabilizing to limit you. That makes it ideal for the later, harder sets of a chest day.

How to do it

  1. Adjust the seat so the handles line up with the middle of your chest.
  2. Sit back with your shoulder blades against the pad and grip the handles.
  3. Press forward until your arms are nearly straight, then let the handles return until your chest is stretched.

Cues

  • Chest up, shoulders back
  • Control the return

Common mistakes

  • Letting your shoulders roll forward as you press: keep your upper back flat on the pad.

Swap for: Flat Dumbbell Press, Barbell Bench Press, Smith Machine Bench Press

Build a session with Machine Chest Press

Lower chest and triceps

Chest Dip

Chest, Triceps

Leaning forward on dips puts most of the work on the lower chest, while the triceps get plenty too. It builds the lower pec line that frames the chest from the front.

How to do it

  1. Grip parallel bars and support yourself with straight arms.
  2. Lean your torso forward and let your elbows flare a little.
  3. Lower until your shoulders sit slightly below your elbows, then push back up.

Cues

  • Lean forward
  • Stop at a comfortable stretch

Common mistakes

  • Dropping so low that your shoulders roll forward: stop when your upper arms reach parallel with the floor.

Swap for: Machine Chest Dip, Decline Dumbbell Press, Close-Grip Bench Press

Build a session with Chest Dip

Back: width and thickness

Pulldowns build width, rows build thickness. One of each per back session is the base of most bodybuilding programs.

Lat width

Lat Pulldown

Lats

The V-taper is built by the lats, and the pulldown loads them through a long range with a weight you can adjust in small steps. Everyone can use it, at any strength level.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your thighs under the pad and take a grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
  2. Lean back a little and pull the bar to your upper chest, driving your elbows down toward your hips.
  3. Let the bar rise until your arms are straight and you feel the lats stretch.

Cues

  • Elbows to your back pockets
  • Full stretch at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back and turning it into a row: keep your torso only slightly reclined.

Swap for: Pull-Up, Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Build a session with Lat Pulldown

Upper-back thickness

Chest-Supported Row

Upper Back, Lats

A chest pad takes your lower back out of the row, so you can push the upper back and lats hard without your hinge giving out first. That builds the thick, detailed back that shows in rear poses.

How to do it

  1. Adjust the seat so your chest rests on the pad and you can just reach the handles.
  2. Pull the handles toward your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the end.
  3. Let the handles return until your arms are straight and your shoulder blades spread apart.

Cues

  • Squeeze for a second at the back
  • Chest stays on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the weight with your hips: if you need momentum, the load is too heavy.

Swap for: Machine Row, Seated Cable Row, Incline Dumbbell Row

Build a session with Chest-Supported Row

Quads and glutes

Machines guide the movement, so your legs can be pushed close to failure without your back or balance giving out first.

Quad size with a stable back

Hack Squat

Quads, Glutes

The hack squat machine guides the bar path and supports your back, so your quads can be taken right to the edge of failure. That makes it one of the best quad builders in any gym.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the platform with your back against the pad and shoulders under the pads, feet shoulder-width.
  2. Unlock the safeties and sink down as deep as your knees and hips allow.
  3. Push through your whole foot to stand back up, stopping just short of locking your knees.

Cues

  • Knees travel forward over toes
  • Deep and slow

Common mistakes

  • Cutting depth as the set gets hard: keep the same depth on every rep, and reduce the weight if needed.

Swap for: Leg Press, Smith Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Hack Squat

Leg volume with little fatigue cost

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

The leg press loads the quads and glutes heavily with no balance or bracing demand, so you can add hard sets of leg work without draining your lower back for the rest of the week.

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine with feet under your hips in the middle of the platform.
  2. Release the safeties and lower the platform until your knees are well bent and your lower back is still on the pad.
  3. Press it back up without locking your knees.

Cues

  • Lower back stays down
  • Push through the heels and mid-foot

Common mistakes

  • Lowering so deep the hips curl off the seat: find the depth where your back stays flat.

Swap for: Hack Squat, 45-Degree Leg Press, Smith Squat

Build a session with Leg Press

Hamstrings

Train them both ways: a hinge for the hip and a curl for the knee.

Hamstrings and glutes through a stretch

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

Hamstrings grow well when they are loaded long, and the Romanian deadlift does that with heavy weight. It builds the back of the legs that rounds out side and back poses.

How to do it

  1. Hold a barbell at your hips with an overhand grip, knees soft.
  2. Push your hips back and slide the bar down your thighs, keeping your back flat.
  3. Stop when the hamstrings are fully stretched, then bring your hips through to stand.

Cues

  • Hips back, bar close
  • Stretch, don't round

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees more and more until it becomes a squat: the knees stay slightly bent and almost still.

Swap for: Stiff-Leg Deadlift, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Good Morning

Build a session with Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings at the knee

Lying Leg Curl

Hamstrings

Curls train the hamstrings through knee flexion, the part a hip hinge misses. Pairing both on leg day gives the hamstrings complete work.

How to do it

  1. Lie belly-down on the machine with the pad just above your heels and your knees just off the bench edge.
  2. Curl your heels toward your glutes as far as you can, hips staying pressed into the pad.
  3. Lower slowly until your legs are straight.

Cues

  • Hips stay down
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your hips off the bench to finish the rep: lighten the weight and keep the full range.

Swap for: Seated Leg Curl, Nordic Hamstring Curl, Single-Leg Leg Curl

Build a session with Lying Leg Curl

Shoulders

Press for the front delts, raise for the side delts. Side delts can take frequent, high-rep work because they recover fast.

Front and side delts

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing overhead builds the front delts and the triceps, and dumbbells let you reach a deeper bottom position than a bar. It fills out the shoulder caps from the front.

How to do it

  1. Sit on an upright bench with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
  2. Press them overhead until your arms are straight, letting the dumbbells come together slightly.
  3. Lower them back to shoulder level under control.

Cues

  • Back against the pad
  • Press up, not forward

Common mistakes

  • Arching off the bench to finish reps: keep your back on the pad and stop at the target reps in reserve.

Swap for: Machine Shoulder Press, Arnold Press, Barbell Overhead Press

Build a session with Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Side delts for shoulder width

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Shoulders

Wide shoulders make the waist look smaller, and the side delts are the muscle that makes them wide. Lateral raises isolate them with light weights and high reps.

How to do it

  1. Stand with light dumbbells hanging by your thighs.
  2. Lift both arms wide with elbows slightly bent up to shoulder level.
  3. Lower slowly to your sides.

Cues

  • Lead with the elbows
  • Lift out, not up

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the body to heave heavier weights: use a load you can lift with your torso still.

Swap for: Cable Lateral Raise, Machine Lateral Raise, Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Build a session with Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Arms and calves

Small muscles that grow from steady, close-to-failure sets and consistent weekly volume.

Biceps

Barbell Curl

Biceps

The barbell curl lets both arms move heavy weight together, which makes it the simplest way to load the biceps progressively.

How to do it

  1. Hold a barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width.
  2. Curl it up toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows at your sides.
  3. Lower it to full extension.

Cues

  • Elbows pinned
  • Full range every rep

Common mistakes

  • Rocking back to start the bar: if the hips move, the weight is too heavy.

Swap for: EZ-Bar Curl, Incline Dumbbell Curl, Cable Curl

Build a session with Barbell Curl

Triceps

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

The triceps make up most of the upper arm, and pressdowns train them with constant tension from the cable. They are easy to push close to failure without stressing the elbows.

How to do it

  1. Attach a bar or rope to a high pulley and grip it with your elbows at your sides.
  2. Push down until your arms are straight, locking out hard.
  3. Let your forearms come back up until just past 90 degrees.

Cues

  • Elbows stay locked to your sides
  • Squeeze at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Leaning over the bar and pushing with your bodyweight: stand tall and let only the forearms move.

Swap for: Overhead Cable Triceps Extension, EZ-Bar Skullcrusher, Close-Grip Bench Press

Build a session with Cable Triceps Pressdown

Calves

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Calves are slow to respond and visible in nearly every pose. Heavy standing raises through a full range, with a pause at the bottom, give them the best chance to grow.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the calf machine with the pads on your shoulders and the balls of your feet on the edge.
  2. Lower your heels as far as they go and pause for a second in the stretch.
  3. Rise as high as you can and squeeze before lowering again.

Cues

  • Pause in the stretch
  • Top squeeze

Common mistakes

  • Short, bouncy reps: the stretch is where calves grow, so take your time in it.

Swap for: Seated Calf Raise, Leg Press Calf Raise, Smith Machine Calf Raise

Build a session with Standing Calf Raise

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

New to bodybuilding, 3 full-body days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets57 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentHack Squat, Dumbbells, Incline Bench, Lat Pulldown +7

You are in your first year of training and want to build muscle, maybe with a first show in mind a few years out.

In your first year, hitting each muscle three times a week with moderate volume grows muscle fast. Two full-body sessions alternate across three days, with sets ending 1 to 2 reps short of failure so you learn where failure is without wrecking your form. Each session is about 18 working sets.

Full Body A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hack Squat2 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Lying Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 12–20 1 45 s
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 1 45 s

Open Full Body A in the session builder

Full Body B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
Machine Chest Press 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Chest-Supported Row 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Leg Press 3 × 10–15 1 90 s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 × 8–12 1 90 s
Barbell Curl 3 × 8–12 1 45 s
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 1 45 s

Open Full Body B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate A and B on three nonconsecutive days per week.
How to progress
Add reps until you hit the top of every range, then add the smallest weight jump the equipment allows and restart at the low end of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Intermediate, upper/lower 4 days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts4× a week
  • Working sets62 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Incline Bench, Lat Pulldown, Dip Bar +8

You have trained consistently for a year or more and want more weekly volume per muscle, spread over four days.

An upper/lower split trains everything twice a week with more sets per session. The final set of each isolation exercise goes to 0 reps in reserve, while compounds stay at 1 so they don't eat into the rest of the session. Each muscle gets about 10 to 14 hard sets a week.

Upper 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Incline Dumbbell Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 1 2 min
Lat Pulldown 4 × 8–12 1 90 s
Chest Dip 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 4 × 12–20 0 45 s
Barbell Curl 3 × 8–12 0 1 min

Open Upper 1 in the session builder

Lower 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hack Squat2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 1 2:30 min
Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–10 1 2 min
Lying Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 0 1 min
Standing Calf Raise 4 × 10–15 0 45 s

Open Lower 1 in the session builder

Upper 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Chest Press 4 × 8–12 1 90 s
Chest-Supported Row 4 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 15–20 0 45 s
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 0 45 s

Open Upper 2 in the session builder

Lower 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg Press 4 × 10–15 1 2 min
Lying Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 0 1 min
Romanian Deadlift 2 × 8–10 2 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 4 × 12–20 0 45 s

Open Lower 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Train Upper 1, Lower 1, rest, Upper 2, Lower 2, then rest two days.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of its range at the target reps in reserve, increase the weight. If your log shows reps dropping two sessions in a row, take a lighter week with half the sets.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Dieting for a show, 3 days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Incline Bench, Chest Press, Adjustable Cable +6

You are cutting toward a competition or photoshoot, eating less, and want to keep the muscle you built while recovery is limited.

In a diet the job is to keep muscle, and that takes the same heavy loading but fewer sets. This plan cuts volume by about a third compared to the upper/lower split, keeps compounds at 1 to 2 reps in reserve so the weight on the bar stays high, and saves going near failure for the isolation work, which is cheap to recover from.

Push
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Incline Dumbbell Press2 warm-up sets first 3 × 6–10 1 2:30 min
Machine Chest Press 2 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 × 8–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 12–20 0 45 s
Cable Triceps Pressdown 2 × 10–15 0 45 s

Open Push in the session builder

Pull
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Lat Pulldown 3 × 6–10 1 2 min
Chest-Supported Row 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Barbell Curl 2 × 8–12 0 1 min

Open Pull in the session builder

Legs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hack Squat2 warm-up sets first 3 × 6–10 1 2:30 min
Romanian Deadlift 2 × 6–10 2 2:30 min
Lying Leg Curl 2 × 10–15 0 1 min
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 0 45 s

Open Legs in the session builder

How to run it
Train push, pull and legs on three days, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
How to progress
Try to hold your loads rather than add them. If your strength drops at the same reps in reserve for two weeks running, take one set out of each session.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Which exercise is best for bodybuilding?

There isn't one. Every muscle needs its own exercise, and the best ones load the muscle hard through a long range: incline presses for the chest, pulldowns and rows for the back, hack squats for the quads, Romanian deadlifts for the hamstrings, and lateral raises for the shoulders.

What is a good exercise routine for bodybuilding?

Full body three days a week for beginners, upper/lower four days for most intermediates, with each muscle trained twice a week for about 10 to 20 hard sets.

How close to failure should bodybuilders train?

Most working sets 0 to 2 reps short of failure. Compounds at 1 to 2 so form holds up, isolation work at 0 to 1 because it is safe and cheap to recover from.

Is bodybuilding strength training?

Yes. Bodybuilders get stronger, but the aim is muscle size, so they use moderate reps, more exercises per muscle and more isolation work than strength athletes do.

What are the big compound exercises for bodybuilding?

A press like the incline dumbbell press, a pull like the lat pulldown or row, a squat like the hack squat, and a hinge like the Romanian deadlift. Add isolation work for the side delts, arms and calves.