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Exercises

Exercises for teens: getting stronger at home, in the weight room and in season

Published October 29, 2026

The best exercises for teens are the basics adults use: bodyweight or goblet squats and reverse lunges for legs, the dumbbell Romanian deadlift for the back of the legs, push-ups and dumbbell shoulder presses for pushing, inverted rows and chin-ups for pulling, planks for the trunk, and jump squats or jump rope for jumping. Do 2 or 3 full-body sessions a week, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps, and stop each set with 2 or 3 good reps left. Start with your body weight and add load once each move looks the same on every rep.

  1. Bodyweight Squat Quads
  2. Push-Up Chest
  3. Inverted Row Upper Back, Lats
  4. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  6. Plank Abs
  7. Jump Squat Quads, Glutes

Legs: squat, lunge and hinge

Your legs do the most work in almost every sport and in daily life, so they get three patterns: a squat, a lunge and a hip hinge. Learn each one with your body weight, then hold a dumbbell.

Quads and glutes, squat

Bodyweight Squat

Quads

The movement every other leg exercise builds on. When 20 slow reps are easy, it is time to hold a dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, arms out in front for balance.
  2. Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping your heels flat and your chest up.
  3. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, deeper if your heels stay down.
  4. Drive through your whole foot to stand tall, then go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Heels glued to the floor
  • Knees over toes
  • Thighs to parallel or lower

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving in on the way up: push them out over your little toes.
  • Quarter squats to hit a rep count: a full-depth set of 12 beats a shallow set of 30.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Wall Sit, Jump Squat

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Quads and glutes, dumbbell squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding one dumbbell at your chest keeps you upright and teaches a deep, controlled squat. It is the first loaded squat to learn in a weight room.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads and glutes, one leg at a time

Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping back trains each leg alone and builds the balance used in running and changing direction. Do it with no weight until both sides look the same.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding a kettlebell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor.
  3. Keep most of your weight on the front foot.
  4. Push through the front foot to step back up, then alternate or finish one side.

Cues

  • Step long, drop straight down
  • Front foot does the work
  • Tall chest

Common mistakes

  • Short steps that push the front knee far over the toes: step back further.
  • Wobbling side to side: narrow the load or slow down.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge, Step-Up

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Hamstrings and glutes, hip hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

It teaches you to bend at the hips with a flat back, the same skill you use to pick anything up. It also builds the hamstrings that sprinting relies on.

How to do it

  1. Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of your thighs, palms facing you.
  2. Push your hips straight back and let your torso fold forward, knees softly bent, the dumbbells brushing your legs.
  3. Lower until the dumbbells pass your knees and you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, with your back still flat.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top, and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips back, not down
  • Dumbbells slide down your legs
  • Flat back, chin tucked

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat so the dumbbells go lower: the depth comes from the hips, and most people stop just past the knees.
  • Rounding the lower back at the bottom: end the rep where your back stays flat, and lighten the load if that is high.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Good Morning, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Upper body: push and pull

Pair every push with a pull. Push-ups and the shoulder press build the chest, shoulders and arms; rows and chin-ups build the back and biceps, which most beginner routines leave out.

Chest and arms, easier push-up

Incline Push-Up

Chest

Hands on a bench or table let you do full-range push-ups while you build up. Lower the surface as you get stronger.

How to do it

  1. Put your hands on a bench, box or counter, a little wider than shoulder width.
  2. Walk your feet back until your body is a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Lower your chest to the edge, elbows angled about 45 degrees from your sides.
  4. Press back up until your arms are straight.

Cues

  • Body like a plank
  • Elbows at about 45 degrees
  • Higher surface, easier rep

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor: squeeze your glutes and brace as if you were about to be poked in the stomach.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out: tuck them back at about 45 degrees.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Close-Grip Push-Up, Bench Dip

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Chest, shoulders and triceps, push-up

Push-Up

Chest

The push-up builds your chest, shoulders and arms with no equipment at all, and it keeps getting harder with slower reps or feet raised.

How to do it

  1. Set your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with your body straight from head to heels.
  2. Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • One straight line
  • Elbows angled back

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out: tuck them toward your ribs.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Incline Push-Up, Push-Up Plus

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Shoulders and triceps, dumbbell press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing overhead builds the shoulders, and seated dumbbells keep your back supported. Start with the lightest pair that lets you press 10 smooth reps.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.

Swap for: Machine Shoulder Press, Pike Push-Up, Landmine Press

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Upper back and biceps, row under a bar

Inverted Row

Upper Back, Lats

Lying under a bar or a sturdy table and pulling your chest to it builds your back and is much easier than a chin-up. It is how you work up to one.

How to do it

  1. Set a bar at about hip height, lie under it, and grip it with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Straighten your body from heels to head, or bend your knees with feet flat for an easier version.
  3. Pull your chest up to the bar, leading with your elbows, and keep your hips in line.
  4. Lower until your arms are straight, then pull again.

Cues

  • Body stays a straight plank
  • Chest touches the bar
  • Bend your knees to make it easier

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag so only your chest rises: squeeze your glutes and move as one piece.
  • Pulling the bar to your neck: aim for the bottom of your chest.

Swap for: Seated Cable Row, TRX Row, Band Bent-Over Row

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Back and biceps, chin-up

Chin-Up

Lats

A chin-up lifts your whole body and is a clear goal to train for. Until you can do one, jump to the top and take 4 seconds to lower.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with your palms toward you and hands shoulder-width.
  2. Pull your elbows down and back until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower to a full hang with straight arms.
  4. Keep your legs quiet and your body still between reps.

Cues

  • Palms toward you
  • Chin over the bar
  • Dead hang at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Kipping or kicking to finish: stop the set when you cannot pull cleanly.
  • Half reps at the top: straighten your arms fully every time.

Swap for: Close-Grip Chin-Up, Assisted Pull-Up

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Core

A strong trunk lets your arms and legs push hard without your body folding. Start with holds you can keep straight, then stretch them 5 seconds at a time.

Abs, plank hold

Plank

Abs

Holding a straight line from head to heels trains the trunk muscles you use when you push, throw or get bumped.

How to do it

  1. Set your forearms under your shoulders and your feet behind you, body in a straight line.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down toward your hips.
  3. Hold, breathing normally, without letting your hips sag or rise.
  4. For the harder version, reach one arm forward and lift the opposite foot, hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Glutes tight
  • Straight line

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor: that hangs on your lower back.
  • Holding for minutes at an easy level: make it harder instead.

Swap for: Long Lever Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

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Obliques, side hold

Side Plank

Abs

The side plank trains the sides of your trunk, which help you stay steady on one leg and when you twist. Drop to your knee if needed.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side with your elbow under your shoulder and your legs stacked.
  2. Lift your hips until your body is straight from head to feet.
  3. Hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips high
  • Stacked feet
  • Elbow under shoulder

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop toward the floor as the hold goes on.
  • Rolling the chest forward or back.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Copenhagen Plank

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Jumping

Jumping loads your legs and bones in a way slow lifts do not, and it is the part teens tend to enjoy most. A few sets per session is plenty.

Quads and glutes, jumping

Jump Squat

Quads, Glutes

A few sets of jumps build leg power. Focus on soft, quiet landings and a full reset between reps.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width and your arms ready.
  2. Dip into a quarter to half squat, then jump straight up, swinging your arms.
  3. Land softly with bent knees and reset before the next jump.

Cues

  • Soft, quiet landing
  • Reset between reps

Common mistakes

  • Landing stiff-legged: let the hips and knees bend to absorb the landing.

Swap for: Box Jump, Bodyweight Squat

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Calves and conditioning, jump rope

Jump Rope

Calves, Quads

Jump rope is cheap, fits in a bag and adds many small jumps to your week. A few minutes at the end of a session counts.

How to do it

  1. Hold the handles at hip height with the rope behind you.
  2. Turn the rope with your wrists and hop just high enough to clear it.
  3. Keep a steady, easy rhythm.

Cues

  • Small hops on the balls of your feet.
  • Elbows close to your sides.

Common mistakes

  • Jumping high and swinging from the shoulders.

Swap for: Skipping in Place, Jumping Jack

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In a weight room

If your school or gym has a cable stack, a seated row is an easy way to load your back while you build up to chin-ups.

Upper back and lats, cable row

Seated Cable Row

Upper Back, Lats

The cable row is easy to learn and simple to load, so you can train your back with the right weight while chin-ups are still hard.

How to do it

  1. Sit at the cable row with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent, holding a close-grip handle with your arms straight.
  2. Sit tall with your chest up and let the cable pull your shoulder blades forward a little.
  3. Row the handle to your lower ribs, driving your elbows back past your torso.
  4. Return it under control until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach forward, then repeat.

Cues

  • Sit tall, no rocking
  • Handle to the belly button
  • Shoulders reach at the front

Common mistakes

  • Rocking back and forth to move the stack: your torso should stay close to upright throughout.
  • Shrugging the handle up toward your neck: pull your shoulders down before the elbows bend.

Swap for: Chest-Supported Row, Single-Arm Cable Row, Barbell Row

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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.

Session 1

At home with no equipment, three days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets29 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Jump Rope

You want to get stronger at home, have no weights, and can give it about 25 minutes three times a week.

Three short full-body days give your legs about 11 hard sets a week, pushing 6 and pulling 5, a good start for anyone new to lifting. Jumps go at the start of a day while your legs are fresh, and every set stops with 2 or 3 reps left.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Jump SquatLand quietly. 2 × 5–8 3 1 min
Bodyweight Squat 3 × 12–20 2 1 min
Incline Push-Up 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
PlankSeconds per hold. 2 × 20–40 2 1 min

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Reverse LungePer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Push-UpKnees down for the last reps if needed. 3 × 5–12 2 75 s
Inverted RowUnder a sturdy table or low bar. 2 × 6–12 2 75 s
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 15–30 2 1 min

Open Day B in the session builder

Day C
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bodyweight Squat3 s down. 3 × 15–20 2 1 min
Inverted RowUnder a sturdy table or low bar. 3 × 6–12 2 75 s
Jump RopeSeconds per round. 3 × 30–60 3 1 min

Open Day C in the session builder

How to run it
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or any three days with a day between. Sports practice or games count as activity on the other days.
How to progress
When you reach the top of the rep range on every set with 2 reps in reserve, move to the harder version: incline push-up to push-up, two-leg squat to slower squats, then a backpack for load.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

School weight room or gym, two days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Cable Row, Pull-Up Bar

You have access to a school weight room or gym with dumbbells, a pull-up bar and a cable row, ideally with a coach around.

Two full-body sessions cover a squat, a hinge, a push and a pull each time, 11 sets per session. Loads stay light enough for 2 to 3 reps in reserve so every rep looks the same while you learn the lifts.

Session 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 3 90 s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Seated Cable Row 3 × 10–12 2 75 s
PlankSeconds per hold. 2 × 30–45 2 1 min

Open Session 1 in the session builder

Session 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 3 90 s
Push-Up 3 × 6–15 2 75 s
Chin-UpJump up and lower slowly if needed. 3 × 2–6 2 2 min
Reverse LungePer leg. 2 × 8–10 2 75 s

Open Session 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Two days with at least two days between them, such as Tuesday and Friday. Warm up with a lighter set of the first lift each day.
How to progress
Double progression: add the next dumbbell once every set reaches the top of the range with 2 or more reps left. Small, steady jumps are the goal, not a heavy single.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Teen athlete in season

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets15 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Barbells, Pull-Up Bar

You play a sport with practices most days and want to keep your strength through the season without being tired for games.

Practice already covers running and jumping, so this plan keeps only the strength work: four exercises of 1 or 2 sets, 7 or 8 sets per session. Two short sessions hold your strength without leaving you sore on game day.

Session 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 2 × 6–8 3 90 s
Inverted Row 2 × 8–12 3 75 s
Push-Up 2 × 8–15 3 75 s
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–30 3 1 min

Open Session 1 in the session builder

Session 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 2 × 6–8 3 90 s
Chin-Up 2 × 3–6 3 2 min
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 × 8–10 3 90 s
PlankSeconds per hold. 1 × 30–45 3 1 min

Open Session 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Lift right after a lighter practice, never the day before a game. On a two-game week, do one session.
How to progress
Keep the same weights while they feel like 3 reps in reserve. If a lift feels easier for two weeks, add the smallest step. The off-season is the time to build; this is maintenance.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What exercises should a 14-year-old do?

Bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups, inverted rows, planks and some jumping, two or three times a week. Add light dumbbells once each move looks the same on every rep.

Which exercise is best for teenagers?

No single one. A routine with a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull and a core exercise covers everything, and that is how all three plans here are built.

What is a good workout routine for a teenager?

Two or three full-body sessions a week of 25 to 45 minutes, plus the daily activity guidelines recommend: at least 60 minutes a day for ages 6 to 17, with muscle- and bone-strengthening on at least 3 days.

What are some fun exercises for teenagers?

Jump rope, jump squats, pull-up challenges and sports. Pick a goal, like your first chin-up or 20 push-ups, and track the reps each week.

Can teenagers lift weights?

Yes. Start with your body weight, learn each lift with light dumbbells, and add weight in small steps while every rep stays controlled. Avoid testing maximum lifts while you are learning.

How can teens build muscle?

Train each muscle two or three times a week, take sets close to failure while form holds, add reps or weight over time, and eat enough. The weight-room plan here is a good place to start.