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Exercises

Strength training for metabolism: build the muscle that keeps it running

Published October 29, 2026

Strength training supports your metabolism by building and keeping muscle, which burns more energy at rest than fat and is what you lose with dieting and age. The lifts that do it best train the most muscle at once: trap bar deadlifts, goblet squats, the leg press and walking lunges for the legs, dumbbell presses, push-ups, pulldowns and rows for the upper body, and kettlebell swings, thrusters, renegade rows and farmer's walks for faster circuits. Two or three full-body sessions a week with steadily heavier weights is enough.

  1. Trap Bar Deadlift Quads, Glutes
  2. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  3. Walking Lunge Quads, Glutes
  4. Flat Dumbbell Press Chest
  5. Lat Pulldown Lats
  6. Kettlebell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings
  7. Farmer's Walk Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Lower body: where most of your muscle is

Your legs and hips hold the largest share of your muscle, so they matter most for metabolism. One hinge, one squat and one lunge each week keep all of it working.

Legs, hips and back, deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlift

Quads, Glutes

The trap bar deadlift loads the legs, hips, back and grip in one lift, more muscle than any other exercise here. The handles at your sides keep the weight in line with your body, so your torso stays more upright than with a straight bar.

How to do it

  1. Step inside the trap bar with the handles beside your feet.
  2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and grip the handles.
  3. Flatten your back, take the slack out, and stand up by pushing the floor away.
  4. Lower under control. Each warm-up set adds weight toward your working sets.

Cues

  • Push the floor away
  • Flat back
  • Slack out before you pull

Common mistakes

  • Yanking the bar off the floor: pull the slack out first.
  • Rounding the back as the weight climbs: hold the ramp until the setup is solid.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Quads and glutes, squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

The goblet squat trains the thighs and glutes through a deep range with one dumbbell. It works as the main squat at home and as a lighter second squat in the gym.

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, machine press

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

The leg press lets you load the legs heavily with your back supported, so you can train the biggest muscles hard even if squats bother your back or balance.

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine with your whole back against the pad and your feet hip-width on the platform.
  2. Release the safety handles and bend your knees, bringing the platform toward you under control.
  3. Lower until your knees are bent to about 90 degrees or a little deeper, without your lower back curling off the pad.
  4. Press the platform away until your legs are nearly straight, and repeat.

Cues

  • Lower back stays on the pad
  • Whole foot pushes
  • Stop just short of locking out

Common mistakes

  • Going so deep that your hips roll up off the seat: stop where your back stays flat.
  • Snapping the knees straight at the top: keep a soft bend.

Swap for: 45-Degree Leg Press, Hack Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads and glutes, traveling lunge

Walking Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Walking lunges work each leg through a long stride and get your heart rate up quickly, which makes them a strength exercise that also feels like conditioning.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall; hold a light plate overhead or keep hands on hips.
  2. Step forward into a lunge until your back knee is just above the floor.
  3. Push up and step through into the next lunge.

Cues

  • Long step
  • Upright torso
  • Back knee hovers

Common mistakes

  • Short choppy steps that jam the front knee forward: lengthen the stride.

Swap for: Cardio Lunge, Dumbbell Forward Lunge, Reverse Lunge

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Upper body: push and pull

A press and a pull from each direction covers the chest, shoulders, back and arms. Keep them in every session so no muscle group is left to shrink.

Chest, shoulders and triceps, press

Flat Dumbbell Press

Chest

Dumbbell presses train the chest, front shoulders and triceps with each arm working on its own. They are easy to set up and easy to progress in small steps.

How to do it

  1. Lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbbells above your chest.
  2. Lower the bells to the sides of your chest with elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press them back up over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades pinched.
  • Control the lowering.

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out.

Swap for: Push-Up, Barbell Bench Press

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Chest and triceps, body-weight press

Push-Up

Chest

Push-ups train the same muscles as the bench press with no equipment and suit circuits, where you need to move straight from one exercise to the next.

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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Lats and biceps, vertical pull

Lat Pulldown

Lats

The lats are one of the biggest muscles in the upper body. Pulldowns train them with any load you choose, from your first session onward.

How to do it

  1. Set the thigh pad so your legs are locked under it, then stand up and take the bar a little wider than your shoulders, palms forward.
  2. Sit down with your arms fully stretched overhead and lean back only slightly.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your hips.
  4. Let the bar rise until your arms are straight and your shoulders lift toward your ears, then pull again.

Cues

  • Elbows to your back pockets
  • Bar to the top of the chest
  • Let the stack lift you at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back and rowing the bar to your stomach: stay nearly upright so it remains a vertical pull.
  • Stopping with the arms still bent at the top: the stretch overhead is half of what makes the pulldown work.

Swap for: Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up

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Upper back and lats, one-arm row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing one arm at a time with the other braced lets you go heavy on the upper back without your lower back limiting the set, at home or in the gym.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

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

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Metabolic circuit moves

These use many muscles fast, so they push your breathing up as well as working the muscle. Done in circuits with short rest, they make a strength session double as conditioning.

Glutes and hamstrings, fast hinge

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

Swings move the hips hard and fast for 15 to 20 reps, working the back of the body while driving your breathing up. They are the core move of most metabolic circuits.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, the bell set about a foot in front of you.
  2. Hinge down, grip the handle with both hands, and hike the bell back between your thighs.
  3. Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about shoulder height on straight arms.
  4. Let it fall back between your legs as you hinge again, and go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips snap, arms just hold on
  • Stand tall at the top
  • Bell passes high between the thighs

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing by bending the knees deeply: push your hips back and keep the shins nearly vertical.
  • Lifting the bell with your shoulders: if your arms are working, the hips are not driving it.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift, Superman

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Legs and shoulders, squat to press

Kettlebell Thruster

Quads, Shoulders

A squat that flows straight into an overhead press uses nearly every major muscle each rep, so a set of 10 works as both a strength set and a hard interval.

How to do it

  1. Clean a bell into each rack, elbows tucked, feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Squat until your thighs are at least level with the floor, keeping your elbows up.
  3. Drive up out of the squat and let the momentum carry straight into a press to lockout.
  4. Lower the bells to the rack as you drop into the next squat.

Cues

  • Elbows up through the squat
  • Legs start the press, arms finish it
  • Lock out before the next squat

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the squat short to make the press easier: full depth, then press.
  • Pausing at the top and losing the rhythm: the bells go up and come straight down into the next rep.

Swap for: Kettlebell Clean & Press, Kettlebell Overhead Press, Goblet Squat

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Back and core, plank row

Renegade Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing from a plank trains the back while the core and shoulders hold you steady, two exercises' worth of muscle in one, which suits a time-efficient circuit.

How to do it

  1. Set up in a high plank with each hand on a dumbbell and your feet about hip-width apart.
  2. Shift your weight onto one hand and row the other dumbbell toward your hip.
  3. Lower it to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Cues

  • Hips stay square
  • Feet hip-width
  • Row to the hip

Common mistakes

  • Rotating the hips up on the rowing side.
  • Using dumbbells so heavy you have to twist to lift them.

Swap for: Plank Shoulder Tap, One-Arm Dumbbell Row

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Grip, traps and core, loaded carry

Farmer's Walk

Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Carrying heavy dumbbells works your grip, shoulders, trunk and legs together and gets you breathing hard within 30 seconds. It is the simplest finisher there is.

How to do it

  1. Pick up two heavy dumbbells with your back flat.
  2. Stand tall with your ribs down and walk with short, quick steps.
  3. Set the weights down with a flat back when the time or distance is up.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Crush the handles
  • Quick steps

Common mistakes

  • Letting the shoulders round forward.
  • Walking so slowly the dumbbells start to swing.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

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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

Busy adult, two heavy sessions a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets28 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentTrap Bar, Dumbbells, Flat Bench, Lat Pulldown

You have about two hours a week for the gym and want the training that does the most for your muscle, and so your metabolism, in that time.

One full-body session done twice a week trains every major muscle with 3 hard sets per lift, about 6 per muscle weekly. That is a low dose, but taken close to failure it builds muscle in beginners and holds it later, in about 55 minutes.

Full body
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Trap Bar Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 2 3 min
Flat Dumbbell Press 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Walking LungePer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Farmer's WalkSeconds of walking. 2 × 30–45 2 90 s
How to run it
Do it on two days at least two days apart, such as Monday and Thursday. Walk on as many other days as you can; daily movement adds more to your energy use than any single workout.
How to progress
Double progression: when every set reaches the top of the rep range with 2 reps in reserve, add 5 to 10 pounds to the deadlift or one dumbbell size elsewhere, and start back at the bottom of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Metabolic circuits at home, three days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets36 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells, Dumbbells

You train at home with a kettlebell and a pair of dumbbells and want sessions that build muscle and work your heart and lungs at the same time.

Circuits with short rest keep your heart rate up while each muscle still gets hard sets. Two alternating circuits of three moves, four rounds each, give 12 working sets in about 25 minutes, three days a week.

Circuit A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Kettlebell Swing1 warm-up set first 4 × 15–20 2 30 s
A2 Push-Up 4 × 8–15 2 30 s
A3 Goblet Squat 4 × 10–15 2 90 s

Open Circuit A in the session builder

Circuit B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Kettlebell Thruster1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 30 s
A2 Renegade RowPer arm. 4 × 6–10 2 30 s
A3 Walking LungePer leg. 4 × 8–12 2 90 s

Open Circuit B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate Circuit A and B on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Move from one exercise to the next with 30 seconds of rest and take 90 seconds after each round.
How to progress
Add reps within each range first. When every round reaches the top at 2 reps in reserve, move up a weight size. If you cannot, add a fifth round before shortening the rest.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Over 50 and keeping muscle

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets39 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentLeg Press, Dumbbells, Flat Bench

You are 50 or older, want to hold on to the muscle that age takes, and prefer supported lifts to heavy barbells.

The leg press and a braced row keep the back supported, so you can push your legs and back hard. Three sessions a week of 13 working sets give the chest and back 9 hard sets weekly and the legs 15, enough to build muscle and keep it.

Supported full body
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 10–12 2 2:30 min
Flat Dumbbell Press 3 × 10–12 2 2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 10–12 2 90 s
Goblet SquatTo a bench if needed. 2 × 10–12 2 90 s
Farmer's WalkSeconds of walking. 2 × 30–40 2 90 s
How to run it
Do it on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or on two days if recovery is slow. Warm up 5 minutes on a bike and do one light set of the leg press.
How to progress
Stay at 2 reps in reserve on every set. When all sets reach the top of the range, add the smallest increase the machine or dumbbells allow. Expect slower jumps than younger lifters, and keep making them.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Does muscle mass affect metabolism?

Yes. Muscle uses more energy at rest than fat, so more muscle means a somewhat higher resting burn. The bigger effect is avoiding the muscle loss that comes with dieting and aging, which would lower it.

What slows your metabolism down?

Losing muscle. Crash dieting without strength training, long stretches of sitting and poor sleep all make it easier to lose muscle and move less, which lowers the calories you burn each day.

What is the golden hour after exercise?

The idea that you must eat within an hour after training to get results. Getting enough protein across the day matters far more; a meal with protein within a few hours of lifting is fine.

What are some effective strength training programs?

Any program built on compound lifts with steadily increasing weight: two or three full-body days for beginners, or four upper/lower days for experienced lifters. The plans on this page are two- and three-day full-body examples.

How often should I lift weights to boost metabolism?

Two or three full-body sessions a week, each training the legs, a push and a pull. That is enough to build and keep muscle, which is what supports your metabolism over months and years.