12 Exercises That EVERYONE Should Have In Their Program!

There are optional exercises and then there are exercises that everyone should have in their program. In this video, I’m going to go over the 12 Exercises that EVERYONE Should Have in Their Program to build the most muscle and a strong body that is resilient to injury. You may find that you are doing many of these exercises, but are you doing them all? Unless there is a physical limitation preventing you from performing them, I believe they are must-do movements that need to be in your workout plan.

Even in the instance of a nagging pain getting in the way of you performing the exercise, I’m going to show you a variation that should help you to overcome this issue and put you back on track to doing every one of these dozen best exercises.

When putting together an exercise list like this it is important to not only select the movements that are most effective for building bigger stronger bodies, but to make sure that these exercises are complimenting each other as well. There is no need to select five different versions of a bench press since doing so will only lead to major muscle imbalances and an unbalanced muscular development. Here we hit all three planes of motion as well as the all important corrective exercises to make sure no stone is left unturned along the way to making the best exercise selections.

We start with the king of all lower body exercises, the squat.

There is nothing more fundamental when it comes to movement patterns of the legs, hips and glutes than the squat. That said, sometimes people can experience an aggravation of low back and knee pain with the exercise. Beyond learning the proper mechanics on the squat you do have an option to switch to an alternative version to alleviate your discomfort. The bulgarian split squat will help offset back pain while box squats will dramatically decrease knee stress.

The deadlift is the twin king of the lower body, this time focused on the posterior chain muscles more effectively. Once again, it’s the movement pattern that is critical far more than the exact version of the exercise you perform. The hinge movement is one of the most fundamental to all human performance. Learning it is going to protect your lower back. If pulling from the floor is still too challenging however, simply switch to a mat elevated or trap bar variation to keep the gains coming without the pains.

The bench press is the main upper body pressing exercise you should be doing, at least in the horizontal plane. It involves the chest, shoulders and triceps to a great degree and gives you the opportunity to load up as able to build up not only your muscle size but your strength as well. Here again however, the exercise can be troublesome for some with shoulder issues. If this is the case for you, switch to a slowed down dumbbell press and most of your issues will decrease significantly as stability is restored to the press.

Pullups are not only one of my favorite bodyweight back exercises, they are one of my favorite back exercises - period. Of course, here again the loading options are many. If you find that you can do too many reps with your own bodyweight you can easily load some weight around your waist and make this a weighted pullup for more gains. Likewise, using a band can help offload some of your bodyweight making an assisted pullup possible for all.

Facepulls and banded external rotation are two critical exercises that sometimes elude the common exercise routine. Don’t make this mistake. They are just as important to the overall health of your joints while strengthening the weak points that undermine your performance on the bigger lifts.

Pushups belong on this list. Period. Just make sure that you’re doing the right kind of pushup. What I mean is, make sure that you are doing a variation that is challenging to you. Continuing to rep out 30,40 or even 50 reps in a set is not doing enough to increase your strength on the exercise since you can already do lots of reps. Pick a harder version to challenge your body and force new growth.

Of course, other exercises make this list as well. Lunges, Rows, and direct arm exercises like barbell curls and triceps extensions are all key exercises that should be included in every program. Watch the video for a detailed breakdown of why.

If you’re looking for more videos on the best exercises for building muscle and the best band exercises, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

[ristaps]

1. Back Squat 1:00
2. Deadlift 2:12
3. Bench Press 3:16
4. Pull Up 4:15
5. Facepull 5:00
6. External Rotation 6:10
7. Lunges 6:40
8. Push Up 7:55
9. Overhead Press 9:06
10. Lying Tricep Extension 10:30
11. BB Curl 11:53
12. BB Row 12:49

[edwardjones]

Every day, my list of things AthleanX tells me to do grows longer. I get 3 hours of sleep, to then wake up to do my morning routine. After 3, 000 facepulls, I am ready to start my first workout (1 of 7) of the day. This will involve another thousand facepulls, coupled with certified Jeff Classics such as the overhead deadlift, underwater squat, and upside down pull up. Having worked up an appetite, I sit down to eat meal #1. I open YouTube, and to my horror, Jeff has uploaded yet another video on MUST DO exercises. In sheer panic, I throw away my AthleanX brand oatmeal (with real Jesse pubes!) to rewrite my daily routine. This is just another day in the life on an AthleanX subscriber.

[markpetruschi]

Jeff's advices have led to the most effective exercises I have ever done (and most excruciating), but results speak for themselves. I did calisthenics and bodyweight exercises mostly, but I have found these extra tips of his for these types of exercises to be far more effective and satisfying to me personally than any painful occasions before that in the gym. In the process I took a muscle gain plan from nextleveldiet, and without any additional supplements needed, my muscles started to grow massively over the last two months. Thank you Jeff for all the work you have done over the years.

[avmj]

Hello Jeff. I just wanted to say thank you for being so dedicated in what you do. Your videos provide great guidance to ordinary people like me who likes to stay active but doesn't know exactly what to do. Keep up the good work and have a blessed week.

[sanjit]

1. Squat(Bulgarian, box, drop, box)
2. Deadlift
3. Bench Press
4. Pull up
5. Face Pull
6. Banded external rotation or DB
7. Lunge(any variation)
8. Push Up
9. OHP
10. Lying tricep extension
11. Barbell curl
12. Barbell Row(some variation)

[yashhgami]

Sticking to basics is what develops a majority of your strength and muscle mass. Variations are especially useful if you are an athlete and or bodybuilder who wants to target specific muscles more. Great video, Jeff. Doubt you see this, I've been following you for years. Hope you're well!

[martin]

As an ex gymnast and having been hit a couple times on my motorcycle my body is is pretty banged up. Doesn’t help much being 49 either. Most these exercises are difficult to do without pain so it’s greatly appreciated that 1) You acknowledged that people might have limitations 2) You provide alternatives. Thanks!

[incerix]

I already incorporate all of this or some variation in my routines so I'm glad I watched and get the reassurance that the workouts I'm performing are giving great stimulus.

[FishingforViews]

I been following you for the last 8 month doing your workouts, as a noob it’s really helped! I’m like Jesse with being a smaller guy but, I don’t eat very well due to an eating disorder! Getting better and I’m looking loads bigger than when I was 8 1/2 stone! Thanks Jeff and thanks Jesse because you have also given me hope and drive to keep at it 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[petersalinas]

Jeff is extremely helpful!! He thoroughly explains everything and adds a great sense of humor which helps you remember everything he talks about.

[kevinrowley]

You’re so well spoken it’s a pleasure to listen to you, I work out hard I’m 59 you give me inspiration 💪

[davidhelman]

I've been watching Jeff for years, it is still amazing to me how much quality content he puts out for free for all of us. Jeff, you truly are such an incredible asset for all of us on our fitness journey, thank you so much for doing these high quality videos for so many years.

[sophiesmith]

very glad he included external rotation! Last year post injury was the first time I started doing this and I was surprised at the major difference it makes. Night and day!

[M_R.b]

Squat, lunge, deadlift, rows, bench press, push up, pull ups, rows, face pulls, external rotations, biceps exercises, arm exercises

[johnmobley]

Absolutely love the discussion of variations when you have an injured area— always missing from workout videos!

[jacobkohrt]

I have followed you for about the past year, and I've gotten a new program after my last one wasn't working out too much for me. 97% of what I work out to comes from your videos (the last 3% is my variation because of pre existing injuries) and it has helped me get back in shape a lot better than me trying to do it alone. Thank you Jeff for the videos!

[joeg]

I've been lifting for 15 years and competing in bodybuilding shows, still always learn something from your videos and appreciate you making them all!

[home-gym_workouts]

I could not agree more...perfectly explained...love your videos man... I've sent many of my physical therapy patients to your page. Thanks and Keep Crushing It!!

[jamieroko]

Thank you so much Jeff! And thanks for the alternative versions for us with aches and pains!! 👏👍💪

[christinamarie]

Love this one Jeff! 💯🤩👍🏻 Your vids have helped me tons! Especially being an older athlete with rotator cuff issues, I really appreciate all the alternatives you show as well as your thorough explanations and the colored markers on muscle groups too! 🙌🏻🙌🏻😁😎👍🏻