What is the best exercise for chest?

Barbell bench press for overall mass, incline dumbbell press for upper chest development.

How many exercises per muscle group per workout?

2-4 exercises per muscle group, with 3-4 sets each, is optimal for most lifters.

Should I train each muscle once or twice per week?

Twice per week is generally more effective for hypertrophy than once per week.

Best Exercises for Each Muscle Group

Updated May 2026

By FitnessTracker Team · Reviewed by certified fitness professionals

With hundreds of exercises to choose from, knowing which ones actually deliver results saves you years of wasted effort. This guide ranks the best exercises for each muscle group based on EMG data, biomechanical analysis, and real-world results from thousands of lifters.

Chest

The barbell bench press is the gold standard for overall chest development. It allows the heaviest loads and activates both the sternal and clavicular heads of the pectoralis major. For upper chest emphasis, the incline dumbbell press is superior — dumbbells allow greater range of motion and the incline shifts stress to the clavicular head. Add cable flyes at the end of your chest workout for a deep stretch and metabolic stress.

Back

Pull-ups (or lat pulldowns) are non-negotiable for lat width. Use a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and pull your chest to the bar. For back thickness, barbell rows and chest-supported rows are the top choices. Barbell rows allow heavy loading and engage the spinal erectors as stabilizers, while chest-supported rows eliminate lower back fatigue and target the lats more directly. Cable face pulls are essential for rear delt and upper back health — do them last to balance your shoulders.

Shoulders

The overhead press is the primary mass builder for all three delt heads. Dumbbell OHP allows a more natural hand position and greater range of motion. For side delt development — the head that makes shoulders look wide — lateral raises are unmatched. Lead with your elbows and keep reps in the 10-20 range since side delts respond better to higher volume. Rear delt flyes complete shoulder development and improve posture.

Arms

For biceps, the barbell curl allows the heaviest loads, but dumbbell hammer curls and incline curls provide better stretch and peak contraction. The key is controlling the negative and avoiding momentum. For triceps, which make up roughly two-thirds of upper arm mass, the close-grip bench press and weighted dip are the best compound movements. Add cable tricep pushdowns and overhead tricep extensions for isolation — the overhead variation emphasizes the long head for more horseshoe shape.

Legs

The squat (back squat or front squat) is the king of lower body exercises. It targets the quads, glutes, adductors, and core simultaneously. The deadlift is not strictly a leg exercise, but it builds the entire posterior chain — hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, and traps — making it essential for overall strength and physique balance. For quad isolation, the leg extension machine is excellent when used with controlled reps and full range of motion. Walking lunges add unilateral work that corrects imbalances and builds functional strength. Romanian deadlifts and leg curls target the hamstrings directly and should be paired with squats for balanced leg development. Use our 1RM Calculator to determine your working weights for each lift.

Core

The plank is the best all-around core stability exercise, but it mainly works the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis isometrically. For dynamic core work and visible six-pack development, hanging leg raises are superior. They engage the entire abdominal wall, hip flexors, and require grip strength as a bonus. Cable crunches and ab wheel rollouts add resistance to progressive overload your abs. Train your core 2-4 times per week with 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps per exercise.

How to Structure a Workout

Lead each workout with your heavy compound lift (bench, squat, deadlift, pull-ups, OHP) when your central nervous system is fresh. Follow with accessory compounds, then isolation work. Track every set, rep, and weight in our Measurement Log so you can apply progressive overload systematically and see which exercises drive the best results for your body.

Progressive Overload by Exercise

For compound lifts, aim to add 2.5-5 lb per week. For isolation lifts, focus on adding 1-2 reps or increasing time under tension before adding weight. If you stall on an exercise for 3-4 weeks, swap in a variation: replace flat bench with incline bench, barbell rows with chest-supported rows, or back squats with front squats. For a full progression system, read our guide to progressive overload.