Never attempt to exercise without performing warm-up exercises first no matter how long you have been doing a routine or how long you have practiced body building for. Going straight into exercising will only result in you injuring yourself; you should warm up for about 10 minutes before going into your usual routine by doing a form of aerobic routine. Listed below are some exercises which you could include in your workout:

Exercises for the chest

The flat bench press.

This of course is one form of weightlifting which is very popular and one which is excellent when it is performed correctly, some weightlifters will focus too much on the actual amount of weight being used and forget about concentrating on the muscle itself. This can lead to focusing more on the deltoids and all but forgetting about the Pecs which will only lead to under development of the chest and over development of the deltoid muscles. The correct way of using the bench press is to develop full pectoral muscles.

Flat bench dumbbell press

This exercise is an excellent way to develop the Pecs and is a variation of the barbell press; you can swap between the standard bench press and bench presses using dumbbells.

Incline bench press

This is another excellent exercise for developing the Pecs, it is also a great upper chest exercise when done in the correct form, however if done incorrectly only the front deltoids will gain the benefit.

Exercises for the back

Bent over rowing.

This one is a must for anyone who wants to develop a powerful back; it is a pure muscle building exercise.

Shrugs.

This exercise works out the trapezius muscles it is these muscles that gives the bodybuilder the triangular look.

Exercises for the shoulders

Presses behind the neck.

This is a great exercise for building those shoulders; you can if you wish bring the bar around to the front instead of at the back.

Side lateral raises.

This exercise can be performed standing or if you prefer seated and is a great way to guild and strengthen the shoulders.

Exercises for the quadriceps

Squats.

Squats are a must if you want to build strong powerful legs.

Leg presses.

These are a powerful exercise for building mass.

Exercises for the hamstrings

Stiff legged dead lift.

This exercise when done correctly will help to develop the hamstrings.

Exercises for the calves

Standing calf raises.

These exercises help to develop that large diamond shaped calves famous in bodybuilders.

Exercises for the biceps

All of the exercises below are excellent for developing those bulging biceps:

Standing barbell curls.

Seated alternate dumbbell curl.

Concentration curl.

Incline dumbbell curl.

Exercises for the triceps

All of the exercises listed below are great ways to build the triceps:

Close grip bench press.

Lying triceps extensions.

Standing cable press downs.

Seated overhead barbell extensions.

Triceps bench dip.

One arm dumbbell extensions.

Exercises for the abdomen

The following exercises are great for getting the four pack: Crunches.

Knees up.

Hanging leg raise.

Incline knee raise.

Incline sit ups.

Roman chair sit-ups.

For the purpose of weight training the body can be divided into ten major muscle groups, the larger muscles of the lower body are usually put to work before the smaller ones as these require more physical and mental energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles with the stabilising muscles in the waist being trained the last of all. Listed below are the muscle groups and the most common exercises used to train them.

The lower body

The quadriceps or quads

• Compound exercises used for the quads also cover the glutes, hamstrings and calves.
• The squat
• The leg press
• Lunge
• Deadlift
• Leg extension

Hamstring

• Leg curl

Calves

• Standing calf raise
• Seated calf raise
• The upper body

Pectorals

• Compound exercise for the Pecs include the triceps and front deltoids.
• Bench press
• pullover
• flye

Lats

• Compound exercise for the lats also include the biceps and rear deltoids.
• pull down
• bent over row

Deltoids and trapezius

• Compound exercises for the shoulders also include the arm muscles.
• upright row
• shoulder press
• lateral raise
• shoulder shrug

Arms

Triceps

• parallel bar dip
• pushdown
• triceps extension

Biceps

• biceps curl

Waist

Abdominals

• leg raise
• crunch

Lower back

• back extension
• good morning.

What are the first things we all think of when the word bodybuilding is mentioned, rippling arms, a big chest and of course that washboard stomach, the well toned six-pack. Nothing enhances the body more than that six pack but to get it you will have to put in a lot of effort and devise a well planned exercise routine. So which exercises will help you achieve your goal? Listed below are some of the more common one you should fit into your daily workout:

Knee ups

This is a simple but very effective exercise for defining those abdominals, sit on your exercise bench with your legs out in front of you, without letting your feet touch the floor. Slowly pull up your legs and your knees up to the chest, making sure you squeeze the abdominal muscles tight as you do. Hold your position like this for around 2 seconds then very slowly let your legs back down to the starting position.

Knee raises

This exercise involves the use of a chin up bar and is another great way to tighten those abdominals and get you on your way to achieving that six pack. Take a firm hold of the overhead chin up bar making sure your hands are spread apart wider than the shoulders, with your feet off the floor supporting your body weight, try not to rock or swing. Slowly bring your knees up towards the abdomen until they are at a 90 degree angle, tense the abdominal muscles as you do and hold for about 2 seconds before slowly letting the legs back down.

Crunches

Lie down on the floor and place your feet on the floor with your legs bent slightly, slowly lift your shoulders up off the mat with your hands firmly behind your head, pause for a moment feeling the pull on the abdominal muscles. Try to make the movement as smooth flowing and natural as possible without pulling your neck upwards.

The cycle

Lie on the floor locking the fingers together behind the head, slightly raise your legs and bring them towards your chest, lifting the shoulders up off the ground. Straighten your left leg out to a 45 degree angle while twisting the upper body slightly to the right, bring the left elbow to meet the right knee, swapping legs and elbows continue this cycle motion for 12 to 16 reps.