8 Best Exercises You Should Be Doing, According to Trainers

If you’re new to exercise or looking to change up your routine, you’re probably wondering which exercises are really worth doing. Any movement throughout the day is good for your physical and mental health. But there are certain exercises that are beneficial to include in your weekly exercise routine. They can even configure it for better achieve your fitness goals.

We spoke with personal trainers to find out the types of exercises you should add to your workouts. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, there are ways to make these exercises easier or harder depending on your fitness level.

Try these expert-approved exercises the next time you’re at the gym or working out at home.

1. Deadlift

Deadlift is a compound exercise that makes you lift a lot of weight off the ground bending at the hips and coming back to standing. There are many variations to choose from whether you are a beginner or an experienced lifter. Some variations include the deadlift with kettlebell, Romanian deadlift, conventional deadlift, stiff-legged deadliftsumo deadlift and trap bar (or hex bar) deadlift.

“The deadlift is a great exercise because it helps strengthen your core, back, shoulder, and arm muscles, as well as your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves,” says John Gardner, Certified Personal Trainer by NASM. He explains that the deadlift is an essential exercise that stimulates both the upper and lower body simultaneously, allowing more muscles to be engaged at the same time. “It will burn more calories and make it an extremely time-efficient exercise,” adds Gardner. As a result of deadlifting, your posture will also improve due to the way it targets your back and shoulder muscles.

If you plan on deadlifting, have a personal trainer or experienced weightlifter look at your form. A common mistake people make when deadlifting is squatting (and bending their knees too far) instead of rotating at the hips. Another mistake is arching or rounding your back instead of engaging your upper body and core muscles. This can lead to lower back injury due to the pressure it puts on your back. You should also be careful not to overextend your neck and head and keep them in a straight line.

If you have a history of chronic back problems, a spinal injury, or are pregnant, it’s best to first check with your doctor or personal trainer before doing this exercise.

2. Push-ups

The push-up is beneficial for building upper body strength and targets the chest, triceps, back, and shoulders. Although it is a well-known exercise, it is also one that is commonly done wrong — even by experienced athletes.

“The great thing about the pushup is that it can be easily modified to suit your skill level,” says Dr. Brittany Noel Robles, a certified personal trainer and OB/GYN. Some modifications include doing a push-up against a wall or with your hands elevated on an incline to make it more challenging. Once you’ve mastered pushups from these angles, you can take them to the floor and practice them by changing the tempo or position of your hands.

“Everyone should include push-ups in their training because they’re a functional exercise that translates to real-world situations,” says Robles. “Specifically, the push-up trains the functional movement pattern of horizontal pushing, or the ability to push objects away from you.”

3. Palof Press

The Pallof press is an anti-rotational movement that limits spinal rotation. It is considered a core strength training exercise that can be easily done with a cable machine or resistance band. “Your transversus abdominis, or inner girdle, helps secure your lower back like a muscle deep in your core,” says James Shapiro, a Los Angeles-based athletic performance coach. “By activating it more and getting stronger, you’ll be able to increase your strength in compound movements and increase activation in your rectum (your six pack).”

There are variations that allow you to efficiently exercise your core. To perform this move, you’ll need a resistance band attached to a power rack (or sturdy base) or a cable machine with a handle set depending on whether you’ll be standing or kneeling. You can do this move by standing in a staggered stance, half kneeling, or kneeling on the ground. If you have lower back issues, the Pallof press can be performed sitting down or on your back on the floor. Shapiro recommends that beginners start with a very light weight and hold the position while breathing.

4. Inverted Row

The inverted row is an exercise that beginners and advanced users alike can do to strengthen their upper back. It also improves scapular retraction, which can help prepare you for pull-ups if your goal is to dominate them. Typically, the inverted row can be done using TRX suspension straps or by using the barbell of a barbell placed on a rack above you while in an angled horizontal position. Your arms should be fully extended above you, while keeping your body suspended above the ground.

“To make the inverted row more challenging, you can lower the bar, walk your feet forward, lift your feet onto a box, or add weight,” says Chris Matsui, a certified strength conditioning specialist and lifting coach. If you need a modification, he suggests walking with your feet further back, lifting the barbell, or bending your knees.

5. Split squats

The split squat is a single-leg exercise that forces you to use your core for balance. It targets your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. There are also various ways to do them to make them easier or more difficult, depending on your fitness level. “It’s not a technical exercise, so it’s easier to do with fewer compensation patterns to worry about,” says Matsui.

The split squat can be done with dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebell, or your own body weight. To make the exercise more difficult, you can place your back foot on an elevated surface to perform a Bulgarian split squat (another variation of the split squat) or to modify it, you can keep your back foot on the ground and use your own body weight.

6. Dumbbell squat to press

The dumbbell squat to press, also known as propellant, is a compound exercise that begins in a front squat position and ends in an overhead press. This full-body move can be performed with dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells. It’s a power exercise meant to be done quickly as you go from a squat to a press.

“From a conditioning standpoint, with the right weight and the right pace, this full-body move can really increase cardiovascular demand,” says Shinekwa Kershaw, personal trainer at Blink Fitness. She suggests that if you’re limited in your knees, make sure you only squat to parallel or just above that. This can also be performed as a seated box or chair squat. If you’re having trouble pressing overhead, another option Kershaw suggests is to squat with biceps curls.

7. Squats

The traditional squat is an important exercise because it targets the muscles in the lower body, like glutes, quads, hamstrings, abs, even your upper body. You can load the squat with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and sandbags. “Not only is the squat a functional movement that mimics everyday life, like sitting and standing in a chair, but it also increases our anabolic hormones and is important for spine and core strength,” explains the USA-based fitness trainer. Los Angeles, Natalie Yco.

There are also different squat variations such as jump squats, single leg squats, barbell back squats, front squats, goblet squats, sumo squats and more. “Squats strengthen the muscle around the knee to help prevent knee injuries and can help improve flexibility as you move through a deeper range of motion,” says Yco.

If you’re new to squats and haven’t mastered the movement yet, Yco suggests trying wall squats with a stability ball placed between your back and a wall. Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back against the ball, and lower to a sitting position by bending your knees at a 90-degree angle. The goal is to keep your lower back firmly against the ball. This modification takes stress off your lower back and makes it easier to squat.

8. Kettlebell swing

kettlebell The exercises have become popular even beyond the Crossfit crowd. One exercise in particular that is a favorite among fitness experts is the kettlebell swing. The full-body exercise uses your hips, core, hamstrings, glutes, and upper body to produce an explosive movement. It’s a great way to get a cardiovascular workout while strengthening your posterior chain (the back of your body).

“I love the two-handed kettlebell swing because it’s an exercise that builds full-body strength and also improves cardiovascular fitness,” says Jennifer Conroyd, ACE Certified Trainer and US Track and Field Trainer. To perform the kettlebell swing (or any other kettlebell exercise), you should ask a kettlebell training expert to teach you the proper technique. Kettlebell training is all about mastering technique first, before moving on to swinging or lifting heavy kettlebells.

“It’s really a phenomenal all-in-one exercise and it’s important to focus on good posture and using your hips to generate the movement,” says Conroyd. If you’re just learning to swing, he suggests modifying the movement by lowering the weight of the kettlebell until you’re comfortable with the movement. If you have shoulder or lower back injuries, you may not be the best candidate for kettlebell swings and should check with your doctor or physical therapist before trying them first.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.