Gaining size isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your body is built to survive, not to look like an Olympia competitor, so putting on—and holding on to—muscle mass is a complicated, multilayered affair that can vary from person to person. But one thing everyone can do to maximize their ability to add new muscle is to choose the right exercises—the type that will break down muscle tissue and trigger the hormonal responses that send your body into overdrive, also known as the muscle-building anabolic state.
The following eight exercises are among the best for putting your body in an anabolic state to build muscle mass. In most cases, a barbell or a pair of dumbbells will be your tool of choice so these workouts don’t require any fancy equipment, just good old fashioned heavy iron.
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Incline Barbell Bench Press
The flat barbell bench press is great for increasing strength but for mass-building purposes, the incline barbell bench press reigns supreme. You never see a bodybuilder with “too much” upper chest mass. In fact, that is where a lot of bodybuilders lack in thickness and in detail. The incline barbell bench press will add mass to your whole chest, from clavicle to sternum, while emphasizing that oft-neglected upper pectoral region.
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Per Bernal
Front Squat
We love the traditional back squat. They too can add slabs of beef to your quads, hams and glutes. There is just something magical about the front squat that builds the quads, and even the front delts and abs, that set it apart from it’s back-borne alternative. Those who commit to doing the front squat more regularly often find that quad mass comes quickly and that their abs and obliques are tighter as a result of the more upright body positioning.
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Romanian Deadlift
Leg curls have their benefits but they emphasize the half of the hamstring nearest the knee and therefore cannot beat Romanian deadlifts in terms of top-to-bottom benefits. Because the hamstring crosses the knee and the hip, this move hits the entire length of the muscle from origin to insertion. Not only do they build the hamstrings but they also hit the glutes and lower back.
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Pullup
The pull-up is one of the most underrated exercises in the gym when it comes to building upper body size. People flock to the lat pulldown station, perhaps failing to realize that the pull-up has more to offer in terms of hormonal responses and overall strength gains (and strength translates to size). Pull-ups help you achieve a barn-door back in addition to thicker rear deltoids and forearms. Because good body control is required to eliminate swinging, pull-ups also strengthen the abdominal region.
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One-Arm Dumbbell Row
You can’t build a massive back without a good rowing variation in your routine. The one-arm dumbbell row is perfect to round out your back training. It also helps balance out asymmetries and can be useful when done with high- or low-rep ranges. It gives you a better range of motion over the barbell, which also allows you to keep better form and tap into every possible muscle fiber. Plus, studies show that you are up to 20% stronger when training unilaterally than when training with both limbs at the same time.
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Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The barbell shoulder press could have easily been placed here but the dumbbell has a few more advantages for most of the population. It is more shoulder-friendly because you can move the weights through a more natural arc and can be used more efficiently and safely in the higher rep ranges. It also helps balance out your pressing movements with a little unilateral work.
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Dumbbell Hammer Curl
The hammer curl is the perfect all-around arm builder. It hits the biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, helping you achieve that thick and dense look the length of your arm. Add some fat grips to the dumbbell and you will have a great forearm-builder as well. (Wrapping a workout towel around the handle will suffice in lieu of fat grips.)
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Per Bernal
Farmer’s Walk
This is the perfect finisher to a great mass-building workout. The Farmer’s walk hits just about every muscle in the body and challenges you mentally if you go heavy enough. This exercise will add thickness to the whole body and increase your work capacity to help keep your training intensity at an all-time high.
