How to Use Specific Exercises to Target Muscles Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Strength Techniques and Strategies How to Target Muscles With Specific Exercises By Paul Rogers Paul Rogers Paul Rogers is a personal trainer with experience in a wide range of sports, including track, triathlon, marathon, hockey, tennis, and baseball. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 23, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print Ever tried to remember which exercises are best for building certain muscles? I still have to check out some of the finer points at times. Once you start doing this in detail it can get a little tricky because there are many small muscles, and even the target muscles have helper muscles (synergists) and stabilizer muscles that get involved as well. In this article, I’ll concentrate on the most important target muscles of the major body sections and the best weight training exercises to target them. Because there are literally hundreds of exercises, I’ve chosen a mixture of the most common and the most useful across a range of free weights, machines and bodyweight exercises. If you’re a bodybuilder and you need to make your muscle targets a little more specific, then check out Hugo Rivera’s Bodybuilding site for further information. Weight Training Exercises for Leg Muscles Keep the back straight and knees tracking over the feet and not swaying in or bowed out in leg-bending exercises. Squat Leg press Leg extension Leg curl Lunges Calf raises Deadlift Power clean Weight Training Exercises for Arm Muscles When doing arm exercises, try not to use the momentum of a swaying chest or abdomen to move the weights. Instead, focus on the targeted muscles. Curls Kickbacks Pushdown Dips Overhead press Power clean Weight Training Exercises for Back Muscles Keep the back straight, head still and squeeze the shoulder blades together when doing back exercises. Rows - seated or bent over Pulldowns Pullups Shrugs Deadlift Weight Training Exercises for Shoulder Muscles Don't overextend the shoulder joint because it is one of the most complex—and perhaps one of the most fragile—joints in the body. Don't use heavy repetitions for front and side raises. When doing the upright row, use a wide grip, and don't raise the weight too high as this may cause impingement of the joint. Presses - overhead, seated bench Arm raises - front, side Upright rows Weight Training Exercises for Buttock Muscles Remember to squeeze your glutes together when doing butt exercises. Lunges Hip abductions Hip extensions Deadlifts Glute bridge Hip thrusts Weight Training Exercises for the Abdominal Muscles No need to draw your abs in so that you "hollow out" the midsection. All you need to do is brace the abs firmly in preparation for abdominal exercises. Crunches Hanging leg raises Twists (obliques) Situps Weight Training Exercises for the Chest Muscles If you find you get sore shoulders doing the flat bench press, do the incline bench press instead. Bench press - flat and incline Pec deck Cable fly The above is a reasonable selection for all muscle groups to start with even though many variations and innovative techniques exist. If you need to brush up on weight training principles and practices, try this beginner's guide. By Paul Rogers Paul Rogers is a personal trainer with experience in a wide range of sports, including track, triathlon, marathon, hockey, tennis, and baseball. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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