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Writer's picturePam Luster

The Best Exercises for Building Lean Muscles


Are you tired of doing the same boring workouts that never seem to make you stronger but do make you look bigger than you want to be? Not another step! The solution to your problem is to do exercises that make you stronger without making you gain a lot of muscle weight.


Strength training is integral to any fitness plan, but only a few people have the goal of bulky muscles in mind. Whether you are a runner trying to improve your speed, a yogi trying to get more flexible, or someone who wants to feel stronger all around, you should feel stronger without gaining mass and weight.


This article the best exercises for building strength without becoming more prominent. Try these exercises to get stronger, improve your posture, and get in better shape without getting too bulky. You will find something useful here, no matter how much you already know about fitness or how little you know. Are you ready to lose weight and gain lean muscle? Continue reading to learn more!


1. Squats


Squats are excellent time-saving shortcuts for increasing strength since they use nearly every muscle in the lower body. This exercise is incredible for strengthening your hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes.


One way to squat is to lower yourself to a sitting position with the arms stretching forward and hips bending backward. Advanced squatters might add a jump instead of standing back up at the end of a squat.


If you find regular squats too challenging, chair squats offer a good alternative. Chair quats work for the same muscle groups; the only addition is the chair. You lean backward with arms in front, sit on the chair, and get up straight again.


2. Bench Press


The bench press is one of the most effective exercises to increase upper body strength and build strong muscles. Many people include this exercise in their workout programs because it is effective for building grip, biceps, and chest strength.


To begin, lie flat on a bench. Hold a barbell at shoulder width, extend your arms as far as they can, inhale as you raise the barbell, and exhale as you lower it to your chest. Lower the bar until it is near your chest for the next bench press.


Please don't go into it with too much weight. If you proceed with prudence and gradually, the Bench press can be the best exercise for upper body strength.


3. Plank Reach-under

Incorporating planks into your workout routine is a simple (but challenging) way to reap the advantages of this all-around move. By including the reach-under technique, you can strengthen your core even more.


Take a high plank position on your hands, and keep your stomach and back straight. Maintain a straight and neutral neck and back. Lift your right hand off the floor and tap your left thigh with your fingertips. Put your hand back into the plank position. Tap your right thigh with your left hand, then return to a plank position. You should do 20 taps broken up into three sets.


4. Burpee

The burpee is a type of cardiovascular exercise that simultaneously works the chest, abdominals, arms, back, legs, and glutes. From a standing position, lower yourself into a squat and then place your hands on the ground at a distance from one another that is broader than the distance between your feet. Place your feet behind you and thrust yourself forward into a plank position. After completing one push-up, you should return to the plank position. Return to a squat position, then swiftly stand up with your arms above your head.


5. Broad Jumps

Because of the force required to perform the broad jump, this high-impact activity also results in a large amount of caloric expenditure. Start by standing in a neutral position with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. This will be your starting position.


To begin, get into a low squat position, and then use the energy you've just accumulated to spring forward while simultaneously extending your arms. You can reduce your landing force by moving your weight forward. Perform three sets, each consisting of ten repetitions.


6. Pull-up

Particularly for novices, the pull-up is a formidable challenge. The shoulders, biceps, and upper back will all get an excellent workout with this simple bodyweight move. Perform a low number of repetitions initially and then increase them as your strength increases.


To begin, wrap your thumbs around the pull-up bar and use an overhand hold to hang from the bar. Then get down from the bar to the starting position. Engage your upper body and abdominal muscles by squeezing the bar. Cinch your abs and lift yourself until your chin is above the bar. Take a deep breath and lower yourself back to a hanging position.


An expert hint: a portable pull-up bar that fits in a doorframe can be purchased at home to facilitate pull-ups.


7. Inchworm

It is as enjoyable to perform this motion with only your body weight as to read about it. This creepy exercise will make you feel like a kid again while, at the same time, it will improve your triceps, chest, shoulders, glutes, quads, and abs.


As you stand, give your knees a very slight bend. You should be able to touch your toes by leaning forward at the hips and lowering yourself down. Start with your hands on the floor and then "crawl" your hands away from your body until you switch to the plank position. Lean forward and then return to standing to perform the exercise again.


8. Lunges



Even though there are many variations of lunges, performing even the most fundamental one will help you build strength in your quadriceps and glutes. You will also feel an increase in the power of the muscles that make up your hamstrings. Take a giant stride forward in front of you from standing on one foot. When your front thigh is parallel to the floor, and your back knee is just above the floor, you have attained a proper squat position. This is when your rear knee is just above the floor. To stand up, put your weight on the heel of the front leg. Take a giant stride with the opposite leg as well.



9. Bodyweight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises are the most efficient way to gain muscle without using weights. These exercises should be performed in a manner that is analogous to how you would perform them at the gym while lifting heavier weights, but instead, here, you are using your body weight.


Advanced bodyweight workouts can be challenging for a novice person. If you perform these advanced bodyweight exercises while placing great tension on your body, you will observe a significant gain in your strength.


You don't need specialized equipment to perform these exercises for growing muscle at home.


10. Use Resistance Training to Tone Arms


Using weights that present a challenge is essential to build a solid and muscular upper body. A lack of resistance training prevents muscular growth and adaptation. Muscles respond to exercise by adapting to the demands of the workout. Muscle fibers are torn down and rebuilt during rest and recovery after resistance training. This time of rest and recovery is crucial for muscle development.


The key to toning arms is resistance training exercises targeting the bicep and tricep muscles. For example, biceps curls which require curling a weight towards your shoulder, are a great exercise for building more muscular arms. Triceps push-ups and dips are also excellent exercises for toning the arms. On the other hand, a toned body is usually considered slim and solid, with a reduced amount of body fat. Muscle gain is necessary for that sculpted look.


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that training your muscles twice a week is an excellent way to stay fit, healthy, and at a steady weight. Lighter weights are great for rehabilitating injuries and keeping seniors in good physical shape. You may need to give them less importance when doing movements like side and front shoulder raises that work a small group of muscles.


However, you must lift weights or utilize challenging resistance bands to shape your arms. You can work your upper body from head to toe with "supersets" of exercises like these. In a superset, you perform two workouts in rapid succession targeting the same muscle area. Start lifting 2-3 lbs. dumbbells and gradually shifting to 5-10 to 10-20 lbs. to tone arm muscles. A cardiovascular component can be added to your training by going from one exercise to the next swiftly and without rest. Cardiovascular activity aids in fat loss, revealing your toned body.


Bottom Line

Finally, the exercises suggested in this article are an excellent place to start if you want to get stronger without adding bulk. You must focus on your form, control, and intensity to get the most out of your workouts. Lastly, a tip from "VISION FOR PURPOSE" is to constantly challenge your muscles and experiment with new tools such as resistance bands or kettlebells. It would help if you were consistent and committed to getting the most out of your fitness journey.

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