- You don't need to devote an excessive amount of time lifting weights to build adequate strength.
- Instead, you can focus on doing six targeted exercises a few times a week to increase muscle mass.
Strength training is an essential part of any exercise regimen. But you don't have to spend hours at the gym or master complex workout routines to build significant muscle. Certain exercises can hack your way to strength gains with minimum time and equipment.
I spoke to personal trainers Joey Thurman and Danielle Gray for the lowdown on the bare minimum exercises that help you build visible strength and give you the foundation for a strong and healthy body.
As the author of the book, "The Minimum Method," Thurman is a big believer in exercising smarter, not harder. And when it comes to building strength in a certain body part (like your biceps or your glutes), you need to focus on the areas you're not thinking about.
"If you want a big chest, yes, you do need to [work your] chest," Thurman says. "But often doing too much of one area creates inefficiencies in other areas, such as the back. To create a big chest and wide loop, you need to hit your back more than your chest."
Being smart about your training in this way can allow you to do the bare minimum exercises while still building all-over strength. Below are six simple yet effective exercises, as recommended by Thurman and Gray, as well as how to incorporate them into your training routine for maximum results.
Each exercise can be done one to two times per week, and can be incorporated into any existing fitness routine.
Horizontal rows
Using a horizontal row machine is one of Thurman's favorite ways to work your back while building strength. And since machine's often offer a quick and easy way to adjust the weight, this is perfect for people of all fitness levels and skill.
Equipment needed: Horizontal row machine
How to do it:
1. Load enough weight onto the machine that would allow you to do at least 10 reps.
2. Sit down on the machine and grab the handles with a pronated grip (your palms facing down).
3. Pull your shoulder blades back and together as you lean your torso slightly back to create tension in the muscles.
4. Keeping your core engaged, pull the handles toward you until they reach your lower chest.
5. Hold for one second, then slowly let the handles return to their original position. That's one rep.
6. Do 10-12 reps for 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Quick tip: You can also add single-arm dumbbell rows to your workout for more back-targeted movements.
Lat pull-downs
Another great exercise for targeting the back — and as Thurman pointed out, your chest — is the lat pull-down. Thurman recommends these because they work every part of the back (upper, mid-back, and, of course, lats), and they're a widely accessible exercise.
"Focus on form over number of reps to get as much as you can out of this exercise," he says. "When doing a back workout, think about doing a 3:1 ratio of reps compared to chest exercises to avoid neglecting the muscles in your back. You can also do more endurance based routines that require higher reps and volume."
Equipment needed: Lat pull-down cable machine with a long bar attached
How to do it:
1. Sit on a lat pull-down machine and grab the attached bar with an overhand grip.
2. Engage your core, keep your chest up, and lean back slightly to create tension in the lats.
3. Pull the bar down until it reaches your upper chest or clavicle area.
4. Hold for one second, then slowly bring the bar back up to its original position. That's one rep.
5. Do 10-12 reps for 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Standing cable abductions
If you're looking to give your behind a lift, you don't have to stick to the same old squat and lunge routine. According to Thurman, cable abductions can be a great way to target your glutes and give you a lifted, toned look.
"Another neglected area is the glute medius which helps stabilize the hips and glutes and keeps you upright," Thurman says. "This also helps the 'shelf' of the glutes and gives it a nice shape."
Equipment needed: A cable machine and ankle cuff attachment
How to do it:
1. Stand next to a cable machine and lower the attachment head to the bottom-most slot.
2. Attach an ankle cuff to your leg and grab the cable machine bar with one hand and rest the other on your hip.
3. Engage your core, shift your weight onto the leg without the cuff and push the cuffed leg outward away from your body as far as you can without compromising form or losing balance.
4. Slowly bring your leg back to the starting position and repeat. That's one rep.
5. Do 10-12 reps on one leg, then switch the cuff to your other leg and work that side. Do 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Squat jumps
As a celebrity trainer, Gray knows that getting the most bang for your buck is a key concern when it comes to exercising. That's why she recommends squat jumps as one of her go-to exercises for building strength.
"Plyometrics, like squat jumps, are great exercises for building muscles because they require close to maximum effort to complete," she says. "By pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, it forces your body into a state of EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which leaves you burning calories, building muscle, and working to return to homeostasis — which is one of the most efficient ways to train."
Equipment needed: None
How to do it:
1. Start in a low squat position with your feet hip-width apart and your chest up.
2. Engage your core and jump up explosively, making sure to land softly back on the balls of your feet.
3. Lower back down into a squat and repeat for 10-15 reps for 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Quick tip: Gray also recommends lunge switches as a great bare minimum bodyweight exercise. These work different muscles throughout your legs than squat jumps and can be a great source of cardio, too.
Plank push-ups
If you're looking to build upper body strength, plank push-ups should be at the top of your list. According to Gray, plank push-ups are one of the best exercises you can do for strengthening and toning your triceps, core, and chest all at once.
"This is a great exercise to not only target the big muscle groups but recruit your stabilizer muscles as well, making this an efficient almost-full body exercise," she says. "Doing them with proper form, which is no side-to-side rocking and with your joints stacked and core tight, requires a high level of engagement and concentration."
Equipment needed: Yoga mat
How to do it:
1. Start in a low plank position with your forearms on the ground and your elbows underneath your shoulders, and place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2. Engage your core and lift one arm up off the ground so your hand is planted while keeping your body still and your hips in a straight line.
3. Lift the other arm and plant that hand on the ground until you're in a push-up position.
4. Lower both arms one at a time back to the starting position. That's one rep.
5. Do 10-12 reps for 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Quick tip: To get the most out of the exercise and prevent possible injury, make sure to keep your core tight and your back straight during the entire movement.
Best yoga mats
A great yoga mat can help unlock different strength-building workouts you can do at home. Here are some of the best yoga mats we've tested:
- Best eco-friendly: Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat - See at Amazon and Backcountry
- Best washable: Yogi Bare Teddy Yoga Mat - See at Amazon
- Best for alignment work: Liforme Yoga Mat - See at Amazon
V-ups
For an intense core workout, Gray recommends V-ups, a challenging exercise that requires both strength and balance. Knock out a few of these, and you'll feel some serious ab burn.
"These are great for not only strengthening your entire core but working your mobility and active flexibility at the same time," she says. "You'll be stretching your back and hamstrings while folding but also lifting your body by using your core and stabilizing yourself to keep your balance."
Equipment needed: None
How to do it:
1. Lay flat on the ground with your arms extended above your head and your legs outstretched with your toes pointed forward.
2. Engage your core, then simultaneously lift both arms and legs up in the air and bring them together to meet above your head in a V-shape.
3. Lower back down to the starting position. That's one rep.
4. Do 10-12 reps for 4 sets, one to two times per week.
Insider's takeaway
Strength training doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming for you to see great results. In fact, by doing a few exercises like jump squats, v-ups, and plank push-ups, for 30 minutes, two to four days per week, you can still accomplish some gains.
It's also important to be smart about the areas of your body you work out, such as focusing on multiple muscle groups, not just one, every time you train.
Instead, combine full-body work with core exercises and cardio, like the workouts above, to see the best results.