Fitness
I Have a Master’s in Exercise Science. These Are the Only 6 Strength Moves You Need To Build Muscle
Strength training doesn’t have to be complicated. Fitness content on social media may leave you thinking that you should only work out at specific times, use certain weights and incorporate an ever-rotating assortment of moves — but to reap the full benefits of building muscle, you can actually keep things surprisingly simple.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least two days of resistance training, aka strength training, for adults each week as part of their workout routines. And those two days need only include six moves, Adrian Chavez, Ph.D., nutrition and health coach, tells TODAY.com.
It’s often the most advanced fitness routines that generate the most buzz online. And while having lots of different strength moves in your arsenal can stave off boredom at the gym, it’s not usually necessary, Chavez explains. Sticking to the basics and staying consistent will give you the most bang for your buck, he adds.
The Most Efficient Strength-Training Moves
The six moves Chavez says are most efficient for improving health and body composition are:
“Those movements cover all of the (major) muscle groups of the body,” Chavez says. “I wouldn’t necessarily say these are the only six movements that you need, but those are the ones that are going to work the largest amount of muscle in each movement.”
Building muscle through strength training can boost longevity, a mood, bone density and more.
It’s also a key factor to improving metabolic health, Chavez points out. Muscle burns calories, even while you’re at rest. So, the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn.
If you’re after efficient results, focusing on these six movements that target the body’s largest muscle groups will get you there since these muscles require the most energy to function.
Which Muscles Does Each Move Target?
The overhead press primarily targets the shoulders, says Chavez. It also works the triceps, the trapezius muscles in your upper back and the core.
Perform a chest press when you’re looking to strengthen your pectoralis muscles, the two largest in the chest. These muscles are responsible for lifting, rotating and pushing.
By including a back row in your strength training routine, you’ll be working your upper back and biceps, says Chavez.
The overhead pull-down or pull-up will strengthen your latissimus dorsi muscles (lats), which extend from the lower back to the armpit. Chavez says you’ll be engaging your biceps, too.
Squats work the quadricep muscles (quads) in the thighs, hamstrings and glutes, says Chavez. They’ll also engage your core, since squats require stability.
Include deadlifts in your routine to challenge your quad muscles in the thigh, hamstrings, glutes and lower back, says Chavez. You can choose between the regular deadlift and the Romanian deadlift, or incorporate both into your workout.
Benefits of a Consistent Strength Training Routine
Studies show that consistency when strength training, rather than the complexity of your workout plan, is what makes the biggest difference for health. Any kind of resistance training compared to none at all improve sstrength, muscle function and endurance regardless of intensity, equipment type and variation, research shows.
These six moves are not the only effective workouts for improving strength and altering body composition, but if you were to stick only to these six, you’d be in great shape, he explains.
Regular strength training will not only improve your physique but also your quality of life. “When you do a deadlift, that’s like picking up your kid,” Chavez says, comparing pull-ups to playing with them on the monkey bars.
“Carrying groceries, moving furniture, all of those things become a lot easier when you build some strength. And … these six movements cover all of the major muscle groups, so that will translate into really changing the way that you experience life,” he adds.
How to Add Variation
Once you’ve committed to a training plan you’ll use again and again, you may also want to mix things up, Chavez says.
To avoid boredom or to add an additional challenge, most of the six moves have variations.
For example, narrow-stance squats isolate the quads. Or you can change the grip during bicep curls to also target the forearms. “Learning slight variations to these primary movements is how you really build out a good routine,” he says.
An ideal workout program includes strength training at least two times a week and additional sessions with a type of cardio you enjoy. Chavez plays basketball, runs and rides his bike in between strength training sessions. He also suggests walking, swimming or rowing.
For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
Free exercise classes become a lifeline
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
Health appointments being delayed or dropped
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Trainers adapting to shrinking budgets
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Calls for more free and low-cost options
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
If you’ve been faithfully logging your 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, you’re getting the recommended weekly about of cardio. But a new study1 suggests that for women in midlife, that standard benchmark may not be moving the needle on cardiovascular fitness as much as we’ve assumed. Here’s what you need to know.
EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) — A boutique fitness gym in the San Gabriel Valley is focused on women’s empowerment, offering everything from dance fitness to pilates, yoga, zumba and circuit training. It’s called “Beastin Beauties” in El Monte.
“ Boutique fitness spaces here, it doesn’t exist here, so I needed to have this for the people in my community here, where I grew up,” said owner Jay Armada.
Members love working on their health and fitness alongside other women.
“You walk in and you feel like you’re able to let loose and inhibit it in a way that you don’t find in other places,” said member Esmeralda Cabral.
“It takes away the stresses of being in a space where you may feel judgment from others. And there’s a certain level of comfort as a woman that you wanna be able, especially if you’re starting a health journey or you’re reigniting it, you wanna have the comfort of being around under supportive women,” said member Ruby Rose Yepez, who also teaches yoga at the studio.
Women empowerment has been the theme all along, from Jay’s humble beginnings…
“ I want people to feel what I felt when I was going through my own journey. I had lost ninety-three pounds in a whole year and I just wanted everyone to feel that,” said Armada.
…to a huge setback in 2020 when the gym’s previous location burned down in a fire.
“ I thought I didn’t wanna do it anymore. Maybe it was a sign from God that you should just quit. But my community held me up and they just really made me believe in it again,” said Armada.
Now, her business is thriving, and she was just named the city’s Woman of the Year!
“ Community and connection here in this space is super, super important. Jay is not just about bringing people here for health. She brings people here to build the connections so that they feel that they’re part of a community,” said Yepez.
“You build a connection without even really trying. You’re all experiencing the same moments together. There’s always just so much fun happening,” said Cabral.
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