Best Beginner Chest And Back Workouts To Build Strength

The Cable Row is an exercise that strengthens your back, shoulders, and biceps. It uses a cable machine for proper positioning and resistance control, helping you build muscle and strength in your upper body.

How to do it

1. Sit on the bench and place your feet on the foot plates.
2. Hold the handle with both hands, keeping your back straight.
3. Pull the handle towards your torso while leaning back slightly.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
5. Slowly return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your back.

The Dumbbell Bench Press is a great exercise for beginners that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Using dumbbells helps improve stability and ensures both sides of the body work equally without compensating for weaknesses.

How to do it

1. Lie back on a bench, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Place your feet flat on the ground, under your knees.
3. Hold the dumbbells outside shoulder-width apart, above your chest.
4. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle and engage your core.
5. Extend your arms fully and then lower the dumbbells back to starting position.

The Dumbbell Fly is an effective exercise for strengthening and building the chest muscles. It also engages the shoulders for support. This exercise helps to develop muscle balance by working each side of the body independently.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a bench, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your feet flat on the ground.
2. Ensure the bench supports your head, shoulders, and buttocks.
3. Hold the dumbbells above your shoulders with palms facing inward and elbows slightly bent.
4. Engage your core and slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
5. When the dumbbells are level with your chest, exhale and lift them back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Row is a great exercise that strengthens your back, shoulders, and biceps while also engaging your core for stability. You can do this exercise using a flat bench and dumbbells, making it accessible even with limited equipment.

How to do it

1. Place a dumbbell on each side of a flat bench.
2. Kneel on the bench with your right knee and place your right hand on the bench's edge.
3. Keep your torso parallel to the ground and grab the dumbbell with your left hand, palm facing your torso.
4. Pull the dumbbell up to your side, engaging your back; exhale as you lift.
5. Pause briefly at the top, then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.

The Lat Pulldown is a great exercise for strengthening your back, shoulders, and biceps. It's similar to a Pull Up but is more stable, making it easier for beginners to control the movement and adjust the resistance.

How to do it

1. Attach a bar to the pull-down pulley and grip it with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
2. Sit upright on the seat, placing your knees under the adjustable pad.
3. Engage your core and keep your spine straight.
4. Pull the bar down towards your chest by bending your elbows, leaning back slightly.
5. Slowly return the bar to the starting position.

The Bent Over Barbell Row is an effective exercise for strengthening your back, shoulders, and arms. It uses a barbell for stability, helping you focus on building strength, making it a good introduction to more advanced lifting techniques.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell on the ground near your shins.
2. Bend your hips back and slightly bend your knees to reach for the barbell while bracing your core.
3. Grab the barbell with your palms facing you and lift it to knee height by extending your hips.
4. Pull the barbell towards your belly button by bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Lower the barbell back to knee height and repeat.

The Cable Crossover Fly is a chest exercise that uses cables to maintain tension and control. This exercise helps isolate different parts of the chest for a focused workout.

How to do it

1. Set the pulleys to just above head height.
2. Stand with one foot forward, holding the pulley handles at shoulder height with palms facing forward.
3. Engage your core and keep your spine straight.
4. With arms extended, sweep the handles down in a wide arc towards the bottom of your ribcage.
5. Return to the starting position.

The Hammerstrength Chest Press is a chest workout that targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps using a specialized machine. It helps you maintain focus on the exercise and learn proper movement without worrying about balance.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the Hammerstrength chest press machine and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
2. Place your heels flat on the ground under your knees, ensuring your back is against the pad.
3. Hold the handles with an overhand grip outside shoulder-width.
4. Engage your core by breathing into your stomach and tightening your abdominal muscles.
5. Push the handles to extend your arms while keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.

The Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press is a machine exercise that targets the lower chest. It provides stability, allowing you to focus on building strength without worrying about balance.

How to do it

1. Sit in the decline chest press machine and press your shoulder blades together.
2. Keep your feet flat on the ground and ensure your back rests against the pad.
3. Grab the handles just below your chest, with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
4. Engage your core and push the handles to fully extend your arms, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Slowly return to the starting position.

The Hammerstrength High Row is an exercise that strengthens your back muscles. It uses a machine to help stabilize your movement, making it easier to focus on lifting weights properly.

How to do it

1. Sit up straight in the high row machine and press your chest against the pad.
2. Grab the handles with an overhand grip.
3. Pull the handles towards your chest by bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
4. Return the handles to the starting position.

The Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press is a machine exercise that targets your upper chest, shoulders, and triceps. It provides stability and focuses your effort on these muscle groups by using a fixed range of motion.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the machine and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
2. Keep your heels on the ground and your back against the pad.
3. Grab the handles above your chest with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
4. Brace your core and push through your palms to extend your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Once your arms are straight, slowly return to the starting position.

The Hammerstrength Iso Row is a back exercise that uses a specialized machine for better support and focus on your movements. This machine provides stability, allowing you to concentrate more on the effort rather than balancing yourself.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the Hammerstrength Iso Row machine, resting your chest against the pad.
2. Hold the handles with an overhand or neutral grip.
3. Engage your core to maintain a straight spine.
4. Relax your shoulders and pull your elbows back at a 45-degree angle until the handles touch your torso.
5. Slowly return the handles to the starting position.

The Machine Row is a great exercise for working on your back muscles. Using a machine helps you maintain stability and control, making it perfect for beginners to practice the seated row technique.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the row machine with your chest against the support pad.
2. Grab the handles with an overhand or neutral grip.
3. Tighten your core to keep your back straight.
4. Pull the handles towards your torso by bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Slowly return the handles to the starting position.

The Smith Machine Bench Press is a chest exercise that works your triceps and shoulders too. The Smith Machine helps keep the movement steady, making it easier to focus on properly performing the exercise.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a bench with your shoulder blades squeezed together.
2. Make sure your head, shoulders, and butt stay on the bench.
3. Place your feet flat on the ground and keep your knees bent.
4. Position the bar over your chest, holding it just outside shoulder-width with an overhand grip.
5. Engage your core and unhook the bar, lowering it slowly towards your chest while keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
6. Touch your chest gently with the bar, then exhale and push it back to the starting position.

The Smith Machine Bent Over Row is an exercise that targets the back muscles using a Smith Machine for added stability. It helps beginners improve their form and strength while performing the row movement.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and bar at knee height.
2. Engage your core and hinge at your hips while bending your knees to reach for the bar.
3. Grab the bar with palms facing you.
4. Lift the bar by bending your elbows to bring it to your belly button level.
5. Lower the bar back to knee height and repeat.