60 exercises with form cues, common mistakes, and variations. Built on current evidence-based practices in exercise science.
Push-Up
A foundational upper-body pressing movement performed on the floor. Builds chest, shoulder, and tricep strength while demanding core stability.
chest, triceps, shoulders
Bodyweight Squat
A fundamental lower-body movement that builds quad and glute strength while reinforcing mobility. The starting point for all squat variations.
quadriceps, glutes
Lunge (Forward)
A unilateral lower-body exercise where you step forward and lower your back knee toward the ground. Great for building single-leg strength and balance.
quadriceps, glutes
Plank
An isometric core exercise performed face-down on forearms and toes. Builds endurance in the deep stabilizers of the trunk and teaches full-body tension.
core
Glute Bridge
A supine hip extension exercise that targets the glutes and hamstrings. Excellent for activating the posterior chain and reinforcing proper hip mechanics.
glutes, hamstrings
Burpee
A full-body conditioning movement that combines a squat, plank, push-up, and jump. Builds cardiovascular endurance and total-body power.
quadriceps, chest, shoulders
Mountain Climber
A dynamic core and conditioning exercise performed in a plank position while driving knees toward the chest alternately. Raises heart rate while demanding core stability.
core, hip flexors
Wall Sit
An isometric lower-body hold where you lean against a wall with knees at 90 degrees. Builds quad endurance and mental toughness under sustained tension.
quadriceps
Calf Raise
An isolation exercise for the calf muscles performed by rising onto the balls of the feet. Essential for ankle stability, jump performance, and running economy.
calves
Step-Up
A unilateral lower-body exercise where you step onto an elevated surface. Develops single-leg strength, balance, and carries over directly to stair climbing and running.
quadriceps, glutes
Goblet Squat
A squat variation where you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest level. Excellent for building squat depth and keeping an upright torso.
quadriceps, glutes
Kettlebell Swing
A ballistic hip-hinge movement where you swing a kettlebell between your legs and up to chest height. Develops explosive hip power and posterior chain strength.
glutes, hamstrings
Deadlift (Conventional)
The foundational barbell lift where you pick a loaded bar off the floor by hinging at the hips. Builds total-body strength, especially in the posterior chain.
hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
A hip-hinge movement starting from the top position, lowering the barbell along the legs with a slight knee bend. Emphasizes the hamstrings and glutes eccentrically.
hamstrings, glutes
Bench Press (or Floor Press)
The primary horizontal pressing movement performed on a bench or the floor. Builds chest, shoulder, and tricep strength and is a staple in most strength programs.
chest, triceps, shoulders
Overhead Press
A standing barbell or dumbbell press from shoulders to overhead. Builds shoulder and tricep strength while demanding core stability throughout the lift.
shoulders, triceps
Bent-Over Row
A horizontal pulling movement where you hinge forward and row a barbell to your torso. Builds thickness in the upper back, lats, and biceps.
lats, upper back
Pull-Up
A vertical pulling exercise where you hang from a bar and pull your chin above it. One of the best exercises for lat and upper-back development.
lats, biceps
Dip
An upper-body pressing exercise performed between parallel bars or on a bench. Targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders through a deep pressing range of motion.
chest, triceps
Farmer Carry
A loaded carry where you walk with heavy weights in each hand. Builds grip strength, core stability, and total-body work capacity in a functional pattern.
forearms, core
Single-Leg RDL
A unilateral hip-hinge where you balance on one leg while lowering a weight toward the floor. Develops hamstring strength, balance, and hip stability.
hamstrings, glutes
Lateral Lunge
A lateral lower-body movement where you step to the side and sit into one hip. Builds adductor and glute strength while improving frontal-plane mobility.
quadriceps, glutes
Box Jump
An explosive plyometric exercise where you jump from the ground onto a box. Develops lower-body power and rate of force development.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Trap Bar Deadlift
A deadlift variation using a hexagonal bar that places handles at your sides. More quad-dominant than a conventional deadlift and easier to learn with a neutral grip.
quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
Bulgarian Split Squat
A unilateral squat with the rear foot elevated on a bench behind you. One of the most effective exercises for single-leg strength and muscle development.
quadriceps, glutes
Sprint Intervals
Short, maximal-effort runs followed by rest periods. Builds top-end speed, anaerobic capacity, and fast-twitch muscle recruitment.
quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves
Shuttle Run (5-10-5)
An agility drill where you sprint 5 yards, reverse direction for 10 yards, then reverse again for 5 yards. Tests lateral quickness, acceleration, and deceleration.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Jump Rope
A cardiovascular exercise using a rope swung over the head and under the feet. Develops coordination, calf endurance, and aerobic capacity with low equipment cost.
calves
High Knees
A dynamic conditioning drill where you drive your knees up toward your chest while running in place. Elevates heart rate quickly and reinforces sprint mechanics.
hip flexors, quadriceps
Lateral Shuffle
A lateral movement drill performed in an athletic stance. Builds lateral agility, hip abductor strength, and the ability to change direction quickly.
glutes, quadriceps
Bear Crawl
A full-body conditioning movement where you crawl on hands and feet with knees hovering above the ground. Builds shoulder stability, core endurance, and coordination.
core, shoulders
Battle Ropes
A conditioning tool where you create waves in heavy ropes anchored at one end. Delivers intense upper-body and cardiovascular training simultaneously.
shoulders, core
Rowing Machine Intervals
High-intensity intervals on a rowing ergometer. Provides full-body cardiovascular training with emphasis on the posterior chain and minimal joint impact.
lats, quadriceps, glutes
Sled Push
A conditioning exercise where you push a weighted sled across the floor. Builds leg drive, conditioning, and work capacity with minimal eccentric stress.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Broad Jump
An explosive horizontal jump from a standing position. Measures and develops lower-body power and horizontal force production.
quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
Hip Flexor Stretch
A kneeling stretch targeting the hip flexors and psoas. Essential for anyone who sits frequently, as tight hip flexors contribute to lower back pain and poor posture.
hip flexors
Foam Rolling (Quads/IT Band)
Self-myofascial release using a foam roller on the quadriceps and iliotibial band. Helps reduce muscle tightness, improve tissue quality, and enhance recovery.
quadriceps
Cat-Cow
A gentle spinal mobilization performed on all fours, alternating between rounding and arching the back. Warms up the spine and relieves stiffness.
core, lower back
Pigeon Pose
A deep hip stretch where one leg is folded in front and the other extends behind. Opens the hip rotators and glutes, which are often tight in athletes.
glutes
Shoulder Dislocates (Band)
A shoulder mobility exercise where you rotate a band or dowel from front to back over your head. Progressively improves shoulder flexion and external rotation range.
shoulders
Thoracic Rotation
A rotational mobility drill targeting the mid-back (thoracic spine). Improves rotational range of motion critical for throwing, swinging, and overhead sports.
upper back
World's Greatest Stretch
A multi-step dynamic stretch that opens the hips, thoracic spine, and ankles in one flowing movement. Widely used in warm-ups for its total-body mobility benefits.
hip flexors, upper back
90/90 Hip Switch
A seated hip mobility drill where both legs form 90-degree angles and you rotate from one side to the other. Targets internal and external hip rotation simultaneously.
glutes
Wall Ball (Lacrosse)
A fundamental lacrosse skill drill where you pass and catch against a wall repeatedly. Develops stick skills, hand-eye coordination, and passing accuracy.
shoulders, forearms
Cone Dribbling (Soccer)
A soccer skill drill where you dribble a ball through a line of cones. Improves close ball control, foot speed, and the ability to change direction with the ball.
quadriceps, calves
Free Throw Shooting Drill (Basketball)
A structured practice routine for free throw shooting. Builds consistency, confidence, and the muscle memory needed to perform under game pressure.
shoulders, quadriceps
Tee Work / Batting Tee (Baseball)
A fundamental hitting drill where you swing at a ball placed on a stationary tee. Allows focused repetition on swing mechanics without the variable of pitch timing.
obliques, forearms
Approach Jump (Volleyball)
The multi-step approach used before jumping to attack in volleyball. Teaches proper footwork timing, arm swing, and vertical jump mechanics for hitting.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Pro Agility Drill (Football)
A timed agility test used at the NFL Combine: sprint 5 yards one direction, 10 yards back, then 5 yards to finish. Measures change-of-direction speed and acceleration.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Stickhandling Course (Hockey)
A skill drill where you navigate a puck or ball through obstacles using a hockey stick. Develops soft hands, puck control, and the ability to handle in tight spaces.
forearms, shoulders
Ladder Agility Drill
Footwork drills performed through a flat agility ladder on the ground. Improves foot speed, coordination, and neuromuscular control for multi-directional athletes.
calves, quadriceps
Depth Jump
An advanced plyometric where you step off a box, land briefly, then immediately explode upward. Trains the stretch-shortening cycle for maximum reactive power.
quadriceps, glutes, calves
Split Step Drill (Tennis)
A tennis-specific drill practicing the small hop taken just before an opponent strikes the ball. Prepares the body to react and move in any direction quickly.
calves, quadriceps
Swimming Pull-Ups (Dryland)
Pull-ups performed with a focus on the wide grip and lat engagement specific to swimming strokes. A key dryland exercise for building pulling power in the water.
lats, biceps
Rotational Med Ball Throw
An explosive rotational throw where you hurl a medicine ball against a wall from a hip-rotation pattern. Develops rotational power critical for batting, throwing, and swinging sports.
obliques, core
Band Pull-Apart
A simple yet effective shoulder health exercise where you stretch a band apart at chest height. Strengthens the rear delts and mid-back to counteract forward-shoulder posture.
upper back, shoulders
Face Pull
A pulling exercise targeting the rear deltoids and external rotators of the shoulder. Essential for shoulder health, especially for overhead athletes and heavy bench pressers.
upper back, shoulders
Third Shot Drop Drill (Pickleball)
A pickleball-specific drill practicing the soft drop shot hit from the baseline on the third shot of a rally. A key skill for transitioning to the kitchen line safely.
shoulders, forearms
Wall Passes (Soccer)
A partner or wall-based soccer passing drill practicing the give-and-go combination. Develops passing accuracy, first-touch control, and movement off the ball.
quadriceps, calves
Juggling (Soccer)
Keeping a soccer ball in the air using feet, thighs, and head without letting it hit the ground. A fundamental skill that builds touch, coordination, and comfort on the ball.
quadriceps, hip flexors