Let’s be honest—most guys have stood in front of the mirror at some point, flexing and wondering how to pack on more muscle. Whether you want to look better at the beach or just be stronger for everyday life, building muscle is probably on your radar.
“Due to the social stigma attached to getting ‘bigger,’ we see quite a few guys with muscle-building goals. Most of the time, this is a purely cosmetic goal, but there are several ways that growing your muscles can support your overall health. On top of just feeling stronger in general, developing muscles can also increase bone density and improve your metabolic health,” says Marshall Weber, Owner and Personal Trainer at Jack City Fitness.
“Building muscle isn’t just about looking good—it’s also central to metabolism, longevity, and overall health. Increased muscle mass is associated with healthy weight maintenance, better knee stability (and decreased injury risk) as we age, and increased functional strength with aging,” adds Chris Pruitt, CEO & Certified Trainer at WorkoutHealthy, with more than 16 years of experience in fitness and strength training. Stick with us, and we’ll show you exactly which exercises will get you the results you want—no more wasting time in the gym.
Training Fundamentals That Work
“To maximize muscle growth, men need to train major muscle groups twice per week, as long as they’re recovering properly and continually adding resistance,” says Pruitt. “For guys that want to see results, you have to hit the iron at least 2 to 3 times per week. Remember that form is one of the most important things here. Progressive overload is also important to safely explore but will really mean nothing if your form is not looking too good,” adds Weber.
Why You’re Not Growing
“For guys that are struggling to pack on muscle, remember that you have to take in the fuel to match your training efforts. Eating enough protein for muscle building is crucial, and without proper fuel in your tank, your body is not going to change all that much,” says Weber. “Mistakes that would get in the way of gaining muscle include no progressive overload, bad nutrition, and no recovery. If you’re in a rut, small tweaks to your rep schemes, protein consumption, and sleep are often alchemized into gold,” adds Pruitt.
14 Must-Try Exercises for Men To Build Muscle
Overhead Press
Overhead presses build major mass in the shoulders. I am equally a fan of dumbbell and barbell overhead presses, but the dumbbell variation is more forgiving on novice lifters who have not perfected the barbell technique.
To perform a dumbbell overhead press, begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand, held at shoulder height. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms lock out. Bring them together at the top for a maximal squeeze. Return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
“For overhead press, the number one culprit of poor form is allowing the back to arch. So keep your core tight, and engage the glutes,” says Weber. “Maintain proper core stability and avoid hyperextending through the lower back,” adds Pruitt.
Bent-Over Rows
Dumbbell rows train the horizontal rowing motion which develops the posterior shoulders, upper back, and biceps.
To perform dumbbell rows, begin with a dumbbell in one hand and the other hand positioned on a bench with your torso leaning forward. Row the dumbbell upward until your upper arm is in line with your torso. Return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
“Maintain a neutral spine and pull through your elbows and not just your hands to get those lats activated,” says Pruitt. “Remember to keep the back flat! If you are trying to go too heavy, your back will begin to round and could potentially lead to injury,” adds Weber.
Dips
This list of exercises for men to build muscle wraps up with the dip. Dips are a bodyweight exercise that builds the triceps, shoulders, and chest. You can use a bench to perform dips, but I prefer parallel bars or rings to allow full body weight.
To perform dips, begin on parallel bars with your arms straight going downward, gripping the bars. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows and pivoting at the shoulder joint. Lower until your upper arms are parallel with your torso. Drive through both hands to return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
“Lean slightly forward and control your descent so you don’t overload your shoulders,” says Pruitt. “These are always different for the person, but avoid leaning forward too much to avoid hurting the shoulders,” adds Weber.
Leg Press
“Feet shoulder-width, do not lock out at the top,” says Pruitt. “Some people think that locking the knees at the top of a leg press gives a little bit of a break to catch your breath. This can put some serious strain on the lower back, especially when you try to unlock them and get back into the press,” says Weber.
Romanian Deadlifts
“Focus on hinging at the hip versus bending from the waist and ensure the barbell remains close to your body,” says Pruitt. “Pay attention to your spine during this move. You MUST push the hips backward while you get into the deadlift to avoid bending at the waist. This is so often the exercise that takes people out of the gym because it tweaks their back,” says Weber.
Pushups
First up on this list of exercises for men to build muscle is the pushup. Pushups are an amazing bodyweight exercise. They work your shoulders, chest, triceps, and core with no equipment and allow a variety of progressions.
To perform a standard pushup, start in a plank position, and lower your chest and body toward the floor by bending at your elbows and shoulders while maintaining a braced core. When your body is about an inch off the ground, drive through both hands to return to the top position. Aim to perform three to five sets of 15 reps.
To make this exercise more difficult, you can move your hands closer together or shift your body forward while keeping your hands in place to decrease the leverage and increase the muscular difficulty. Finally, advanced individuals can work towards a one-arm pushup.
Air Squats
Squats are a must-do exercise for muscle size in your lower body. Standard squats start with your feet hip-width distance apart. Sit back, and lower your hips by bending at the waist and knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. At the bottom of your squat, drive through both feet to return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to five sets of 15 reps.
To make the exercise more challenging, you can add a jump at the top of each repetition or carry some external weight such as a backpack.
Lunges
Lunges are another great lower-body exercise to build muscle in the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Perform a lunge by stepping forward with a large step and lowering your whole body by dropping your back knee toward the floor. When your knee is an inch off the floor, press through the front foot to return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to five sets of 15 reps.
To make the exercise more challenging, perform an explosive jump between each repetition, or elevate your front or rear foot on a step.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups technically require equipment since you need somewhere to hang onto and pull yourself up. Play structures or public parks often have suitable bars for pull-ups.
Using an overhand or underhand grip, hang onto a bar, and pull your chest to the bar by bending at the elbows and shoulder. Aim to perform three to five sets of 15 reps.
You can make pull-ups more difficult by changing grip variations, increasing speed on the upward movement while slowing the downward movement, or by adding external weight.
Sprints
Believe it or not, performing all-out sprints and similar training builds muscle in the lower body, similar to resistance training. You can also progress fairly easily by increasing your speed or distance covered in each sprint. I recommend starting with 40-meter sprints and performing five to 10 total sprints per workout.
Single-Leg Squats
Performing a squat on one leg, sometimes called a “pistol squat,” is challenging. However, it allows you to put your entire body weight on a single leg, drastically increasing your ability to continue to build muscle in your legs after regular squats become too easy to properly stimulate further muscle growth.
Begin this exercise standing, and straighten one leg out in front of you. Lower your body by bending the planted leg, keeping your other leg extended the whole time. At the bottom, push through your planted foot to return to the top position. Aim to perform three to five sets of 15 reps.
Handstand Pushups
This exercise is beyond the reach of most individuals. However, if you progress to the point where you can perform this exercise, the handstand pushup is a very effective way to build muscle in your chest and shoulders.
Start in a handstand, lower your chest, and face toward the floor. When you reach the bottom, press through both hands to return to the top position.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are one of the most powerful lifts you can perform. They train the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles. You can lift very heavy weights with a deadlift, allowing major muscle-building stimulus to your entire lower body.
To perform a barbell deadlift, begin with a barbell on the floor with the appropriate amount of weight on each side. Step up to the bar until it’s just away from your shins. Hinge at the waist, and grip the bar with an overhand or alternating grip. Keeping a braced, neutral spine, drive through the floor, and lift the bar until your knees and hips are locked out. Return to the starting position. Repeat for the target repetitions. Aim to perform three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
Dumbbell Bench Press
The bench press is one of the most popular exercises, and for good reason. It allows you to lift major weights with your chest muscles, shoulders, and arms, providing a major mass building to these areas. I personally prefer dumbbell bench presses as they allow a smoother, more natural range of motion. That being said, you can do them with a barbell as well.
To perform dumbbell bench presses, begin seated at the foot of a weight bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Lie back on the bench, and position the dumbbells on each side of your chest with your arms bent at the elbow. Press upward until your arms lock out straight up. You can bring the dumbbells together at the top of the motion for the maximal muscle squeeze. Return to the starting position. Aim to perform three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
