There are many muscles to build when weightlifting.  However, to focus on strength, you can prioritize exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. These are called compound exercises.  These exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, building overall strength and functional fitness.

These 5 basic weightlifting exercises are very effective at shaping your body and building strength.  Some believe you get more bang for your buck then doing other lifts. 

5 Basic Exercises

Here are the 5 weightlifting exercises.  Practice them, refine them, do variations of them, all while engaging your core. Do 3 sets of 5-10 lifts, 3 times a week.  Slowly add more weight as you get stronger. Over time, your body can start to shape, and you can have physical and metabolic changes.

• Overhead Press– This exercise can be done in a sitting or standing position with dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell. It works the deltoid muscle of the shoulder as well as other arm muscles along with the core.
• Row– The dumbbell row is a great muscle-building upper body exercise for your upper, middle, and lower back.  Choose challenging weights to life without sacrificing your proper form. Rows can improve the stability of your spine.  It is a compound exercise engaging multiple muscle groups.
• Bench Press– Also known as the chest press, strengthens the pectoral muscles of the chest as well as shoulder and triceps muscles. Dumbbells, barbells and certain machines can be used.  Building chest muscles can help with body definition.
• Squat– One of the best overall exercises for building lower body and leg power, endurance, and strength is the squat.  This compound exercise engages multiple muscles and joints. It also engages the core and helps to improve strength and stability in the upper body and trunk.
• Deadlift– This exercise is great for building muscle mass, overall strength, core strength and stability.  It engages hamstrings (back of thigh), quads (front of thigh), glutes (butt), lower back muscles, core, abs, shoulders and the upper back. Since deadlifts work many large muscles, they are a great way to increase the amount of lean muscle in your body which in turn can speed your metabolism.

The five basic exercises to focus on strength training are: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, row, and bench press.  These exercises work multiple muscle groups and are considered essential for building a solid foundation of strength.