Find the perfect exercise for every body part with this easy-to-use widget. Just scroll over and click on the Gold’s Gym logo to see more than 50 moves that target all the major muscles.
Please note: All sets and reps are suggested starting points. Consult a Gold’s Gym trainer if you would like a workout plan specifically created for your fitness level.
Hips
Hip Abductor Machine
2 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Sit in the machine and place your outer thighs against the pads. Bring thighs away from the center of the body and slowly return to start for one rep.
Lateral Walking Abduction
10 steps each way
Place a 15- to 20-inch resistance band/tube around your thighs. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Keep a slight bend in the knee as you step wide to the right. Bring in left leg to return to shoulder-width distance. Take 10 steps like this to the right, then return to start using the left leg first.
One-Leg Straight-Leg Dead Lift
15 reps with each leg
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Bend your left knee slightly as you lean forward at the waist and raise your right leg behind you in a straight line. Return to start and switch dumbbell hand and leg.
Wall Sit
45 seconds
Stand with your back against a wall. Lean back and slide downward until your knees are at a 90° angle. Hold this position while keeping your abs contracted. Step it up: While holding this position, squeeze a small ball between your legs to engage your inner thighs as well.
Box Jump and Squat
10 reps
Depending on your skill, choose a box 15 to 30 inches high. Start in the squat position about 12 inches from the edge of the box. Power off both legs, landing in the middle of the box in the half-squat position. Return to start.
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 steps
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward several feet with your right foot, and bend down until your right leg forms a 90° angle and your left knee almost touches the floor. Push off your left foot and bring your legs together. Repeat on the opposite side.
Single/Double Stair Hops
10 reps
Hop up stairs one or two at a time. When you reach the top, walk down.
Quads
One-Leg Straight-Leg Dead Lift
15 reps with each leg
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Bend left knee slightly as you lean forward at the waist and raise your right leg behind you in a straight line. Return to start and switch dumbbell hand and leg.
Jump Squats
3 sets of 15 reps
Start in a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump into the air and come down with knees bent like you are going to sit in a chair. Jump again without any rest time.
Standing Rear Lunge
20 reps for each leg
Stand with feet together, hands on your hips or down at your sides. Step back with one foot, landing on the ball of your foot. Bend the back knee until it almost or barely touches the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Wall Sit
45 seconds
Stand with your back against a wall. Lean back and slide downward until your knees are at a 90° angle. Hold this position while keeping your abs contracted. Step it up: While holding this position, squeeze a small ball between your legs to engage your inner thighs as well.
Box Jump and Squat
10 reps
Depending on your skill, choose a box 15 to 30 inches high. Start in the squat position about 12 inches from the edge of the box. Power off both legs, landing in the middle of the box in the half-squat position. Return to start.
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 steps
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward several feet with your right foot and bend down until your right leg forms a 90° angle and your left knee almost touches the floor. Push off your left foot and bring your legs together. Repeat on the opposite side.
Single/Double Stair Hops
10 reps
Hop up stairs one or two at a time. When you reach the top, walk down.
Inner Thighs
Hip Adductor Machine
2 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Sit in the machine and place your inner thighs against the pads. Bring thighs toward the center of the body and slowly return to start for one rep.
Side Abdominals
Medicine-Ball Kneeling Side Throw
10 reps each side
Start in a kneeling position, holding a medicine ball with both hands. Twist your core and throw the ball sideways to a wall or a partner, using your abs to move the ball and not your arms.
Medicine-Ball Wood Chops
10 reps each side
Start with your feet more than hip-width apart. Hold a medicine ball by your left hip with both hands. Turn your torso to the right and lift the ball above your head on the right. Move it from high to low across your body, ending on the left side, as if you were chopping wood. Do 10 on one side, then switch.
Side Trunk Raise on Hyperextension Bench
3 sets of 12 reps on both sides
Position yourself sideways on the hyperextension bench so that one hip is resting on the large pad and your feet are hooked under the foot pads, securing you. Let one arm hang down relaxed, and rest the other on your hip or behind your head. Slowly exhale, contract your oblique muscles, and lower your free arm toward the floor. Keep your neck straight, and avoid twisting your upper body. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Alternate sides between each set.
Center Abdominals
Russian Twist with Ball
20 reps
Lie down with your upper back and shoulders on a stability ball, feet on the floor. Hold a medicine ball and lift your arms straight above you. In a controlled motion, swing your arms from side to side, rolling the stability ball from the edge of the right shoulder to the edge of the left shoulder. The slower you move, the more the abs work to keep you stabilized.
Crunch
30 reps
Lie on your back with your legs bent, hands behind your head and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your neck relaxed, roll your upper back off the floor and then slowly return to the starting position.
Reverse Crunch
30 reps
From the crunch position, lift your knees in a smooth arc toward your head, contract the abs and then lower your knees back down, making sure not to touch them to the ground. That way, abdominal tension will be maintained.
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets of 10 reps
Lie back on a stability ball, with your feet flat on the floor and your body forming a 45° angle with the ball. Cross your hands and place them on your upper chest. Contract your abs to lift your torso five to 10 inches off the ball, keeping your feet and neck stable, then slowly lower back down.
The Ab Wheel
3 sets of 10 reps
An ab wheel is a small wheel with a handle on either side. With your knees bent and resting on the floor, contract your core and slightly tilt your pelvis back to prevent arching your lower back. Grab the handles on the wheel with both hands and hold it directly below your shoulders, keeping your arms straight. Roll the wheel straight out in front of you, moving it far enough to work all of your ab muscles. (Trust us, you’ll feel it.) Squeeze your abs, use your lower-back muscles, and pull the wheel back toward you.
Elbow Plank
3 reps
Lie on your stomach in a push-up position. Keep your arms bent, with palms and forearms on the floor and legs extended straight out, and be up on your toes. Contract your ab muscles and slowly lift your torso off the floor, keeping your palms, elbows, forearms and toes on the floor. Hold the position for 45 seconds, then slowly drop and recover for 30 seconds.
Sit-Up Medicine-Ball Throw with Partner
10 reps
Sit facing a partner, holding a medicine ball in both hands. Lie back with the ball overhead and tap the floor behind you. As you sit up, immediately throw the ball to your partner from overhead. Your partner should catch the ball in front of his or her head.
Forearms
Wrist Curls
3 sets of 10 reps
Sit on a bench with bent knees. Balance your arms, palms facing up, on the top of your knees. Make sure your wrist is in line with your elbow. In each hand, take a barbell and let it slide down your palm until you’re gripping it with your fingertips. Curl your hand up toward the ceiling, tightening it into a fist. Then roll your hand back down back to the starting position.
Chest
Incline Fly
2 sets of 20 reps
Lie on an incline bench with legs parted and feet firmly on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand (use a challenging but liftable weight), arms extended above your chest and elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower the dumbbells out and away from each other until they are at chest level. Raise to starting position.
Push-Up with a BOSU
As many as possible
A BOSU is an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform; it looks like a stability ball cut in half. Place the BOSU soft side down, and hold on to the edges as you lie facedown with your feet together. Keeping your body straight, push up.
Bench Press
10 reps
Make sure you have a wide enough grip by aligning your index finger with the first ring on the bar. Bring your elbows back even with your shoulders. Let the bar touch your chest, then drive back to full extension in one fluid motion. Keep your body flat and your feet planted firmly on the floor. If your lower body is coming up off the bench during the press, you’re probably driving with your legs and hips instead of with your chest and arm muscles.
Skull Crushers
10 reps
Place a weight on the bar and lie on a flat bench. Begin with your arms straight overhead, hands in an overhead grip about shoulder-width apart and palms facing forward. Bend your elbows, and lower your forearms toward the top of your head. One workout tip is to keep elbows and upper arms locked in position, and straighten arms to return to the start position.
Biceps
Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls
3 sets of 5 to 6 reps
Sit on the end of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides and palms facing inward. Starting with the right arm, curl the dumbbell up, rotating your wrist 90° so you finish with palms up. Squeeze your bicep for one second before lowering. Repeat on the left side. That’s one rep.
Twenty-ones
7 reps of each curl on each arm (you can use a barbell or dumbbells for this exercise)
First set: Standing, hold weights at your thighs, palms facing up, and lift to waist height. Second set: Start at waist height and lift weights to your chest. Third set: Do a full curl, starting at your legs and finishing at your chest.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
3 sets of 15 reps
Hold free weights with palms facing out and elbows next to the body. Bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders but keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Return to the starting position.
Shoulders
Rowing Machine
4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Grab the handles of the machine and sit with your back straight, shoulder blades back. Keep your legs slightly bent and your abdominals pulled in. Pull the weight toward your body until the handles touch your abdomen. Return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Front Raise
4 sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells in front of you with your palms facing your legs. Keep your elbows and knees slightly bent as you raise your arms straight in front of you to shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4 sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Keep your elbows and knees slightly bent as you raise your arms out to your sides in wide arcs to about shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.
Bent Lateral Raise
4 sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Bend your torso forward, forming a 45° angle with the ground. Let the dumbbells hang down in front of you. With your elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground. As you lift the weights, focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to the starting position.
Military Press
4 sets of 12 reps
Sitting, raise dumbbells to shoulder level with palms facing out and your elbows bent and pulled into your sides. Press the weights up and toward each other as you straighten your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows at the top. Slowly bring the weights down and return to the starting position.
Calves
Standing Calf Raise Machine
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Stand on the footplate with your shoulders squared. Slowly rise up onto your toes and pause briefly, then lower your heels until fully extended. To work your calves one at a time, simply cross one leg over the other.
Hamstrings
Hamstring Curl Machine
3 sets of 15 reps
Set the machine to a challenging but doable weight. Lie on your stomach on the bench part of the machine and hook your ankles behind the padded leg rests. Draw your ankles toward your buttocks until your legs form a 90° angle. Slowly return to the starting position.
Jump Squats
3 sets of 15 reps
Start in a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump into the air and come down with knees bent like you are going to sit in a chair. Jump again without any rest time.
Standing Rear Lunge
20 reps for each leg
Stand with feet together, hands on your hips or down at your sides. Step back with one foot, landing on the ball of your foot. Bend the back knee until it almost or barely touches the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.
One-Leg Straight-Leg Dead Lift
15 reps with each leg
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Bend left knee slightly as you lean forward at the waist and raise your right leg behind you in a straight line. Return to start and switch dumbbell hand and leg.
Lunge Jumps
20 reps
Start in a right lunge position. (Your knee should be bent at a 90° angle and should not pass your toe.) Jump and switch legs midair so your left leg is in front. Immediately repeat the jump, aiming to get as high as possible each time. Up for a bigger challenge? Hold a dumbbell in each hand to add resistance to your jump.
Lateral Squat
20 reps
Start with feet four feet apart. Squat down to the right, keeping your weight on your right heel. Your left leg should remain straight. Sit as low as comfortable for one second and then power up and alternate legs.
Dead Lift
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Stand upright, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs as you lower down, keeping your back straight and chest out. Slowly return to starting position.
Lunge
20 reps
Keep your arms and back straight with each step, taking care not to swing your weights with the forward motion. As you lunge, both legs should make a 90° angle. Leaning too far — if your lead knee ends up past your toe — puts undue strain on your knee and lower back.
Wall Sit
45 seconds
Stand with your back against a wall. Lean back and slide downward until your knees are at a 90° angle. Hold this position while keeping your abs contracted. Step it up: While holding this position, squeeze a small ball between your legs to engage your inner thighs as well.
Box jump and squat
10 reps
Depending on your skill, choose a box between 15 to 30 inches high. Start in the squat position about 12 inches from the edge of the box. Power off both legs, landing in the middle of the box in the half-squat position. Return to start.
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 steps
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward several feet with your right foot, and bend down until your right leg forms a 90° angle and your left knee almost touches the floor. Push off your left foot and bring your legs together. Repeat on the opposite side.
Single/Double Stair Hops
10 reps
Hop up stairs one or two at a time. When you reach the top, walk down.
Glutes
Glute Isolator Machine
3 sets of 15 reps for each leg
Standing at the glute isolator, rest your chest on the pad in front of you. With one foot on the floor, place the other foot against the pedal behind you. Push back on the pedal with your leg, then slowly return to the starting position. For the best results, find a weight that is just above your comfort level. After 15 reps, switch legs and repeat.
Jump Squats
3 sets of 15 reps
Start in a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump into the air and come down with knees bent like you are going to sit in a chair. Jump again without any rest time.
Standing Rear Lunge
20 reps for each leg
Stand with feet together, hands on your hips or down at your sides. Step back with one foot, landing on the ball of your foot. Bend the back knee until it almost or barely touches the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.
One-Leg Straight-Leg Dead Lift
15 reps with each leg
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Bend your left knee slightly as you lean forward at the waist and raise your right leg behind you in a straight line. Return to start and switch dumbbell hand and leg.
Lunge Jumps
20 reps
Start in a right lunge position. (Your knee should be bent at a 90° angle and should not pass your toe.) Jump and switch legs in midair so that your left leg is in front. Immediately repeat the jump, aiming to get as high as possible each time. Up for a bigger challenge? Hold a dumbbell in each hand to add resistance to your jump.
Lateral Squat
20 reps
Start with feet four feet apart. Squat down to the right, keeping your weight on your right heel. Your left leg should remain straight. Sit as low as comfortable for one second, then power up and alternate legs.
Dead Lift
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Stand upright, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs as you lower them, keeping your back straight and chest out. Slowly return to starting position.
Lunge
20 reps
Keep your arms and back straight with each step, taking care not to swing your weights with the forward motion. As you lunge, both legs should make a 90° angle. Leaning too far — if your lead knee ends up past your toe — puts undue strain on your knee and lower back.
Lower Back
Lower-Back Extension Machine
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Adjust the seat so that the axis is in line with your hips. Start the exercise by slowly pushing back until your spine is naturally erect. Maintain tension as you return to start.
“Superman,” Using a Stability Ball
3 sets of 20 reps
Grab a stability ball and balance on it with your stomach on top and your toes on the ground. Let your torso fall over the ball, and relax your arms by your sides. Starting with the head and upper back, slowly lift your spine until it’s straight. Slowly return to start.
Lats
Pull-Up and Bent-Arm Hang
As many as possible, up to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Beginner: Have someone lift you so that your chin is level with the pull-up bar. Grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you, elbows bent. Hold yourself in this position for as long as possible, keeping your chin level with the bar. Advanced: Hang on the pull-up bar with hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you, elbows straight but not locked. Slowly pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar, then lower to the starting position.
Lat Pull-Down Machine
4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
You may sit or stand for this one. Grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, arms straight up and palms facing forward. Pull the bar down to your chest, elbows out. Return slowly to the starting position, arms straight.
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Grab a dumbbell in one hand, and put the opposite knee and hand on a bench. The torso should be parallel to the ground. Start with your arm straight by your side, and pull the dumbbell up to chest level (near the armpit), keeping your arm close to your body. Lower the weight back to the starting position.
Triceps
Standing Tricep Pushdown
3 sets of 10 reps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in front of a tricep pushdown or cable machine with the cables, rope or straight bar hanging about chest level. Grab on with both hands, keeping elbows pinned to your sides. Push hands toward floor, fully extending arms in front of your body to touch the top of your legs. Hold for a second, then reverse movement and return to start.
One-Arm Tricep Extension
10 reps for each arm, plus 10 reps for both arms together
Sit on a seat with back support just below shoulder height. Gripping a dumbbell with one hand overhead, extend your arm straight up or slightly back. Keeping your upper arm vertical, lower the dumbbell behind your shoulder. Then extend your arm to the starting position.
Bench Dips
2 to 3 sets of 10 reps
Position your hands shoulder-width apart behind you on the edge of a secured bench. Walk your feet out in front of you until you are resting on your heels. Lower your upper body toward the floor by bending your elbows. Slowly press off with your hands to push yourself back up to the starting position.
Push-Up with a BOSU
As many as possible
A BOSU is an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform; it looks like a stability ball cut in half. Place the BOSU soft side down, and hold on to the edges as you lie facedown with your feet together. Keeping your body straight, push up.
