5 Powerful Exercises to Build Strong Muscular Body

The best way to build a strong muscular body is by performing compound exercises.

These exercises train multiple muscle groups at once. They're considered to be the most effective type of exercise, as they help you achieve your goal faster and in the least amount of time possible.

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Powerful Exercises for Strong Muscular Body

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Lat Pull-down

Lat pull-downs are a great exercise to build strong and defined lats. This exercise can help you obtain the much sought-after v-taper by widening your lats. Another added bonus: by widening your lats, it makes your waist look smaller.

To perform this exercise,:

• Sit down on the lat pull-down machine with a wide overhand grip.
• Lean forward till your back is nearly parallel to the floor.
• Once you're in this position, slowly pull the cable towards your chest by flexing your elbows.
• Hold for a second at full contraction, and slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions per set before taking a 30-second rest.

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#2 Push-up

Push-ups are a great way to build strength in the chest, shoulders, and arms. They're a beginner-friendly option for building upper-body gains, which means you can get started right away.

To perform a push-up:

• Lie on the floor. Rest your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your feet behind you so that they're hip-width apart.
• Lower yourself down till your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Pause for a moment before returning to the starting position.
• Repeat as many times as needed to achieve the desired results.

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#3 Squat

The squat is one of the best exercises you can do to build up your lower body. It's great for building muscle and burning fat. Squats are also a compound exercise, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at once.

To perform a basic squat:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with toes pointing forward or slightly turned out (no wider than hip width).
• Hold dumbbells at arm's length in front of your chest with palms facing each other.
• Lower down into a squat position till your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as you can go without bending forward from the waist.
• Keep your knees behind toes, and bend forward from hips only if necessary to reach depth safely without losing balance or control over weight being held in hands.
• If that happens, remove enough weight so that it doesn't happen any more.

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#4 Walking Lunge

Walking lunges are a great workout that combines strength training, functional workouts, and cardio.

They're great at building lower body muscle yet efficient at engaging the arms and core. You can do them with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or even a resistance band.

To do a walking lunge:

• Start with your feet together. Take a long step forward with one leg, placing your foot flat on the floor.
• Bend both knees till you're in a deep lunge position.
• Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement before stepping back to the starting position and repeating on the other side.

You can also vary this exercise by holding dumbbells in each hand or keeping your arms straight by your sides as you lunge forward (and then back again).

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#5 Plank

Planks are a classic exercise for building muscle. They work the core unlike any other ab exercise but are also great at targeting other parts of your body. You can expect your arms, back, and legs to receive adequate attention as well.

To do a plank:

• Get in a push-up position, and rest on your forearms. Straighten your legs, and make sure they're parallel to each other. Tuck your abs in, and inhale.
• Hold this position for as long as possible, but don't hold it too long, as it can strain your back muscles!
• Aim to hold the plank for 30 seconds per set and up to three sets total. No more than five reps should be done per set.
• Do the plank at least twice a week.

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Takeaway

The aforementioned exercises aren’t just for powerlifters, bodybuilders, or athletes. They can be useful to anyone who wants to build stronger muscles and have more energy.

Try adding these workouts to your routine and see how you feel. You should feel incredible after doing them.