Muscle and Fitness Magazine released their “Top 9 Muscle Movement Exercises” in their May 2010 issue. I picked 5 of the 9 that I thought were really good, and hopefully you will think so, too!

Flat-bench dumbbell press
In a chest routine, you need to build mass so that you can perform the movements in competition that really help with growth. Many people tend to use the barbell version even though there is a higher risk of injury to the shoulder and elbows. It also burns more muscle fibers while performing the movement.

Barbell bent over row
This exercise helps build muscle mass in your back. It places a a good amount of demand on your lats, rhomboids, and trap muscles. In addition to a thicker upper back, it helps with building more muscle in your deltoids and biceps.

Military press
This movement is a compound exercise for your shoulders. This exercise can be performed sitting or standing, although most lifters prefer sitting. “Lifters say it’s easier to shift the weight when you’re sitting. You don’t have to deal with too much core stabilization. Lifters who perform the exercise standing say that performing the exercise sitting puts a lot of strain on your back and produces some lordosis, a really bad strain on the lower back muscles. Performing the press standing helps promote full body strength and stability.

Close grip bench press
The single joint movements that take place while performing this press majorly help build the triceps.

Standing barbell curl
According to a lot of professional lifters, this basic curl exercise for biceps allows weight to be used in a variety of different motions. When performing this motion, you must remember to pull the weight, not throw it. Throwing the weight will put a strain on your back and cause injury.

Check out May’s issue of Muscle and Fitness to see all 9 muscle movements, as well as a step by step instruction on how to perform each exercise.