Exercises for Olympian Legs

Exercising the legs is paramount in creating a balanced look and improving fitness. Not only will it help you build more overall muscle, you’ll look great too. Here are some of the best exercises to help you develop impressive legs.

- Squats
One of the best overall muscle builders for the legs. Stand straight with either a barbell behind your neck or dumbbells at your sides. Slowly lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause and slowly press yourself back to the starting position. Remember to keep your back straight and look up during the entire exercise.

- Leg Presses
Lie back on the leg press machine, place your feet on the platform firmly about shoulder width apart. Maintain a slight bend in the knees. Draw your knees back, lowering the platform and weights. Extend your legs and push the platform back to the start position.

- Leg Extensions
An exercise that really targets the legs. Sit back in the leg extension machine with your ankles behind the supports. Extend your legs so they are out in front of you, pause and return to the starting position slowly.

- Lunges
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides, feet together. Keeping your back as straight as you can, take a step forward so that your right knee is at right angles with your ankle and the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the left leg.

- Calf Raises
This exercise blitzes the calfs, prepare to feel the burn. Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides with your feet together, stand straight and tall. Move up on to the balls of your feet, pause for 10 seconds and then return to the starting position with your feet flat on the floor.

Exercises for Boulder Shoulders

Strong shoulders can help you perform to the best of your ability in many sports, predominantly those where turning and swinging is involved. Your buddy steps up and hits a good drive, you set up and hit a better drive. Easy. Here are some exercises to build shoulders even Arnie would be proud of.

- Shoulder Press
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip. Raise it up to your chest. Powerfully press the barbell straight up, rest for 2 seconds and then lower it back onto your chest slowly. Remember, keep your back straight and head up throughout the whole exercise.

- Lateral Raises
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides with your palms facing forward. Powerfully raise the dumbbells up so your arms are parallel with the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

- Front Raises
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides with your knuckles facing forward. Powerfully raise the dumbbells upwards in front of you until your arms are parallel with the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

- Dumbbell Punches
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them comfortably, you are about to experience hell. Stand so one leg is slightly in front of the other with your knees slightly bent. Punch one dumbbell out in front of you and forcefully bring it back, then repeat with the other. During punching, twist your wrist so the dumbbell goes from being vertical to horizontal. Continue punching at a fast rate for 30 seconds.

- Sylvester Stallone Rocky Runners
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your knees slightly bent, one foot in front of the other. Bend forward slightly, your feet should be kept flat on the floor. Bend your elbows and in slow motion, swing one arm forward and the other arm back, mimicking the style of a runner. This exercise will sort the men from the boys.

Exercises for Big Arms

There are hundreds of exercises for the arms, however we will concentrate a variety of different ones here that really maximise muscle and strength development.

- Barbell Curls (Biceps)
The standard exercise to build big biceps. Stand holding the barbell with your arms straight down by your sides, with palms facing outwards. Curl the barbell up towards you chest, pause and then lower it back down slowly.

- Hammer Curls (Biceps)
Another great exercise for the biceps and forearms. Stand holding a pair of dumbbells with your arms straight down by your sides, with palms facing inwards. Curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, pause and then lower them back down slowly.

- Preacher Curls (Biceps)
An exercise that is all about sculpting the biceps and adding terrific width. Sit with your chest against the preacher curls bench, with your armpits firmly hugging the top of the bench. Grab a barbell and extend your arms down fully to the floor. Curl the bar upwards, pause and then lower the bar to the starting position slowly.

- Incline Dumbbell Curls (Biceps)
Set an incline bench to 45 degrees. Sit on the bench with a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip, arms extended by your side. Make sure your back is flat against the bench. Curl the dumbbells upwards towards your shoulders, pause and lower them back down slowly.

- Low Pulley Curls (Biceps)
Stand facing the machine and grab the bar on the low pulley. Making sure you keep your back straight, curl the bar up towards your chest, pause and then lower it back down to the starting position slowly.

- Underhand Grip Pullups (Biceps)
Probably the most effective way of building big guns. Grab a pullup bar with an underhand grip. Pull yourself up until your chest is almost touching the bar, pause and then lower yourself back down slowly. Keep your legs crossed behind you during the exercise for stability.

- Cable Press Downs (Triceps)
A great move to build massive triceps. Attach a short bar to the overhead cable and stand facing the machine. Grab the bar, and keep your elbows tucked in by your sides tightly, arms bent. Push the bar down towards extending your arms, pause and then raise the bar back to the starting position. Remember, keep your elbows against your body the whole time.

- Overhead Rope Pushdowns (Triceps)
Another great move for the triceps. Attach a rope extension to the overhead cable. Stand facing away from the machine and grab the rope. Lean forward slightly and push the rope down until your arms are extended with your hands in front of your head, pause and then return to the starting position slowly. Feel the burn.

- Pressups (Triceps)
An almost forgotten move that is a classic tricep builder. Get into the classic pressup position. Keeping your body straight and your abs tight, lower your chest until it almost touches the floor, pause for 2 seconds and then push yourself up again. Alternate between wide arm, close arm and regular arm pressups for the best results.

- Dips (Triceps)
Another classic move that gets results quickly. Put your hands on the edge of a flat bench behind you, palms down and shoulder width apart. Extend your legs out in front of you. Keeping your hands on the bench, lower yourself to the floor, pause for 5 seconds and then press yourself up until your elbows are locked.