The Only 5 Exercises You’ll Ever Need

7 min readFeb 7, 2023

If you are spending hours together in the gym here are the only 5 exercises you will ever need to improve your fitness.

Squats: Strengthen your legs, hips, and glutes

How to perform?

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
Begin by bending your knees and lowering your hips, as if you were sitting back into a chair.
Keep your back straight and your chest lifted, and descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Note: It’s important to maintain proper form to prevent injury and ensure maximum benefit. It’s also helpful to use a mirror or have a trainer check your form at first.

Video on how to perform Squats correctly

MuscleWiki : https://musclewiki.com/barbell/male/quads/barbell-squat

Benefits:

Improved Strength: Squats are a compound exercise that work multiple muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, and core, making them a great exercise for overall strength building.
Increased Muscle Mass: Squats are an effective exercise for building muscle, especially in the legs and glutes.
Better Balance and Stability: Squats help improve balance and stability by training your muscles to work together and support your body weight.
Increased Flexibility: Squats help to increase flexibility in the hips, legs, and lower back.
Better Posture: Squats can improve posture by strengthening the muscles in your lower back, hips, and legs, which help to support your spine.
Improved Cardiovascular Health: Squats are a form of cardiovascular exercise and can help to improve cardiovascular health by increasing your heart rate and oxygen circulation.
Improved Functionality: Squats help to improve functional movements, such as getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and lifting heavy objects.

Push-Ups: Improve upper body strength and stability

How to perform?

Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows and keeping your body in a straight line.
Keep your abs engaged and don’t let your hips or low back drop towards the ground.
Push through your hands to return to the starting position.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Note: You can modify the difficulty of a push-up by changing the position of your feet or hands. For example, elevating your feet on a bench will make it easier, while elevating your hands on a bench will make it more challenging. It’s important to maintain proper form to prevent injury and ensure maximum benefit.

Video on how to preform Pushups correctly

MuscleWiki : https://musclewiki.com/bodyweight/male/chest/push-up

Benefits:

Improved Upper Body Strength: Push-ups target multiple upper body muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, making them an effective exercise for building upper body strength.
Better Stability and Balance: Push-ups help to improve stability and balance by training your muscles to work together to support your body weight.
Increased Muscle Mass: Push-ups are an effective exercise for building muscle, especially in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Improved Posture: Push-ups help to improve posture by strengthening the muscles in your upper back and shoulders, which help to support your spine.
Improved Endurance: Push-ups are a form of cardiovascular exercise and can help to improve endurance by increasing your heart rate and oxygen circulation.
Increased Functional Strength: Push-ups help to increase functional strength, improving your ability to perform everyday tasks that require upper body strength, such as carrying groceries or lifting objects.
Convenient and Low-Impact: Push-ups are a convenient and low-impact exercise that can be performed anywhere, making them a great option for people who want to exercise without putting stress on their joints.

Planks: Strengthen your core and improve posture

How to perform ?

Start in a pushup position, with your arms extended and your hands flat on the ground.
Lower yourself down so that you are resting on your forearms, with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
Keep your body straight and tense, like a board. Your feet should be together, with your toes on the ground.
Hold this position for 30–60 seconds. Make sure to engage your core and keep your back straight, as if someone were going to pour a glass of water down your back.
To end the plank, gently lower yourself back down to the ground, one limb at a time.

Remember to breathe steadily throughout the exercise and listen to your body. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and rest.

Video on how to perform Hand Planks correctly

MuscleWiki : https://musclewiki.com/bodyweight/male/abdominals/hand-plank

Benefits:

Improved core strength: Planking strengthens the muscles in your abdomen, back, and hips, helping you build a strong and stable core.
Better posture: By engaging your core and maintaining a straight back during a plank, you can improve your posture and reduce the risk of back pain.
Increased muscle endurance: Planking is a challenging exercise that can help increase the endurance of your muscles, allowing you to perform other exercises with better form and for longer periods of time.
Reduced stress on joints: Unlike high-impact exercises, planking is a low-impact exercise that puts less stress on your joints, making it a good option for people with joint problems.
Improved balance and stability: Planking requires you to balance and stabilize your body, which can help improve your overall balance and stability.

Note: It’s always important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard, especially when starting a new exercise. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and rest.

Lunges: Improve lower body balance and stability

How to perform?

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and your hands on your hips or at your sides.
Step forward with one foot, landing on the ball of your foot and lowering your back knee toward the ground. Your front knee should bend at a 90-degree angle, with your thigh parallel to the ground.
Keep your upper body straight and your core engaged. Your weight should be distributed evenly between both legs.
Push through the heel of your front foot to return to the starting position. Repeat with your other foot.
Repeat the movement, alternating legs each time, for a desired number of repetitions.

Remember to keep your knee aligned over your ankle and avoid letting your front knee extend past your toes, as this can put undue stress on the knee joint. Also, make sure to keep your core engaged and your movements controlled and steady throughout the exercise.

Video on how to perform Lunges correctly

MuscleWiki : https://musclewiki.com/bodyweight/male/quads/forward-lunges

Benefits:

Improved lower body strength: Lunges target the muscles in your legs, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, helping you build strength and power in these areas.
Better balance and stability: Lunges require you to balance your body weight on one leg, which can help improve your overall balance and stability.
Increased flexibility: Lunges stretch and engage the muscles in your legs and hips, helping to increase your overall flexibility.
Improved posture: Lunges can help correct imbalances and improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your legs, hips, and core.
Cardiovascular fitness: Adding lunges to your workout routine can increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness.

Note: It’s always important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard, especially when starting a new exercise. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and rest.

Stretching: Maintain flexibility, range of motion, and reduce risk of injury.

How to perform?

Find a comfortable and clear space, where you have enough room to move freely.
Warm up with light cardio or dynamic stretching exercises to increase blood flow to your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Choose a stretch that targets the muscle group you want to work on. For example, if you want to stretch your hamstrings, you can perform a standing forward bend.
Slowly move into the stretch, focusing on breathing and relaxing your muscles. Hold the stretch for 20–30 seconds.
Gently release the stretch, returning to your starting position. Repeat the stretch 2–3 times, if desired.
Move on to the next stretch, focusing on different muscle groups as desired.

Remember to breathe steadily throughout the stretching and never force your body into a position that causes pain. Stretching should always feel comfortable and relaxed, never painful. If you feel any discomfort, stop and readjust your position.