Are you satisfied with the usual workout routine for men? Are you seeing improvements and good results from your current workout plan? If your answer to both questions is a ‘no,’ then maybe it’s time to introduce your body to new workout plans. Check out these gym routines to further challenge your body and take your fitness drill to the next level.
15 New Workout Routine for Men: A Must-Try Guide
Reminders Before Your Workout
To start off, keep in mind that you must do everything in your power to make your workout routine work for you. Here are five tips to help you consistently progress towards your fitness goals all year round:
- Identify your weaknesses and prioritize training them after a rest day. Consider these weaknesses at beginning of your workout to ensure you train them while you’re still well-rested and fresh. Taking a rest day before training your weaknesses will allow your central nervous system (CNS) to rest and recover. A well-rested CNS gives you the greatest opportunity to work harder and more efficiently in training your weaknesses.
- Prior to your training, establish reps and rest according to your goals. There are tons of different rep programs and progressions out there. Identify your rep scheme before you train so you can prepare mentality for the type of workout and the level of exertion you’re about to get into. For example:
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- 3 to 5 reps, longer rest like 3-5 minutes
- 6 to 10 reps, medium rest like 60-120 seconds
- 12 to 20 reps, shorter rest like 30-45 seconds
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- Warm-up with dynamic movements that activate the region of the body you’re training for that day.
- Focus on muscle contractions and form. Don’t go fast or try to lift heavy weight just for the sake of lifting heavy. Perform movements that allow you to feel the greatest peak contraction of the target muscle. Fighting for this mind-muscle connection is a fantastic way to ensure your target muscles are always working and placed in an optimal position to be challenged and to grow.
- Train with intent and purpose. Always know what your goal for the day is. Having your eyes on the prize when you walk into the gym will help you achieve your desired outcome. Whether that’s breaking a sweat or hitting an all-time personal best, establishing expectations first will help you succeed.
Now, on to the workout routines.
1. Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the best workouts to enhance a man’s strength. This exercise involves a lot of muscles (from the chest down to the legs), hitting all major muscle groups in your body.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet apart and with a bar centered over them.
- Bend down and reach for the bar.
- Stand up and lift the bar up to your hips.
- Put the bar down and repeat the process 8 times.
2. Back Squat
The back squat is a good choice for developing the muscles in your legs. Though mostly affecting your lower limbs, it also contributes to the development of some muscles in your upper body as well as the increase in your overall strength.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your legs partly spread and put the bar on your traps behind you.
- From your back, lift the bar and hold it until it touches the lower part of your nape.
- Slowly bend down until you achieve a squat position.
- Stand and repeat the process 10 times.
3. Bench Press
The bench press is one of the common exercises you’d see in a gym. Work on this exercise and see improvement on your pecs, shoulders, and triceps. Also, it contributes to making your grip and lifting skills more powerful.
How to Do It:
- Lie down on the bench with your lower back arched upward.
- Grab the bar and raise it upward with your arms fully stretched.
- Lower the bar and allow it to touch your chest.
- Continue raising and lowering the bar 8 times.
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
This exercise is beneficial for your lower back and legs. It makes your hamstrings more flexible and develops your glutes and butt. Say goodbye to frequent back pain when you maintain this workout as a habit.
How To Do It:
- Stand straight with your arms hanging at your side with dumbbells.
- Flex your hips by pushing your butt backward. Your knees should be partially bent.
- Keep your back arched.
- When you’ve pushed your butt as far as you can, pause for a while and return to your initial standing position.
- Repeat the process 8 times.
5. Kettlebell Swing
For body conditioning, try this exercise. It may look like an easy workout at the gym, but this routine works as an explosive cardio exercise. When done properly, it develops the glutes and hips area.
How to Do It:
- While standing, push your butt back and slightly bend your knees.
- Hold the kettlebell with both hands in between your legs while looking straight ahead.
- Swing the kettlebell from front to back repeatedly 10 times.
6. Suspended Pushup
In this unusual variation of the classic pushup routine, you’ll get to develop your chest and arms more. This workout allows you to exert more power to activate more muscle fibers in the upper part of your body. It also benefits the improvement of your shoulders given the support from the suspension rope.
How to Do It:
- Secure suspension straps on top of the door or other stable objects.
- Grab the handles and do a pushup position with your body forming a straight diagonal line from your shoulder to ankles and your arms fully extended.
- While holding onto the handles, descend by flexing your elbows away from your body.
- Extend again your arms and repeat the process 15 times.
7. Pull-ups
Having a wide shoulder and back makes a guy look big at first look. Enhance these features by doing pull-ups. It’s an intense exercise that enhances strength and upper body muscle development
How to Do It:
- Grab the pull-up bar, with the distance between your hands wider than your shoulder.
- Stick your chest out.
- Pull up your body until your upper chest touches the bar.
- Slowly lower your body and repeat the process 15 times.
8. Medicine Ball Slam
With the help of the medicine ball, you can actually enhance both your lats and abs. Doing this routine also serves as a powerful cardio exercise for you.
How to Do It:
- Stand straight and hold a medicine ball with both your hands.
- Raise the ball above your head and make sure to extend your body upward.
- Slam the ball hard into the ground in front of you.
- Get the ball with both hands and repeat the process 15 times.
9. Swiss Ball Rollout
If you’re looking to create that six pack abs, then this routine will do the trick. This exercise creates tension on your abdominal section to help carve your muscles down there.
How to Do It:
- Kneel in front of a gym ball.
- Lean toward the gym ball so your arms rest on top of it and your torso slightly lowered. This will be your original position.
- Roll the ball forward so your arms reach until the farthest part of the ball from you, and your torso almost reaching the floor.
- Go back to your original position and repeat the step 10 times.
10. Banded Good Morning
This workout looks like it’s painful for your neck and back, but it will do you more good. The band can assist you in giving more power in your workout, particularly when you do squats.
How to Do It:
- Get a band and step on both ends (with one foot stepping on one end). Make the band loop above your neck.
- For your initial position, make sure your hips and knees are bent.
- Slowly stand up to stretch both your body and the band.
- Return to your original position and repeat the steps 10 times.
11. Farmer’s Walk
Sure, this exercise looks like an easy one. There’s no pushing or curling for this particular exercise — just simple lifting and walking. But still, you’ll be carrying some weight, so it still enhances your cardiovascular endurance and lifting strength.
How to Do It:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and keep your arms hanging at your side.
- Walk while carrying the dumbbells for 30 seconds to 1 minute
12. Hamstring Curl
You’ll be lying down on the floor for this workout and using a gym ball, but don’t think of it as a relaxing so-so exercise. This is a good exercise for the legs and glutes and is surprisingly soothing for the knees. And while it looks like easy, try doing and feeling it yourself.
How to Do It:
- Lie down on the floor, but keep your feet elevated on top of a ball with your ankle touching the uppermost part of the ball.
- Keep your arms stretched sideways.
- Raise your hips and flex your knees to pull the ball closer to you. This time, the base of your feet must be touching the ball.
- Return to your original position and repeat the process 15 times
13. Suspended Inverted Row
This is another exercise that you may have to lie down — for some few seconds. This routine offers a diversion from the usual pushup, as this also works on your biceps, triceps, and chest area.
How to Do It:
- Hang some suspension straps, and lay down beneath them.
- Grasp the ends of the suspension straps.
- While holding onto the straps, bend your elbows and lift the upper part of your body. Make sure your feet remain touching the floor.
- Drop your body without releasing your grasp of the straps, then repeat the process 10 times
14. Barbell Overhead Press
This is another great exercise to enhance those biceps and chest. The move may be similar to the bench press, but this one requires the assistance of other muscle groups like those in your abs and shoulders.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your legs apart.
- Hold the bar in front of you and make sure it touches your chest.
- Bend your elbows upward to raise the bar.
- Drop your elbows to return to your original position, then repeat the process 8 times
15. Barbell Hip Thrust
You may notice how most of the identified exercises target the glutes, including this routine. It’s relatively one of the biggest muscle sets in the body, making it strong, and contributing to having a strong back and legs as well.
How to Do It:
- Sit on the ground with your back leaning against the edge of a bench and your arms widespread across the bench.
- Put a bar on top of your waist.
- Slowly raise your hips (along with the bar) until your upper back lies flat on the bench.
- Try to tiptoe as you raise your hips.
- Drop your hips (along with the bar) to return to your original position then repeat the process 8 times
Check our video below to learn Sean Runyan’s top 5 tips on how to maximize your training!
Make this list of workout routine for men your new fitness habit and see positive results in your body in no time. To make these gym routines more exciting, you may want to personalize some workout plans and introduce variations to make your muscle gain workout more fun and exciting.
For you, what workout routine for men works the best? Share with us your ideas in the comments section below.