Muscle Groups and the Best Exercises for Each One

The major muscle groups you train in the gym are the chest, back, shoulders, arms (biceps and triceps), core, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. A balanced program trains each of them at least twice a week, usually with one or two exercises per group: a push for the chest, shoulders and triceps, a pull for the back and biceps, a squat or lunge for the quads and glutes, a hip hinge for the hamstrings and glutes, plus a little direct work for the calves and core.

You do not need a separate exercise for every muscle. Big multi-joint movements such as squats, presses and rows train several muscle groups at once, so a well-chosen workout of six or seven exercises covers the whole body. Below is a map of each muscle group with the exercises that train it best in the gym and at home.

The major muscle groups and the best exercises for each

Use the table as a menu. For every muscle group, the gym column lists the exercises with the best mix of load and range of motion, and the home column lists versions that need only dumbbells, a bench or your bodyweight.

Muscle groups, what they do and how to train them
Muscle group	Main muscles and their job	Gym	Home or dumbbells
Chest	Pectoralis major and minor; push the arms forward and together		or
Back	Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids; pull the arms down and back	and	or
Shoulders	Deltoids (front, side and rear); lift the arms in every direction	and	or
Biceps	Biceps brachii and brachialis; bend the elbow
Triceps	Triceps brachii; straighten the elbow
Core	Rectus abdominis, obliques, deep trunk muscles; bend, brace and resist twisting		or
Glutes	Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus; extend and stabilize the hip
Quadriceps	Four muscles on the front of the thigh; straighten the knee	or	or
Hamstrings	Three muscles on the back of the thigh; bend the knee and extend the hip	or
Calves	Gastrocnemius and soleus; point the foot and push off the ground

Some groups get a lot of work without direct exercises. Presses train the triceps and front shoulders along with the chest, rows and pulldowns train the biceps and rear shoulders along with the back, and squats and Romanian deadlifts load the glutes and the muscles along the spine. That is why our guide to compound vs isolation exercises recommends building workouts around compound lifts and adding isolation work for the groups that still lag. For deeper dives into single areas, see our guides to the back workout, glute workout and ab workout.

A full-body workout that covers every muscle group

The two sessions below train every major muscle group each time. Alternate them on three non-consecutive days, for example A, B, A one week and B, A, B the next, as in our 3-day full-body workout. Warm up with a few minutes of easy cardio and one or two light sets of the first exercise, and rest about 2 minutes between sets of the big lifts and 60–90 seconds on the small ones.

Day A3 × 8–103 × 8–103 × 10–122 × 12–152 × 12–152 × 12–15
Day B3 × 8–103 × 8–103 × 10–122 × 10–122 × 10–122 × 12–15

Each session takes about 45–55 minutes. Training at home? Swap each exercise for its home version from the table above; a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench cover almost everything. If you prefer four shorter sessions a week, the same exercises split well into an upper/lower routine.

How much to train each muscle group

Two numbers matter most: how often each group is trained and how many hard sets it gets per week. A meta-analysis of studies that compared training frequencies found that working a muscle group twice a week produced more growth than once a week when the total volume was similar (Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger, 2016). The 2026 resistance training guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine say the same in plain terms: train all major muscle groups at least twice a week, and aim for about 10 sets per muscle group per week if muscle growth is the goal (ACSM, 2026).

A second meta-analysis found a graded relationship between weekly sets and muscle growth: more sets brought more growth, with 10 or more weekly sets per muscle doing better than fewer than 5 (Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger, 2017). If you are new to lifting, start near the low end, with 2 sets per exercise, and add sets only when you recover well between sessions. Our guide to training volume per muscle shows how to count sets when one exercise trains several groups.

Whatever the volume, the muscles grow only if the work gets harder over time. Use a repetition range such as 8–12, add weight once every set reaches the top of the range with good form, and track it so you can see the trend. This is progressive overload, and it matters more than which exact exercise you pick from the table.

Common mistakes

Training only the mirror muscles. Chest, biceps and abs are easy to see, but a program without rows, hip hinges and leg work leads to imbalances. Every week should include a push, a pull, a squat and a hinge.
One body part per day, once a week. A classic "bro split" trains each muscle group only once a week. Most people grow faster by training each group twice.
Forgetting the back of the body. Hamstrings, glutes, rear shoulders and the upper back are often undertrained. If your plan has more pressing than pulling, add a row.
Too many isolation exercises. Five arm exercises and no squats is a lot of time for little result. Start with compound lifts, then add one or two isolation exercises.

Common questions

How many muscle groups are there?

The body has more than 600 muscles, but for training they are usually grouped into 9–11 major muscle groups: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms, core, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Forearms get most of their work from gripping during rows and deadlifts.

Should I train one muscle group per day?

You can, but it usually means each group is trained only once a week. Full-body, upper/lower or push/pull/legs routines make it easier to reach twice a week for every group.

Which muscle groups can I train together?

Muscles that work together pair naturally: chest, shoulders and triceps (pushing), back and biceps (pulling), and quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves (legs). The core can be added to any day.

Is it safe?

These are standard exercises, but start light, progress gradually and stop any movement that causes sharp pain. If you have an injury or a health condition, or are pregnant, get advice that fits your situation first.

Muscle Groups: The Major Muscles and the Best Exercises for Each