Best Advanced Exercises

This shortlist highlights 77 exercises that match a advanced training level. It is a curated editorial roundup built from movement type, equipment, and difficulty data — not a lab ranking or coaching substitute.

How we chose these exercises

•We group exercises by the attribute a reader is most likely filtering on first, such as target muscle, equipment, or difficulty.
•We favor exercises with clear movement intent and dependable metadata for muscle group, equipment, and difficulty.
•Difficulty-based lists prioritize movement accessibility and learning curve before exercise variety.
•Beginner-friendly movements and low-equipment options are surfaced earlier when the shortlist serves broad training intent.
•This page is a curated editorial ranking rather than a personalized training plan or medical recommendation.

Featured exercises

77 curated exercises for this shortlist.

Banded Clamshell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Abs, Quadriceps

Banded Shoulder Drills

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Chest, Traps

Barbell Bench Press - NB

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Barbell Full Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Calves

Barbell Triceps Extension

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Barbell Wrist Curl

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Biceps, Obliques

Bear crawl pull through

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Abs

Bench Press Narrow Grip

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Benchpress Dumbbells

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Bent Over Rowing

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps

Bent Over Rowing Reverse

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps

Bulgarian Squat with Dumbbells

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Hamstrings

Clean

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Lats

Clean and Jerk OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps

Clean and Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Legs, Back, Arms

Copenhagen Adduction Exercise

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Obliques, Serratus Anterior

Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullovers

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Chest, Serratus Anterior

Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Core

Deficit Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

Devil’s Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Chest, Hamstrings

Double Kettlebell Clean and Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Brachialis, Quadriceps

Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves

Dumbbell Bent Over Face Pull

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Lats, Traps

Dumbbell Bent Over Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Lats, Serratus Anterior

Dumbbell Floor Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Dumbbell Front Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Shoulders, Abs

Dumbbell rear delt row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Traps

Dumbbell Rear Lunge

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Quadriceps, Soleus

Dumbbell Single-leg Hip Thrust

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Glutes
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Quadriceps

Dumbbell Snatch

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Legs, Back, Core

Dumbbell Thruster

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Shoulders

Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Dumbbell upright-row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Serratus Anterior

Dumbell Tate Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Front Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Core, Glutes

Glute Bridge Single-Arm Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps, Hamstrings

Hip hinge

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Calves, Quadriceps

Incline Bench Press - Barbell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Incline Bench Press - Dumbbell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Incline Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Lats, Traps

Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Chest

Incline Dumbbell Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Jerk OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps

JM Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Triceps
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Chest

kettlebell sumo deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps

Kreis Press DB

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Chest, Abs

Landmine Squat to Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstrings

Machine Chest Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Biceps, Brachialis

Meadows Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps, Abs

No Leg Drive Dumbbell Chest Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Pendelay Rows

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps, Triceps

Pendlay Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Biceps

Pin Squat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Abs

Plank Shoulter Taps

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Abs, Lats

Power Clean

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Back
Secondary Muscle: Legs, Shoulders, Arms

Push OHP

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps

Push-Ups | Decline

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps

Rear Delt Raise

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Lats

Remo alto polea alta

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Obliques
Secondary Muscle: Serratus Anterior, Triceps

Reverse Curl

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Biceps

Reverse Grip Bench Press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscle: Triceps, Shoulders

Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Lats
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Quadriceps

Shoulder Dumbbell Pendular Exercise

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Lats, Chest, Traps

Shoulder External Rotation with Dumbbell

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Traps

Single Arm Plank to Row

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Biceps, Brachialis, Lats

Single-Leg Lunge with Kettlebell:

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Calves
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps

Single-leg side glute press

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Calves
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps

Sliding Lateral Lunge

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Calves

Snatch OL

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps

Standing Bicep Curl

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Biceps
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Brachialis

Sumo Deadlift

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Legs
Secondary Muscle: Back, Glutes

Tuck L-sit

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Abs
Secondary Muscle: Brachialis, Chest, Quadriceps

Turkish Get-Up

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Core
Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Legs

Upright Row w/ Dumbbells

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps

Upright Row, SZ-bar

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Traps, Biceps

Wall balls

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Quadriceps, Biceps

Yoga exercise: Cow-cat

Category: Compound
Primary Muscle: Shoulders
Secondary Muscle: Lats, Traps, Obliques

Training references

wger exercise database API — Source dataset used for exercise names, muscle targets, equipment, and difficulty tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best advanced exercises?

Best Advanced Exercises highlights options such as Banded Clamshell, Banded Shoulder Drills, Barbell Bench Press - NB. The right pick depends on your training goal, available equipment, and experience level.

How did you choose these advanced exercises?

We curated this shortlist using muscle-targeting data, equipment tags, movement type, and difficulty so the page reflects practical training intent.

Should beginners start with every exercise in this advanced list?

No. Start with the exercises that match your current technique, mobility, and equipment access, then progress as your form and strength improve.