Human Anatomy is Complicated. Exercise Anatomy for Strength Training Should Be Simple

Understanding exercise anatomy for strength training or resistance training doesn’t require memorizing 600+ muscles. You just need to know which muscle groups work together during compound lifts and how to identify weak links that limit your progress.

Understanding muscle anatomy for strength training means learning how specific muscle groups and muscle grouping work together during exercise. Whether you’re focused on upper body muscles (chest, back, shoulders, arms), lower body muscles (legs, glutes), or total body development, this foundational muscle anatomy knowledge transforms how you approach programming and exercise selection.

Why Anatomy Matters for Resistance Training

Exercise anatomy for strength training and resistance training means understanding which muscles drive compound and isolation lifts so you can program more effectively, avoid injury, and break through plateaus. By learning basic muscle groups and movement patterns, you can identify weak links in your strength and target them strategically.

Strength – all your muscles working together to accomplish something – is like pulling a big, heavy object up a hill with a chain. The chain doesn’t break because “it’s too weak”. It breaks because one specific link in the chain is too weak during the steepest part of the pull.

Strength in the human body is like the chain. Whether you’re trying to improve at a sport, break through a plateau, pick up your grandkids, or be fitter and look healthier, progress – and injury – is limited by your weakest muscles, not your strongest.

By understanding a little bit about anatomy and which muscles work together, you can learn how to avoid injury, break through plateaus, and get progressively stronger, fitter, and healthier.

Thankfully, the amount of anatomy you need to understand for resistance training is small. Let’s dive in!

Why Anatomy Matters for Resistance Training
How Muscles Work
Main Muscle Groups for Strength Training
Compound vs Isolation Exercises in Strength Training
The Main Types of Lifts and Exercises
Using Exercise Anatomy to Break Strength Plateaus
Conclusion

How Muscles Work

Learning basic muscle anatomy—how muscle fibers contract and how muscles work in opposing pairs called agonist and antagonist muscles—is the foundation for understanding strength training anatomy.

All muscles work in the same way: your muscle fibers contract, and that pulls on a bone to move it.

Importantly, every muscle attaches on two sides of a joint: your bicep (arm) muscle, for example attaches on either side of your elbow joint. When your bicep contracts, it pulls your forearm in.

Bicep and tricep anatomy showing muscle contraction for strength training exercises

Each muscle can only contract or stop contracting (relax). Thus all muscles work in pairs to enable your limbs to move in and out.

To extend you arm back out, your bicep stops contracting and your tricep starts contracting. Your tricep is on the other side of your arm and also attaches across your elbow, so when it contracts your arm moves the other way.

Arm muscle anatomy demonstrating bicep and tricep function in resistance training

Congrats! Now you know how muscles work. Simple, right? This is how every part of your body moves around, from the largest muscles in your legs to the tiniest muscles that move your eyebrows and eyelids around. Contract, release. Contract, release. In pairs. Done.

Main Muscle Groups for Strength Training

The human body has over 600 muscles and 206 bones.

That’s a lot of muscles, but for building strength we need to care about relatively few of them. You have muscles that help your intestines digest, for example. This is great, but we don’t need to know about them to lift.

Effective muscle grouping in strength training organizes your muscle anatomy into three major categories: upper body muscles, lower body muscles, and core muscles.

Upper Body Muscles

Arms: biceps, triceps, forearms
Shoulders: delts (deltoids)
Chest: pecs (pectorals)
Back: traps (trapezius), rhomboids, lats (latissimus dorsi)

Lower Body Muscles

Legs: quads (quadriceps), hamstrings, calves
Hips: glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus), hip flexors, abductors, adductors

Core Muscles

Abs: abs, obliques
Lower Back: spinal erectors

Not so bad, right? Let’s talk through each grouping, what it does, and how to train it. But first, we need to talk through the two types of exercises: Compound and Isolation exercises.

Compound vs Isolation Exercises in Strength Training

What are they, what is each good for, why do we care?

Isolation Exercises are exercises that only use one single muscle at a time. For example, a bicep curl is an isolation exercise because your body contracts only the biceps to lift the weight.

Compound Exercises are exercises that use two or more muscles at the same time. For example, a pushup is a compound exercise because your body contracts your pectoral (chest) muscles and also your triceps (arm) muscles together to lift your body. These compound or multi-joint exercises require multiple muscle groups working together through coordinated muscle contraction patterns, making them essential for building functional strength that translates to real-world movements.

How to Tell the Difference Between a Compound and Isolation Exercise

How can you know whether an exercise is compound or isolation without already knowing which muscles it uses? Great question!

Here’s the simple answer: if the weight you’re lifting moves straight, it’s a compound exercise. If the weight you’re lifting goes in an arc or curve, it’s an isolation exercise.

There are a couple exceptions to this like kettlebell swings, but for the most part this is a reliable tell. Let’s talk through some examples:

Dumbbell Curls: The dumbbell moves in a curve, not straight up and down. This is an isolation exercise (bicep only).
Barbell Bench Press: The barbell moves up and down above your chest. This is a compound exercise (chest and triceps).
Squat: The barbell moves straight up and down. This is a compound exercise (quads, glutes, hamstrings).
Deadlift: The barbell moves straight up and down. This is a compound exercise (glutes, hamstrings, back, traps).
Lateral Raises: The dumbbells move in an arc out to the sides. This is an isolation exercise (deltoids only).
Skullcrushers: The weight moves in an arc above your head. This is an isolation exercise (triceps only).
Leg Extension: The weight moves in an arc as you extend your legs. This is an isolation exercise (quadriceps only).

Great. Now that you know the muscle groups, and how to tell whether an exercise targets just one muscle or several at once, lets dive in to the common exercises that target each muscle or muscle group, and when and why you should choose to target certain muscles with certain exercises to break through plateaus, recover from injuries, and achieve your strength and conditioning goals.

The Main Types of Lifts and Exercises

To avoid memorizing which of thousands of potential exercises go with which muscles and muscle groups, fitness coaches organize strength training anatomy around a few main movement patterns. Each movement pattern involves a specific muscle grouping that works together to create that movement:

Horizontal Push: Any exercise where you push a weight straight out from your chest, like a pushup, bench press, etc.
Horizontal Pull: Any type of exercise where you pull a weight straight towards your chest, like a dumbbell row, barbell row, landmine row… any type of row.
Vertical Push: Any exercise where you push a weight over your head, like a dumbbell overhead press, military press, arnold press, etc.
Vertical Pull: Any type of exercise where you pull a weight down from above your head, like a pull up or lat pulldown.
Hip Hinge: Any exercise where you bend forward at the waste, like a deadlift or kettlebell swing.
Squat: Any exercise where you stay relatively vertical but squat down, like, you guessed it, a squat.

Here’s the breakdown of the muscle groups each major type of lift targets:

Horizontal Push

Muscle Groups Targeted by Horizontal Push

A horizontal push targets the chest muscles (pectoral muscles) as well as the triceps. Lots of other muscles are used to stabilize, specifically the delts and rhomboids, among others, but the main muscles targeted by all horizontal push exercises are the pecs (chest) and triceps. When the pecs contract they pull your arms in from the outside, pushing the weight out in front of you, and when your triceps contract they straighten your arms, further pushing the weight out in front of you.

Common Horizontal Push Exercises

The most common Horizontal Push Exercises are:

Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
Pushup

Common variations include:

Close grip bench press
Paused bench press
Wide grip bench press
Pushup from blocks
One-armed dumbbell bench press
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Horizontal Push exercise.

Horizontal Pull

Muscle Groups Targeted by Horizontal Pull

A horizontal pull targets the back muscles, specifically the lats (latissimus dorsi), rhomboids, and traps (trapezius), as well as the biceps. When you perform a horizontal pull, your lats and rhomboids contract to pull your shoulder blades together and draw your arms back toward your body, while your biceps contract to bend your elbows and complete the pulling motion. This movement pattern is essential for developing a strong, well-rounded back and improving posture.

Common Horizontal Pull Exercises

The most common Horizontal Pull Exercises are:

Barbell Row
Dumbbell Row
Seated Cable Row
Inverted Row

Other variations include:

Pendlay row
Chest-supported row
Single-arm dumbbell row
Landmine row
T-bar row
Kroc row
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Horizontal Pull exercise.

Vertical Push

Muscle Groups Targeted by Vertical Push

A vertical push targets the shoulder muscles (deltoids) as well as the triceps. When you press weight overhead, your deltoids contract to raise your arms above your head, while your triceps contract to straighten your arms and lock out the weight at the top. Core muscles and upper back muscles also work to stabilize your body during the movement. This movement pattern is crucial for developing strong, healthy shoulders and overall upper body pressing strength.

Common Vertical Push Exercises

The most common Vertical Push Exercises are:

Overhead Press (Military Press)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Push Press

You can also try:

Arnold press
Seated overhead press
Behind-the-neck press
Single-arm overhead press
Landmine press
Z-press
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Vertical Push exercise.

Vertical Pull

Muscle Groups Targeted by Vertical Pull

A vertical pull targets the lats (latissimus dorsi), rhomboids, traps (trapezius), and biceps. When you pull weight down from overhead, your lats contract to pull your arms down from above your head, while your rhomboids and traps work to stabilize your shoulder blades and your biceps contract to bend your elbows. This pulling pattern is essential for developing a strong, V-shaped back and improving overall pulling strength. Vertical pulls complement horizontal pulls to ensure complete back development.

Common Vertical Pull Exercises

The most common Vertical Pull Exercises are:

Pull-up
Chin-up
Lat Pulldown

Common variations include:

Wide-grip pull-up
Close-grip chin-up
Neutral grip pull-up
Assisted pull-up
Weighted pull-up
Single-arm lat pulldown
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Vertical Pull exercise.

Hip Hinge

Muscle Groups Targeted by Hip Hinge

A hip hinge targets the posterior chain—the muscle grouping along the back of your body including the glutes (gluteus maximus), hamstrings, lower back (spinal erectors), and traps. Understanding posterior chain anatomy is critical because these muscles work together during nearly all athletic movements and everyday activities like picking objects off the ground. When you perform a hip hinge, you bend forward at the hips while keeping your legs relatively straight and your back in a neutral position. Your glutes and hamstrings work together to extend your hips and return you to a standing position, while your spinal erectors maintain a stable, neutral spine throughout the movement. This is one of the most important movement patterns for building total body strength and preventing lower back injuries.

Common Hip Hinge Exercises

The most common Hip Hinge Exercises are:

Deadlift
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Kettlebell Swing

Other variations include:

Sumo deadlift
Trap bar deadlift
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
Good mornings
Rack pulls
Deficit deadlift
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Hip Hinge exercise.

Squat

Muscle Groups Targeted by Squat

A squat targets the quads (quadriceps), glutes, hamstrings, and core. When you squat, you lower your body by bending your knees and hips while staying relatively vertical, then return to standing by extending your knees and hips. Your quads are the primary movers, working to extend your knees, while your glutes and hamstrings assist with hip extension. Your core muscles work hard to stabilize your spine and maintain an upright torso throughout the movement. Squats are fundamental for building lower body strength and are often called the “king of exercises” for good reason.

Common Squat Exercises

The most common Squat Exercises are:

Back Squat
Front Squat
Goblet Squat

You can also try:

Box squat
Pause squat
Bulgarian split squat
Leg press
Hack squat
Safety bar squat
…and many others

Any exercise that moves a weight like any of the above examples is a Squat exercise.

Understanding Isolation Exercises in Your Programming

Now that you know the main types of lifts and exercises, you may notice that all the main exercises are Compound exercises or lifts, not Isolation. We’ll tackle how Isolation exercises fit in to strength training.

Using Exercise Anatomy to Break Strength Plateaus

Understanding strength training anatomy helps you identify the specific muscle that’s limiting your progress - the weak link in the chain. When you hit a plateau on a major lift, it’s rarely because all your muscles are equally weak. Instead, one specific muscle group is holding you back.

How to Identify Your Weak Link

The key to identifying your limiting muscle is paying attention to where you fail during a lift:

Bench Press: If you struggle at the bottom of the movement (weight on your chest), your pecs are likely the weak link. If you fail halfway up or at lockout, your triceps are limiting you.
Squat: If you struggle coming out of the hole (bottom position), your quads are likely the limitation. If you lean forward excessively or struggle at the top, your glutes or lower back may be weak.
Deadlift: If the bar won’t break off the floor, your quads or glutes need work. If you can’t lock out at the top, your hamstrings, glutes, or lower back are limiting factors.
Overhead Press: If you fail at the bottom or mid-range, your deltoids need strengthening. If you struggle at lockout, focus on triceps.

Common Weak Links by Lift

Here are the most common muscle limitations for major lifts:

Bench Press Plateau: Often limited by triceps (especially at lockout) or pecs (at the bottom)
Squat Plateau: Often limited by quads (coming out of the hole) or glutes (staying upright)
Deadlift Plateau: Often limited by hamstrings and glutes (lockout) or lower back (maintaining position)
Overhead Press Plateau: Often limited by deltoids (mid-range) or triceps (lockout)

Programming Isolation Exercises for Weak Links

Once you’ve identified your weak link, add 1-2 isolation exercises targeting that specific muscle:

Weak Triceps: Add close-grip bench press, tricep extensions, or dips
Weak Pecs: Add dumbbell flyes, cable crossovers, or wide-grip bench variations
Weak Quads: Add leg extensions, Bulgarian split squats, or front squats
Weak Glutes: Add hip thrusts, glute bridges, or Romanian deadlifts
Weak Hamstrings: Add leg curls, Nordic curls, or single-leg Romanian deadlifts
Weak Deltoids: Add lateral raises, front raises, or face pulls

Building a Complete Program

A good strength training program does the following:

Includes exercises that target all muscles in your body for well-rounded strength
Is primarily made of compound lifts, which provide better functional strength, or strength that translates helpfully to real world activities and sports
Identifies which muscle is specifically limiting one of your key lifts or performance goals and adds targeted isolation work to strengthen that weak link
Includes any prehab or rehab exercises needed to strengthen muscles or muscle groups that are at risk for, or recovering from, an injury
If mobility is an issue, includes stretching targeted at the specific area where you need increased flexibility
Uses progressive overload, likely with periodization, to help you steadily increase strength and break through plateaus

Quick Reference: Exercise Anatomy for Strength Training

This quick reference guide organizes strength training anatomy by movement patterns, making muscle grouping and exercise selection straightforward:

Key Principles:

✓ Compound exercises build functional strength across multiple muscles
✓ Isolation exercises strengthen weak links and break plateaus
✓ Train movement patterns (horizontal push, hip hinge, etc.) not random exercises
✓ Identify limiting muscles to target them with specific exercises
✓ Balance all major muscle groups to prevent injury

The 6 Essential Movement Patterns:

Horizontal Push (Bench Press) → Chest + Triceps
Horizontal Pull (Rows) → Back + Biceps
Vertical Push (Overhead Press) → Shoulders + Triceps
Vertical Pull (Pull-ups) → Lats + Biceps
Hip Hinge (Deadlift) → Glutes + Hamstrings + Back
Squat → Quads + Glutes + Hamstrings

Common Questions About Exercise Anatomy

What is exercise anatomy for strength training?

Exercise anatomy for strength training is understanding which muscles are activated during different exercises so you can build balanced programs and identify weak points limiting your progress.

Are compound exercises better than isolation exercises?

Compound exercises are better for building overall functional strength because they train multiple muscles working together. Isolation exercises are better for targeting specific weak muscles that limit your compound lifts.

How does anatomy knowledge help break strength plateaus?

Understanding anatomy helps you identify which specific muscle is limiting your lift (the weak link), so you can add targeted isolation work to strengthen it and break through your plateau.

Do I need to memorize all 600+ muscles?

No. For strength training, you only need to know about 15-20 major muscle groups and how they work together in the 6 main movement patterns.

What is the posterior chain and why does it matter?

The posterior chain refers to the muscle grouping along the entire back side of your body—glutes, hamstrings, lower back (spinal erectors), upper back, and traps. Understanding posterior chain anatomy is crucial because these muscles work together in nearly all athletic movements, prevent lower back injuries, and are often underdeveloped in people who sit frequently.

Which muscles are considered upper body muscles?

Upper body muscles include your chest (pectorals), back muscles (lats, rhomboids, traps), shoulders (deltoids), and arms (biceps, triceps, forearms). Proper muscle grouping of these upper body muscles in your training ensures balanced development and prevents injury.

How Pick It Up Incorporates Exercise Anatomy, Does Exercise Selection and Programming, and Helps You Break Through Plateaus

Manually tracking all of this - exercise selection based on goals, identifying weak links, programming progressive overload with periodization - is complex and time-consuming. This is where technology can help.

Now that you understand the basics of exercise anatomy, here’s how Pick It Up incorporates all the above for you:

First, it asks lifters about their goals. Why are they pursuing a strength training program? Is this to improve performance in a sport? Pick up their kids without injury? Win a powerlifting competition? Pick It Up has helped lifters achieve all of these. The exercise selection is dependent on the goals.
Next, it asks what equipment the lifter has access to. Is the lifter working out in a home gym, or commercial gym? Obviously being able to actually do the exercise is important.
Armed with this information, Pick It Up creates a tailored program for the lifter, choosing a well-mixed selection of exercises from the main types, e.g. horizontal push, hip hinge, etc.
Pick It Up then calibrates to the lifter’s current strength level to recommend how much weight to do, how many sets to do, and how many reps to do within each set.
- Pick It Up uses state of the art AI to calibrate to a lifter within 1 or 2 sessions of when the lifter does an exercise. e.g. after just two workouts where the lifter squats, Pick It Up is calibrated for Squats and can provide excellent weight and rep targets moving forward.
Lifters can choose to use Pick It Up in one of two ways:
- Have Pick It Up do everything for them. Exercise selection, “block” (monthly) programming, rep and weight recommendations, etc.
- Customize. If a Lifter wants, they can do exercise selection and programming themselves and just rely on Pick It Up for weight and rep recommendations.
As the lifter continues to workout, Pick It Up recommends target weights and reps for the lifter, introducing progressive overload with periodization.

Conclusion

Knowing some exercise anatomy is important for strength training. Whether you’re trying to improve performance in a sport, get or return to health, play with your grandkids safely, or simply look and feel your best, knowing which muscles to target and how to target them is vital towards achieving your goals.

It is our hope that this article has provided the basic building blocks to get you started on your own.

Next Steps

Whether you want to design your own program using these anatomy principles or have an AI-powered system handle exercise selection and programming for you, the key is taking action.

Ready to apply this knowledge? Join the movement and get personalized programming based on your goals, equipment, and current strength level.