Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Machine Chest Press
2 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest
A seated machine chest press that builds the chest and triceps through a guided, beginner-friendly press path.
Steps
Adjust the seat height so the handles line up with the middle of your chest.
Sit with your back flat against the pad and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
Grip the handles with a neutral or pronated grip, depending on the machine setup.
Brace your core and press the handles forward until your arms are nearly locked out.
Pause briefly at the top with a chest squeeze, then bring the handles back under control.
Stop when the handles reach a deep stretch at chest height, then press for the next rep.
Cues
Back on pad.
Handles at chest.
Press without shrugging.
Common mistakes
Lifting the back off the pad to leverage the press, which kills the chest stretch.
Locking the elbows out aggressively at the top instead of stopping just short.
Pressing with the shoulders shrugged up to the ears, which stresses the joint.
Cutting the bottom of the rep short and missing the full chest stretch.
2. Machine Neutral Row
2 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest
A chest-supported neutral-grip row that trains the lats and mid-back through a fixed horizontal pull — easy to learn, hard to cheat.
Steps
Set the chest pad so it sits across your upper chest with your shoulders just above the handle position.
Grip both neutral handles with palms facing each other and let your arms hang fully extended.
Brace your core and press your chest firmly into the pad to lock your torso in place.
Pull the handles toward your ribs by driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Pause at the top of the pull with the elbows behind the body, feeling the mid-back contract hard.
Lower the handles slowly over 2 to 3 seconds back to a full stretch, then repeat without losing chest contact.
Cues
Chest on pad.
Drive elbows back.
Pause and squeeze.
Common mistakes
Pulling with the biceps instead of leading with the elbows, which steals work from the back.
Letting the chest peel off the pad to use body english, which defeats the support and overloads the low back.
Cutting the lowering short and dropping the handles fast, missing most of the muscle-building tension.
Shrugging the shoulders up at the top of the row, swapping mid-back work for trap dominance.
3. Dumbbell Goblet Squat
2 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest
A bodyweight-style squat loaded with one dumbbell at the chest — the cleanest way to teach the squat pattern.
Steps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, holding a dumbbell vertically at the chest.
Cup the top head of the dumbbell with both hands, elbows tucked down under the weight.
Brace the core, set the ribs stacked over the hips, and fix your eyes on a point straight ahead.
Sit back and down at the same time, pushing the knees out in line with your toes as you descend.
Reach the bottom with thighs at or below parallel, chest tall, and elbows tracking inside the knees.
Drive through the whole foot to stand back up, finishing tall with hips and knees fully extended.
Cues
Elbows under weight.
Knees track toes.
Stand tall.
Common mistakes
Letting the heels lift off the floor at the bottom, which dumps the load forward onto the knees.
Letting the knees cave inward as you stand, reducing glute drive and stressing the joints.
Cutting the depth short above parallel, missing most of the glute and quad development.
Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which loads the spine instead of the working muscles.
4. Dumbbell Seated Overhead Press
2 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest
A seated dumbbell press that trains the front and side shoulders with triceps support — the seated answer to a standing overhead press.
Steps
Sit on a bench with back support and a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs.
Kick the dumbbells up to shoulder height with palms facing forward and elbows bent at about 90 degrees.
Brace your core, plant your feet, and press your back firmly against the bench pad.
Press both dumbbells up and slightly inward until your arms reach near-lockout with the bells nearly touching.
Lower the dumbbells under control to the starting position with elbows tracking down beside your ribs.
Pause briefly at the bottom, reset your breath, and repeat for the prescribed number of reps.
Cues
Back on bench.
Press straight up.
Lower to shoulders.
Common mistakes
Arching the lower back off the bench to push more weight, which loads the spine instead of the shoulders.
Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides, which strains the front shoulders and shortens the press.
Cutting the range short by stopping well below lockout, missing the top portion of the lift.
Banging the dumbbells together at the top, which jolts the wrists and wastes pressing tension.
5. Machine Crunch
2 sets · 12 reps · 30s rest
A seated, loaded crunch that isolates the upper abs through a fixed flexion path — the gym's progressive answer to bodyweight crunches.
Steps
Sit on the machine and adjust the seat so the chest pad sits across your upper chest, not your throat.
Hook your hands or arms into the handles and plant your feet firmly on the floor or foot pads.
Brace your core and curl your ribcage down toward your hips, keeping the motion in the abs.
Pause briefly at the bottom of the curl, squeezing the abs hard before reversing the motion.
Return slowly to the start over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping tension on the abs the entire way up.
Repeat for 10 to 15 controlled reps, never letting the weight stack slam back to rest between reps.
Cues
Curl ribs down.
Use the abs.
Return slowly.
Common mistakes
Pulling with the arms or shoulders instead of curling with the abs, which removes the load from the target muscle.
Using a heavy stack and a tiny range of motion, which trains momentum rather than the abs.
Letting the weight stack snap back at the top, killing the slow lowering where most growth tension lives.
Setting the chest pad too high on the throat, which makes the lifter brace with the neck instead of the core.