Brahmaputra Gymnasium Learning Zone Exercise Guide

📚 LEARNING ZONE

💪 The Complete Exercise Guide

Body-part wise training encyclopedia — proper form, muscles worked, sets & reps, pro tips and the mistakes to avoid. Train smart, not just hard.

MUSCLE GROUP 01

🏋️ Chest

Pectoralis major & minor — pressing and fly movements that build size, strength and a powerful upper-body foundation.

How To Perform

  1. Lie flat on the bench with eyes under the bar, feet planted firmly on the floor.
  2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width and un-rack it over your chest.
  3. Retract your shoulder blades and keep a slight natural arch in your lower back.
  4. Lower the bar under control to your mid-chest, elbows at roughly 45°.
  5. Press the bar back up powerfully in a straight line until arms are locked out.
Pro Tip

Drive your feet into the floor and keep your shoulder blades pinned together throughout the set for a stable, powerful base.

Common Mistakes
  • Bouncing the bar off the chest
  • Flaring elbows to a full 90°
  • Losing the arch and lifting hips off the bench
4 Sets 6–10 Reps Rest 90s

How To Perform

  1. Set the bench to a 30–45° incline and sit with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height.
  2. Plant feet flat, brace your core and keep your back against the pad.
  3. Press the dumbbells up and slightly inward until arms are extended.
  4. Lower slowly until upper arms are just below shoulder level.
  5. Repeat for the full set without letting the dumbbells drift outward.
Pro Tip

Control the negative (lowering) portion — the upper chest responds best to a slow, deliberate eccentric.

Common Mistakes
  • Setting the bench too steep, turning it into a shoulder press
  • Flaring elbows out at 90°
  • Banging dumbbells together at the top instead of controlled squeeze
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 60–75s

How To Perform

  1. Stand centered between two cable towers, handles set at chest height.
  2. Step forward slightly with a soft bend in the elbows and a slight forward lean.
  3. Sweep both handles together in a wide arc, as if hugging a barrel.
  4. Squeeze the chest hard when your hands meet in front of you.
  5. Return slowly to the starting position, feeling a stretch across the chest.
Pro Tip

Keep the elbow bend fixed throughout — the movement should come from the shoulder joint, not from bending and straightening the arms.

Common Mistakes
  • Bending elbows more at the finish, turning it into a press
  • Using too much weight and losing the stretch
  • Leaning excessively with the torso to move the weight
3 Sets 12–15 Reps Rest 45–60s

How To Perform

  1. Start in a plank position, hands slightly wider than shoulders.
  2. Keep your body in one straight line from head to heels.
  3. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending the elbows.
  4. Push through the palms to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat without letting the hips sag or pike up.
Pro Tip

Brace your core like you're about to be poked in the stomach — this keeps the body rigid and protects the lower back.

Common Mistakes
  • Sagging hips toward the floor
  • Only performing half the range of motion
  • Flaring elbows straight out to the sides
3 Sets Max Reps Rest 45–60s
MUSCLE GROUP 02

🦾 Back

Lats, traps, rhomboids & erectors — pulling movements for a wide, thick and injury-resistant back.

How To Perform

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, the bar directly over your mid-foot.
  2. Hinge at the hips and bend the knees to grip the bar just outside your shins.
  3. Flatten your back, lift your chest and pull the slack out of the bar.
  4. Drive through your heels and stand tall, keeping the bar close to your legs.
  5. Lock out by squeezing glutes, then reverse the motion under control to lower.
Pro Tip

Keep the bar dragging along your shins and thighs — the closer it stays to your body, the safer and stronger the pull.

Common Mistakes
  • Rounding the lower back under load
  • Jerking the bar off the floor
  • Hyperextending the back at lockout
3–4 Sets 4–6 Reps Rest 2–3 min

How To Perform

  1. Sit and secure your thighs under the pad, grip the bar wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Lean back very slightly and lift your chest.
  3. Pull the bar down to your upper chest, driving elbows down and back.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom.
  5. Control the bar back up to full arm extension.
Pro Tip

Think "elbows to hips" rather than "hands to chest" — it keeps the lats doing the work instead of the arms.

Common Mistakes
  • Leaning back too far and using body momentum
  • Pulling the bar behind the neck
  • Using a death grip that recruits forearms over lats
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 60s

How To Perform

  1. Hold the bar or dumbbells and hinge forward from the hips to roughly 45°.
  2. Keep your back flat and core braced, knees softly bent.
  3. Pull the weight toward your lower ribs, elbows tracking close to the body.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the row.
  5. Lower the weight under control back to a full stretch.
Pro Tip

Brace your core hard before every rep — a stable spine lets your back muscles do the pulling instead of your lower back compensating.

Common Mistakes
  • Rounding the back to move heavier weight
  • Standing too upright, turning it into a shrug
  • Using momentum/jerking the weight upward
3–4 Sets 8–10 Reps Rest 75–90s

How To Perform

  1. Grip the bar overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width, and hang with arms fully extended.
  2. Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
  3. Pull your body up until your chin clears the bar.
  4. Pause briefly at the top, then lower yourself under full control.
  5. Fully extend the arms at the bottom before starting the next rep.
Pro Tip

Initiate the pull by driving your elbows down toward the floor, not by just curling with the arms.

Common Mistakes
  • Kipping or swinging to generate momentum
  • Only completing half the range of motion
  • Shrugging the shoulders instead of pulling with the back
3 Sets Max / 6–10 Reps Rest 90s
MUSCLE GROUP 03

🎯 Shoulders

Anterior, lateral & posterior deltoids — build round, capped shoulders and bullet-proof joint health.

How To Perform

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weight racked at collarbone level.
  2. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
  3. Press the weight straight overhead until arms are fully locked out.
  4. Move your head slightly back and through as the bar passes your face.
  5. Lower with control back to the starting position.
Pro Tip

Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs hard — this protects your lower back from arching under the overhead load.

Common Mistakes
  • Arching the lower back excessively
  • Pressing the bar forward instead of straight up
  • Flaring elbows too wide at the start
3–4 Sets 6–10 Reps Rest 90s

How To Perform

  1. Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.
  2. Keep a slight bend in the elbows throughout the movement.
  3. Raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
  4. Pause briefly at the top.
  5. Lower slowly back to the starting position.
Pro Tip

Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands, and prioritize a slow, controlled tempo over heavy weight.

Common Mistakes
  • Swinging the weight up using momentum
  • Raising the arms above shoulder height
  • Shrugging the traps to assist the lift
3 Sets 12–15 Reps Rest 45–60s

How To Perform

  1. Stand holding dumbbells (or a plate) in front of your thighs.
  2. Keep a slight bend in the elbows and a braced core.
  3. Raise the weight in front of you to shoulder height, one arm at a time or together.
  4. Pause briefly at the top.
  5. Lower with control back to the start.
Pro Tip

Keep your torso still — if you're using your back to swing the weight up, it's too heavy.

Common Mistakes
  • Using body momentum to swing the weight up
  • Going too heavy and shortening the range of motion
  • Raising above shoulder height, stressing the joint
3 Sets 12–15 Reps Rest 45–60s

How To Perform

  1. Set a rope attachment at upper-chest to face height on the cable machine.
  2. Grip the rope with both hands, palms facing in, and step back to add tension.
  3. Pull the rope toward your face, leading with your elbows high and wide.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your hands outward at the finish.
  5. Return slowly to the starting position under control.
Pro Tip

This is a shoulder-health staple, not an ego lift — use a light-to-moderate weight and focus on the squeeze.

Common Mistakes
  • Using too much weight and losing form
  • Pulling with just the arms instead of the rear delts
  • Letting the elbows drop low
3 Sets 15–20 Reps Rest 45s
MUSCLE GROUP 04

💪 Biceps

Biceps brachii & brachialis — curling movements for peak, thickness and arm-day pride.

How To Perform

  1. Stand holding the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip.
  2. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and your torso still.
  3. Curl the bar up toward your chest by flexing the elbows.
  4. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
  5. Lower the bar under control back to a full stretch.
Pro Tip

Keep a 2–3 second lowering phase — the eccentric is where most of the growth stimulus happens.

Common Mistakes
  • Swinging the hips to generate momentum
  • Letting elbows drift forward
  • Only performing the top half of the range
3 Sets 8–12 Reps Rest 60s

How To Perform

  1. Stand holding dumbbells at your sides with a neutral (palms-in) grip.
  2. Keep elbows fixed close to your torso.
  3. Curl both (or alternating) dumbbells up while keeping the neutral grip.
  4. Squeeze at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower slowly back to the starting position.
Pro Tip

This variation builds the brachialis and forearms too — great for overall arm thickness and grip strength.

Common Mistakes
  • Swinging the shoulders to assist the curl
  • Letting elbows drift away from the torso
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 45–60s

How To Perform

  1. Sit on a bench with legs spread, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Brace the back of your upper arm against your inner thigh.
  3. Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder.
  4. Squeeze the bicep hard at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower slowly and repeat, then switch arms.
Pro Tip

Focus on the mind-muscle connection — this exercise is about quality contraction, not the amount of weight lifted.

Common Mistakes
  • Letting the elbow lift off the thigh
  • Using momentum instead of a controlled squeeze
3 Sets 12 Reps / Arm Rest 45s

How To Perform

  1. Rest the back of your upper arms flat on the preacher pad.
  2. Hold the EZ bar with an underhand grip, arms extended but not locked.
  3. Curl the bar up toward your shoulders.
  4. Squeeze the biceps at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower under control, stopping just short of full lockout to keep tension.
Pro Tip

The preacher pad removes cheating and momentum, making this one of the strictest bicep builders available.

Common Mistakes
  • Letting the arms snap straight explosively at the bottom
  • Using shoulders to help initiate the curl
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 60s
MUSCLE GROUP 05

🔺 Triceps

Three-headed triceps brachii — extension and pressing movements that build horseshoe-shaped arm mass.

How To Perform

  1. Stand facing a high cable with a bar or rope attachment.
  2. Pin your elbows to your sides, forearms parallel to the floor.
  3. Push the attachment down until your arms are fully extended.
  4. Squeeze the triceps hard at the bottom.
  5. Control the weight back up without letting elbows drift forward.
Pro Tip

Keep your elbows glued to your ribs — if they move, you're recruiting shoulders and chest instead of triceps.

Common Mistakes
  • Leaning bodyweight into the movement
  • Flaring elbows out to the sides
3 Sets 12–15 Reps Rest 45–60s

How To Perform

  1. Lie flat on a bench holding the bar with arms extended over your chest.
  2. Keep your upper arms still and perpendicular to the floor.
  3. Bend your elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead or just behind your head.
  4. Extend your elbows to press the bar back up.
  5. Repeat while keeping the upper arms stationary throughout.
Pro Tip

Only the forearms should move — keep the upper arm locked in place for maximum triceps tension.

Common Mistakes
  • Flaring the elbows out wide
  • Moving the upper arm back and forth
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 60s

How To Perform

  1. Grip the parallel bars and support your bodyweight with arms extended.
  2. Keep your torso upright to emphasize the triceps.
  3. Lower your body until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
  4. Press back up to full arm extension.
  5. Repeat while keeping shoulders down away from your ears.
Pro Tip

Stay upright for triceps focus; lean the torso forward to shift more emphasis onto the lower chest.

Common Mistakes
  • Descending too deep, straining the shoulder joint
  • Flaring elbows out wide
3 Sets 8–12 Reps Rest 90s

How To Perform

  1. Hold a dumbbell overhead with both hands, arms fully extended.
  2. Keep your elbows pointed forward and close to your head.
  3. Lower the weight behind your head by bending the elbows.
  4. Extend back up to the starting position, squeezing the triceps.
  5. Keep your core tight throughout to avoid arching the back.
Pro Tip

The overhead position stretches the long head of the triceps more than pushdowns — great for filling out arm size.

Common Mistakes
  • Flaring elbows out wide
  • Using weight too heavy to control the range of motion
3 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 60s
MUSCLE GROUP 06

🦵 Legs

Quads, hamstrings & glutes — the foundation of total-body strength and athletic power.

How To Perform

  1. Position the bar across your upper traps, feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Brace your core and un-rack the bar, taking a step back.
  3. Sit your hips back and bend your knees, lowering until thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
  4. Keep your chest up and knees tracking in line with your toes.
  5. Drive through your heels to return to standing.
Pro Tip

Take a deep breath and brace your core like bracing for a punch before every rep — it stabilizes your spine under load.

Common Mistakes
  • Knees caving inward
  • Heels lifting off the floor
  • Rounding the lower back at the bottom
4 Sets 6–10 Reps Rest 2 min

How To Perform

  1. Sit in the machine with feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
  2. Release the safety and lower the platform until knees reach roughly 90°.
  3. Press through your heels to extend your legs.
  4. Stop just short of locking the knees out hard.
  5. Lower under control and repeat.
Pro Tip

A joint-friendly way to overload the legs — great for accumulating volume without spinal loading.

Common Mistakes
  • Lowering so far the hips/butt lift off the pad
  • Locking the knees out explosively at the top
  • Letting the knees cave inward
3–4 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 90s

How To Perform

  1. Stand tall, holding dumbbells at your sides if using weight.
  2. Step forward with one leg and lower your back knee toward the floor.
  3. Keep your front knee tracking directly over your ankle.
  4. Push through your front heel to rise and step into the next lunge.
  5. Continue alternating legs for the full distance or rep count.
Pro Tip

Take a full stride rather than a short step — a longer stride shifts more work onto the glutes and protects the front knee.

Common Mistakes
  • Letting the front knee travel far past the toes
  • Taking short, choppy steps
  • Leaning the torso too far forward
3 Sets 12 Steps / Leg Rest 60s

How To Perform

  1. Hold the bar at hip level with a soft bend in the knees.
  2. Push your hips back while keeping the bar close to your legs.
  3. Lower the weight along your legs until you feel a deep hamstring stretch.
  4. Keep your back flat throughout the descent.
  5. Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
Pro Tip

This is a hip-hinge, not a squat — keep the knee bend minimal and constant while the hips do the moving.

Common Mistakes
  • Rounding the back to reach further down
  • Bending the knees too much, turning it into a squat
  • Not hinging enough at the hips
3–4 Sets 10–12 Reps Rest 90s
MUSCLE GROUP 07

🔥 Abs

Rectus abdominis & obliques — core stability and definition for every other lift you do.

How To Perform

  1. Rest on your forearms and toes, elbows directly under your shoulders.
  2. Form a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Brace your core tightly, squeezing your glutes.
  4. Hold the position while breathing steadily.
  5. Keep the line straight for the entire duration.
Pro Tip

Quality over duration — a tight, well-braced 30-second plank beats a sagging 2-minute one.

Common Mistakes
  • Letting the hips sag toward the floor
  • Piking the hips up too high
  • Holding the breath instead of breathing steadily
3 Sets 30–60s Hold Rest 45s

How To Perform

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with arms fully extended.
  2. Brace your core and avoid swinging your body.
  3. Raise your legs (straight or bent at the knees) up toward hip height or higher.
  4. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower slowly and under control back to the hang position.
Pro Tip

Focus on curling the pelvis under at the top rather than just lifting the legs — this shifts the work onto the abs instead of the hip flexors.

Common Mistakes
  • Using momentum and swinging the body
  • Only using the hip flexors without engaging the core
3 Sets 10–15 Reps Rest 60s

How To Perform

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Rest your hands lightly behind your head or crossed on your chest.
  3. Curl your shoulders off the floor by contracting your abs.
  4. Squeeze at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower back down under control and repeat.
Pro Tip

Focus on lifting with your abs, not by pulling on your neck with your hands.

Common Mistakes
  • Yanking the neck forward with the hands
  • Using fast, jerky momentum instead of control
3 Sets 15–20 Reps Rest 45s

How To Perform

  1. Sit on the floor with knees bent, leaning back slightly to about 45°.
  2. Lift your feet off the floor for added difficulty, or keep them down for an easier version.
  3. Hold your hands together (or a weight plate) in front of your chest.
  4. Rotate your torso to tap the floor beside one hip.
  5. Rotate to the other side and repeat, keeping the movement controlled.
Pro Tip

Rotate from your torso, not just your arms — the arms should stay relatively fixed relative to your chest.

Common Mistakes
  • Moving too fast and losing control
  • Rounding the back excessively while leaning back
3 Sets 20 Reps (10/side) Rest 45s
TRAINING TYPE 08

❤️‍🔥 Cardio

Heart, lungs & conditioning — the engine behind endurance, fat loss and recovery between sets.

How To Perform

  1. Warm up with a 5-minute brisk walk.
  2. Gradually increase your pace to a comfortable running speed.
  3. Maintain an upright posture with a relaxed upper body.
  4. Land mid-foot rather than heavily on your heels.
  5. Cool down with a 5-minute walk to bring your heart rate down gradually.
Pro Tip

Keep your posture tall and let your arms swing naturally — a relaxed upper body saves energy over longer runs.

Common Mistakes
  • Overstriding, landing with the foot too far in front of the body
  • Gripping the side rails, which alters natural running form
Steady / Intervals 20–30 min 3–5x / Week

How To Perform

  1. Adjust the seat height so your knee has a slight bend at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
  2. Start pedaling at a comfortable, steady cadence.
  3. Adjust resistance to control intensity.
  4. Keep your core lightly engaged and avoid locking out the knees.
  5. Cool down with a few minutes of easy pedaling at the end.
Pro Tip

A low-impact option that's easy on the joints — great for active recovery days between heavy lifting sessions.

Common Mistakes
  • Seat set too low or too high, straining the knees
  • Locking the knees out at the bottom of each pedal stroke
Steady / HIIT 20–40 min 3–5x / Week

How To Perform

  1. Strap your feet in and grip the handle with arms extended.
  2. Drive first through your legs, pushing the seat back.
  3. As legs finish extending, lean your torso back slightly.
  4. Pull the handle to your lower ribs, finishing with the arms.
  5. Reverse the sequence on the way back: arms, then body, then legs.
Pro Tip

Remember the sequence "legs, body, arms" on the drive and reverse it on the recovery — this order generates the most power with the least strain.

Common Mistakes
  • Pulling with the arms before the legs finish driving
  • Rounding the back during the pull
Steady / Intervals 15–20 min 2–4x / Week

How To Perform

  1. Warm up thoroughly for 5 minutes with light cardio and dynamic stretches.
  2. Choose 3–5 exercises such as burpees, jump squats and mountain climbers.
  3. Perform each exercise at high intensity for a set work interval (e.g. 40 seconds).
  4. Rest for a short interval (e.g. 20 seconds) between exercises.
  5. Repeat the circuit for the desired number of rounds, then cool down.
Pro Tip

Push close to maximum effort during work intervals — the rest period is short on purpose so use it to recover fully, not to coast.

Common Mistakes
  • Skipping the warm-up before high-intensity work
  • Not pushing hard enough during the work interval
8–10 Rounds 40s Work / 20s Rest 2–3x / Week

Always warm up before training and cool down afterward. If you're new to exercise, pregnant, recovering from injury, or managing a health condition, consult a doctor and train under the supervision of a certified trainer at Brahmaputra Gymnasium before attempting these exercises.