9 Exercises That Will Actually Make You See Results

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Andrew Richard / Taylor Miller

So you've been hitting the gym pretty regularly and have a basic understanding of cardio and bodyweight moves. Now what? Whether your goal is to get stronger or to actually put on muscle, adding these exercises to your routine is a great place to start.

We asked Albert Matheny, founder of SoHo Strength Lab and Promix Nutrition, to come up with a list of 10 exercises that'll help you see results. It's time to get your gym on.

Note: All kettlebell exercises in this post can also be completed with dumbbells, and vice versa.

1. Goblet Squat

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• Keep your feet about hip-width apart.

• Turn your toes out slightly.

• Keep the kettlebell close to your chest.

• Push your hips back, as if you're going to sit down.

• Slowly lower your body, squatting only as deeply as you can to keep proper form.

• Keep weight in the middle of your feet.

• Return to standing.

2. Barbell Back Squat

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• Start with the bar on the top of your traps.

• Always keep a tight grip with your hands.

• Keep your chest and head up.

• Push through the middle of your feet when you stand up.

3. Deadlift

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• Keep your feet between hip- and shoulder-distance apart.

• Your feet should also be straight or slightly turned out.

• Keep your spine neutral by engaging core and upper body (whole body must be tight).

• The bar should stay in contact with your body throughout the lift (i.e. touching your legs as you stand the bar up).

4. Bulgarian Split Squat

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• Keep your chest up as you squat with a slight forward lean at your torso.

• Your shoulders should stay over or slightly in front of your hips, never behind them.

• Make sure your butt makes contact with your back heel in the lower position.

• Don't rock or sway back (you should start and end in the same position).

• Squat until your front leg is at a 90-degree angle.

5. Chin-up

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• Your palms should face your body.

• Keep your feet together and abs engaged.

• Keep your elbows close to your body the whole time.

• Slowly lower yourself until arms are fully extended.

• Keep your head neutral or look slightly up, with your neck relaxed.

6. Pull-up

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• Same as chin-up, but your palms should face away from your body.

7. Farmer's Carry

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• Keep a strong grip on weights in each hand.

• Your head, shoulders, and hips should be neutral.

• Keep your chest up and shoulders back.

• Take shorter steps if the weight is heavy.

• Keep your abs engaged to eliminate rocking side to side.

8. Walking Dumbbell Lunges

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• With each step, your front leg should be at a 90-degree angle and your foot should land flat and pointed straight forward.

• Drive through your whole front foot (not your toes or heel) to stand up.

• Your back foot should only provide assistance to stand and for balance support.

• Keep the weights and your arms controlled and at your side with your chest up and your shoulders back.

• Your shoulders should be directly above your hips or slightly in front of them.

9. Push-up

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• Spread your fingers so they're active and engaged with floor.

• Keep your abs, glutes, and entire lower body tight.

• Your whole body should move as one unit and remain neutral from your head to your hips.

• Keep your elbows close to your body with a slight angle outward.

• Keep your shoulders away from your ears and don't let your shoulders round forward as you go down.

• Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your hands (not just in palms).