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When you workout regularly, you will want to start targeting certain areas of your body. Whether you use a professional trainer, refer to books or exercise videos, or simply talk to people at your local gym , you'll soon realise that different exercises work different muscle groups.

Although many people avoid them, the most important exercises are those for your stomach, the abdominal muscles. Exercises for the abdominals are mostly various types of crunches, done on a mat or a gym ball. Working the core of the body is crucial for good posture and helps to keep your back strong and healthy. To further work your back, exercises can focus on either the upper or lower back - developing the upper back is done mostly through variations of rowing, or else using the classic pull-ups. Lower back strength helps in avoiding the majority of back injuries.

Working the chest is what most people visualise when thinking of gym workouts - the classic bench press is the ultimate in developing a strong chest, though there are numerous variations, using either a barbell or dumbbells, and different angles. When working the chest region, the actions you do often include the shoulders. Broad shoulders are a metaphor for strength, and working the shoulders is essential for any athlete. The shoulder joint is particularly vulnerable to injury due to the stresses place on it, but it is easy to work - there are a huge number of different ways to work the shoulders, from rowing to raises, presses to dips.

Many people focus their workouts on their arms, but in reality they are the least important of the major muscle groups - by the time you've thoroughly worked the rest of your body, your arms are guaranteed to have had a good workout anyway. Still, the lure of bigger, stronger arms is hard to resist, and they are easy to work, with a range of curls for the biceps, and presses and extensions for the triceps. Unfortunately, leg workouts are often left till last, but for many people they are crucial. Strengthening the legs - whether through squats, calf-raises or leg extensions - will not only help to provide better muscle balance, it can also improve performance in most sports and help prevent injuries.

Don't just sit around waiting for it to come to you. Find all the moves to keep you fit and healthy on thefitmap.co.uk.