But when it comes to massive muscle gains bench presses, squats, and equipment cannot complete with this one simple exercise. If you want to pack on major muscle mass, and who doesn't, there is one exercise that you must have in your repertoire - the deadlift.

The great thing about deadlifts is that they require no fancy gear, only a straight bar and as much weight as you can handle. The problem is that nobody likes deadlifts and very few people actually perform them correctly.

Deadlifts are such a great muscle gain exercise because it works the entire body. In fact it engages just about every muscle - from your fingers right down to your toes. Of course, the main focus is on the back and hamstrings, but you'll feel it all over.

The fact that the deadlift works the entire body means that it also helps in the excretion of muscle building hormones, such as testosterone and human growth hormone. No need for needles here - you get an all natural muscle gaining boost from the deadlift.

How to do a deadlift

Obviously, you should not try deadlifts if you have back problems (and always consult with your physician before beginning an exercise routine).

There are several varieties of deadlifts, but here we'll focus on the standard basic version - the bent-legged deadlift. Begin by loading a straight bar with the appropriate amount of weight. If you have never done deadlifts (or it's been awhile) you should err on the side of lighter weight.

You begin this movement with you feel shoulder width apart. Squat down with your back flat and grab the bar with your hands outside your legs. A quick note on grip. You'll get all sorts of advice on this at the gym, but it doesn't really matter. Use whatever grip you want - the traditional overhand grip is just fine.

Now, lift the weight off the ground by driving down with your legs. Think about pushing your feel through the floor and you'll have it about right. Keep the bar against your shins and thighs the entire way up. When you get to the top pause for a second and then slowly lower the weight back down - again keeping the bar against your shins and thighs.

Repeat until you reach muscle failure or your goal reps. This is an intense exercise so 6-8 reps will usually suffice. But you can also go with lighter weight and more reps (I know people who do up to 20 per set).

It is very important to keep your form all the way through the exercise. Keep your abs tight and this will help avoid back injuries. If you form begins to breakdown lower the weight and/or number of reps.

Since deadlifts are such a good muscle gain exercise, you'll need plenty of rest after doing them. So you might want to put them into your plan only once or maybe twice a week.