We all have our favorite exercises. Whether these are the easiest to perform, or maybe the ones we believe give us the biggest pay-off, it all comes down to our personal perspective on what a work-out should be. But regardless of your approach, we can all pretty much agree that we want to look our best as quickly as possible. These then, are the Critical 9 exercises all men should have include in their routines, at a minimum.

If you want to fill out that fitted shirt your mother-in-law gave you last Christmas, you will need to work on your chest. Your best option here is the neutral-grip dumbbell bench press. Lie on a flat bench and hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest, palms facing in. Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Pause, then press them back up. Do 10 reps.

Fill the shoulders of that shirt out with the half-kneeling single-arm bottom-up kettlebell press. Hold a kettlebell in your left hand in front of your shoulder, bottom up. Step forward with your right foot and kneel on your left knee. Press the bell overhead 10 times. Stand up, switch sides, and repeat.

For your back, get into the habit of performing a dumbbell chest-supported row. Lie face down on a bench set to its lowest incline. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length, palms facing back. Row the weights to your ribs, turning your hands so your palms face in. Do 10 reps.

If you are having trouble squeezing into that fitted shirt, you need to work on your core. One of the best exercises for this is the half-kneeling rotational cable chop. Attach a rope to a cable station; kneel on your right knee, your left side facing the machine. Rotate as you pull the rope past your right hip. Do 10 reps, switch sides, and repeat.

The ladies have been known to like big biceps, so be sure to give them some love regularly with a dumbbell incline curl. Lie on an incline bench and let the weights hang at arm's length, palms forward. Curl the weights, pause, lower them halfway, pause 5 seconds, and finish lowering. Do 10 reps.

If you want to look good in shorts, pay attention to your calves, with standing dumbbell single-leg calf raises. These can be done anywhere there’s a step or platform. Grab a dumbbell and stand on a step or a 25-pound plate. Cross your left foot behind your right ankle, balancing on the ball of your right foot. Raise your right heel. Do 10 reps, switch sides, and repeat.

For your quads, it's a barbell front squat with heels elevated. With your heels on weight plates, hold a barbell across the front of your shoulders with your palms facing up. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Do 10 reps.

And for your triceps, lie on your back on the floor and hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest with your arms straight, knees bent, and feet flat. Lower the weights until your upper arms touch the floor. Do 10 reps. This exercise is called the dumbbell floor press.

Last, but certainly not least, is the all-important gluteus maximus. Get your buns into gear with the barbell hip thrust. Sit on the floor, your upper back against a bench, a padded barbell across your hips. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips so your body is straight from shoulders to knees. Hold 5 seconds. Do 10 reps.