People want to know how to build muscle without getting hurt. That’s a two-part question. Let’s address the staying injury-free part first.
 
I want to begin by stating this apparent truth: anything done in excess will hurt you. Drinking too much water will kill you. Staying up (not sleeping) for too long will kill you. Walking too far (think death march) will hurt and kill you.  Stop worrying about which exercise is dangerous. The easy answer when addressing how not to get hurt during weight training is moderation. The difficulty is how to choose the dose when conducting an activity. When referring to strength training this involves correctly manipulating variables like tempo, reps, sets, loads, modes, and time domains. This is better left to an expert when possible.
 
The question you should ask is not what exercises are dangerous, but which exercises are too beneficial not to do. It would be dangerous not to reap the benefits of these movements. The mastery of these movements will result in injury prevention. You will become a strong athletic specimen resistant to decrepitude. Any movement done with correct form is as safe as the next. All movements, however, are not created equal in their productivity. The movements that build the most muscle and athleticism need to go to the top of your list.
 
Here are two criteria that you should look for when building your list:
 

1. Pick movements that allow for large power outputs. This is measurable and requires some remedial math skills. Here is a formula everyone should know P = w / t. Simply put, you want to move large loads over long distances, quickly. Start with the barbell movements. They allow you to move the largest loads, and despite what you’ve heard, the barbell is safe and your most valuable tool. (I am not saying kettlebells and dumbbells should not be used. I use them often; they have their benefits.)

 

2. Always choose compound movements over isolation exercises. The big multi-joint movements have a larger positive effect on your endocrine system. In short, this means hormones like testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and estrogen will respond better to compound movements. Isolation exercises will not help you here. Compound movements also build skills isolation movements do not, like balance, accuracy, coordination, and agility. Compound movements also help prevent injury by making it harder to overtrain a single muscle.

 
Without further ado, here’s a list of must-do exercises.
 

1. Barbell Clean and Jerk

2. Barbell Snatch
 
 
The Olympic lifts should be your life goal in weight training. Theses lifts, as far as a single movement are concerned, are more effective in eliciting overall athletic adaptation than any other single movement. This means you will get big, strong, and become more resistant to injury.
 
 
3. Barbell Back Squat
 
The best leg movement for building strength. It allows for the most weight to be moved. Other squats (like the overhead squat and front squat) are important, but the back squat will be your biggest squat. If you leave this one out, your legs will never be as big and strong as they can be.
 
4. Barbell Deadlift
 
Your biggest pull; also, your biggest lift. The deadlift will allow you to put the most weight on the bar, period. This lift alone can build mass and strength throughout the entire body. Remember, movements that allow you to put a lot of weight on the bar and use the whole body produce the best endocrine response (read: gains).
 
5. Barbell Bench Press
 
Your largest press. Remember, the question was how to build muscle. Large compound movements are always the safest bet. Build a huge chest, shoulders and tris with the bench press.
 
6. Weighted Strict Pull-Up
 
Now we are attacking the upper body pulling muscles: the bis, shoulders, traps, rhomboids, and lats. The pull-up builds strength and mass in all these muscle groups at the same time, and it also develops coordination throughout the entire body when done correctly. Try holding a slight hollow position with your core, keeping your legs straight, feet together and toes pointed at the floor.
 
7. Strict Deficit Handstand Push-Ups
 
This is not a traditional barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell movement, but your body definitely counts as weight. This one is in here to cover your vertical pressing category. Use parallettes or plates to create full deficit. Hands should come to shoulder depth. To have your bases covered you need to be good at horizontal pressing and pulling, as well as vertical pressing and pulling. This exercise is incredibly difficult. Try to build your max set to 10.
 
8. Weighted GHD Sit-Up
 
This movement will kill two birds with one stone: train hip flexion mechanics, and also develop the abdominals and hip flexors. Use a med ball or plate. Touch the floor with the implement and then touch the foot rest. Do not allow the implement to pass the chest until you have sat up, as moving the implement to the waist or legs before you finish the sit-up will make it easy. If you have never done these before, start with no weight and build to 3 sets of 20 reps before you add weight.
 
9. Single Arm Dumbbell Row
 
This is your go-to for horizontal pulling. Between these and pull-ups your bis and lats will get all the work they need to grow big and strong. Brace yourself on a bench so you can use larger dumbbells without worrying about your lower back limiting you. Super-set these with bench presses and you will have a killer upper body workout that will leave you gassed.
 
10. Kettlebell Turkish Get Up
 
This is not the sexiest move you have ever seen. Rarely does anyone get excited to do them. BUT YOU SHOULD. Think of this exercise as glue or mortar. It fills in the cracks in your body and creates an unbreakable structure. It uses the entire body, forcing you to stabilize continuously in a manner that no other movement does.
 
That’s the list. Mastery of these movements will get you yoked and give you a body that can’t be broken.