That’s all well and good, but even when it comes to “leg day,” many lifters still end up skipping a relatively large portion of their lower body. Not even addressing the flamingo-legged elephant in the room that is calf training. The more urgent body part that deserves your attention is the hamstrings.

Whether it’s for athletic performance, total-body power, or a complete and well-developed set of legs, here are some must-do movements to target the backs of your thighs.

Best Hamstring Exercises

• Romanian Deadlift
• Split-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
• Single-Leg Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift
• Standing Leg Curl
• Seated Leg Curl
• Lying Leg Curl
• High Leg Press
• Kettlebell Swing
• Slider Leg Curl
• Seated Resistance Band Curl
• Nordic Hamstring Curl
• SHELC

Romanian Deadlift

While the conventional deadlift is known for building serious power and size in the entire posterior chain (lower back, glutes, and hamstrings), the Romanian deadlift zones in even further on that growth stimulus by adjusting the range of motion and body positioning.

By keeping your legs slightly bent, you put your hamstrings into a longer stretched position while also forcing them to contract harder during hip extension, which both contribute to greater growth. (1)

How to Do the Romanian Deadlift

Stand holding a barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width, overhand grip. Pull your shoulder blades back and raise your chest. Slightly bend your knees and push your glutes toward the wall behind you.

Focus on feeling your hamstrings stretch as you “reach” your tailbone to the wall. When the bar reaches as low as possible without rounding your back, drive your heels “through” the ground and push your hips forward to return upright.

Benefits of the Romanian Deadlift

• As a barbell movement, the Romanian deadlift allows the use of potentially heavy weights, which contributes to strength gains.
• This movement puts the target muscle through a long range of motion with a deep stretch, which benefits muscle growth.

Split-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Single-leg training can be highly beneficial for strength, power, and muscle growth. (2) However, many lifters struggle with balance to the detriment of any single-leg exercise. Taking a staggered or split-stance drastically reduces the balance demands while maintaining the single-leg emphasis.

The split-stance dumbbell Romanian deadlift allows you to focus on working the hamstrings of your lead leg, while your rear leg provides just enough stability to stay steady. Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows a longer range of motion while reducing lower back strain.

How to Do the Split-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Take a shoulder-width stance with the toes of one foot in line with the heel of the lead foot. Keep your back straight while pushing your hips and glutes behind you. Allow your hands to face each other as the weights lower toward your front foot. Pull with your front leg, not the rear foot, to stand upright. Perform all reps on one leg before switching sides.

Benefits of the Split-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

• This movement pairs the benefits of single-leg training with the stability of a bilateral (two-legged) exercise.
• The split-stance dumbbell Romanian deadlift allows a significant muscle-building stimulus from relatively light weights, due to the stance and leverage.

Single-Leg Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift

The single-leg, single-arm Romanian deadlift might look, or even sound, more like a circus trick than a serious training exercise. But it’s a top-level choice for muscle-building tension and high-performance athleticism.

By requiring one leg to provide stability and the opposite arm to carry the weight, you’re creating a total-body movement that hits your legs, core, and back like few other exercises.

How to Do the Single-Leg Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift

Stand with a dumbbell in your left hand, by your side with your palm facing your body. Slightly bend your right knee, lean forward at your hips, and let your left leg raise into the air as the weight moves toward the ground. Avoid twisting your shoulders or rounding your spine. Move slowly to control the weight and maintain balance. When you’re reached as far as your mobility allows, slowly return to the starting position. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands and legs.

Benefits of the Single-Leg Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift

• This comprehensive exercise works the “posterior oblique sling” — a series of muscles which play a key role in posture, especially when walking and moving.
• The single-leg, single-arm Romanian deadlift strongly works the oblique muscles of the abs and core.
• Stabilizer muscles in the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders are recruited, making the exercise an efficient way to improve joint health. (3)

Standing Leg Curl

The standing leg curl machine can be found in several different but similar varieties. Some allow your non-working foot to be planted firmly on the ground in a fully standing position while other machines, sometimes called “kneeling leg curls” have a specialized pad to support your non-working leg in a bent position. The overall result and performance is the same with either.

Standing leg curls allow you to emphasize knee flexion (bending your leg), a key function of the hamstring muscle. An added benefit of the standing machine is performing the work unilaterally, targeting each leg on its own.

How to Do the Standing Leg Curl

Setup in the machine with the curl pad placed just above the ankle of the working leg. Secure your torso in position using any available handles. Brace your core and squeeze the heel of your leg toward your glutes. Achieve a complete range of motion. Lower the weight under control until your leg is fully straightened. Perform all reps on one side before switching legs.

Benefits of the Standing Leg Curl

• The standing leg curl applies constant tension to the target muscle, unlike free weight movements which apply varying levels of resistance due to gravity.
• Unilateral (single-leg) training can help to address and correct muscular imbalances between sides.
• The design of the machine limits your ability to reduce muscle activation by using full-body momentum to swing the weight.

Seated Leg Curl

The seated leg curl, like many machines, requires some individualized setup for the most productive training experience. Most machines have an adjustable back pad, thigh support, and ankle pad, which must all be correctly set in place to keep your body in the most efficient position. Most people, however, skip this crucial step.

This strict movement can provide an intense hamstring contraction with little to no contribution from other body parts, making it an ideal muscle-builder.

How to Do the Seated Leg Curl

Adjust the back pad to position your knee joint in line with the pivoting leg attachment. Set the thigh pad securely against the tops of your quadriceps. Adjust the ankle pad to sit just above your heel. Brace your core and drive through your heels to reach a full contraction, with your feet well-under the seat of the machine. Straighten your legs under control.

Benefits of the Seated Leg Curl

• The seated leg curl puts the body in nearly identical positioning as the quadriceps-focused leg extension while training the direct opposite muscle group, making the two movements an ideal superset.
• This machine provides significant support which eliminates momentum and removes your ability to lift the weight using anything but strict hamstring activation, leading to a greater muscle-building stimulus.
• The seated position changes the stretch on your hamstring muscles, which may contribute to greater growth compared to a lying leg curl. (4) 

Lying Leg Curl

The lying leg curl may be the most popular hamstring exercise, but it’s also one often done incorrectly. Many lifters hike their hips off the pad as they curl, which shifts focus away from their hamstrings and onto their glutes and hip flexors.

To maximize hamstring recruitment, it’s essential to keep your hips pinned to the pad throughout the entire repetition. Some lifters find it necessary to raise their upper body onto their forearms, or even hold themselves up using straight arms, to keep their hips in position.

How to Do the Lying Leg Curl

Lie face down on the machine with the pad resting above your ankles. Flex your abs to ensure a stable upper body. Steadily bring your heels as close as possible to your glutes. Ideally, they should be able to touch briefly. Lower the weight under control.

Benefits of the Lying Leg Curl

• Lying down puts your hamstrings into a stretched position, which can help improve hamstring flexibility and growth.
• The lying leg curl allows for a strong peak contraction, which can contribute to building strength and muscle.

High Leg Press

The leg press is a common and effective exercise for quadriceps growth, but a slight foot adjustment can shift muscle recruitment and emphasize your hamstrings.

Setting your feet relatively higher on the pressing platform than in the traditional leg press will emphasize the hamstrings (and glutes) more than the quadriceps. (5) This turns the exercise into a highly effective hamstring movement that allows you to lift relatively heavy weights.

How to Do the High Leg Press

Sit in a leg press machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes near the top of the foot platform. Keep your feet flat as you lower the weight as far as your mobility allows. Your lower back should remain in contact with the pad at all times. From the bottom position, straighten your legs to near lockout. 

Benefits of the High Leg Press

• The high leg press allows you to work the hamstrings using heavy weights, which contributes to muscle growth and strength gains.
• This leg press variation can be performed toward the end of a hamstring-focused workout, to fully exhaust the fatigued muscle, or at the beginning of a hamstring workout to overload the target muscle with heavy weights.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is one of the most widely known kettlebell exercises and can be programmed for muscle-building, strength, conditioning, or fat loss.

Unlike many exercises in the gym, the kettlebell swing primarily emphasizes the concentric (lifting) phase of each repetition with relatively less emphasis on the eccentric (lowering) phase. This helps to improve power output while also stimulating muscle growth. (6)

How to Do the Kettlebell Swing

Stand with your feet well-beyond shoulder-width apart, with a kettlebell on the ground several inches in front of your toes. Bend your legs slightly and drive your hips back as you grab the top handle of the kettlebell using a palm-down grip with both hands. Pull the kettlebell back toward your body, letting it swing just behind your legs. Brace your core and keep your back straight as you contract your lower body to bring the weight near chest-height using the hip drive, not actively lifting with your arms. Allow the weight to fall back along its path just behind your legs and repeat.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Swing

• The kettlebell swing is shown to improve overall strength and explosive power. (7)
• This dynamic movement builds grip strength, core strength, cardiovascular conditioning, and metabolic stress for a muscle-building stimulus.
• Because it requires minimal equipment and limited space, the swing is a convenient and space-efficient way to train your lower body. This makes it ideal for home gyms or those with limited access to weights.

Slider Leg Curl

If your home gym doesn’t have a pair of furniture sliders, you’re missing out on an extremely effective addition that opens up plenty of new exercises for the entire body. For your leg workouts, specifically, they’re a perfect alternative to any leg curl machine.

The sliders allow you to perform knee flexion on nearly any surface (rug, tile, gym flooring, etc.). Because they’re designed to literally slide on the ground, they also require increased core engagement, so your abs and hips will be working harder than during any machine-based curl.

How to Do the Slider Leg Curl

Lie on the ground with your legs straight and a slider under each heel. Keep your head and shoulders on the ground as you curl your feet toward your glutes while driving your hips up. Imagine a steel rod running from your chest to your knees — don’t allow your body to bend at the waist. Pause briefly and control both feet as you return to the starting position.

Benefits of the Slider Leg Curl

• The slider leg curl is one of the only hamstring curl options in a home gym without a dedicated leg curl machine.
• The instability of the sliders increases the core stability demands of the exercise.
• The slider leg curl can be progressed like other bodyweight movements using added load, changes in rep speed, or using a single-leg.

Seated Resistance Band Curl

Resistance bands are more commonly associated with upper body exercises, but this lower body movement is another highly effective machine alternative when you’re in a home gym or traveling.

With the seated resistance band curl, you only need a band, a stationary object to serve as an anchor point, and a bench, box, or chair to sit on. This delivers a high-tension exercise targeting the hamstrings with little to no help from other muscles.

How to Do the Seated Resistance Band Curl

Attach a resistance band to an immovable object several feet in front of a box, bench, or chair. Sit on the box with the band behind your ankles and your torso upright. Brace your upper body and extend your legs until they’re nearly straight. Keep your feet close to the ground as you drive your heels back under your body as far as possible. Don’t allow your upper legs to rise, which would take tension off your hamstrings. Hold the contraction for one second before straightening your legs and repeating.

Benefits of the Seated Resistance Band Curl

• The seated resistance band curl is an efficient hamstring exercise when training with limited equipment.
• Resistance bands offer “accommodating resistance” — they’re more challenging as the band is stretched farther and relatively less challenging in the stretched position — which can reduce strain on the knee joint.

Nordic Hamstring Curl

The Nordic hamstring curl is a relatively advanced exercise because it is, essentially, a leg curl performed with your own bodyweight. However, simple modifications and adjustments can be made so lifters of any experience and strength level can benefit from this powerful movement.

The Nordic hamstring curl is also supported by a significant amount of research showing its benefits for reducing the risk of hamstring injuries in athletes in a number of sports. (8)

How to Do the Nordic Hamstring Curl

Kneel on the ground with your heels locked into position under an immovable object, such as a Smith machine on a very low setting or a heavily loaded barbell. Begin in a “tall kneeling position”, sitting upright with your shins on the ground and a straight line from your knees through your torso to your neck. Maintain a stiff body position as you slowly lower yourself forward to the ground. Keep your hands up and ready to catch yourself. Focus on feeling tension in your hamstrings. When you feel tension reducing, Pull yourself back to an upright position.

Benefits of the Nordic Hamstring Curl

• The Nordic hamstring curl is supported by research to help reduce the risk of hamstring injuries in athletes.
• Because this movement emphasizes the eccentric (lowering) portion of the range of motion, it creates a significant growth stimulus. However, be aware that any eccentric emphasis can also lead to significant post-exercise muscle soreness. (9)
• This is one of the few bodyweight exercises to particularly target the hamstrings with knee flexion (curling), making it effective for exercise variety.

SHELC

The supine hip extension leg curl, or SHELC, is a thorough bodyweight exercise targeting the hamstrings and glutes. It is typically done on an exercise ball, but a similar movement can be done on a large foam roller.

The general movement is similar to the slider leg curl, however, the SHELC is performed through a longer range of motion. The “softness” of the exercise ball also makes the exercise more unstable and recruits more stabilizer muscles in the core, hips, and ankles.

How to Do the SHELC

Lie on the ground with your calves on an exercise ball. Keep your head, shoulders, and elbows flat on the ground throughout the exercise. Press your lower legs into the ball as you raise your hips to the ceiling. Keep a straight line through your entire body as you pull your feet toward your body. Pause briefly at the peak contraction. Slowly straighten your legs and briefly pause, supporting your body in a straight line before repeating the next repetition. Keep your hips elevated until the end of the set.

Benefits of the SHELC

• This bodyweight exercise works the hamstrings during hip extension as well as knee flexion, the two key functions of the muscle, which can lead to a greater growth stimulus compared to other exercises.
• The instability of the exercise ball increases core stability requirements, as well as recruitment of smaller lower body muscles, which can help improve joint health. 

Muscles Involved in Hamstring Training

While certain “hamstring exercises” isolate and emphasize the specific hamstring muscles, other movements will recruit other leg muscles including the glutes, quadriceps, and calves.

Hamstrings

Your hamstrings, on the backs of your thighs, are a collection of several similar-functioning muscles. They include the biceps femoris, on the outer portion of your leg, and the semitendinosus and semimembranosus, both along the inner part of your leg.

Your hamstrings are worked during two primary types of movements. They’re recruited during hip extension — moving your thigh from in front of your body in line under your torso — which is performed during Romanian deadlift variations. The hamstrings are also responsible for knee flexion, or bending your leg, during any type of leg curl.

Glutes

The glutes are a relatively strong muscle involved primarily in hip flexion. They will be recruited to assist during many hamstring movements, particularly hip extension exercises performed with a straight or relatively straight leg. The glutes are minimally involved during leg flexion, making those leg curl variations a higher priority when you want to emphasize the hamstrings over the glutes.

Quadriceps

The muscles on the front of the thigh — the quadriceps — are anatomically opposite from the hamstrings. Not only are they located on the opposite side of the upper leg bone, but they work in an opposite (or antagonistic) role for knee extension or straightening the leg.

However, in certain multi-joint exercises like the high leg press, the quadriceps are recruited to help extend the leg and lift the weight. Similarly, your quads are recruited in exercises like the slider leg curl to control your descent as you straighten your leg and stretch your hamstrings.

Calves

The calf muscles on the back of your lower legs are primarily responsible for flexing and extending your feet. However, part of the calf muscle extends over the knee joint and is recruited during hip flexion. This is why, on certain exercises performed with straight or nearly straight legs, you may feel tension in the back of your knees or your calves.

How Often Should You Train the Hamstrings

In an ideal training scenario, hamstring training would receive as much attention as quadriceps training. However, in reality, many lifters tack on one or two hamstring exercises after a large number of quad-focused movements.

An effective solution to this less-than-attentive approach to hamstring training is to simply separate the quadriceps and hamstrings into two workouts. Rather than having “leg day,” design a quadriceps workout including squat and lunge variations and perform a separate workout focused on the types of exercises listed above.

While each session will be relatively shorter and can be paired with another body part depending on your training split, attacking each side of your thigh with more focus allows greater training intensity, relatively more volume, and it decreases the chances of “forgetting” to train them.

Whether you’re addressing them directly on their own or as part of a more comprehensive lower body workout, directly training your hamstrings once or twice per week can be an effective way to build muscle and strength while recovering sufficiently.

How to Progress Your Hamstring Training

No matter how often you’re targeting your hamstrings, it’s important to use a variety of exercises which address both functions of the muscle. In any workout, be sure to include Romanian deadlift variations which train hip flexion, as well as performing leg curl variations to work knee flexion.

To prioritize hamstrings during any workout, use several sets of any leg curl as the very first exercise of the day. This pre-exhaust technique fatigues your hamstrings and makes them more likely to reach muscular failure before other body parts trained in additional movements.

This helps to emphasize the hamstrings during exercises in which other muscle groups may receive relatively greater attention (such as the high leg press or even during the traditional squat) and helps to ensure optimal recruitment of the hamstrings.

How to Warm-Up Your Hamstrings

“Hamstring tear” is a phrase that can strike fear into any experienced lifter or athlete. Not only can a hamstring injury require significant recovery time, but it may potentially become a recurring issue requiring ongoing attention and adaptation.

Properly warming up your hamstring muscles, glutes, hips, knees, and ankles can allow for more training intensity with a reduced risk of injury. Beginning each hamstring workout with a simple, low-intensity series of bodyweight squats, unweighted single-leg Romanian deadlifts (modified toe touches), and classic standing leg swings (side to side as well as front to back) can go a long way toward preparing your muscles and joints for more intense training.

No Back Seat for the Hammies

Just because you can’t flex your hamstrings and see them in the mirror is no excuse to pretend they’re not there, literally supporting every step you take and (almost) every move you make in the gym. It’s well-past time to put the back of your thighs front and center, and give your leg development, lower body strength, and athletic power a real kick in the pants.

References

1. Van Every, D. W., Coleman, M., Rosa, A., Zambrano, H., Plotkin, D., Torres, X., Mercado, M., De Souza, E. O., Alto, A., Oberlin, D. J., Vigotsky, A. D., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Loaded inter-set stretch may selectively enhance muscular adaptations of the plantar flexors. PloS one, 17(9), e0273451. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273451
2. Speirs, Derrick E.1,2; Bennett, Mark A.3; Finn, Charlotte V.4; Turner, Anthony P.2. Unilateral vs. Bilateral Squat Training for Strength, Sprints, and Agility in Academy Rugby Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: February 2016 – Volume 30 – Issue 2 – p 386-392 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001096
3. Vleeming, A., Pool-Goudzwaard, A. L., Stoeckart, R., van Wingerden, J. P., & Snijders, C. J. (1995). The posterior layer of the thoracolumbar fascia. Its function in load transfer from spine to legs. Spine, 20(7), 753–758.
4. Maeo, S., Huang, M., Wu, Y., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2021). Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 53(4), 825–837. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002523
5. Escamilla, R. F., Fleisig, G. S., Zheng, N., Lander, J. E., Barrentine, S. W., Andrews, J. R., Bergemann, B. W., & Moorman, C. T., 3rd (2001). Effects of technique variations on knee biomechanics during the squat and leg press. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 33(9), 1552–1566. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200109000-00020
6. Moore, D.R., Young, M. & Phillips, S.M. Similar increases in muscle size and strength in young men after training with maximal shortening or lengthening contractions when matched for total work. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 1587–1592 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2078-x
7. Lake, Jason P.; Lauder, Mike A.. Kettlebell Swing Training Improves Maximal and Explosive Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: August 2012 – Volume 26 – Issue 8 – p 2228-2233 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2c9b
8. van Dyk, N., Behan, F. P., & Whiteley, R. (2019). Including the Nordic hamstring exercise in injury prevention programmes halves the rate of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 8459 athletes. British journal of sports medicine, 53(21), 1362–1370. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-100045
9. Hody, S., Croisier, J. L., Bury, T., Rogister, B., & Leprince, P. (2019). Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits. Frontiers in physiology, 10, 536. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00536

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That’s not to mention the overall performance boost you get from strengthening one of the most important joints in the upper body. Your shoulders are involved, to some degree, in almost all upper body movements. The versatile joint can perform a variety muscle actions in multiple directions.

To minimize your time and maximize your effort, your need to train the shoulders with a combination of exercises and motions. This means incorporating exercises designed for strength and power, high volume training, and isolation-focused work. Here is a rundown of the most effective exercises to attack your shoulders from all angles.

Best Shoulder Exercises

• Machine Shoulder Press
• High Incline Dumbbell Press
• Seated Arnold Press
• Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Z Press
• Dumbbell Cuban Press
• Behind-the-Neck Press
• Military Press
• Push Press
• Machine Lateral Raise
• Cable Lateral Raise
• Chest-Supported Lateral Raise
• Machine Rear Delt Flye
• Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye
• Pike Push-Up

Machine Shoulder Press

In order to maximize muscle recruitment, you need to produce high levels of force. Being in a more stable and supported position allows you to direct that force into the exercise you’re trying to perform. This is why well-designed exercise machines can be invaluable.

Imagine trying to fire a cannon out of a canoe — it’s unlikely you’re going to hit your target. The machine shoulder press creates the most amount of total-body stability so you can take the muscles through a full range of motion with more focus. You can also safely take those muscles closer to failure without worrying about controlling free weights.

How to Do the Machine Shoulder Press

Adjust the seat height so that the handles are slightly below shoulder-height. This is going to make sure there is constant tension in the muscle throughout the whole range of motion. Take an overhand (palms facing away) grip. If you have limited shoulder mobility, use a neutral grip (palms facing each other).

Raise your feet with a box, step, or foot pegs if the machine includes them. Lifting your feet will elevate the knees so that you can more successfully keep your low back in contact with the bench for added support. A secure footing also makes you less likely to slide forward in the seat when the set becomes challenging.

Benefits of the Machine Shoulder Press

• This exercise allows focus on recruiting the shoulder muscles without concern for balancing and stabilizing weights.
• The seat’s back support can benefit lifters who have recurring lower back problems, by providing external torso stability.
• The shoulder press machine allows muscular failure to be reached more safely than overhead barbell or dumbbell exercises.

High Incline Dumbbell Press

This is very similar to the machine shoulder press, but dumbbells allow you to take your shoulders through a longer range of motion. Your elbows can start the movement down by the sides of your body, move upward to the mid-point of the press, and moving together as your elbows lockout towards your body’s midline, stacking above your shoulders and underneath your wrists.

Dumbbells also offer the ability to rotate your hand position as you press, which can accommodate any wrist or elbow discomfort. This dumbbell press is an ideal alternative for lifters with joint problems.

How to Do the High Incline Dumbbell Press

Set an adjustable bench one notch below 90-degrees. This high angle allows the benefits of an overhead shoulder press while further reducing joint stress. The top part of the shoulder press is the joint’s most vulnerable position. By taking the bench down one notch from fully upright, you can still take the shoulders through a full range of movement but it’s safer because your upper back and shoulders have more room to move.

Begin with the dumbbells at shoulder-height, palms facing away from you. Press upward with control, bringing your thumbs toward each other as the weights pass above your head. Maintain control of the dumbbells and don’t allow them to bounce together at lockout. Pause briefly before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the High Incline Dumbbell Press

• The high incline dumbbell press combines the upper-body support benefits of a seated press with the joint-friendly adjustability of dumbbells.
• This press variation works well as a type of “bridge” between shoulder training and chest training, due to the bench angle. A slightly lower angle would begin to emphasize the chest more than the shoulder muscles.

Seated Arnold Press

Success leaves clues and if this exercise was good enough for Arnold, then it’s good enough for you. This comprehensive movement incorporates full range of motion at the shoulders and elbows, plus coordinated movement at shoulder blades. This all combines to engage the serratus anterior, lateral and rear deltoids, trapezius, teres major and minor, plus some lats.

Sounds good to be able to hit all of those muscles in one go, right? Maybe. The problem is that you are spreading the effort, intensity, and force across so many muscles in varying amounts, so it might not be a top choice for building strength. But it’s a good pick when looking to accumulate more training volume to stimulate overall growth.

How to Do the Seated Arnold Press

Set an adjustable bench at an extremely high angle, one notch below fully upright. Elevate your feet to really lock into the seat. Start with the two dumbbells at shoulder-height in front of the body with your palms facing towards you. Start to press them up. Once your hands reach eye-level, start to rotate your arms out to the side as you continue pressing. A common mistake with this exercise is rotating your hands to early, which just makes the exercise a basic seated shoulder press.

Rotate consistently as you press upward. At the top of the press, your hands should be facing forward. If you have limited shoulder mobility, they may end up neutral (facing each other). Reverse the entire motion on the way down back to the starting position.

Benefits of the Seated Arnold Press

• The Arnold press works the shoulders through a longer range of motion than a traditional shoulder press. This can create a greater stimulus for muscle growth.(1)
• This exercise recruits more muscles throughout the shoulders and upper back, which creates greater stability, reduced risk of injury, and an increased growth stimulus.

Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

Unilateral training can be very beneficial because we have something called the bilateral deficit, or BLD. While I do share the same initials, rest assured I did not come up with this concept. The bilateral deficit is essentially the body’s ability to more efficiently recruit individual limbs compared to working both limbs together.(2) For example, if you can shoulder press two 40-pound dumbbells simultaneously, you can likely press one 45 or 50-pound dumbbell for the same number of repetitions.

You can use the bilateral deficit to your advantage with the single-arm standing dumbbell press. This will not only allow you to use a relatively greater load, for increased strength and muscle gains, but the standing position can increase the range of motion and improve shoulder mobility.

How to Do the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

Stand behind a vertical bench, holding a dumbbell at shoulder-level in one hand with your free hand on top of the bench for support. Push into the bench to create stability as you press the weight to lockout above your head. Lower the weight under control. Perform all reps with one arm before switching sides.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

• The single-arm standing dumbbell press allows you to use relatively heavier weights than pressing two dumbbells together, which can lead to greater size and strength.
• The added bench support provides stability and can help to reduce lower back strain.
• This standing position incorporates core strength and total-body stability.

Dumbbell Z Press

This exercise has become relatively popular over the last few years. In part, possibly because it’s named after one of the greatest strongmen of all-time, Žydrūnas Savickas, also known as “Big Z.” While the Z press is often performed with a barbell, using a pair of dumbbells can further increase the core stability challenge.

The Z press requires, and can improve, mobility in your thoracic spine (upper back) and it creates tremendous core engagement because your upper body is entirely unsupported. This means you probably won’t be moving very heavy weights, but the exercise can be great for accumulating plenty of muscle-building volume.

How to Do the Dumbbell Z Press

Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight. If you lack hip mobility or if it’s too uncomfortable, sit on a very low box or step. Make sure you keep your shoulders stacked over your hips and your spine straight.

Bring two dumbbells to shoulder-level with your palms facing forward. Press both weights overhead to lockout, being sure to keep your upper body vertical as you stabilize the weights. Pause very briefly at lockout and lower the dumbbells to your shoulders.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Z Press

• The Z press builds major core strength because you’re forced to support the weight as it moves.
• The exercise reinforced strict pressing technique and eliminates the ability to swing the weights using your lower body. Leaning backward to cheat the movement also becomes much more apparent and easier to correct.

Dumbbell Cuban Press

Legend has it that this exercise was initially used by the Cuban Olympic weightlifting team to strengthen their shoulders. It was also popularized by the legendary late strength coach Charles Poliquin. The Cuban press trains the smaller internal stabilizer muscles of the shoulder and upper back, as well as the aesthetic outer shoulder muscles.

It walks the fine line between being a “prehab” movement focused on preserving and building shoulder health and being a strict muscle-building movement with a long time under tension.

How to Do the Dumbbell Cuban Press

Stand with two light dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing behind you. Lift your elbows up and out to the side with your hands hanging straight down. Once your elbows are in line with your shoulders, rotate your arms to point your hands toward the ceiling, with the weights around eye-level. Keep a roughly 90-degree angle at your elbows.

Finish by fully extending your arms and press to lockout. Reverse the process to lower the weights to the starting position. This exercise is a lot harder than it looks, so you won’t need much load or too many sets and reps. Starting with two sets of eight to 10 reps to learn the movement with very light weights.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Cuban Press

• The dumbbell cuban press strengthens shoulder stabilizers, including the rotator cuff, during the rotation movement prior to pressing.
• The exercise is typically performed slowly with an emphasis on technique, which increases the overall time under tension. This can contribute to greater muscle growth.

Behind-the-Neck Press

This exercise is performed with a barbell and, as the name suggests, the bar travels behind the neck instead of in front. This bar path makes it easier to stay in a stronger, safer position with your upper body stacked and in alignment. However, it does require good upper back mobility and it makes the initial part of the press significantly more challenging for both your shoulders and your triceps.

The biggest complaint (or fear) some lifters have is that the behind-neck position requires a good amount of shoulder mobility in order to successfully go through the full range of motion. If you don’t have the mobility to perform the movement, don’t worry. There are many other exercises you can do, this is just not one of them. But the behind-the-neck press has been a staple for weightlifters and bodybuilders for decades, so it’s not an exercise to steer away from if you can handle it.

How to Do the Behind-the-Neck Press

Set a barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width and pull your elbows forward to sit directly below your wrists. Unrack the weight and take a small step backward. Brace your core, and keep your legs and torso stable as you press the weight up. Fully extend your arms at the top.

To lower the weight, focus on pulling your elbows towards the sides of your body to load the shoulders more than the triceps. Keep your elbows beneath your wrists throughout the exercise. Depending on your mobility, the bar might gently touch the base of your neck before you press back up again.

Benefits of the Behind-the-Neck Press

• The behind-the-neck press helps to build functional mobility by training the shoulders, upper back muscles, and shoulder blades through a long range of motion.
• The bar path and body position reinforces strict pressing technique which puts emphasis on muscle recruitment instead of momentum.

Military Press

To many experienced lifters, this exercise is the end-all-be-all shoulder movement. The classic standing barbell press is a hallmark of old school weightlifting, classic bodybuilding, and all-around power and athleticism.

With this more common variation of the shoulder press, the barbell moves in front of the body. This creates two distinct challenges. First, core stability — You need to be more active in pulling your ribs down and tucking your hips under to stay stacked. Second, core control — You are unable to press straight up because the bar begins underneath your chin, so you have to move the barbell in an arching motion around your head while maintaining a strong center.

How to Do the Military Press

Set the barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width. Take a small step back with the bar resting across the fronts of your shoulders. Brace your abs and press up, staying as close to your face as possible without hitting your chin, nose, or forehead (obviously).

As you reach the lockout, “punch” your head between your arms. Your biceps should end up in-line with your ears. Maintain control of the bar by attempting to pull the bar apart as you’re pressing the weight above your head. This one small change can make a big difference in how the movement feels on your muscles and joints.

Benefits of the Military Press

• The military press is often considered a gold standard movement, on par with the flat bench press, for assessing and building upper body strength.
• This overhead press allows you to move potentially heavy weights, overloading the shoulders for greater strength and muscle gains.

Push Press

The push press has been wide-spread with the rise in popularity of things like CrossFit and HIIT-style group fitness workouts. In the push press, you are focusing on dip and drive — using your legs and hips to get the weight above your head.

Using your legs allows you to move a load that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to press with strict form for as many reps. At the top of the rep, you can really overload your shoulders and triceps as they control the weight back down with a slow eccentric contraction.

How to Do the Push Press

Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders, with a shoulder-width grip and your hands facing away from your body. Bend your knees slightly and drop your hips as if you were about to initiate a front squat. Quickly and powerfully extend your legs and drive your hips forward to get the weights moving off your body.

When the barbell is in motion, use your arms to guide it above your head to lockout. Think “legs drive, arms guide.” Don’t squat too deep before rising. You’ll only make it harder to get the weights above your head quickly. For maximum power output, be sure to get the weights moving using leg drive, not shoulder pressing strength.

Benefits of the Push Press

• This can be a great exercise for building upper body strength due to the use of heavy weights and total-body coordination.
• The strict eccentric portion of each repetition lets you accumulate significant volume and time under tension, which benefits muscle growth.

Machine Lateral Raise

The machine lateral raise is a great exercise for isolating and emphasizing the lateral, or side, part of the shoulder muscle. The lateral head of the shoulder primarily responsible for abducting the arm, or raising it away from the midline of the body.

Many very successful bodybuilders will prioritize lateral raise variations like this to help create a classic v-taper upper body. The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance compared to a dumbbell, which offers varying levels of resistance due to the changing pull of gravity throughout the range of motion.

How to Do the Machine Lateral Raise

Sit in the machine with your chest supported on the pad, if available. With most machines, you’ll perform this exercise with your elbows bent at roughly 90-degrees and the pads sitting on the outside of your upper arms.

Lift both arms until they’re parallel with the floor. Your elbows and upper arms should be in-line with your shoulders. Lower the pads with control. The bent arm position helps to focus the work on the shoulders and reduces the temptation to use your traps and upper back muscles.

Benefits of the Machine Lateral Raise

• The machine provides a controlled setup which makes it safer to take sets up to, or beyond, muscular failure.
• The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance throughout the entire range of motion, creating a longer time under tension and greater muscle-building stimulus.

Cable Lateral Raise

This version of the lateral raise is normally performed unilaterally (one arm at a time). The cable provides constant tension, so you are forced to work against the resistance throughout the whole range of motion.

The movement is also more strict because it is harder to use momentum to lift the weight due to the cable pulley. The cable setup also allows you to increase muscular stress in the lower portion of the repetition, compared to dumbbell lateral raises which have reduced resistance in the bottom of each rep.

How to Do the Cable Lateral Raise

Attach a single handle to a cable pulley set just below your knee. Stand sideways to the pulley with your non-working arm near the weight stack. Grab the handle with your palm facing the cable pulley. Begin with your arm slightly bent and your hand just below your belly button. Raise the handle sideways until your elbow is in line with your shoulder. Imagine reaching your hand out as far away from your body as you can. This should stop you from lifting your shoulders and engaging your traps.

Hold the top position for one second and initiate the eccentric portion as slowly. Pause briefly in the bottom position before starting the next rep to emphasize the stretched position.

Benefits of the Cable Lateral Raise

• The cable lateral raise provides high-tension with relatively light weights. It can be humbling and much harder than you think, making it a joint-friendly way to train without needing to move heavy weights.
• The unilateral movement allows you to concentrate on the working muscle, which can improve the mind-muscle connection and boost muscle growth.

Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

This version of the classic dumbbell lateral raise puts you in a more supported position with a greater opportunity use strict form and avoid momentum. This shifts more stress onto the side head of the shoulders.

The chest-supported lateral raise is perfect for high volume with slow repetitions. The bench support  reduces lower back strain by removing your ability to swing your torso when lifting the weights.

How to Do the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

Set an adjustable bench slightly below vertical. Straddle the bench with your chest supported on the back pad. Bring your arms slightly in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.

Raise your arms up and out to the sides. Focus on feeling tension in your shoulders and not your traps or back. Pause briefly when your hands reach shoulder-height. You can further reduce momentum and increase muscle tension by taking two seconds to raise the weights and two seconds to lower them.

Benefits of the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

• The stabilized body position significantly reduces lower back strain, making it an ideal option for lifters with back issues.
• The chest-supported lateral raise reinforces strict exercise performance by limiting the ability to swing your body and create momentum.

Machine Rear Delt Flye

The rear deltoid is the forgotten child of the shoulder family. It gets some secondary attention during many pulling movements like pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts, but this relatively small muscle head rarely gets the attention it deserves when it comes to direct shoulder training.

The rear deltoid is not only important for building a well-rounded, well-muscled shoulder. It also plays a key role in overall shoulder joint health. Strong posterior deltoids are associated with rotator cuff health and overall shoulder mobility.(3)

How to Do the Machine Rear Delt Flye

Adjust the seat height until the handles are in-line or slightly higher than your shoulders. If the handles are too low, you’ll get a lot of help from the muscles in the upper back and triceps which are both stronger than the rear deltoids.

Face into the seat, brace against the pad, and grab the handles with a thumbs-up grip. Keep your arms slightly bent as you pull back until your elbows are even with your shoulders. Focus on separating your hands as far away from your body as possible instead of pulling your shoulders together.

Benefits of the Machine Rear Delt Flye

• The machine rear delt flye allows total-body support for focused work on the small target muscle.
• This exercise is ideal for working the rear deltoids with a high volume of work without fatiguing surrounding muscles. Performing the exercise three to four times per week with two to three sets of 10-15 can be an effective way to emphasize the rear delts.

Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt flye

The cable rear delt flye allows you to take the muscle through a very long range of motion, across your entire body, with constant tension. The adjustable pulley makes it easier to set the height of the cable appropriately for your body compared to rear delt machines with fewer seat height options.

When performed correctly and with strict technique, this is an extremely effective high-tension, isolation exercise to zone in on the rear delt with minimal contribution from other body parts.

How to Do the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye

Set the cable pulley to just above shoulder-height. You can either hold the end of the cable without a handle attachment or, if it’s uncomfortable, grab a single rope handle. Set up perpendicular to the cable and grab the handle palm-down with your outside arm. Begin with your arm straight and your hand in line with your chin.

This is where the muscle will be at its most lengthened under load. Reach your arm away from your body, keeping your hand at chin-height to avoid recruiting muscles in the upper back. Don’t twist your upper body as your arm extends to the side. Pause briefly when your arm is extended directly to your side before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye

• The cable pulley provides constant tension for improved muscle growth.
• The single-arm cable rear delt flye helps to improve the mind-muscle connection by limiting the muscles that can contribute to the movement.
• The standing position recruits your core stabilizers, particularly your oblique muscles, more than many other shoulder movements.

Pike Push-Up

The full handstand push-up is a very advanced skill, but you can use a variation to successfully improve strength and shoulder mobility, with the latter being a major benefit.

By setting your feet on an elevated platform and “piking” your body into an L-shape, you build overhead pressing strength using only your bodyweight, while improving your leverage and reducing the overall load you need to press.

How to Do the Pike Push-Up

Place your hands on the floor and your knees on a 20 to 24-inch box or bench. Hinge at your hips to bring your upper body close to perpendicular to the ground. Bend your elbows to lower your head down toward the ground.

Keep your core engaged and maintain a stable position as you press up. Keep your hips stacked over your ribcage, and your shoulders over your hands. In the fully locked out position, drive your shoulders toward your ears to engage your serratus anterior (near your chest, ribs, and abs). This will open your upper back and shoulders for more range of motion.

Benefits of the Pike Push-Up

• The pike push-up works well as a thorough upper body warm-up performing, performing several sets of three to five reps before any other pressing exercises.
• The inverted position helps to build core strength while also improving hip and hamstring mobility and stability.
• This is one of the few bodyweight exercises to emphasize the shoulders. The majority of push-up variations emphasize the chest or triceps.

The Shoulder Muscles

Because your shoulder muscles are comprised of three separate heads, each emphasized by different movements and functions, a well-designed shoulder workout recognizes and addresses their differences. This is the most efficient way to build maximum size and strength.

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid, or front delt, is located in the front section of the shoulder muscle. It, appropriately, is involved in raising the arm from your side, in front of your body, to an overhead position.

Because this is an extremely common movement, the anterior deltoid is stimulated and recruited during many common exercises including many variations of the chest press, all varieties of overhead pressing, and even many biceps curls. Specific isolation exercises targeting the anterior deltoid are not often a focus of shoulder workouts, to avoid overtraining the frequently used muscle.

Lateral Deltoid

The lateral, or side, delt is the most aesthetically important section of the shoulders because it’s responsible for most of the visible width of the muscle. When looking to dramatically change your physique, emphasizing the side deltoid using lateral raise variations is the most efficient approach, but the side delts are also heavily recruited during any overhead press movement.

Posterior Deltoid

The posterior, or rear, deltoid head is sometimes considered part of the “upper back” musculature, but it resides specifically on the shoulder itself. This muscle head attaches along the shoulder blade and is involved in moving the shoulder blades toward and away from your spine. The rear delts also play a major role in pulling your upper arm backward from an extended position.

These two functions are similar to many back muscles, like the rhomboids, trapezius, and teres. While the rear delts contribute to many back exercises, they are often “overpowered” by relatively larger muscles, which is why rear delt flye variations are needed to prioritize the muscle.

How Often Should You Train The Shoulders?

Similar to other muscle groups, training a muscle more frequently seems to be better for strength, hypertrophy, and athletic performance.(4) Most people will do well training shoulders two times per week, as you’ll get a lot of extra work from many other upper body exercises like presses and rows.

If you were going to do a short-term specialization phase, you could train shoulders up to four or five times per week with a well-planned routine that manipulates volume and intensity to allow recovery and growth.

How to Progress Your Shoulder Training

Categorize exercises into movements that focus on strength, volume, or isolation (single-joint). Pick one exercise for each of those categories. Strength exercises are programmed with relatively heavy weights and low reps. Volume movements are more efficiently trained with moderately challenging weights in the eight to 15 rep range. Isolation exercises include flye and raise variations which involve only the shoulder joint, not the elbow (which is involved in pressing exercises).

The most common mistake when it comes to shoulder training is doing too much isolation work — too many flyes and raises with less pressing. This could be a symptom of using a chest, shoulder, and triceps workout in your training split, or having an upper body workout which makes the shoulders a relatively lower priority compared to the back and chest.

However because your shoulders are involved in many movements indirectly, you can generally get away with relatively less direct volume as long as you achieve sufficient volume each week. Try to approach shoulder training with two main phases: Intensity and accumulation.

In an “intensity” phase, focus more on building strength and power. Pick either a strength movement, a volume movement, and an isolation movement or a strength and two isolation movements, and focus your shoulder training on this limited selection of movements.

In an “accumulation” phase, the focus is on performing more total volume so, appropriately, pick a volume exercise plus two isolation movements or three isolation exercises. Workouts will involve racking up the reps and piling on the muscle-building tension.

Alternating between those two phases, spending several weeks in each, can help you keep as much strength as possible during the accumulation phase while maintain work capacity and conditioning during the intensity phase, as muscle growth rolls in throughout both.

How to Warm-Up Your Shoulders

The design of the shoulder joint makes it versatile and crucial to a number of movements, but it can also be prone to injury if trained improperly. A simple and effective shoulder warm-up can mean the difference between results and nagging injuries, so take the time to get blood flowing before any session. Grab a resistance band and try this simple circuit.

• Scapular Pull-Up: Hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Keep your arms straight as you “reverse shrug” and drive your shoulders and shoulder blades toward the ground. Hold the top position briefly before reversing the motion to push your body away from the bar. Perform 10 repetitions before moving to the next exercise.
• Yoga Push-Up: Get on the ground with your feet well-beyond shoulder-width and your hands in-line with your shoulders. Descend into a standard push-up. When your chest is slightly above the floor, press up while pushing your hips back at an upward angle. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings as your torso and legs form an upside down “V” shape. Reverse the motion and perform for three to five reps.
• Band Pull-Apart: Take a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Begin with your arms extended in front of your chest. Keep your arms nearly locked while pulling your hands in line with your shoulders. The band should touch your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three circuits.

The Path to Bolder, Boulder Shoulders

“Shoulder press and lateral raise” is often the default shoulder workout for beginners. While those are two fundamental exercises, complete shoulder development requires a better thought-out approach to training. By choosing specific exercises to emphasize power, strength, or particular muscle heads, you can take your shoulder development and strength to the next-level. Rethink your approach to shoulder training, incorporate the right movements, and you’ll be on the way to a stronger, wider set of delts.

References

1. Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562
2. Nazário-de-Rezende, Fernando et al. Déficit bilateral em exercício multiarticular para membros superiores. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte [online]. 2012, v. 18, n. 6 [Accessed 26 October 2022] , pp. 385-389. Available from: <https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008>. Epub 14 Feb 2013. ISSN 1806-9940. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008.
3. Dyrna, F., Kumar, N. S., Obopilwe, E., Scheiderer, B., Comer, B., Nowak, M., Romeo, A. A., Mazzocca, A. D., & Beitzel, K. (2018). Relationship Between Deltoid and Rotator Cuff Muscles During Dynamic Shoulder Abduction: A Biomechanical Study of Rotator Cuff Tear Progression. The American journal of sports medicine, 46(8), 1919–1926. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546518768276
4. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8

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The post The 15 Best Shoulder Exercises for Width and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Changing your physique to suit your own goals, and building muscle for muscle’s sake, is still perfectly acceptable, despite the recent prevalence of functional training, obstacle racing, or performance-driven workouts. Nevermind the fact that directly training your biceps can contribute to joint health and may actually boost performance in many lifts. So, in the spirit of getting big ol’ arms, here are some of the best ways to grow your biceps.

12 Best Biceps Exercises

• Cheat Curl
• EZ-Bar Curl
• Chin-Up
• Alternating Supinating Curl
• Barbell Spider Curl
• Incline Dumbbell Curl
• Single-Arm Preacher Curl
• Single-Arm Low Cable Curl
• Concentration Curl
• Zottman Curl
• Hammer Curl
• EZ-Bar Reverse Curl

Cheat Curl

Performing the cheat curl is doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Instead of a strict barbell curl, which can be effective on its own, you’re deliberately using some body English to drive a heavy weight to the top position and then controlling the eccentric (negative or lowering phase).

By using your hips and legs purposefully to lift the weights, rather than accidentally loosening technique due to fatigue, you remain in control of the exercise and reduce the risk of injury while benefiting from heavier weights and increased muscle tension.

How to Do the Cheat Curl

Stand with an underhand, shoulder-width grip on a barbell. Slightly bend your knees and push your hips toward the wall behind you. Keep your back straight and slide the bar down along your thighs. Forcefully straighten your body while curling the weight toward chin-level. Brace your abs in the top position and slowly lower the weight. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides while straightening your arms.

Repeat the entire process for each repetition. Be sure to use your legs and hips to drive the weight up, not simply your hips and lower back. Take roughly three seconds, or longer, to lower the weight on each repetition.

Benefits of the Cheat Curl

• The hip drive and increased muscle recruitment allows relatively heavier weights to be used, which can contribute to building size and strength.
• Lowering the weight slowly can help to build more muscle than lowering at a faster speed. (1)

EZ-Bar Curl

The EZ-bar allows a semi-supinated (angled) grip, which reduces the wrist strain many lifters from using a fully supinated (palms up) grip on a straight barbell. The shift in hand position also affects muscle recruitment by activating more forearm musculature than a straight bar.

The multiple sections of an EZ-bar also allows you to easily change your grip width from “wide,” to “moderate,” to “close.” Grip width will affect your effective range of motion, which will influence muscle activation.

How to Do the EZ-Bar Curl

Stand with a shoulder-width, underhand grip on the bar. Pull your shoulders back and keep your torso upright. Slightly bend your knees and set your stance to a comfortable width. Keep your elbows stationary as you curl the weight toward the front of your shoulders. Pause briefly before lowering the weight to full extension.

Benefits of the EZ-Bar Curl

• The EZ-bar increases brachioradialis activation compared to many other biceps exercises. (2)
• The angled hand position reduces stress on the wrist joint, making the exercise more comfortable for lifters with mobility problems or joint issues.

Chin-Up

Many lifters consider the chin-up to be primarily a back exercise, but the supinated (palms up) grip drastically increases biceps recruitment during the exercise. This makes it ideal for a biceps-focused workout, especially if it’s preceded or followed with additional direct biceps training to increase cumulative fatigue on the muscle.

By flipping your grip, you increase the leverage for your biceps to contribute during the movement, which places more stress directly on them and relatively less stress on the larger back muscles.

How to Do the Chin-Up

Grab an overhead pull-up bar with a shoulder-width, palm-up grip. Allow your body to be supported by your straight arms. Pinch your shoulder blades together as you pull your body toward the bar. Keep your neck in a neutral position and avoid extending your chin to the bar. When your mouth is roughly level with the bar, pause briefly before lowering your body to full extension.

Benefits of the Chin-Up

• The chin-up is one of relatively few compound (multi-joint) exercises which primarily work the biceps. Compound movements are highly effective at building strength and size (3)
• This movement allows for using potentially heavy weights compared to other biceps exercises, which is beneficial for size and strength.

Alternating Supinating Curl

This exercise puts a twist — pun completely intended — on the classic dumbbell curl to deliver increased muscle recruitment. Supinating, or rotating, your hand as you curl the weight up allows you to activate additional arm muscles and it works the biceps to their fullest capacity.

Each repetition takes your arm through a significant range of motion and complete muscle contraction by turning the wrist from a neutral position to a fully supinated (palm up) position, which maximally recruits the muscles of the biceps and forearm.

How to Do the Alternating Supinating Curl

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing your hips. Curl one arm upwards, keeping your thumb up in a neutral position. As your hand passes your ab-level, begin rotating to a palm-up position as you continue curling. In the top position, your pinky should be slightly higher than your index finger. Reverse the motion to lower the weight, and then perform a repetition with the opposite arm.

Benefits of the Alternating Supinating Curl

• The biceps muscle plays a significant role in supinating the forearm as well as flexing (bending) your arm. (4) This is one of the very few exercises to specifically incorporate the supinating function, which increases overall activation of the biceps.
• Using a neutral grip in the initial portion of the exercise recruits the brachialis and brachioradialis, making the alternating supinating curl an efficient way to train the biceps and forearms.
• Alternating arms and performing the movement unilaterally (curling one arm at a time) allows you to use a slightly heavier weight than curling both dumbbells together. (5)

Barbell Spider Curl

The barbell spider curl works the biceps from a unique angle for a variation in training stimulus. This is essentially a “reverse incline curl,” because it requires lying chest-down on an incline bench and allowing your arms to hang vertically down.

By positioning your upper arm in front of your torso, the short head of the biceps is more strongly recruited than the long head. Some lifters may not notice a significant difference in the development of either head, but for physique-conscious lifters, emphasizing either biceps head can play a significant role in building an aesthetic physique.

How to Do the Barbell Spider Curl

Set an incline bench to a low-to-moderate angle, roughly 30 or 45-degrees. Lie your chest on the bench while holding a barbell with a supinated (palm up) grip at roughly shoulder-width. Let your arms hang straight toward the ground. Curl the weight without moving at the shoulder. Your upper arms and elbows should remain pointed at the ground as the weight moves. Pause briefly in the top position to maximize the peak contraction. Lower slowly with control and avoid swinging the weight.

Benefits of the Barbell Spider Curl

• The short head of the biceps is recruited relatively more than the long head due to the position of the upper arm relative to the torso. The long head is involved in working the shoulder joint, which is essentially “immobilized” due to hanging straight down.
• The barbell spider curl creates an extremely strong peak contraction due to the angle of the bench and the leverage of the weight against gravity. This can help many lifters improve the mind-muscle connection with their biceps, which can ultimately benefit muscle growth. (6)(7)

Incline Dumbbell Curl

The incline dumbbell curl is a classic bodybuilding exercise, known for its unique angle which puts the biceps and shoulder into a stretched position and increases recruitment of the long head of the biceps.

While the stretched position is essential for the incline curl, it may be stressful on your shoulder joint. You can adjust the incline as needed, higher or lower, to accommodate your own mobility and flexibility. The key is to maintain bench-contact with your head, shoulder blades, and lower back to ensure an inclined position.

How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Curl

Lie back on an incline bench set to roughly 45-degrees with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your head, shoulders, and tailbone against the bench throughout the entire movement. Straighten your arms and rotate your palms forward. Keep your palms facing up as you curl both weights toward your biceps. Your elbows should remain pointed to the floor and should not move forward. Slowly lower the weights to a full stretch.

Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Curl

• Training the biceps with a unique angle, in an inclined position, contributes to more muscle growth than performing exercises which are too similar to one another. (8)
• The incline dumbbell curl puts the shoulder into a stretched position. Because the long head of the biceps crosses over the shoulder joint and is involved in shoulder flexion, this curl variation emphasizes the long head more than the short head. (9)
• The stretched position of the arm can contribute to improved shoulder mobility and biceps tendon strength. (10)

Single-Arm Preacher Curl

The barbell or EZ-bar preacher curl is a time-tested muscle-builder, but performing the exercise with one arm at a time can allow even greater focus on the muscle. Unilateral (single-side) training will improve muscle recruitment and emphasize on each arm more than a barbell exercise.

The upper arm support and stationary shoulder position de-emphasize the long head of the biceps and increase recruitment of the short head.

How to Do the Single-Arm Preacher Curl

Start with a dumbbell curled to your shoulder, with your palm facing your body. Press your chest against the flat side of a preacher curl bench and rest both underarms snugly on top of the pad. Lay your elbow and triceps on the angled side of the bench, keeping the dumbbell in the top position. Maintain a palms-up grip as you slowly lower the weight. When your arm is nearly straight, curl the weight back to the starting position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Preacher Curl

• The preacher curl bench supports the upper arm which reinforces strict technique and limits cheating or momentum.
• The single-arm preacher curl emphasizes the short head of the biceps.
• The unilateral movement allows lifters to address common muscle asymmetries between arms by focusing on each arm individually.

Single-Arm Low Cable Curl

The low cable pulley puts the biceps under constant tension, compared to barbells or dumbbells which rely on gravity and leverage to provide resistance. This results in cables offering greater time under tension and a stronger muscle-building stimulus. (11)

The single-arm low cable curl can be done either facing the cable stack or facing away from it. Facing away will put a greater stretch on the biceps, similar to an incline curl, and is the more effective option.

How to Do the Single-Arm Low Cable Curl

Attack a single handle to a low cable pulley. Grab the handle, turn your back to the weight stack, and take one or two small steps forward. With a palms-up grip and your hand by your side, your straight arm should be very slightly “pulled” behind your torso by the weight. Keep your elbow stationary while curling the handle toward your shoulder. From the top position, fully straighten your arm before repeating the next repetition.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Low Cable Curl

• This cable curl variation puts the muscle under constant muscular tension which can increase muscle growth.
• The long time under tension and long range of motion make the exercise highly effective with relatively light weight, making it ideal for lifters whose joints cannot tolerate heavy loads.

Concentration Curl

The concentration curl is a classic biceps exercise, often performed by beginning lifters instinctively without formal direction. It can be an extremely effective way to target the biceps with minimal recruitment of other muscles.

The setup of the concentration curl allows you to, rightfully, concentrate on the working arm during each set. Not only is the movement strictly performed by one arm at a time, but you’re looking directly at your muscle as it contracts and stretches for each repetition.

How to Do the Concentration Curl

With a dumbbell in one hand, sit on a bench or chair with your feet set well-beyond shoulder-width. Brace the triceps of the working arm near the same-side knee. Curl the weight toward your face while maintaining a palm-up grip. Don’t allow your legs or torso to swing the weight up. Slowly lower the weight to complete extension.

Benefits of the Concentration Curl

• This exercise is ideal for using the “touch training” technique — using your non-working hand to touch the working muscle during each repetition. This can improve the mind-muscle connection and may increase muscle growth. (12)
• This movement allows for strict exercise performance with little to no momentum due to the braced stance and arm support.
• The concentration curl allows variety from standard dumbbell curls without needing additional equipment like a preacher curl bench or cable pulley.

Zottman Curl

The Zottman curl, named for American strongman George Zottman, works the biceps and forearms through a variety of motions for maximum muscle recruitment. It combines a standard dumbbell curl and a reverse curl, while testing and building wrist mobility.

If you can manage the necessary coordination (which is less complicated than patting your head while rubbing your stomach), then you can build bigger, stronger arms with this efficient movement.

How to Do the Zottman Curl

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Curl one arm palm-up toward your shoulder. In the top position, rotate your hand palm-down and lower the weight to full extension. Next, curl the opposite hand palm-up toward your shoulder before rotating it palm-down for the lowering phase. When you’re comfortable with the basic movement, aim to move your arms at the same time — raising one hand palm-up while simultaneously lowering the other palm-down.

Benefits of the Zottman Curl

• The Zottman curl recruits multiple muscles of the arm — including the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis — during the multiple phases of the exercise.
• The varied hand positions and use of supination and pronation (turning the palm up and down, respectively) will help to build overall wrist mobility and may improve wrist and elbow health.

Hammer Curl

This simple adjustment to the standard dumbbell curl increases recruitment of the forearm muscles, allows you to move relatively heavier weights, and builds grip strength.

The thumbs-up position emphasizes the brachialis and brachioradialis, along with the biceps, making it an efficient way to train the forearm as well as the upper arm.

How to Do the Hammer Curl

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your hands facing your hips. Curl both weights up toward your shoulder while keeping your thumbs up. Allow your elbows to move slightly forward as you bring the weight into the top position — this can increase overall muscle recruitment. Pause briefly before lowering to full extension.

Benefits of the Hammer Curl

• The hammer curl allows you to lift heavier weights than any palms-up curl, which can benefit size and strength gains.
• The neutral-grip hand position emphasizes the brachialis and brachioradialis, which are not significantly recruited during other biceps curl variations.

EZ-Bar Reverse Curl

The EZ-bar reverse curl shares many of the benefits of the standard EZ-bar curl — reduced wrist strain and a consistent gauge for adjusting grip width — and it offers even greater recruitment of forearm muscles due to the angled palms-down grip.

The semi-pronated (partially palms-down) grip increases activation of the brachialis, brachioradialis, and wrist extensors, along with some recruitment of the biceps. This makes the movement a very efficient way to train the lower arms.

How to Do the EZ-Bar Reverse Curl

Stand with a shoulder-width, palms-down grip on the bar. Pull your shoulders back and keep your torso upright. Slightly bend your knees and set your stance to a comfortable width. Keep your elbows stationary as you curl the weight toward the front of your shoulders. Pause briefly before lowering the weight to full extension.

You may find the exercise more comfortable using a thumbless or “false” grip, placing your thumb next to your index finger instead of wrapping it around the bar. This technique will require greater grip strength as you squeeze the bar harder throughout the movement.

Benefits of the EZ-Bar Reverse Curl

• The combination of using an EZ-bar and a predominantly pronated (overhand or palms-down) grip significantly increases brachialis, brachioradialis, and forearm activation compared to supinated (palms-up) biceps exercises.
• The angled hand position reduces stress on the wrist joint, making the exercise more comfortable for lifters with mobility problems or joint issues.

The Biceps Muscles

It sounds counterintuitive, but “the biceps” aren’t actually just made of your biceps. Several closely related muscles in the upper and lower arm need to be developed for a great looking set of biceps.

Biceps Brachii

The primary biceps muscle on the front of the upper arm is composed of two heads working together. The short head of the biceps, sometimes called the “inner head,” runs from near the elbow to the top of the upper arm. The long head, sometimes called the “outer head,” runs from the elbow over the shoulder joint and attaches to the shoulder blade.

The biceps are well-known for working to flex (bend) your elbow, but they also function to pronate and supinate your wrist and forearm — turning your palm up and down. This is one reason why exercises like the alternating supinating curl result in stronger muscle contractions and greater overall growth.

Brachioradialis

The brachioradialis runs along the thumb-side of the forearm from the wrist area to the lower part of the biceps. It is heavily activated when curling, particularly when the hand is in a neutral (thumbs up) position. The brachioradialis also plays a role in stabilizing the forearm muscle during and after supination or pronation.

Brachialis

This often under-appreciated muscle is actually located “beneath” the biceps, near the elbow joint. When the brachialis increases in size, it has the effect of “lifting” the biceps to make it appear larger. The brachialis becomes the primary arm flexor when using a neutral grip, which is why movements like the hammer curl target it efficiently.

Forearms

The wrist flexors and wrist extensors, on the lower and upper part of the forearm respectively, are largely responsible for lifting the hand at the wrist joint. These muscles are often statically trained during most biceps curl variations, to stabilize the hand and wrist.

However, exercises like the Zottman curl or the cheat curl may recruit the flexors or extensors more significantly due to the involvement of more dynamic lifting technique.

How Often Should You Train the Biceps

Direct biceps training will be a factor of your specific goal and your overall training split. Two effective approaches are to either perform a moderate amount of biceps work immediately after training a larger body part or to perform a low amount of biceps training more frequently.

Because your biceps are recruited during almost all back exercises, ending your back workout with two or three biceps exercises (each for two to four sets of eight to 12 reps) is an efficient way to fully exhaust the biceps.

With this approach, the exercises should be as varied as possible. For example, performing the cheat curl, EZ-bar curl, and single-arm cable curl would all train the biceps with a similar stimulus. Performing the EZ-bar curl, incline curl, and Zottman curl would deliver greater variety, increased muscle recruitment, and stronger stimulus for growth.

An effective alternative is to perform one biceps exercise for two to three sets of six to 15 reps at the end of your workout three to five days per week. With this high-frequency approach, your biceps are trained often, but the low volume allows for optimal recovery and growth. (13)

The lower volume per workout also prevents biceps fatigue from interfering with your other training for other body parts. For this method to be most efficient, use different exercises and/or a different set/rep scheme in each workout. For example, perform cheat curls for four sets of six in the first workout, single-arm preacher curls for three sets of 12 in the next workout, hammer curls for three sets of eight in the next session, etc.

How to Progress Your Biceps Training

One essential element for maximizing your biceps growth is training with a variety of hand positions and arm angles, either in a single workout or throughout the week. This will optimize overall muscle recruitment and balance activation of the major arm flexors — biceps long head, biceps short head, brachialis, and brachioradialis. (14)

Be sure to incorporate “classic” palm-up curls like the barbell spider curl, palms-down curls such as the EZ-bar reverse curl, movements with your upper arm in front of your torso like the chin-up, and movements with your upper arm angled behind your torso including the incline curl.

One particularly effective technique to increase training intensity and volume is the mechanical advantage drop set. This is a specific type of superset which pairs similar movements with simple adjustments to improve leverage in order to perform more total repetitions.

For example, when you might begin with alternating supinating curls. When you approach muscular fatigue, transition immediately (without setting the dumbbells down) and begin performing hammer curls. Because hammer curls put the brachialis in a stronger position to contract, you will be able to complete additional repetitions before again reaching muscular fatigue.

Many people accidentally stumble onto this technique when performing strict barbell curls, as they inadvertently transition to cheat curls to complete a challenging set.

How to Warm-Up Your Biceps

While the elbow joint is most commonly overstressed or aggravated by certain triceps exercises, biceps training can also play a critical role in determining joint health. Because the elbow is held in position during most biceps exercises, the joint can be put under significant strain. A thorough warm-up can go a long way toward preventing any excessive stress.

Before any biceps training, get blood flowing throughout your upper body. Alternating low-rep push-ups with high-rep band pull-aparts for two or three sets is a good start. Following that with (perhaps counterintuitively), a light weight, high rep triceps exercise alternated with a light weight, high rep biceps exercise for two sets. With those four movements, you’ve got an efficient way to approach your biceps warm-up. Continue the training with a relatively light first set on each biceps exercise, and get to work.

Don’t Be Scared to Train for Big Arms

Direct biceps training has developed an unfortunate reputation in recent years, with some lifters thinking it’s purely for “vanity.” First of all, no it isn’t. Setting a goal of lean, muscular 17-inch arms isn’t “vanity” any more than setting a goal to squat five plates per side. Secondly, biceps training can play a performance-boosting role in upper body strength, stability when handling heavy weight, and shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint health. So, you want to build your biceps? Excellent. You’re now armed with the most effective ways to get there.

References

1. Wilk, M., Zajac, A. & Tufano, J.J. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med 51, 1629–1650 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2
2. Marcolin, G., Panizzolo, F. A., Petrone, N., Moro, T., Grigoletto, D., Piccolo, D., & Paoli, A. (2018). Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl. PeerJ, 6, e5165. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5165
3. Paoli, A., Gentil, P., Moro, T., Marcolin, G., & Bianco, A. (2017). Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 1105. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.01105
4. Tiwana MS, Charlick M, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Biceps Muscle. [Updated 2021 Aug 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519538/
5. Costa E, Moreira A, Cavalcanti B, Krinski K, Aoki M. Effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise on maximal voluntary strength, total volume of load lifted, and perceptual and metabolic responses. Biol Sport. 2015;32(1):35-40. doi:10.5604/20831862.1126326
6. Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Brandt, M., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., & Andersen, L. L. (2016). Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 116(3), 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7
7. Schoenfeld, B. J., Vigotsky, A., Contreras, B., Golden, S., Alto, A., Larson, R., … & Paoli, A. (2018). Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(5), 705-712.
8. Costa B.V.D., Kassiano, W., Nunes, J. P., Kunevaliki, G., Castro-E-Souza, P., Rodacki, A., … & de Sousa Fortes, L. (2021). Does Performing Different Resistance Exercises for the Same Muscle Group Induce Non-homogeneous Hypertrophy?. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(09), 803-811.
9. Schoenfeld, Brad CSCS. Accentuating Muscular Development Through Active Insufficiency and Passive Tension. Strength and Conditioning Journal: August 2002 – Volume 24 – Issue 4 – p 20-22
10. Wiesinger, H. P., Kösters, A., Müller, E., & Seynnes, O. R. (2015). Effects of Increased Loading on In Vivo Tendon Properties: A Systematic Review. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 47(9), 1885–1895. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000603
11. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
12. Oshita, Kazushige. (2021). Effect of internal focus of attention with touching cue on the agonist muscle activity during exercise. 10.14198/jhse.2021.16.Proc2.04.
13. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of sports sciences, 37(11), 1286–1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906
14. Kleiber, T., Kunz, L., & Disselhorst-Klug, C. (2015). Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Frontiers in physiology, 6, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00215

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Kettlebells have a centuries-long history around the world and, fortunately, they’ve become more and more commonplace in commercial gyms in recent years. They’re also an efficient space-saving option for any home gym. While kettlebell training does require slightly more attention than exercising with dumbbells, the payoff is well worth the effort.

Here are the best exercises to begin your kettlebell experience. You’ll find some irreplaceable exercises that build explosive power, head-to-toe strength and stability, and a muscle-building stimulus you just can’t duplicate with any other equipment. While some exercises require a pair of matched weights, there are plenty of great movements using just one ‘bell.

Best Kettlebell Exercises

• Goblet Squat
• Kettlebell Deadlift
• Farmer’s Carry
• Gorilla Row
• Kettlebell Halo
• Front Rack Reverse Lunge
• Front Rack Push Press
• Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift and Carry
• Kettlebell Clean
• Kettlebell Swing
• Kettlebell Tall Kneeling Plank
• Turkish Get-Up

Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is a very accessible way for anyone to learn how to squat with added resistance. The idea of the movement is that you are “sitting into your squat” with a weight in front of your body. It sounds pretty simple in theory and, in reality, it is.

The movement is much easier to learn compared to a back squat which requires more shoulder mobility and upper body attention. A goblet squat can help you feel what it’s like to hold tension in a squat while focusing on your lower body. It’s not strictly for beginners because you can progress to the heaviest kettlebell you have access to before moving on to a barbell.

How to Do the Goblet Squat

Hold the kettlebell handles at your chest. Press your palms toward each other in order to keep tension in your upper body. Keep your chest up and don’t let the weight pull you forward. Push your hips back, drive your knees out, and sit “into” your hips — don’t just fall down.

When your thighs are slightly below parallel to the ground, push your feet through the floor and drive yourself back up to a standing position. Throughout the entire repetition, keep the weight as close to your body as possible and make sure you have control of the weight.

Benefits of the Goblet Squat

• Goblet squats are a great way to build strength in your legs and core.
• Goblet squats allow you to master squat technique, build mobility, and progress gradually over time.
• Goblet squats are ideal for lifters unable to squat with a 35 or 45-pound barbell.

Kettlebell Deadlift

Kettlebell deadlifts are a great way to learn deadlift technique and strengthen the involved muscles without needing to load 65 to 135 pounds on a barbell. Many times, deadlifts are associated with powerlifters moving hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of pounds, but a “deadlift” is simply a way of hinging from your hips and picking up a weight from the ground efficiently.

The kettlebell deadlift helps you understand how to turn your lats on during the exercise, which improves upper body stability and strength during the pull. The exercise also grooves the hip hinge movement pattern to improve technique.

How to Do the Kettlebell Deadlift

Set your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, with a kettlebell between your feet. Push your hips back and hinge your upper body forward. Grip the top kettlebell handle with both hands. Your torso should be slightly above parallel to the ground, with your chest above your hip-line. Keep your arms straight and feel tension in your lats — the muscles on either side of your back behind your ribs. Pull your shoulders away from your ears.

Slightly bend your knees and take a deep breath in to brace your core (holding tension and position). Drive through the floor and stand up by pushing your hips forward and pulling your shoulders back. Don’t lean too far back in the top position or you’ll shift focus to your lower back.

Once you’re standing upright, descend by driving your hips back behind you and keeping the weight close to your legs. Unlock your knees and “find the floor” with the kettlebell. Remember that a “deadlift” means that there is a dead-stop on the floor. Each time the weight gets to the ground, breathe and to reset your position.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Deadlift

• Deadlifts are a functional movement done in everyday life, whether it’s picking up the laundry basket, your kid, heavy grocery bags, or the end of a couch. The kettlebell deadlift teaches how to safely keep weight close to your body while efficiently lifting from the floor.
• The exercise strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, core, and grip.

Farmer’s Carry

Farmer’s carries, also known as farmer’s walks, are one of the most effective ways to simultaneously build your strength and endurance. It also works nearly every part of your body from your core and grip to your shoulders and calves.

If you’ve ever carried more than one grocery bag from the car to the house, you’ve done a farmer’s carry. The goal is to get the snacks home safely, right? At the gym, the goal is to carry the weight with control so, when you think about it, the farmer’s carry is a functional exercise to keep your groceries safe. In any case, the idea is to walk for total distance or time while holding heavy weights and maintaining good posture and control of the weights.

How to Do the Farmer’s Carry

Stand with your feet roughly hip-distance apart with a kettlebell at outside of each foot. Hinge your hips back, pull your shoulders away from your ears, and feel tension in your lats as you pick up the kettlebells. This should remind you of doing a deadlift, because it is. The only difference is having a weight near each hip instead of one weight at your body’s centerline. And instead of putting the weights right back down, you are going for a simple walk.

The main focus is to control the weights while walking. Focus on holding your body in good alignment  with your shoulders pulled back in muscular tension to prevent the weights from swinging. If you find you are losing your balance, you are likely not controlling the kettlebells. After you’ve reached your distance or time, set up in the starting stance, hinge your hips back, and bring the weights to the floor.

Benefits of the Farmer’s Carry

• Farmer’s carries are incredibly applicable to life from a functional strength-perspective, safely and efficiently moving with weights at arm’s length.
• The exercise is effective for building core strength and grip strength.
• This total-body movement also builds endurance and conditioning more efficiently than low intensity aerobic exercise like walking on a treadmill.

Gorilla Row

This movement is powerful and, honestly, fun. A gorilla row is similar to a bent-over dumbbell row, but instead of pressing into a bench with one arm, you’re using the opposing weight to create force and stability.

This row variation helps to reinforce good hip hinge patterns. It requires you to hold your lower back and core in a strong position, otherwise you find that doing the actual row becomes much harder. The wide stance also reduces lower back strain, making it a good choice for lifters with recurring back problems.

How to Do the Gorilla Row

Stand with your feet wide out and a pair of kettlebells on the ground at your center. Bend forward at your hips and squat down to grip the weights with your palms facing each other. Pressing down into one of the kettlebells while pulling the other toward your waist. Don’t allow your upper body to rotate as you pull and push. You can either alternate pulling sides with each repetition or stick to one side for all reps before switching.

This movement is meant to be done powerfully, not slowly. If you have a hard time being in the hinge position without your back rounding, elevate the kettlebells on blocks to make them a bit higher. This will take some of the pressure on your hamstrings and lower back by reducing the range of motion.

Benefits of the Gorilla Row

• Gorilla row is an effective rowing variation, which can be beneficial for building strength and muscle. (1)
• This movement incorporated your entire body, using your legs and core for stability, compared to a more lat-focused row.
• The core engagement and body position reduces lower back strain compared to other rowing movements.

Kettlebell Halo

The halo is one of the most complete shoulder exercises you can do. The benefits include strength, mobility, and stability. The halo is versatile and can be done either during a workout or as part of a warm-up.

You can make the movement easier or harder by adjusting the bell’s position in your hands, by alternating directions with each repetition or performing one direction at a time, or by changing your stance from standing to kneeling.

How to Do the Kettlebell Halo

Stand while grabbing the side handles a kettlebell, with the your thumbs in front of your face. Think about an actual halo — a halo is a circle over your head, so create a circular motion around your eye-line. As you bring the weight to the side of your head, start to turn the bottom of the kettlebell up toward the ceiling.

As it moves around the back of your head, the bottom of the kettlebell should be facing the ceiling and your elbows point up to the sky. As the weight finishes the circle around your head, rotate the bottom of the weight to face the floor. You should be in the starting position again.

Don’t allow your head to move forward. Get the range of motion from your shoulders, not from your neck. Pretend you’re stuck in cement from the chest down. This will work on your core stability.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Halo

• The halo efficiently builds core stability and upper body mobility3.
• The shoulders and upper back are worked through a very significant range of motion, making it an ideal drill for improving joint health by addressing scapular stability and mobility.
• The exercise can be performed with several basic variations, making it accessible for people with different abilities and experience levels.

Front Rack Reverse Lunge

All lunges are hard, but front rack reverse lunges (sometimes called back lunges) are an extra-level of hard. It takes a lot of core and mid-back strength to perform this “lower body exercise” because you have to keep the kettlebells held near your chest during the movement.

The beauty of the front rack reverse lunge is that you get your leg work done while also training your upper body and core at the same time. Doing the exercise with one kettlebell will increase the core challenge even further since you need to stabilize your torso from being pulled down on one side.

How to Do the Front Rack Reverse Lunge

Stand while holding a pair of kettlebells at shoulder-height with your knuckles either touching or fairly close to each other. Think of a classic prayer position without your hands actually interlocking. This is the “front rack” position.

Step one foot back, hinging slightly at your hips as you bend your front leg and lower your back knee down towards the floor. Lightly graze the floor with your knee  — don’t just drop your knee to the ground. Focus on keeping your torso strong and your chest up, pointing your knuckles up toward the sky. Once you’ve grazed the ground  with your leg, push up through your front leg with the back leg only helping slightly You can either continue all reps with one leg or you can alternate sides.

Benefits of the Front Rack Reverse Lunge

• The front rack position adds a big element of core strength to the reverse lunge, especially if performed with a weight in one arm instead of two.
• Your upper back, shoulders and arms will also be challenged to support the weight during this movement.
• The front rack reverse lunge helps to build lower body strength and mobility as you reach a deep lunge position, stretching the hip flexors of the back leg and strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes of the front leg.

Front Rack Push Press

It’s common to see a basic overhead press, but a front rack push press is a whole different ballgame. You can do the standard overhead press with kettlebells in a slow and controlled fashion, but when you add the front rack position and a lower body push, you’ve now created a relatively unstable environment that you have to work really hard to control.

By using leg drive, you challenge your core to transfer that power from your lower body through to your shoulders. You’re also able to use relatively heavier weights, which can build more strength and power.

How to Do the Front Rack Push Press

Hold a pair of kettlebells in the front rack position — in front of your face with your palms facing each other. Dip your knees and sit very slightly down while keeping your chest tall. From that position, quickly stand straight and punch the weights up. Imaging you’re jumping to create enough power through the floor and send the weights toward the ceiling.

Because you’re creating so much force, you’ll need to make sure that your shoulders are in a stable position to catch the weights at the top. Brace your core as you lockout the weights overhead. Once you’ve stabilized the weights at the top, lower them towards your chest as you sit again to “catch” the force coming down. Repeat the movement by punching upward.

Benefits of the Front Rack Push Press

• Kettlebells are more unstable than dumbbells due to the offset center of gravity and their position in your hand and on your arm. This adds an even greater element of core strength and shoulder stability to each repetition as you must work harder to control the weight overhead.
• The front rack push press allows heavier weights than a strict press, which helps improve strength and force development.
• Incorporating leg drive makes the front rack push press a total-body exercise, creating a more efficient movement for conditioning.

Suitcase Deadlift and Carry

This movement is similar to the farmer’s carry except, instead of practicing carrying groceries, you’re practicing carrying luggage. Using just one kettlebell creates a pull on one side of your body which forces your core, specifically your oblique muscles on the sides of your abdominals, to work extra-hard to keep you upright.

The suitcase deadlift is a single-arm, core-intensive variation of the standard kettlebell deadlift.  The suitcase carry is a single-arm, core-intensive variation of the farmer’s carry. Combining the two creates an efficient exercise to build total-body strength and a strong, supportive core.

How to Do the Suitcase Deadlift and Carry

Stand with one kettlebell on the floor next to your foot. Hinge your hips back, bend your legs slightly, and grab the weight with your palm facing your leg. Pull your shoulders away from your ears and create tension in your shoulder. Keep your back neutral and your shoulders level as you drive through the floor and pick up the weight. Walk for total distance or time.

As you are walking, you will feel a bit lopsided, but that is the point. Fight that using your core. Squeeze your free hand hard to help create tension and prevent the weight from pulling you to one side. (2) Once you are done with the set, hinge your hips back, place the weight on the floor and repeat with the other hand.

Benefits of the Suitcase Deadlift and Carry

• The suitcase deadlift and carry addresses natural asymmetries and helps to reduce the risk of injuries by improving core stability.
• The single-sided loading is highly functional and prepares the body for real-world scenarios ranging from walking an energetic dog to carrying a child on your hip.

Kettlebell Clean

This is a dynamic and powerful movement that only feels good when it’s done properly. When it’s done wrong, it can tell you it’s wrong by bruising your wrist and forearm — not all exercises talk back to you like that, but kettlebell cleans definitely will.

The clean is a fundamental exercise that builds strength to get your kettlebells up the front rack position, so learning it will benefit your presses, squats, lunges, and more.

How to Do the Kettlebell Clean

With the kettlebell between your feet, and your feet a little wider than hip-width apart, drive your hips back. Bend your knees and put one hand on the bell with a palm-down grip. Make sure that your chest is up so you can look in front of you — you don’t want to be looking at the floor or the bell. Drive up to pull the weight off the floor. As it reaches your hips, start to turn your hand so the weight will land in the front rack position.

Here’s the important thing: you shouldn’t be doing much pulling with your arm. Some, sure, but most of the power to get the weight from the ground to chest-height comes from your hips. You are almost “throwing” the weight up to the sky with a lot of momentum and power from the hips, and then guiding it into the front rack position.

Some key tips would be not to pull off the ground too fast, so you can gather enough power. Also, relax your hand as the bell is turning, to allow a smoother rotation and cut down on calluses. The kettlebell clean does take a lot of practice before you might have a smooth lift, so it’s a good idea to start light and taking your time to increase the weight.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Clean

• Kettlebell cleans are a very effective explosive power exercise.
• The clean is the most efficient way to bring a kettlebell to the front rack position before performing squats, lunges, presses or similar exercises.
• As a total-body movement, it’s an excellent way to train cardio and conditioning while targeting the legs, core, and upper back.

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings might be the most popular kettlebell exercise around, and for plenty of good reasons. They are one of the best hip extension exercises and target the glutes and hamstrings. They are powerful, they are fun, and they are unconventional cardio.

Because your hips and glutes are some of the strongest muscles in your body, you can swing a lot more weight than you realize when you are using the proper momentum, power, and position.

How to Do the Kettlebell Swing

Start standing about a foot behind the kettlebell, with your feet wider than hip-distance apart. Your body should be in a hinged position with both hands palm-down on the bell. Think about hiking a football back behind you. Keep your chest tall, take a deep breath in, and “hike” the kettlebell behind your legs. Once the kettlebell is at its peak, aggressively drive your hips forward and come to a standing position while the kettlebell swings forward in front of you to about chest-height. Do not lift the kettlebell with your arms. Keep your arms loose.

Imagine a slingshot. As you bring the weight back, you’re pulling the sling back and once you release the sling, the weight should shoot forward. In this case, you will be guiding it forward and slightly up. Once the kettlebell is in front of you at its maximum height, actively pull it down through your legs, but very closer to your hips than your knees. A graphic but memorable saying to keep in mind is “thumb in the bum.” Keep the bell high and close between your legs to generate the most power. When the bell swings up, make sure you have fully extended your hips without leaning backward and overextend with your lower back.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Swing

• Kettlebell swings are a great way to change up your cardio workouts.
• Swings build explosive power and strength.
• The movements is highly effective for targeting the glutes and training hip extension, which can benefit athleticism, sports performance, and muscle growth.

Kettlebell Tall Kneeling Plank

Are you bored of planks and also need to work on your shoulder mobility? Here’s the solution. There are many ways to work your core and static exercises where you resist movement, such as basic planks, are great to build stability.

This tall kneeling plank is also great because you will be working on your hip extension and shoulder mobility at the same time. The kettlebell tall kneeling plank is a great way to work on holding our spine in a neutral position, which will translate to many other exercises.

How to Do the Kettlebell Tall Kneeling Plank

The “tall kneeling” position means that you will be on both knees with your thighs toward the ceiling, not sitting on your heels. Grab the handle of a kettlebell with both hands behind you. Your palms will be facing away from your body and you will want to keep your arms as straight as possible.

Actively extend (straighten) at the hips and hold your ribs in alignment directly above your waist. Try not to let the kettlebell rest on your body. You don’t have to pull it far away, but you want to stay active and engage your shoulders and arms in this hold.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Tall Kneeling Plank

• This exercise is a great way to open up your chest and shoulders, improve mobility and stretch your upper body.
• If you can’t perform basic planks due to wrist or elbow problems, this is a great alternative.

Turkish Get-Up

The Turkish get-up is a strength, stability, and mobility exercise wrapped up into one. It can be broken down into parts where it becomes a sit-up, a crab bridge, a lunge, an overhead hold… there is a lot going on. The main idea is that you begin lying on the ground holding a weight locked out overhead and have to move into a standing position.

This is a big, involved movement broken down into a step-by-step process. The focus is keeping your shoulders in a stable position so the weight remains perpendicular to the ground the entire time. Even beginning with bodyweight alone, without any weigh in your hand, can be challenging to some people.

How to Do the Turkish Get-Up

Lie on your back with your right foot flat on the floor, your right knee bent to 90-degrees, and your left leg straight out. Your right arm begins locked straight above your chest with a kettlebell in-hand. Your left arm is out to the side at the same angle as your left leg. While looking at the weight and pressing your arm away from you, push into the floor with your right foot and prop up onto your left elbow.

Keep pressing your left arm into the floor and come up the palm of that hand. Keep your shoulders stacked in-line. Press your hips up to the sky with your left leg out straight. Press through your left palm and right foot, and bring your left leg under your body into a kneeling position.

With your knee on the ground, take your left palm off the floor and extend your arm sideways for balance. Press through your legs into a standing position. This is the top of the get-up — the halfway point of one repetition. Stabilize the kettlebell locked overhead and brace your core.

With your left leg, step back into a half-kneeling (lunge) position. Hinge your hips back as you lean to the left side and place your left palm on the ground. Bring your left leg through to a straight ahead position. Bend your left arm and lower to your forearm, and then slowly lower yourself flat onto your back. You should  end in the same starting position, with the kettlebell locked straight over your chest. Switch the weight to the other hand and repeat.

Benefits of the Turkish Get-Up

• The Turkish get-up truly is a whole-body exercise. It’s arguably the most involved movement you can do in the gym and everything is working, as you can tell from the extra-long steps on how to perform the exercise
• The movement works shoulder stability and mobility, lower body stability and strength, and core strength.

Benefits of Kettlebell Training

Kettlebells can be used for all sorts of strength exercises, just like you would use dumbbells. The big difference is weight distribution due to the way the kettlebell is shaped and how you hold it. The offset size of the kettlebell can make many exercises much more challenging than similar movements using a dumbbell.

The other major beauty of almost any kettlebell exercise is that you easily flow from movement to movement. For example, you can smoothly transition from a kettlebell swing to a clean to a push press to a front rack reverse lunge all without ever putting the weight down.

This type of exercise flow is similar to using supersets and is an efficient way to train multiple muscle groups with a high level of continuous tension.

How to Program Kettlebell Exercises

Kettlebells are generally used for developing power over raw strength because they can be used explosively but weights are relatively limited. One of the most popular examples would be a kettlebell swing. It’s powerful movement that is best done with a kettlebell rather than a dumbbell or an improvised, homemade kettlebell-like alternative.

Kettlebell exercises can be incorporated into any conventional workout and mixed with standard exercises. For example, performing the front rack push press before dumbbell lateral raises during a shoulder workout.

You can also create a kettlebell-only workout for a plan requiring minimal equipment. For example, performing the goblet squat, swings, and front rack reverse lunge as a complete leg workout. You could also get an intense and effective cardio workout performing the farmer’s carry followed by the Turkish get-up.

How to Warm-Up with a Kettlebell

Because the kettlebell takes up barely any space in the gym, it can be the key to getting a quick and effective warm-up before any workout. Stringing together several exercises, performing each for several repetitions, can be an ideal way to prepare your entire body for any training session. Try this simple circuit:

• Unweighted Turkish Get-Up: Lie flat on the ground with your hand raised to the ceiling. Roll to the opposite side, prop yourself up, swing the leg of your non-working arm through to the back, and stand up. Keep your hand pointed completely vertical the entire time. Reverse the process to lie back down and repeat with the other arm. Perform two reps per side before moving to the next exercise.
• Goblet Squat: Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest. Pull your shoulders back, engage your core, and sit back into your hips. Descend as low as possible, aiming to increase your depth with each repetition. Perform five repetitions before moving to the next repetition.
• Kettlebell Clean: Take the kettlebell in one hand, hanging between your legs near your knees. Hinge forward at the hips and slightly bend your knees. Explode upwards while pulling the weight to shoulder-level. Bend your arm and “catch” the weight with bent legs. Stand upright and reset before lowering the weight to the starting position. Perform three repetitions per arm before moving to the next exercise.
• Front Rack Push Press: Begin with the kettlebell at shoulder-level. Bend your legs and sit down slightly before quickly standing up while pressing the weight overhead to full lockout. Lower the bell to shoulder-level and “catch” it with bent legs. Perform three repetitions per arm before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three circuits.

One Bell, Endless Results

There’s a reason kettlebells have been used around the entire world for well-over a century. Without needing a fully equipped gym, you can train your entire body for strength, muscle, mobility, and conditioning. Kettlebell training might seem complicated, imposing, or even intimidating. But it’s really not. All it takes is patience, practice, and proper instruction. You just got the last piece, but the first two are up to you.

References

1. Baz-Valle, E., Schoenfeld, B. J., Torres-Unda, J., Santos-Concejero, J., & Balsalobre-Fernández, C. (2019). The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PloS one, 14(12), e0226989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226989
2. Gontijo, L. B., Pereira, P. D., Neves, C. D., Santos, A. P., Machado, D., & Bastos, V. H. (2012). Evaluation of strength and irradiated movement pattern resulting from trunk motions of the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Rehabilitation research and practice, 2012, 281937. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/281937

Featured Image: Goolia Photography / Shutterstock

The post The 12 Best Kettlebell Exercises for Conditioning, Mobility, and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When performed regularly, the simple push-up and its variations will help you build bigger pecs, triceps, and shoulders, improve your relative strength, and it can even transfer over to boosting your bench and overhead press numbers.

Here are 10 push-up variations to try if you’re ready to give bodyweight training a fair shake. You will never look at push-ups the same way again.

Best Push-Up Variations

• Chaos Push-Up
• Decline Push-Up
• Incline Plyo Push-Up
• Clapping Push-Up
• Spiderman Push-Up
• Slider Push-Up
• Suspension Strap Single-Arm Push-Up
• Band-Resisted Push-Up
• Archer Push-Up
• Yoga Push-Up

Chaos Push-Up

This challenging variation takes the standard bodyweight push-up up a notch by using a resistance band in a quite unusual way. By performing a push-up with your hands on the band instead of the floor, the highly unstable element fires up all of your shoulder and core stabilizer muscles.

The band gives you instant feedback when using anything less than perfect form. You’re forced to move at a slower speed to maintain control, and the increased time under tension does wonders for adding muscle.

When to Use it

When regular push-ups are easy and you’ve advanced to doing push-ups for seemingly endless reps, the chaos push-up will snap you out of this funk. The increased time under tension makes it great for adding muscle and it’s a great alternative exercise for dumbbell bench presses. The instability of the chaos push-up is excellent for additional rotator cuff strength if you’re coming back from a shoulder injury.

How to Do it

Loop a heavy-duty resistance band around safety pins on the squat rack, at roughly waist height. Light to moderate bands may not be able to support your body weight. The higher the band is placed and the higher your body angle, the easier the exercise will be.

Place your hands on the band in a shoulder-width grip and hold tight with stiff arms. Bring your legs behind you and allow the band to support your weight, while engaging your glutes and core. Bend your arms and slowly lower yourself into a push-up. Press yourself up, pause briefly at the top to reset and stabilize before repeating.

Decline Push-Up

The decline push-up is one of the most common variations of the classic push-up. It’s fantastic for adding muscle because it’s relatively low stress on the joints, requires minimal equipment to perform, and can be trained for very high reps which benefits size and strength.

This movement shifts the focus to the upper chest and anterior deltoid, similar to an incline bench press, for better overall muscle development of the chest and shoulders.

When to Use it

Your chest is a relatively large muscle with multiple sections, or heads, so it pays to train with your arms at a variety of angles relative to your torso. (1) Perform the decline push-up in any workout in place of your standard push-up, particularly if your workout lacks angled chest exercises or if your shoulders are bothering you from other pressing exercises.

How to Do it

Place your toes on a box, step, or flat bench and position your hands underneath your shoulders. Engage your core to keep your spine neutral, neither sagging nor excessively arched. Lower yourself into a push-up until your chest is just above the floor and your elbows are angled roughly 45-degrees from your sides. Pause briefly at the bottom and push back to the starting position. Reset your body position at lockout and repeat.

Incline Plyo Push-Up

The incline plyo push-up allows you to generate upper body power with less compressive stress on the joints than similar free weight movements.

The incline plyo push-up is an excellent regression (less challenging variation) from the clapping push-up because you press less of your body weight due to the inclined position. This can allow you to squeak a few more reps and apply more explosive force.

When to Use it

Use sets of six to 10 reps with this powerful variation as a “primer” at the start of a heavy bench press workout to recruit more muscle and ignite your CNS. (2) If you’re having difficulty with plyo push-ups from the floor, this is a good way to introduce explosive movements while building strength, speed, and power.

How to Do it

Place your hands on a stable platform like a secured bench or box, a set of steps, or a Smith machine bar. Keep your arms straight as you lean forward and position your feet back, keeping a straight line through your body. Bend your arms and lower yourself rapidly toward the bench before explosively pushing yourself up and allowing your hands to leave the bench.

As you land, slightly bend your elbows and “catch” yourself on the way down to better absorb the force. Descend smoothly into the next repetition.

Clapping Push-Up

The clapping push-up is performed with maximum force. On each repetition, your hands will leave the ground and you will quickly clap them together to display power, coordination, and control.

Power exercises like the clapping push-up train the fast-twitch muscle fibers of the body, which are capable of more growth than slow-twitch fibers. (3) This exercise is a progression of the incline plyo push-up and should only be performed when you’ve mastered the incline movement.

When to Use It

As the first exercise of the workout, before heavy lifting, perform sets of six to eight reps. This will build explosive strength and help to improve your performance with other pressing exercises following in the workout, such as the overhead press and bench press.

How to Do it

Lie on the floor in a good push-up position with your hands under your shoulders, your legs straight, and your spine neutral. Bend your arms and lower yourself into a push-up position with your elbows at a roughly 45-degree angle. Before your chest touches the floor, press explosively and let your hands leave the floor. Quickly clap your hands together and get them back to the floor to catch yourself. Reset your body before the next repetition or, if you’re advanced, immediately transition into the next rep.

Spiderman Push-Up

The Spiderman push-up is an advanced variation that requires your upper body and lower body to work together with coordination, strength, and stability.

This push-up variation will increase your chest’s time under tension at the peak of your push-up contraction, which will challenge your strength and improve the hypertrophy stimulus. It also tests and challenges your core stability and hip mobility, making it an excellent “bang for the buck” movement.

When to Use It

The Spiderman push-up is excellent to insert into a conditioning workout or fat loss circuit because it trains many muscles with one movement and improves your upper body, core, and hip flexor strength. Make sure to do equal reps on both legs.

How to Do it

Assume your regular push-up position on the ground with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest toward the ground while simultaneously pulling your right knee toward your right forearm. Don’t allow your torso to rotate excessively to accommodate your rising leg

Pause briefly in the bottom while your chest hovers near the ground before reversing the process and bringing your foot back to the starting position while pushing yourself back up. Repeat the next repetition with the left leg. Alternate legs with each repetition. To cue the overall movement, imagine you’re a web-slinging superhero climbing the outside of a building.

Slider Push-Up

For the slider push-up, you’re using a simple slider device to reach one arm forward as you perform a traditional bent-arm push-up with the opposite arm. This variation recruits more of the serratus anterior (outer chest muscle which controls the shoulder blades), while also increasing muscular tension on your chest and triceps.

If you have shoulder mobility issues, stay within a range of motion you can control by limiting how far you reach forward. The slider push-up challenges your shoulder stabilization and may improve shoulder health over time.

When to Use It

The slider push-up is a great exercise to eventually build up to a one-arm push-up because most of the work is done by one arm while the other is providing support. For maximum focus and strength, perform this exercise near the beginning of any workout, before fatiguing your chest and triceps with other exercises.

How to Do it

Kneel on the ground and put an exercise slider or furniture slider under each hand. Rotate your shoulders to put your wrists, elbows, and shoulders in a stacked position. Straighten your legs and stabilize your entire body in a front plank position. Engage your glutes and keep a tight core.

Lower into a push-up by bending one arm while keeping the opposite arm straight as it extends forward. After reaching the lowest comfortable position, pull the forward hand back while pressing the bent arm to lockout. Alternate sides with each repetition.

Suspension Strap Single-Arm Push-Up

This variation uses suspension straps, like gymnastic rings or TRX cables, to adjust your body angle which changes the intensity of the push-up. The straps also add an element of instability, which means you’re training core strength as well as upper body and lower body stabilizers.(4)

This exercise will help strengthen imbalances between sides and give you instant feedback if there is anything amiss with your pressing technique since it requires total focus and control.

When to Use It

Unilateral (single-arm) presses are great for strengthening imbalances between sides, since most people naturally have one slightly more developed or slightly stronger arm. If you find one arm lagging behind the other during the bench press or overhead press, this is an effective way to target each side on its own.

How to Do it

Loop the handles together and grip the strap over your shoulder with one hand. Adjust your intensity by moving your feet closer to the anchor point (harder) or further away (easier). Slowly lower yourself while keeping your shoulders square to the floor. Don’t rotate or shift to favor either side. While learning the movement, control the range of motion and don’t let your elbow go too far past your torso. Press back, reset, and repeat. Perform all reps on one side before switching.

Band-Resisted Push-Up

Bodyweight push-ups will never truly go out of style, and sometimes you just want to add resistance to this classic exercise. Putting weight plates on your back is okay, but it can get awkward to keep them in place as you move. This is where a looped resistance band comes in.

The band’s ascending resistance will make the exercise more difficult toward the top of the push-up, which maximizes your muscles’ peak contraction.

When to Use It

The band provides the majority of resistance in the upper end of the range of motion, which will help build triceps lockout strength and muscle gains for your chest and triceps. Do this when you want to add variety to your training, build some chest muscle, and put some pep back into your bench press without joint stress from a barbell.

How to Do it

Loop a resistance band around your upper back and put the ends of the band snugly under your hands. Place your hands underneath your shoulders and rise onto your toes in a front plank position. Keep a straight line through your core and squeeze your glutes. Slowly lower yourself down until your chest is nearly touching the floor. Think about driving your hands through the floor as you press back up and fight resistance to the starting position.

Archer Push-Up

This exercise has you performing a push-up with primarily one arm while the other arm provides support, similar to a slider push-up. The wide grip and long range of motion make this one of the more advanced push-up variations.

By alternating side to side, you allow each arm to do its own share of the work. This unique training angle also works the chest differently from most exercises, which can stimulate more muscle growth.

When to Use It

If your goal is to be able to do one-arm push-ups, archer push-ups can play a big role in getting you there. It can be used as a “gateway” movement to build the pressing strength and total-body stability needed to achieve a clean one-arm push-up.

How to Do it

Get on the ground with your toes planted and your hands set well-beyond shoulder-width. Your wrists and elbows may be more comfortable when your fingers point “out” toward the side walls instead of forward. Maintain a stiff body position through your core.

“Pull” your right chest down toward your right hand by bending your right elbow. Keep your left arm straight as your body approaches the ground. Press through your bent arm to return to the starting position and repeat to the opposite side. Alternate sides with each repetition, and perform an even amount of work on each side.

Yoga Push-Up

This unique exercise is one part push-up and one part “downward dog” yoga pose. It trains strength, mobility, and flexibility in your pressing muscles, core, upper back, lower back, hips, and lower body.

Your pecs and triceps get significant time under tension and a change of pressing angle similar to a decline push-up. The “downward dog”-like position helps to improve strength and mobility in the thoracic spine (upper back), hips, and hamstrings.

When to Use It

The yoga push-up is ideal when you’ve finally decided to perform some of the mobility work that often gets forgotten. It works well as a time-efficient warm-up before any workout, especially sessions that will involve chest pressing or shoulder training because it addresses the upper and lower back.

How to Do it

Start in a regular push-up position, on your toes and hands, with your body straight from head to heel. Descend into a standard push-up with your elbows roughly 45-degrees away from your torso. When your chest is slightly above the floor, press up while pushing your hips back at an upward angle. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings as your torso and legs form an upside down “V” shape.

Keep your shoulders relaxed and pushed away from your ears. Reverse the entire movement to transition back into the starting push-up position and repeat for reps.

Muscles Worked by the Push-Up

Most push-up movements primarily work the chest, with support from the shoulders and triceps, while the abdominals and lower back work to keep a strong core.

However, specific variations can emphasize the upper chest, focus more on core strength, or build shoulder and upper back mobility.

Pectorals

Your chest muscles are front and center with the push-up. Your pecs are largely responsible for arm adduction (bringing your arms closer to your centerline) which occurs when you push your body away from the floor.

Triceps

Once your elbows break 90-degrees as you press upwards, your triceps take over significantly to extend your elbows and lockout your arms. Performing any push-up with a relatively close-grip (your hands closer than shoulder-width) will also increase triceps activation. (5)

Anterior Deltoids

The shoulder muscle has three individual heads, each responsible for moving your arm in a different plane relative to your body. The anterior deltoid on the front of the shoulder works to “raise” your upper arm in front of your body. It assists your chest and triceps when pushing your body away from the ground.

Core

If your spine doesn’t stay neutral during the push-up, it all counts for naught because you’ll compromise joint health, safety, and efficiency. The anterior and posterior core — your abs and lower back — keep your torso rigid so your chest and triceps can apply maximum force. Single-arm movements like the slider push-up and single-leg movements like the Spiderman push-up require more core activation to counterbalance a reduced base of support.

Push-Up Form Tips

The most common technique flaw in the push-up is a loss of core stability. This results in an ugly-looking push-up which strains the lower back and increases the risk of injury. Your best bet is to engage your abs and glutes, and stop the movement if you find yourself losing spinal position.

Although there is nothing necessarily wrong with having your hands wider than shoulder-width apart when performing the basic push-up, be sure to keep your elbows angled near 45-degrees from your torso for most push-up movements. When your hands are placed wide, it’s more work on the shoulders (and shoulder joints) and less involvement from the chest and triceps.

The cardinal sin of almost all push-ups is reaching your head down to meet the floor. This is high risk on your cervical spine and neck, and it short-changes the effective range of motion for your target muscles. You can prevent this error by tucking your chin to your chest, pulling your head back to make a “double-chin”, and staring directly at the floor.

Push Yourself with New Exercises

Too many lifters write off the push-up as being “an easy exercise.” They underestimate its value because of the general lack of load and apparent simplicity of the movement. But as any of these variations showcase, a few tweaks here and there will take the bodyweight push-up to the next level by adding extra movement, changing the angle of work, or throwing stability requirements to the mix. Tackle some of these exercises and the push-up will never seem so “easy” again.

References

1. Rodríguez-Ridao, D., Antequera-Vique, J. A., Martín-Fuentes, I., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339
2. Sale D. G. (1988). Neural adaptation to resistance training. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 20(5 Suppl), S135–S145. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198810001-00009
3. D’Antona, G., Lanfranconi, F., Pellegrino, M. A., Brocca, L., Adami, R., Rossi, R., Moro, G., Miotti, D., Canepari, M., & Bottinelli, R. (2006). Skeletal muscle hypertrophy and structure and function of skeletal muscle fibres in male body builders. The Journal of physiology, 570(Pt 3), 611–627. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2005.101642
4. Borreani, S., Calatayud, J., Colado, J. C., Moya-Nájera, D., Triplett, N. T., & Martin, F. (2015). Muscle activation during push-ups performed under stable and unstable conditions. Journal of exercise science and fitness, 13(2), 94–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesf.2015.07.002
5. Kim, Y. S., Kim, D. Y., & Ha, M. S. (2016). Effect of the push-up exercise at different palmar width on muscle activities. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(2), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.446

Featured Image: Iryna Inshyna / Shutterstock

The post 10 Push-Up Variations for More Muscle and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Well-developed lats enhance the breadth of your physique by filling the space between your rib cage and arms. The lats support your low back and transmit energy between your hips and shoulders during athletic endeavors.

Finally, the lats are massive contributors to upper body pulling strength. Whether hoisting yourself over a wall at an obstacle course race or drawing in an opponent during a grappling sport, the lats are as useful as they are aesthetic.

We all need a strong, substantial set of lats. You might already train them with pull-ups and pulldowns. Sure, those are great, but there’s an assortment of effective lat exercises that only require a few dumbbells. Here are the best dumbbell exercises to hit your lats.

10 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Lats

• Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row
• Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover
• Kroc Row
• Three-Point Dumbbell Row
• Bird Dog Row
• Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row
• Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull
• Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Sometimes the simplest exercise is the most effective. The bent-over dumbbell row delivers a heavy training stimulus to the lats and other muscles of the back while reinforcing hip hinge mechanics. In fact, the bent-over row shows comparable low back extensor muscle activity to the Romanian deadlift (RDL). (1)

Unlike the barbell row, which is traditionally performed with an overhand grip on a straight bar, the dumbbell version allows an elbow-friendly neutral forearm rotation. To better target the lats, pull your elbows straight back out to the side. (2)

How to Do the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Stand upright while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward at the hips and keep a slight bend in your knees. Allow the dumbbells to hang from your straight arms, slight in front of your knees.

Row both dumbbells toward the bottom of your ribcage by pulling the elbows and shoulders back. Keep your trunk at a constant angle to the floor. Don’t jerk your upper body up and down to move the weight.

Benefits of the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

• Maintaining the hip hinge (bent forward) position trains your glutes and spinal erectors while you row. (1)(3)
• Rowing from the bent-over position requires greater spinal stiffness, which may make the bent-over dumbbell row a great accessory exercise for those training to improve their deadlift. (3)
• Depending on your flexibility, the bent-over dumbbell row may also provide the bonus effect of a mild hamstring stretch.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Closely related to the bent-over dumbbell row, the single-arm dumbbell row allows you to adopt a large stance and brace your off-side arm on your leg.

Tasked with managing only one dumbbell at a time, you can focus attention on the target muscles including the lats, teres major, rhomboids, middle trapezius, and posterior deltoids (upper back muscles). Focusing on the mind-muscle connection has been shown to be helpful for engaging the lats. (4)

How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Begin with one dumbbell on the floor. Take a staggered stance with your front foot next to the dumbbell. Your working arm will be opposite your front foot — left foot forward with your right arm working, and vice versa.

Lean forward and brace your non-working forearm on your front thigh. Grab the dumbbell with your working arm and row the dumbbell toward your back hip. Maintain a neutral grip with your palm facing your front leg. Lower the weight to a full stretch, nearly reaching ankle-level.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

• Rowing one arm at a time with your off-side forearm supported on your thigh helps lock in good form by discouraging hip extension.
• Unilateral (single-arm) rowing with off-side support is easier on the low back. It reduces lumbar erector muscle activity and likely decreases extension forces and shear forces experienced by the low back. (5)

Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

Think of the dead-stop dumbbell row as a relative of the barbell-based Pendlay row. Like its more popular sibling, each repetition is performed from the floor, which builds raw strength at long muscle lengths.

And like the Pendlay row and the bent-over dumbbell row, discussed above, the exercise requires deep hip flexion and adequate hamstring flexibility. But unlike the bent-over dumbbell row, which can tax the lumbar region, the dead-stop dumbbell row offloads the low back between each repetition while the weight is reset on the ground.

How to Do the Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

Stand with two dumbbells slightly outside of your toes. Assume a deep hip hinge position, bent at the waist, with your back as straight as possible.

Grab the dumbbells and row them alongside your thighs toward your ribs. Lower both weights to the ground and allow a “dead-stop” on the floor between repetitions. Pause momentarily to unload the weights, without loosening your grip, before initiating the next rep.

Benefits of the Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

• Because the dead-stop dumbbell row begins and ends in a stationary position on the floor, it interrupts the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) and eliminates the stretch reflex. This decreases momentum and increases muscle recruitment.
• The dead-stop makes the movement more strict by dissuading the use of passive recoil from muscles and other connective tissues. This makes the exercise more challenging and will help you to build starting strength, or strength off the floor.
• As a bonus, dead-stop exercises are often extremely joint- and tendon- friendly, likely due to more gradual loading rates and lower absolute loads required for a training effect.

Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

A hallmark of the “Golden era” of bodybuilding, the pullover has seen cycles of popularity and disuse. Along with straight-arm cable pulldowns, the pullover is a rare “isolation exercise” targeting the latissimus dorsi.

The lats are capable of moving the shoulder through a very long range of movement. (6) While rows train the lats through a significant part of the extension range of motion, the cross-bench dumbbell pullover trains shoulder extension from end-range (overhead position).

Peak resistance in the pullover is encountered when your arms are fully overhead, parallel to the ground. That’s when the latissimus dorsi muscle fibers are at their longest length. Training the lats at long muscle lengths is beneficial for building muscle mass. (7)

How to Do the Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

Support your shoulder blades on a flat bench and bridge your hips to keep a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Begin with one dumbbell in both hands supported above your face. Lower the weight “overhead” behind you until you feel a strong stretch across your lats and chest.

Pull the weight back over your forehead. Stop before your arms are vertical to maintain tension, and repeat. Keep your elbows in a fixed, slightly bent position and turned slightly outward throughout the exercise.

Benefits of the Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

• By keeping your elbows slightly bent and flared outwards throughout, you’ve locked yourself into a position where the dumbbell applies resistance to shoulder extension and internal rotation. Both are actions of latissimus dorsi, leading to increased muscle recruitment.
• The cross-bench dumbbell pullover requires isometric contraction of the gluteus maximus. Not only will you get bonus “glute work,” but contraction of the glutes may actually enhance tension on the lats. Force transmission occurs between the glutes and lats via the thoracodorsal fascia, a sheet of connective tissue in the small of the back to which both muscles attach. (8)(9)

Kroc Row

Some exercises are good for going heavy and others are great for high repetition sets. The Kroc row is designed for both. Dust off the biggest dumbbell you can find and consider using a lifting strap. Aim for no less than 15 reps per set.

Although the Kroc row encourages a small amount of body English to move the weight and get the reps, be disciplined here. Excessive trunk extension or rotation recruits more muscles that are not the target of the exercise. To keep the focus on the lats, the majority of work must be done by the shoulder.

How to Do the Kroc Row

Setup similar to a single-arm dumbbell row, in a split stance with a dumbbell near your front foot. Brace your off-hand on a sturdy bench or on the end of a dumbbell rack — don’t be the person blocking a row of dumbbells, set up to the side of the rack.

Strap in to the dumbbell, brace hard with your off-hand, and accelerate the dumbbell up toward the outside of your lower lower ribs. A small amount of leg drive is acceptable. Lower under control and repeat for high reps.

Benefits of the Kroc Row

• Although the Kroc row is decidedly a lat-building exercise, it allows hearty contribution from the upper traps. The recruitment of this powerful muscle allows you to move more weight for higher reps.
• The Kroc row provides a unique opportunity for heavy loading and “controlled aggression” during your training. It’s the kind of exercise that makes you want to crank up the volume on your favorite lifting music.

Three-Point Dumbbell Row

The lats act primarily on the shoulder with minor contributions to trunk extension and rotation. (10) Emphasis on the word “minor.” If you are struggling with keeping true form or experiencing low back fatigue during the bent-over dumbbell row or other standing variations, then it’s time for a different variation. The three-point dumbbell row may be ideal.

It’s sometimes considered the “default” method of performing a dumbbell row. It’s more supportive than either the single-arm dumbbell row or Kroc row because it requires a large, stable base for moving serious weight with clean form.

How to Do the Three-Point Dumbbell Row

Begin with a dumbbell on the floor next to a flat bench. Place your off-side knee, shin, and palm on the flat bench. Set your other foot a comfortable distance from your hips and keep the foot flat on the floor.

Maintain a neutral spine position as you grab the dumbbell. Keep a neutral grip (palm facing your body) as you row the dumbbell toward the outside of your hip. Lower to a full stretch without touching the floor, and repeat for reps.

Benefits of the Three-Point Dumbbell Row

• Compared to standing variations, the three-point dumbbell row takes significant tension off the low back and hamstrings.
• You’ve unofficially claimed the bench as your designated recovery zone between hard sets. Push your sets hard enough and you’ll need it.

Bird Dog Row

The bird dog exercise is a common rehab and performance exercise that trains “rotary stability,” or the ability to recover from challenges that would tend to rotate your shoulder girdle, spine, or hips. (11) It’s performed on the ground in an “all fours” position with support from only one hand and the opposite leg.

Take this challenging position, move it on top of a flat bench, and add a row. Now, you have a dynamite exercise that integrates the lats and core.

How to Do the Bird Dog Row

Start with a light dumbbell (roughly 20-30% of what you’d use for a single-arm row) placed on top of a flat bench.

Setup with your working-side knee and off-side hand on the bench, and your off-side leg extended behind you. Brace your midsection and stabilize your entire body. Row the dumbbell with a neutral-grip to the outside of your lower ribs. Focus on preventing any rotation of your hips, pelvis, or spine as the weight moves.

Benefits of the Bird Dog Row

• Unilateral dumbbell rows have shown greater muscle activity in the obliques than bilateral rows, cable rows, and machine rows. (5) This variation will hit the obliques even harder than other single-arm rows due to the narrow base of support. (11)
• The bird dog row requires the lowest weight dumbbell to be challenging and effective, making it an appealing exercise for “light” or recovery workouts or periods of injury rehabilitation.

Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

Although standing dumbbell row variations may look simple, they are notoriously subject to sloppy form. The bench-supported dumbbell row, sometimes called the chest-supported row, restricts the work to only your shoulders to better target the lats. (2) (10)

Because your lower body is essentially removed from the equation and the bench provides rock-solid stability, this is one of the most strict and muscle-focused row variations.

How to Do the Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

Set an adjustable bench to 45-degrees. If you have long arms, you may need to elevate the bench to maintain the same angle. Using a higher incline will shift focus off the lats and onto the traps and upper back musculature.

Hold two dumbbells and lie chest-down on the bench. The weights should not reach the floor when hanging down straight. Row both dumbbells by pulling your elbows up and alongside the bench. Keep a neutral forearm orientation throughout the exercise.

Benefits of the Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

• The bench-supported dumbbell row eliminates the use of “body English” in the hips or trunk to cheat the weights up.
• Bench-supported rowing has been shown to result in reduced low back muscle activity, which may be beneficial for those looking to spare the low back in training— say, to prepare for an imminent deadlift session — or to offload the low back in the case of injury. (2)

Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

Although it often takes a backseat to the bench press, the bench pull is a hallmark of athletic training and testing. The reason? It’s a pure expression of horizontal pulling strength.

The dumbbell version of the bench pull, sometimes called a seal row, alleviates some of the difficulties associated with the barbell version. Most notably, the potential for a shortened range of motion when the barbell hits the underside of the bench.

If you do not have a dedicated bench pull/seal row station, you can easily assemble one with a flat bench and several plates or aerobic steps. However, make sure your setup is secure and at an appropriate height. To ensure a full range of motion, the bench must be high enough to avoid reaching the floor in the stretched position.

How to Do the Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

Lie on your belly on top of the bench with a folded towel under your forehead to maintain proper neck alignment. Retrieve the dumbbells from beneath the bench by carefully leaning to each side and grabbing them.

Row both weights toward your lower ribs with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms and the dumbbells close to the bench, not angled away.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

• The prone position dissuades compensatory actions such as “shrugging” during the row, which could otherwise rob tension from the lats.
• The setup provides support to the entire spine and head, significantly reducing strain on the spine. You might even find the stretched position comfortable for a moment.

Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

The pull-up is not technically a dumbbell exercise, but I am including it here under the pretense that it can be loaded with a dumbbell. A cop-out? Probably, but the pull-up is too effective as a lat-builder to neglect.

It’s likely the latissimus dorsi is best trained at long muscle lengths. (7) Aside from the dumbbell pullover, which has a very small effective range of motion, no exercise on this list compares to the pull-up for the purpose of training the lats at long muscle lengths.

If you’re strong and can perform several bodyweight pull-ups with good technique, you can load the pull-up heavier by locking a dumbbell between your legs. If you’re up for a serious challenge, perform your dumbbell pull-ups with the drop set technique.

How to Do the Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

Hold a relatively light dumbbell between your ankles, begin performing pull-ups with a neutral or, if available, rotating grip.

When you approach muscular fatigue and cannot perform another full repetition with good form, release the dumbbell on the floor and immediately continue to perform pull-ups until you approach muscular failure again.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

• Compared to hanging weights from a dip belt for your pull-ups, using a dumbbell is easier to quickly jettison during a drop set.
• Pull-ups can be used to train shoulder extension by using a shoulder-width grip or adduction when using a wide grip. Both are actions of the latissimus dorsi, leading to increased muscle recruitment and growth stimulus.

The Latissimus Dorsi Muscles

All ten exercises on the list are effective for training the lats because they load or provide resistance to one or more of the actions of latissimus dorsi. The latissimus dorsi primarily acts to extend the shoulder, drawing your arm back toward your body as during rowing. (10)

The latissimus dorsi also adducts the shoulder, drawing your arm toward your midsection as during performance of a wide-grip pull-up or pullover. (10) Secondarily, the lats contribute to internal rotation of the shoulder. The lat muscles even contribute to low back extension and rotation, albeit, these contributions are small. (10)

Average gym-goers can simply plug one or more of the exercises into their training plan, perform their sets, then rest assured they’ve “hit their lats.” Bodybuilders and physique-minded lifters typically divide their back workouts upper body pulling into horizontal pulling and vertical pulling. Think of all the row variations on this list as horizontal pulls, while the pull-up and pullover are vertical pulling.

Due to the biomechanical differences between these movement patterns, it may be prudent to include at least one from each category during your weekly lifting routine.

How Often and How Much Should You Train Lats?

Start training your lats regularly and you’ll notice remarkable things. Clothes begin to fit better, your major compound lifts (like the squat, bench press, and deadlift) start feeling more secure, and you develop mind-muscle connection to the growing slabs of muscle on your flanks. But how often should you hit lats for optimal results? And how much attention should the lats receive?

While there is plenty of nuance to programming, a simple method to plan training frequency is to determine the target weekly total set volume for the muscle or muscle group. Then, work backwards by allocating those sets into your weekly workout split.

For already-fit individuals who want to build more muscle, experts recommend a minimum of 10 sets per muscle group per week is best. (12) More weekly sets (i.e. 20 or more) may offer additional benefits provided the lifter gradually builds to that volume over time. (12) If you are dead-set on improving your lats, a higher volume “specialization” program can be very effective, but again, that volume must be built gradually over time.

Next, take your favorite lat exercises and allocate your target number of weekly sets to each exercise. For example, a moderately experienced lifter might aim for 14 sets per week targeting the lats. If this lifter prefers bent-over dumbbell rows, dumbbell prone bench pulls, and pull-ups, the allocation may be four sets of dumbbell rows, four sets on the prone bench, and six sets of pull-ups.

Now, if this lifter uses a push/pull/legs split and trains six days per week, those exercises can be distributed across the two separate pulling sessions. If the lifter trains with a whole body routine three days per week, the exercises can be distributed across all three workouts, one exercise per session.

Be thoughtful when you plan your lat training. For example, four sets of bent-over dumbbell rows might not be the best choice the day before or the day after a heavy deadlift session due to cumulative lower back strain.

How to Progress Your Lat Training

Intensity (weight) and volume (sets and reps) must be progressed for long-term gains. A simple strategy for progressing intensity is the “two- for two- rule.” Once you can hit two or more repetitions more than your repetition target in the final set for two consecutive workouts, it’s time to use a heavier dumbbell. (13) To progress volume, add one or two sets for each exercise each month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Chin-Up for Bigger Arms and a Stronger Back]

However, these progression methods will not remain effective forever. After two or three months, or when your progress stalls, take a deload. Come back stronger and to a new program with subtle variations. Change up some of the lat exercises and start with a slightly lower set volume and higher intensity than your previous baseline.

How to Warm-up Your Lats

Complete a warm-up to prime your body for the dumbbell lat workout. Organize the warm-up in two parts: the general warm-up and the specific warm-up. Five minutes of cardio will suffice for the general warm-up. This activity serves to increase body temperature and promote general movement.

Although any form of light aerobic exercise works, an exercise that involves the upper body is preferable. Ideas include the rowing ergometer, ski ergometer, air bike, elliptical, or jump rope.

For the specific warm-up, start with the exercise that gives you the best connection with your lats — the movement that allows you to “feel” them most. This will vary from person to person based on your leverages, your experience, and your mind-muscle connection.

Complete two or three sets of eight to 12 repetitions using dumbbells lighter than your working weight. Incrementally increase the resistance as you work through your warm-up. Depending on your level of strength, the pull-up might not be the best exercise to start with unless you have access to a pull-up assist machine or resistance bands to counterbalance your bodyweight.

Dumbbells Give You Wings

By surface area, the latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the body. (6) It’s not surprising that well-developed lats give your back the appearance of more size. Train them regularly and progressively, ideally while eating a slight calorie surplus, and you’ll notice wings of muscle filling in beside your ribcage. These “wings” won’t allow you to fly, but I suspect walking around with them will make you feel almost as good.

References

1. Lane, C. L., et al. (2019). Comparison of the firefighter candidate physical ability test to weight lifting exercises using electromyography. Work, 62(3), 459-467.
2. García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
3. Fenwick, C. M., et al. (2009). Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(5), 1408-1417.
4. Snyder, B. J., & Leech, J. R. (2009). Voluntary increase in latissimus dorsi muscle activity during the lat pull-down following expert instruction. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(8), 2204-2209.
5. Saeterbakken, A., et al. (2015). The effect of performing bi-and unilateral row exercises on core muscle activation. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 94(11), 900-905.
6. Gerling, M. E., & Brown, S. H. (2013). Architectural analysis and predicted functional capability of the human latissimus dorsi muscle. Journal of Anatomy, 223(2), 112-122.
7. Ottinger, C. R., et al. (2022). Muscle Hypertrophy Response to Range of Motion in Strength Training: A Novel Approach to Understanding the Findings. Strength & Conditioning Journal, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000737
8. Santana, J. C., et al. (2015). Anterior and posterior serape: The rotational core. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 37(5), 8-13.
9. do Carmo Carvalhais, V. O., et al. (2013). Myofascial force transmission between the latissimus dorsi and gluteus maximus muscles: an in vivo experiment. Journal of Biomechanics, 46(5), 1003-1007.
10. Bogduk, N., et al. (1998). The morphology and biomechanics of latissimus dorsi. Clinical Biomechanics, 13(6), 377-385.
11. Clemente, P. C., et al. (2022). Perceived exertion, postural control, and muscle recruitment in three different quadruped exercises performed by healthy women. Frontiers in Physiology, 1630.
12. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
13. Sheppard, J.M., & Triplett, N. (2016). Program design for resistance training. In: Haff, G., & Triplett N., (Eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed., pp. 459). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

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The post The 10 Best Dumbbell Exercises to Hit Your Lats appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This staple movement isn’t just for gymnasts or calisthenics enthusiasts. It’s a fundamental old school exercise that’s been used by bodybuilders and strength athletes for decades.

Adding dips to your workout routine will target your pecs, triceps, and shoulders for an all-around bigger, fuller, stronger upper body. Here’s how to use only your body weight to deliver a deep burn and explosive pump for your chest.

• How to Do Dips
• Dip Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of Dips
• Muscles Worked by Dips
• Who Should Do Dips
• How to Program Dips
• Dip Variations
• Dip Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do Dips

Dips can be done on dedicated dip bars, at an assisted dip station, or a sturdy and stable pair of chairs. Whichever setup you’re using, ensure it’s at a height where you can keep your legs and feet off the ground when in the bottom (stretched) position. This will allow a full range of motion for maximum benefit.

Step 1 — Get up on the Bars

Step up to the dip station and grab the bars with palms your facing inward. Keep your arms straight — depending on the setup, you may need to sightly jump into the locked out position. Bend your legs slightly so that your arms support your entire body weight.

Keep your back straight and your head looking forward. Engage your core and glutes by squeezing them both to keep your entire body tight.

Form tip: Ideally, your hands should be roughly shoulder-width distance. Some dip bars are angled to allow different grip widths. If your hands are farther apart, shoulder-joint strain can increase and tension on your chest muscles can decrease.

Step 2 — Lower into a Stretch

Slowly lower your body until your elbows are roughly at 90-degree angles, if your mobility allows. Maintain a forward-looking head position, but let your upper body angle slightly forward to increase recruitment of the chest muscles.

Your elbows will naturally angle slightly outwards. Avoid excessively flaring your elbows directly to the sides, which can increase strain on the shoulder joints.

Form tip: Use a slow tempo to ensure control, maximum muscle tension, and boost muscle growth. (1) Take up to three seconds to reach the bottom position.

Step 3 — Drive up to Full Contraction

Push your body up in a controlled, fluid motion. Stop once you’re back at the starting position with nearly straight arms. Briefly pause at the top to stabilize your body and minimize any swinging.

As your body rises, focus on feeling constant tension contracting your chest muscles. Engage the mind-muscle connection by focusing your full attention on the pecs and visualize the muscle fibers working.

Form tip: Your body’s path upwards should mirror the lowering phase. Your head and shoulders should arc slightly in front of your hands on the way down, and your upper body should return to a fully stacked position with your elbows above your wrists.

Dip Mistakes to Avoid

Dips are a classic bodyweight exercise that can add strength and size to your chest, arms, and shoulders. However, poor form can lead to suboptimal results or potential injury, including wear and tear on your rotator cuff tendons. (2) Fortunately, the most common errors are relatively easy to avoid.

Locking Your Elbows

In the top position, avoid locking your elbows ramrod straight. Maintain a slight bend in your arms to keep them under constant tension and yield optimal muscle-building results. (3) Paying attention to your arm position at lockout reinforces using a relatively slow tempo while focusing on maximum muscle recruitment.

In addition, locking your elbows puts them in a potentially hyperextended state, which may increase your risk of injury.

Avoid it: As your body approaches the top of the movement, pay attention not only to your chest muscles contracting, but your arm position. This will be difficult to do if you use sloppy, swinging repetitions, so maintain a constant, fluid motion throughout each repetition.

Dipping Too Low

The bottom, stretched position of most exercises is where the involved joints are under the greatest potential stress. Save your shoulders by paying close attention your depth when doing dips.

Going too low, beyond the point where you feel your shoulder muscles stretching, can significantly strain the joints. Remember, form is king when it comes to any exercise. Bodyweight exercises, including dips, are no different.

Avoid it: As you lower your body into the stretched position, you should feel both your chest muscles and shoulder muscles stretching. Don’t let your ego talk you into using an excessive range of motion. If you can see a mirror during the exercise, pay extra attention as your elbows approach a 90-degree bend. Stopping slightly higher is more acceptable than dropping too low.

Benefits of Dips

This basic bodyweight exercise allows you to build muscle mass and strength in your upper body, particularly your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Mastering strength training exercise with your bodyweight can also help to reduced your overall risk of injury and improve core stabilization.

Increased Muscle Mass and Strength

Doing dips stimulates your pecs, triceps, and core significantly. By stretching and creating tension on the entire chest muscle, dips are an efficient exercise for boosting muscle growth. (4) Bodyweight exercises have also been shown to be comparable to free weight exercises for building strength. (5)

Improved Joint Health

Maintaining muscular balance is essential for joint stability and overall health and performance, and bodyweight training is a highly effective solution. (6)

If you perform many pulling exercises or participate in activities that are pulling-intensive (e.g. training on rowing machines, pull-ups, many combat sports, etc.), regularly performing dips can build strong pushing muscles to help prevent muscular imbalances. A 10% increase in strength training volume has shown to substantially minimize overall injury risk. (7)

Improved Core Stabilization

Dips aren’t solely a chest exercise. You’ll engage your core by keeping your lower body stable throughout the movement. While your core isn’t directly trained during dips, it is strongly recruited to provide total-body stability and coordinated movement as you press. Improved core stability helps to promote overall strength, health, and injury prevention. (8)

Muscles Worked by Dips

Dips are a highly effective exercise for strengthening the muscles located in and around the chest. While dips primarily target the chest itself, the triceps and shoulders are also directly trained, as well as smaller stabilizers throughout the upper body.

Pectoralis Major

The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle that’s the largest muscle of the front chest wall. The pecs have multiple functions controlling arm movement including flexion and adduction (bringing the arms toward the body’s centerline)(9)

The pec major has two heads, the clavicular (upper chest) and the sternocostal (mid and lower chest). When executing dips, the clavicular head is more significantly worked as you approach the top portion of the movement. The sternocostal head is more highly activated as you lower into the stretched position. (9)

Triceps Brachii

The triceps consist of three separate but functionally similar muscle heads — the long, medial, and lateral. These are found on the back of the upper arm. The triceps are responsible for straightening the arm at the elbow joint, extending the shoulder, and moving the arm behind the torso — all of which work in sync during dips. (10)

Dips apply tension on all three heads of the triceps. Interestingly, the medial head, in particular, is more activated when the elbow is flexed beyond 90-degrees and the body reaches a relatively significant depth. (10)

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid (front shoulder muscles) is involved when raising the arm forward, in line with your body. More particularly, it’s engaged when moving your arm from behind your body to the front and/or overhead. During dips, the anterior deltoid is activated when your upper arm moves from the 90-degree bent position into the top position with your arms straight arms by your sides.

The anterior deltoids shoulder not be the primary working muscle during dips, but they are recruited significantly, which is why lifters with pre-existing shoulder problems may not be comfortable performing the exercise.

Abdominals

The abs are worked statically to control your lower body and maintain a stable total-body position. Similar to performing pull-ups, it’s not uncommon for lifters to feel some ab tension (or even post-workout soreness) in their abs after several intense sets of dips.

While your abs aren’t contracting through a significant range of motion, they are recruited to maintain control over the hips and pelvis, and prevent any leg swinging.

Who Should Do Dips

Whether you’re pushing a lawnmower or pushing a weight overhead, having adequate upper body pressing strength is essential. Dips can help to increase muscle mass, improve functional strength, and build greater upper body mobility.

Bodybuilders and Physique Athletes

Dips are a bodyweight-only alternative to the bench press or other chest pressing exercises. It allows lifters to train the chest with high tension, high intensity, and minimum equipment. Dips can help to sculpt the chest by working the pecs at a unique angle, creating an effective stimulus for growth. (11)

Strength Athletes

Any lifter focused on moving maximum weight in a pressing movement (bench press, overhead press, clean & jerk, etc.) can benefit from adding dips to their accessory training. By building the chest, shoulders, and triceps, you can improve the potential power and strength those muscle can exert. (12) The bodyweight dip also allows an intense workout with relatively less load, which can reduce cumulative stress on the joints.

How to Program Dips

Most beginners will find the dip to be challenging because you’re required to lift the majority of their own body weight, which can be too difficult due to lack of strength. Fortunately, persistence and effort will yield improvement. Experienced lifters can also benefit from the exercise as a training staple for size and strength.

Unweighted, Moderate Volume (Sets and Reps)

When chasing optimal muscle gains, training the bodyweight dip with four to six sets of 12 to 15 reps, once or twice a week can be highly effective. Approach failure on the final reps of each set to ensure appropriate intensity. This total volume provides your chest with sufficient time under tension to trigger muscle growth.

Weighted or Unweighted, Low Repetition

Performing low volume with low repetitions, such as four to five sets of three to six reps, is a reliable method to build strength. This low volume can be achieved by suspending weight from a belt, holding a dumbbell between your feet, or from simply being unable to perform more than six repetitions with good form.

Performing unweighted, low repetition sets frequently throughout the day is one effective method for building strength and improving technique. This is known as greasing the groove and it’s a highly effective way to master any bodyweight exercise, including dips.

Dip Variations

Dips can be used by lifters and athletes of any fitness level to apply tension to the multiple heads of the chest, triceps, and delts. Begin with more manageable versions of the dips while focusing on form, then add intensity and volume as you progress.

Ring Dip

Ring dips are a more challenging variation that requires significant muscular coordination, balance, and stability. This exercise applies tension to the pecs through a long range of motion while also challenging the smaller stabilizers in the shoulders and upper back.

Ring dips are a popular exercise in CrossFit programming, as well as general gymnastic-based programs, but the increased recruitment of the upper body stabilizers can help to improve muscular coordination and overall shoulder health when programmed appropriately.

Triceps Dip

This very subtle variation uses slight adjustments to your arm and torso positions. These will decrease emphasis on the chest and increase recruitment of the triceps, making it a popular and efficient arm-building movement.

The first significant difference from the chest-focused dip is to maintain an upright torso during the descent rather than leaning forward, to reduce recruitment of the chest muscles. Even more importantly, keep your elbows near your body and aimed towards the wall behind you. (13) Don’t allow them to flare outwards.

Dip Alternatives

If a lack of shoulder mobility or pre-existing injury prevents you from executing dips, there are plenty of alternative exercises you can do to continue adding size and strength to your chest.

Push-up

Good ol’ push-ups. This classic exercise is an excellent alternative to dips that still uses your own bodyweight to apply tension to the pecs and pressing muscles.

Some experienced lifters consider push-ups to be too easy but, like dips, push-ups can be progressed with increased volume or external load to consistently challenge the muscles. The chest and shoulder muscles aren’t put through a significant stretch during push-ups, compared to dips, making them an ideal option for lifters with pre-existing joint pain.

Bench Press

The classic bench press is an excellent substitute for dips because the potential to move heavy weights can carryover to size and strength gains. Some gym veterans would rank the bench press on par with dips as fundamental chest-building exercises.

The flat barbell bench press is obviously essential for powerlifters, as one of the competitive lifts. Its potential to build upper-body strength can also carryover to other strength athletes including strongmen and strongwomen.

FAQs

Are dips bad for the shoulders?

Using proper form and avoiding the technique mistakes explained above, dips will place more stress on the pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscles instead of the associated joints. This optimal muscle recruitment can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

However, if the exercise is executed with improper form or too heavy a load, dips may lead to shoulder impingement, potentially straining the rotator cuff tendons. (14) Fundamentally, the principles which apply to all exercises apply to dips — do them properly, with programming appropriate for your fitness level, and you’ll minimize potential hazards.

How should I program dips with other presses in a chest workout?

Specific programming variables will depend on a number of factors, including your experience level, training frequency, and goals. Generally speaking, performing one to three various types of presses in a single workout can be an effective way to train your chest.

Ideally, the exercises will be diverse — such as the flat barbell bench press, dips, and incline dumbbell press. Redundant training — such performing the flat barbell bench press, flat dumbbell bench press, and close-grip barbell bench press in one session— will deliver excessive fatigue and minimal results.

Time to Take a Dip

Shoulder injuries, poor shoulder mobility, and lack of “pushing strength” can interfere with daily life and hinder performance in the gym, on the platform, and on the field. However, incorporating dips into your training program can pack on muscle, increase strength, reduce injury risk, and enhance physical performance for lifters, athletes, and weekend warriors alike.

References

1. Wilk, M., Zajac, A., Tufano, J.J. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med 51, 1629–1650 (2021). doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2
2. Mckenzie, Alec & Crowley-McHattan, Zachary & Meir, Rudi & Whitting, John & Volschenk, Wynand. (2021). Glenohumeral Extension and the Dip: Considerations for the Strength and Conditioning Professional. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 43. 93-100. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000579.
3. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
4. Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
5. Calatayud, J., Borreani, S., Colado, J. C., Martin, F., Tella, V., & Andersen, L. L. (2015). Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 29(1), 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589
6. Harrison, Jeffrey. (2010). Bodyweight Training: A Return To Basics. Strength & Conditioning Journal. 32. 52-55. 10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181d5575c.
7. Lauersen, J.B., Andersen, T.E., Andersen, L.B. Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Dec;52(24):1557-1563. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099078.
8. Huxel Bliven, K.C., Anderson, B.E. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):514-22. doi: 10.1177/1941738113481200.
9. National Institutes of Health: Stat Pearls. Anatomy, Thorax, Pectoralis Major Major.
10. Landin, D., Thompson, M., Jackson, M. Functions of the Triceps Brachii in Humans: A Review. J Clin Med Res. 2018 Apr;10(4):290-293. doi: 10.14740/jocmr3340w.
11. Baz-Valle, E., Schoenfeld, B. J., Torres-Unda, J., Santos-Concejero, J., & Balsalobre-Fernández, C. (2019). The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PloS one, 14(12), e0226989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226989
12. Reggiani, C., & Schiaffino, S. (2020). Muscle hypertrophy and muscle strength: dependent or independent variables? A provocative review. European journal of translational myology, 30(3), 9311. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2020.9311
13. Cinarli, Fahri & Kafkas, Muhammed & Soylu, Abdullah & Yılmaz, Nurkan. (2021). EFFECT OF ELBOW ANGLE ON TRICEPS BRACHII AND PECTORALIS MAJOR MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING PARALLEL BAR DIP. 27. 57-69.
14. Escamilla, R. F., Hooks, T. R., & Wilk, K. E. (2014). Optimal management of shoulder impingement syndrome. Open access journal of sports medicine, 5, 13–24. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S36646

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

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Often neglected and underappreciated, your triceps can dramatically impact your physique and your performance. It doesn’t take much work to build bigger, stronger tris, but it does take some intelligent training. Here are the best movements to put this muscular background player on centerstage.

Best Triceps Exercises

• Close-Grip Bench Press
• EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
• Barbell Kickback
• Dumbbell Overhead Extension
• Two-Dumbbell Kickback
• Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
• Single-Arm Skull Crusher
• Dip
• Close-Grip Push-Up
• Medicine Ball Push-Up
• Tiger Bend Push-Up
• Rope Pushdown
• Single-Arm Pushdown
• Single-Arm Standing Cable Skull Crusher

Close-Grip Bench Press

The classic flat bench press is a staple in many lifters’ chest workouts. When you bring your grip slightly inwards, you can shift the emphasis away from your chest muscles and make your triceps the primary mover. (1)

Pressing with a closer grip increases triceps recruitment and decreases relative chest activation. It can also reduce strain on your shoulder joints because they are placed in a stronger mechanical position with less stretching. This makes it an effective bench press alternative for lifters dealing with joint pain.

How to Do the Close-Grip Bench Press 

Lie on a flat bench with the barbell in line above your eyes. Grab the bar using a palms-down (pronated) grip with your hands and wrists directly above your shoulders. Gripping extremely close doesn’t significantly affect triceps recruitment and can increase strain on the wrist and elbow joints.

Plant both feet flat on the ground. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and grip the bar tightly. Press straight up to unrack the bar from the support pins. Lower the bar while keeping your elbows close to your body, not flaring out to the sides. In the bottom position, the bar should be near your lower chest. Pause briefly before pressing straight up to lockout. Keep your glutes touching the bench throughout the entire repetition.

Benefits of the Close-Grip Bench Press

• This bench press variation allows the triceps to be worked with potentially heavy weights, making it ideal for building triceps strength.
• The overall joint position of this exercise allows lifters to train the bench press movement pattern with reduced shoulder joint stress.

EZ-Bar Skull Crusher

The skull crusher is a basic and effective exercise for isolating the triceps with limited activation of the chest or shoulders. Using an EZ-bar changes your hand position and allows a semi-supinated, or angled, grip. This makes the exercise more accommodating for lifters with poor wrist mobility who can’t maintain a fully supinated (palms-down) grip, and it helps to reduce strain on the wrist and elbow joints.

The EZ-bar skull crusher is one of the most fundamental triceps exercises, requiring only a flat bench and an EZ-bar. This makes it an ideal option for lifters with limited equipment, such as training in a basic home gym.

How to Do the EZ-Bar Skull Crusher 

Sit on a flat bench while holding an EZ-bar with a moderate-width, palms-down grip on the angled handles. Lie back while “kicking” the bar into a straight-arm position above your face. To maximize muscular tension, your arms should be angled slightly toward your head, not completely vertical.

Place both feet flat on the floor and tense your abs as you stabilize the weight in a locked-out position. Bend at your elbows to lower the weight towards your forehead. Keep your elbows stationary while reducing the weight. Straighten your arms to lock the weight above your head.

Benefits of the EZ-Bar Skull Crusher

• The EZ-bar reduces wrist and elbow joint strain, making it a good triceps exercise for lifters with joint pain.
• You can increase the intensity of the exercise by increasing the range of motion. Lower the weight to the bench at the top of your head instead of stopping near your forehead. While this will require moving your elbows, the longer range of motion can increase overall muscle activation.
• The EZ-Bar skull crusher can be superset with a close-grip bench press using the same bar for a quick and effective high-intensity technique.

Barbell Kickback

This old-school bodybuilding exercise has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Once considered a high-tension triceps-builder, it fell out of favor for no valid reason. The triceps undergo a long time under tension using only free weights, with no cable stations necessary.

While the exercise is often performed with a slightly rounded back, the spine isn’t under direct stress because the weight is supported through the arms. If your hamstring mobility needs improvement, maintaining the bent-over position may be uncomfortable, and you may need to bend at a higher angle or choose an alternate exercise.

How to Do the Barbell Kickback

Begin standing while holding a barbell with a palms-down grip behind your back. Bend forward at the waist and allow the bar to slide down the back of your legs. Pull your elbows up near your ribs. The bar should be near your knees or upper calves, depending on your arm and leg length.

Straighten your arms by pressing your hands backward. Keep your elbows pinned in place during the exercise. With your arms locked out, the bar often ends above your tailbone. It’s not uncommon to feel your triceps cramping hard in the locked-out position when the muscle tension is greatest. Lower the weight under control and avoid hitting yourself behind the knees with the bar.

Benefits of the Barbell Kickback

• The barbell kickback delivers a significant muscle-building stimulus with relatively light weight, making it ideal for lifters using limited equipment or those unable to lift heavy weights.
• The triceps are put through a long time under tension, specifically with a long peak contraction, which creates a significant muscle-building stimulus. (2)
• This exercise is one of relatively few isolation (single-joint) triceps exercises that can be performed with a barbell, making it a valuable addition for lifters with limited equipment.

Dumbbell Overhead Extension

Performing triceps exercises with your arms overhead is essential for maximum triceps growth due to the unique positioning of the triceps heads across the shoulder joints. The separate muscle heads are activated differently as you raise your arms to work the triceps. (3) The dumbbell overhead extension is one of the most basic exercises to address this type of exercise.

The dumbbell overhead extension can be performed standing with your feet together, standing in a split or staggered stance, tall kneeling, half-kneeling, seated with an unsupported back, or seated with a back support. Each of those variations will work the triceps the same. The only difference is descending levels of core and lower back recruitment, so choose the stance that best suits your body.

How to Do the Dumbbell Overhead Extension

Hold one dumbbell with two hands, placing the pinkies of each hand against the inside of the top weight plate. Extend the dumbbell directly overhead with straight arms. Bend your arms to lower the weight behind your head. Keep your elbows pointed up as the weight moves, don’t allow them to sink towards your shoulders.

Resist the temptation to nod your head forward “out of the way” of the dumbbell. Lower the weight under control to avoid contacting your head or neck. Return to the overhead position when you feel a significant stretch on the triceps.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Overhead Extension

• The overhead extension is an efficient way to recruit all heads of the triceps muscle.
• Because you’re lifting with both hands, you can move heavier weight than training unilaterally (one arm at a time). This makes it a useful exercise for building strength.
• This exercise emphasizes the stretched position, which has been shown to improve muscle-building. (4)

Two-Dumbbell Kickback

While the single-arm kickback is more commonly associated with “toning”-type workouts, the two-dumbbell kickback combines the focused muscular tension of the single-arm kickback with improved coordination and total-body tension of a two-arm movement.

The two-dumbbell kickback also allows lifters to rotate their wrists during the movement for a more natural range of motion with less stress on the wrist and elbow joints. 

How to Do the Two-Dumbbell Kickback

Stand upright while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend as far forward at the waist as is comfortable and slightly bend your knees. Pull both elbows to your ribs and bend your arms to a roughly 90-degree angle. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides during the entire set.

Using a relatively slow speed to minimize momentum, straighten your arms by driving your pinkies towards the ceiling. In the locked-out position, your arms should be in a straight line pointed toward the wall behind you. Experiment with a neutral grip (palms facing your body), a pronated grip (palms facing the wall behind you), and a supinated grip (palms facing your shoulders) to determine which feels most comfortable.

Benefits of the Two-Dumbbell Kickback

• The two-dumbbell kickback allows significant triceps tension with relatively light weights, making it ideal for lifters with joint pain or limited equipment.
• This movement simulates a cable triceps pushdown without needing a cable pulley station.

Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

Much like the close-grip bench press is a triceps-dominant version of the classic movement, the neutral-grip dumbbell bench press is a triceps-dominant variation of the standard flat dumbbell bench press.

The neutral grip allows the elbows to remain close to the body, reducing shoulder joint stress while increasing triceps muscle recruitment. (5) The pressing position also allows the use of relatively heavy weights. Many people will press as much or more weight as with a chest-focused dumbbell bench press grip, making the movement an excellent option for building size and strength.

How to Do the Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

Sit on a flat bench while holding a pair of dumbbells resting on your thighs. Lie back while kicking the weights into a straight-arm position locked above your chest. Plant your feet flat and slowly rotate your hands to face each other.

Stabilize the weight and lower the dumbbells towards the outside of your chest. Slide your upper arms along your ribs and keep your elbows pointed towards your feet. When your hands are at chest-level, press straight up to lockout. 

Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

• This dumbbell press variation allows the use of fairly heavy weights with reduced joint strain.
• The unique hand position makes the neutral-grip dumbbell bench press one of the few dumbbell exercises to safely and efficiently train the triceps with heavy weight.
• The exercise is effective for lifters who cannot perform the flat dumbbell bench press due to shoulder or elbow joint pain.

Single-Arm Skull Crusher

This exercise is nearly identical to the barbell or EZ-bar skull crusher, with the obvious exception that it’s performed using one arm at a time. This unilateral focus allows lifters to address development discrepancies and muscular imbalances between sides.

The single-arm skull crusher also allows lifters to manipulate their wrist more freely by rotating during the movement, which can alleviate wrist discomfort caused by maintaining a pronated (palm-down) grip on a barbell.

How to Do the Single-Arm Skull Crusher

Begin lying with one dumbbell locked out above your chest. Use your non-working hand to gently hold the triceps of the working arm. This can increase the mind-muscle connection and improve growth. (6)

Lower the dumbbell towards the same-side ear at a slow and controlled pace. Keep your elbow aimed at the ceiling, and don’t allow it to move. When your arm has reached its maximum stretched position, reverse direction and lockout your arm.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Skull Crusher

• This exercise allows extremely focused training on the triceps of each arm.
• The single-arm skull crusher delivers a significant muscle-building stimulus with relatively light weight.
• The unilateral performance allows lifters to address common muscle imbalances between arms.

Dip

The dip is one of the most effective bodyweight exercises to train the triceps because it allows you to lift a significant amount of weight without needing a full gym setup. Whether it’s wearing a weighted vest, a dip belt with random weight plates, or a backpack full of soup cans, the weighted dip allows you to emphasize the triceps while working the entire upper body.

Dips can also be performed to emphasize the chest instead of the triceps, but straightforward technique adjustments can keep the triceps prioritized.

How to Do the Dip

Hold a set of dip handles with your hands slightly outside shoulder width. Jump into the top position and lock your arms out straight. Stabilize your upper body and eliminate any lower-body swinging. Bend your arms while aiming your elbows at the wall behind you.

Maintain an upright torso position with your head and shoulders in line with your hands. Lower your body at a controlled speed until you feel a maximum stretch in your shoulders. Pause briefly in the bottom position before pressing up to lockout.

Benefits of the Dip

• The dip is one of the few bodyweight exercises that allows the addition of significant load for long-term progression.
• You can begin a set with the triceps-emphasizing technique and, when muscular fatigue sets in, change focus to incorporate the chest muscles — during the descent, lean your upper body forward and allow your elbows to flare out to the sides. This is a high-intensity technique to increase overall muscle stimulus.

Close-Grip Push-Up

While the standard push-up is often the first bodyweight exercise — or even the first exercise, in general — many lifters perform. However, the close-grip variation is an effective way to emphasize the triceps without any training equipment at all.

The close-grip push-up, similar to the close-grip bench press, shifts the focus away from the chest muscles and makes the triceps the predominant muscle group.

How to Do the Close-Grip Push-Up

Start with your hands planted on the ground roughly chest-width apart. Straighten your legs and maintain a stable line from your neck to your feet. Lower your entire body until your chest nearly touches your hands.

As you descend, keep your elbows tight to your body and aimed towards your feet. Pause briefly in the bottom position before returning to full lockout.

Benefits of the Close-Grip Push-Up

• The close-grip push-up has been shown to activate the triceps significantly more than the standard push-up technique. (7)
• This exercise can be performed anywhere, at any time, without needing any special equipment.

Medicine Ball Push-Up

Medicine balls are often for throwing or adding resistance during workouts. With this push-up variation, it’s doing neither. The medicine ball is used as a support for your hands and encourages a close-grip position.

The medicine ball also slightly elevates your upper body, which alters your leverage and reduces the amount of body weight lifted during the exercise. This may sound like it makes the exercise “easier,” but it’s offset by the increased challenge from the grip width and instability.

How to Do the Medicine Ball Push-Up

Place a sturdy medicine ball on the ground — the weight of the ball doesn’t affect the exercise. Place both hands on the ball and support your body with straight arms and legs. Stabilize your entire body, and don’t allow the ball to roll or wobble.

Lower your chest towards the ball, being sure to control any instability provided by the ball. When your chest contacts the ball, press up at a controlled pace until your arms are locked.

Benefits of the Medicine Ball Push-Up

• The instability from the medicine ball is an efficient way to strengthen shoulder stabilizing muscles.
• The medicine ball provides a consistent reference point for grip-width, rather than focusing on chest-width or closer-than-shoulder-width, making the exercise more simplified and effective.
• Medicine ball push-ups can be quickly superset with medicine ball throws for a power-building workout.

Tiger Bend Push-Up

At first glance, the tiger bend push-up might appear to be some kind of yoga-meets-gymnastics combination. In reality, it’s a relatively advanced push-up variation that emphasizes the triceps by requiring an extension-type movement more than an actual push-up.

The tiger bend push-up is considered a somewhat advanced exercise because your triceps are required to move the majority of your body weight without assistance from your shoulders or chest. However, there are specific regressions to adjust the challenge for any lifter.

How to Do the Tiger Bend Push-Up

Kneel on the ground with only your forearms, elbows, knees, and shins supporting your body. Place your palms on the ground. Set your elbows beneath your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Lift your body by pressing through your palms. Maintain a neutral spine as you move.

To make the exercise more challenging, move your knees farther from your elbows and eventually support yourself off your knees, with a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. To make the exercise less challenging, set your knees wider.

Benefits of the Tiger Bend Push-Up

• This exercise is one of the few isolation (single-joint) bodyweight exercises to work the triceps, which adds to overall exercise variety.
• It provides a significant challenge without added weight, making it ideal for experienced lifters with limited equipment.

Rope Pushdown

The triceps pushdown, sometimes called a pressdown, may be one of the most common exercises seen in any gym. It’s simple to perform, effective at targeting the triceps, and adaptable to beginners as well as the most experienced lifters.

Using a rope handle allows a neutral (palms-facing) grip which can reduce wrist strain compared to a straight bar which requires a palms-down grip. The rope can also be manipulated throughout the set, by bringing the handles apart in the bottom position to increase the range of motion or keeping the handles touching for improved leverage to perform additional reps. 

How to Do the Rope Pushdown

Begin with a rope handle attached to a high-cable pulley. Grab the rope with both hands and bring your elbows next to your ribs. In the starting position, your hands should be near chest-level.

Without moving your elbows, straighten your arms. Pause briefly in the locked out position before returning your hands to the top.

Benefits of the Rope Pushdown

• The pushdown can be performed by lifters of any experience or strength level.
• This cable exercise offers continuous tension, which increases the total time under tension and improves the muscle-building stimulus.
• The rope pushdown helps to reduce joint strain by allowing more comfortable joint angles. 

Single-Arm Pushdown

The single-arm pushdown combines the focused benefits of unilateral training with the high-tension muscle-building of cable training. By working each arm individually, you’re able to address discrepancies in muscular development and strength without compromising any muscle-building stimulus.

This intense pushdown variation can be performed with a variety of handles and grip positions. Using a single “D” handle is most common, either with a palm-up or palm-down grip. Experiment with using a rope handle (holding one or both sides of the rope in one hand) as well. The different hand and wrist positions may feel more comfortable and won’t affect the triceps recruitment significantly.

How to Do the Single-Arm Pushdown

Attach a handle to a high-cable pulley. Grab it with one hand and bring it into the starting position with your elbow near your ribs and your working hand near chest-level. Your free hand can brace against the pulley station away from the cable.

Straighten your arm and press down to full lockout. Don’t allow your elbow to move and don’t allow your torso to lean sideways towards the working hand. Pause briefly in the bottom position before returning to the top.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Pushdown

• The single-arm pushdown emphasizes each individual arm without significant core work due to the stability of the cable station, making it ideal for lifters with lower back pain.
• The exercise can be performed with a variety of grips to accommodate lifters with grip strength issues or wrist pain.
• This pressdown variation can also be performed “crossbody-style” — standing sideways to the cable stack, with the non-working side of the body closest to the cable, and bringing the working hand from the opposite shoulder to the same-side hip. The unique angle changes the range of motion and may reduce shoulder joint strain. 

Single-Arm Standing Cable Skull Crusher

This unique exercise uses a cable pulley to mimic the motion of a single-arm dumbbell skull crusher. The increased tension from the cable allows a strong muscle-building stimulus with relatively light weight and less overall joint strain.

Whether it’s simply for training variety or as a high-intensity triceps finisher at the end of any workout, this movement zones in on the triceps with maximum efficiency and no assistance from other muscle groups.

How to Do the Single-Arm Standing Cable Skull Crusher

Grab a single handle attached to a high-cable pulley. Face away from the weight stack and press the weight straight in front of you. Use your non-working arm to support the working-side elbow, which should remain stationary throughout the set. Slowly bend your arm and bring your hand back towards your face. When you feel a maximum stretch, slowly extend your arm to full lockout.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Standing Cable Skull Crusher

• This exercise delivers a significant time under tension, which is beneficial for muscle growth.
• The single-arm standing cable skull crusher allows the triceps to be trained with minimal strain on the shoulder and elbow joints.

The Triceps Muscles

Understanding the triceps muscle and its related joints will lead to a better understanding of how and why certain exercises and training methods are effective.

Here’s a closer look at this critical arm muscle and how it works.

Triceps Brachii

The “tri” in triceps refers to three separate but related heads of the muscle. The medial head and lateral head both attach at the upper arm bone and elbow joint. The long head attaches at the elbow and shoulder blade.

All three heads work to straighten the arm at the elbow. However, because the long head runs over and across the shoulder joint, it is also activated when the upper arm moves. (8) This is why triceps exercises performed at a variety of angles — with your arms overhead and/or perpendicular to your body — are essential for overall muscle activation and development.

How Often Should You Train the Triceps

Because all three heads of the triceps attach at the elbow joint, excessive training volume or frequency may aggravate (or create) joint pain or tendonitis. The triceps are significantly worked during the majority of chest and shoulder exercises, which needs to be a factor when programming triceps training.

Generally, directly training the triceps one to two days per week with relatively low volume per workout (five to 10 sets split up between one to three exercises) can be sufficient for building size and strength. The overall details of your training program such as exercise choice, training intensity, and volume (total sets and reps) will be factors in designing a triceps workout.

To make your triceps a training priority, reduce the frequency and volume of pressing in your chest and shoulder workouts. This will help to reduce the overall stress on the triceps muscle and related joints. Training your triceps and biceps in one workout is another highly effective method, especially when using alternating sets or supersets, which have been shown to improve power and strength while reducing overall fatigue. (9)

How to Progress Your Triceps Training

Triceps workouts can be approached and progressed like any other body part. Work consistently and gradually increase the training volume (more repetitions) and/or increase the training load (more weight). The decision to increase volume or load will be determined by your goal, as well as the specific exercises being used.

Isolation (single-joint) exercises like the two-dumbbell kickback or single-arm pushdown don’t typically accommodate very heavy loads because proper technique becomes unmanageable. A focus on increasing volume is typically more effective for those types of exercises.

Compound (multi-joint) exercises like the close-grip bench press and dip do allow you to safely and efficiently work up to heavier loads eventually, as long as you never sacrifice form for the sake of more weight.

How to Warm-Up Your Triceps

Warming up the triceps is about preparing the muscle for the stimulus of the workout. It’s also about preparing the joints, specifically the elbow joints, because they will be significantly worked in each exercise.

Light weight, high-rep isolation exercises are one effective way to prepare your elbows for intense triceps training. Focus on warming up with exercises which don’t put the arms into an excessive stretch. As the warm-up progresses and your arms are better prepared, gradually increase the range of motion and variety of exercises.

For example, warming up with rope pushdowns for one to two sets of 20 reps can be safer and more joint-friendly than performing the dumbbell overhead extension for the same sets and reps.

Don’t Tri Too Hard

Triceps training shouldn’t overwhelm your workout program, it should complement it, like a solid bass line in any great song. It might be understated and simple, but it delivers the goods and keeps you on track. If you dial things up too hard and hit the tri’s with too much work, you’ll invite potential injury, compromise the rest of your plan, and your name might as well be Mud.

References

1. Lockie, Robert & Moreno, Matthew. (2017). The Close-Grip Bench Press. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39. 1. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000307. 
2. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
3. Kholinne, E., Zulkarnain, R. F., Sun, Y. C., Lim, S., Chun, J. M., & Jeon, I. H. (2018). The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica, 52(3), 201–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005
4. Oranchuk, D. J., Storey, A. G., Nelson, A. R., & Cronin, J. B. (2019). Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(4), 484–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375
5. Lehman G. J. (2005). The influence of grip width and forearm pronation/supination on upper-body myoelectric activity during the flat bench press. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 19(3), 587–591. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-15024.1
6. Oshita, Kazushige. (2021). Effect of internal focus of attention with touching cue on the agonist muscle activity during exercise. 10.14198/jhse.2021.16.Proc2.04. 
7. Kim, Y. S., Kim, D. Y., & Ha, M. S. (2016). Effect of the push-up exercise at different palmar width on muscle activities. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(2), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.446
8. Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. [Updated 2021 Aug 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996
9. Robbins, Daniel W; Young, Warren B; Behm, David G; Payne, Warren R Agonist-Antagonist Paired Set Resistance Training: A Brief Review, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2010 – Volume 24 – Issue 10 – p 2873-2882 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f00bfc

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There are countless exercises you can perform to build size and strength in the back. When you train the right exercises the right way, you will build your ability to move significant amounts of weight, better protect your spine, and all-around improve your performance in everyday life. Here are 18 of the best back exercises to construct your workouts around.

Best Back Exercises

• Deadlift
• Pull-Up
• Inverted Row
• Suspension Row
• Bent-Over Barbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Wide-Grip Pulldown
• Neutral-Grip Pulldown
• Single-Arm Kneeling Pulldown
• Lat-Focused Seated Cable Row
• Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
• Chest-Supported Machine Row
• Landmine Row
• Meadows Row
• Cable Upper Trap Shrug
• Cable Rope Pullover
• Face Pull
• Farmer’s Walk

Deadlift

The deadlift — a noble member of the “Big Three” powerlifts — is best known for its ability to add size and strength to the back and leg musculature. Although it doesn’t directly work the back muscles through a long range of motion, it places a significant amount of tension across the back and entire torso, making it a unique and effective exercise for building mass.

Deadlift technique is straightforward, but it’s a skill-based exercise that takes some understanding and practice to make it safe and effective within your training program.

How to Do the Deadlift 

Stand in front of a loaded barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart with the bar just a few inches from your shins — aligned over the knot of your shoelaces. Drive your hips back and allow your knees to bend slightly as you tightly grip the barbell just outside of shoulder-width with a palms-down grip. Keep your back and torso rigid and your arms straight. Push your legs into the floor as you simultaneously pull your chest and shoulders upwards to lift the bar as you stand up into a fully upright position.

Benefits of the Deadlift

• It works multiple muscles in your back, plus your glutes, hamstrings, and grip strength.
• When performed consistently, your strength can progress substantially, especially as your form improves.
• It’s an exercise that can be performed in many different rep ranges, allowing you to build muscle and strength across the upper and lower body.

Pull-Up

The pull-up provides a potent stimulus to the muscles across the upper body with little need for specialized equipment to get the job done. All you need is any bar that can support your body weight.

If you really want to get a lot out of the movement, control the eccentric (lowering) portion of the lift and focus on keeping your torso rigid throughout the entire range of motion.

How to Do the Pull-Up

Take a pronated (overhand) grip on the bar, slightly wider than shoulder-width. With your body hanging from the bar, ensure your core is engaged to keep rigidity in your torso while minimizing swinging.

To initiate the movement, contract the muscles of the upper and mid-back. Aim to bring your chin up to or above bar level. Drive your elbows down toward your pockets. If you’re on the heavier side or a beginner new to the lift, perform more sets with fewer reps as you build up your strength.

Benefits of the Pull-Up

• You can perform this exercise anywhere there is a pull-up bar, which can be in your doorway at home, in the park, or a fully equipped gym.
• Learning to control and manage your body weight is a great way to build up joint stability as you get stronger.
• You can work the muscles of your back and arms through a long range of motion while also challenging the muscles of your core.

Inverted Row

The inverted row can be an effective bodyweight exercise, particularly for beginners, because you aren’t required to lift your entire body weight. This makes it an effective choice to increase strength on the way to performing a pull-up.

The exercise is also extremely useful when training at home since it requires only a solid bar and a sturdy surface for support. This way, a bodyweight-only workout isn’t limited to only pull-ups to work your back.

How to Do the Inverted Row

Place a bar in a stable rack. Adjust the height of the bar so you can just reach it when lying on the ground. Lie under the bar and grab the bar with an overhand grip. With your arms locked, your body should be in a rigid plank position with a straight line from your neck to your heels.

Lift yourself by pulling your elbows toward the ground while driving your chest toward the bar. Control your body weight back down to the starting position.

Benefits of the Inverted Row

• The inverted row is great for beginners and intermediate lifters aiming to build overall strength and muscle in the upper and mid-back.
• This can be used as a progression to get you closer to performing your first bodyweight pull-up.

Suspension Row

The suspension row is another effective bodyweight movement that progresses the inverted row to another level. By quickly adjusting your stance and body position, you can immediately alter leverage to make the exercise more or less challenging as needed.

This is a great exercise for developing overall strength and body control while allowing for a less restricted arm path. This helps to prevent discomfort in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

How to Do the Suspension Row

With your feet at shoulder width, grab the handles and lean back into position. Adjust your body angle as needed to set the difficulty. The more vertical your body, the easier the exercise will be.

With your feet on the ground and your body set in a rigid plank position, drive your elbows back and pull yourself toward the handles. Don’t allow your elbows to flare out to the sides and don’t allow your shoulders to collapse forwards.

Benefits of the Suspension Row

• This is another effective movement that allows the lifter to progress toward their first pull-up.
• The exercise difficulty can be quickly and easily adjusted by repositioning your stance and body angle.
• The suspension trainer allows for a less restrictive arm path compared to a traditional barbell, allowing you to better adapt the row to your individual structure and reduce joint strain.

Bent-Over Barbell Row

The bent-over row can add a lot of versatility to your training program. It can be performed with a traditional barbell, a hex bar, kettlebells, or dumbbells. For more efficient skill development, stick with one variation for at least several weeks before switching it up.

The basic barbell row allows you to build strength across the upper and lower body. The muscles of the posterior chain (lower back, glutes, and hamstrings) work to keep your lower body stable throughout the movement, while the muscles of your upper back, mid-back, and biceps help row the bar toward your stomach.

How to Do the Bent-Over Barbell Row

Set up as you would for the deadlift, standing with your feet hip-width apart in front of a loaded barbell. If you have exceptionally long legs, you may need to place the barbell onto blocks to allow for a more comfortable starting position. Hinge at the hips and allow your arms to hang down.

Tightly grab the bar just outside of shoulder-width with an overhand grip. Drive your elbows back and up as you focus on pulling the bar toward your upper abs, between your sternum and belly button.

Benefits of the Bent-Over Barbell Row

• You can effectively train the muscles of the upper, mid, and lower back, as well as the glutes and hamstrings.
• Simple variations can be performed with kettlebells, dumbbells, a hex bar, cables, or a traditional barbell.
• Due to the demands of this movement, you can build up functional strength throughout your core and low back, helping you prevent injuries in your everyday life.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

This single-arm row variation was one of the most popular among Golden Era bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger for building muscle size and strength across the entire back.

It can also help you build arm and grip strength, as well as work on muscular asymmetries that may have developed from past injuries or time away from the gym.

How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Stand behind the head of a high-angle incline bench. Lean over and place one hand firmly against the top of the bench with the same-side leg forward, positioned under your shoulder.

Reach your free hand down to grab a dumbbell by your feet. Keep your palm facing your body as you drive the weight back and up until your elbow is even with, or just past, your torso. Control the dumbbell back down to the stretched position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

• By working the body unilaterally (one side at a time), you allow for more versatility with your program design, with the added ability to address any muscular imbalances.
• In addition to building up muscle size and strength across the back, you will also improve your grip, which can carry over to any other movement that requires holding a weight.

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

Aside from the fact that you’re sitting while performing this move, a lat pulldown is essentially the same movement pattern as a pull-up. This makes the pulldown one of the most effective weight training (non-bodyweight) exercises to work towards a pull-up.

The cable’s constant resistance helps create a more stable environment while improving time under tension, which can lead to increased muscle size.

How to Do the Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

Grasp a long bar attachment slightly wider than shoulder-width, with a palms-down grip. Sit down and set your legs securely under the thigh pads. Keep your core tight and your torso upright while pulling the bar down toward your chest.

Think of pinching your shoulder blades together in the bottom position. Resist the weight as you slowly return to the starting position.

Benefits of the Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

• The cable’s constant resistance helps create a more stable environment while improving time under tension.
• This is a great exercise to strengthen your back, arms, and grip if you are working up to your first pull-up because you can progressively add weight and build strength.
• The wide, pronated grip allows you to emphasize the muscles of your upper back.

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

This pulldown variation has you pulling with a neutral-grip (palms facing each other). This adjustment allows you to place more focus on your lats and biceps compared to your upper back.

A neutral-grip gives your arms a stronger biomechanical advantage by recruiting more biceps into the pulling motion, while the elbow position activates more back muscles. This allows you to move heavier weights more safely compared to other pulldown grips.

How to Do the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

Grab a neutral-grip attachment (palms facing each other) and sit on the seat with your legs secured under the thigh pads. Keep your core tight and your torso upright while pulling the bar toward your chest.

Aim your elbows forward, not sideways, to ensure stress remains on the lats. Resist and control the motion back to the stretched position.

Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

• This exercise gives you a way to progressively work towards your first pull-up.
• The cable’s constant resistance helps create a more stable environment while improving time under tension.
• The neutral-grip puts you in a great position to bias the lats and biceps compared to the upper back, adding variety and customization to your back training.

Single-Arm Kneeling Lat Pulldown

This unilateral exercise can add variety to your back training. It works the lats through a long range of motion and challenges tissues the rear delts and teres major.

The kneeling position reduces lower back strain, encourages core stability, and ensures a long range of motion. This exercise is relatively advanced because it involves both upper and lower body positioning, so take time to nail down your setup and technique.

How to Do the Single-Arm Kneeling Lat Pulldown

Grab a single handle attached to a high cable pulley. Step back with the opposite foot and kneel on the ground, keeping your front foot flat on the floor. Squeeze the handle and drive your elbow toward your hip.

Control the weight when returning to the starting position. Maintain a kneeling position as your arm, shoulder, and back are stretched before performing the next rep.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Kneeling Lat Pulldown

• This exercise builds back and core strength with minimal lower back strain.
• The cable’s constant resistance increases time under tension throughout the range of motion.
• The setup of the exercise can be adjusted to an individual’s structure, by changing the cable’s height and distance from the pulley.

Lat-Focused Seated Cable Row

This seated row variation uses specific hand position, upper body position, and arm path to place a large amount of muscular tension on the lats.

By maintaining a slight forward lean and utilizing a neutral-grip, your body is in a better position to engage your lats during the movement and minimize the role of the upper back and traps.

How to Do the Lat-Focused Seated Cable Row

Sit in the cable row station with your feet on the platform and your hands grasping a wide attachment with a neutral-grip (palms facing one another). With your core tight and your torso position leaned slightly forward at the hip, pull toward the top of your abdomen.

Do not round your back. Control the weight as you return back to the starting position. In the stretched position, don’t allow the weight to pull you far forward out of a strong postural alignment.

Benefits of the Lat-Focused Seated Cable Row

• The cable’s constant resistance creates a more stable environment while improving time under tension throughout the range of motion.
• This variation is great for building size and strength in the mid-back.
• The neutral-grip allows you to emphasize the lats and biceps.

Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

The supported position takes your low back out of the equation, giving you more stability to isolate the work to the muscles in your upper and mid-back.

This exercise can be performed with dumbbells or kettlebells in a prone position on an incline bench, or more horizontally in a cable station. Both will effectively place tension across your traps, rhomboids, rear delts, and lats, but may depend on your equipment availability.

How to Do the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

Lie face down on an incline bench set around 45-degrees. With a dumbbell in each hand, drive your chest into the bench while rowing the weight until your elbows are even with, or just past, your torso. Slowly lower the weight to a full stretch before repeating additional reps.

Benefits of the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

• The chest support takes stress off the lower back, increasing your ability to isolate muscles of the upper and mid-back.
• This movement encourages strict form and reduces the chance of momentum-based cheating.
• It’s easy to set up and only requires an adjustable bench and a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells.

Chest-Supported Machine Row

This machine-based variation has you pull the load toward your chest. Your general arm path will be similar to a seated row, which aligns the rowing motion with the muscles of the lats, rear delts, and upper back (traps, rhomboids, and teres major).

Your grip will have a significant impact on the muscles being biased during the exercise. A neutral-grip (palms facing each other) will focus more on the lats, while a semi-pronated grip (diagonally between palms facing down and facing each other) will focus more on the rear delts and upper back.

How to Do the Chest Supported Machine Row

Sit in the machine and grab the handles with your chest against the pad and your feet against the provided supports. With your chest pressed firmly into the pad, pull the handles toward you, extending your elbows behind your body. Control the weight as you return to the starting position.

Benefits of the Chest Supported Machine Row

• The machine provides a clear and consistent movement path, allowing you to focus more on the muscles working and less on maintaining a steady pulling position.
• The chest support and foot pads allow your entire body to brace more effectively, delivering more stability and allowing you to lift heavier loads.
• The multiple grip options allow for more individualization and control over what muscles are being emphasized.

Landmine Row

This bent-over barbell row variation is effective at placing tension across the traps, rhomboids, rear delts, and lats. This movement also recruits the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings), low back, and abs for total-body stability.

The unique leverage moves the bar along a slightly angled path rather than completely vertical, which creates different muscular stress in the top position compared to dumbbell or barbell rowing movements.

How to Do the Landmine Row

Slide a barbell into a landmine attachment sleeve or wedge it into a corner of the wall. Stand over the barbell with one foot on each side, a few small steps behind the weight plates.

Position a landmine row attachment onto the front of the barbell and grasp the handles. If your gym doesn’t have a landmine row attachment, use a rope handle or V-bar attachment and place it around the bar just behind the weight plates.

Hinge at the hips and keep your legs bent. Maintain a tight core and a neutral spine. Pull your hands toward your waist. To increase the range of motion, load the bar with 10-pound or 25-pound plates instead of larger 45-pound plates.

Benefits of the Landmine Row

• This variation can be performed anywhere you have access to a barbell, whether locked in a landmine sleeve or wedged into a corner at your gym. 
• It challenges multiple muscles of the back, glutes, hamstrings, and abs.
• Different stances and body postures can be used (such as a more upright torso or more horizontal torso) to add variety with an emphasis on different back muscles.

Meadows Row

This exercise, popularized by the late bodybuilding coach John Meadows, has become known for its ability to build up thickness in the back — specifically the rear delts and teres major.

This exercise is unique in that it’s unilateral and has the lifter standing perpendicular to the barbell positioned in a landmine setup. The landmine alters your leverage during the lift, which places unique stress on the muscles.

How to Do the Meadows Row

Assume a staggered stance with your front foot perpendicular to a barbell loaded into a landmine sleeve. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar with an overhand grip, using lifting straps to secure your grip on the bar. Rest the elbow of your non-working arm on your front thigh.

Row the weight up at an angle, so your hand ends up just outside your chest and your elbow is pulled back. Lower the weight into a full stretch. Load the bar with smaller 10-pound or 25-pound plates to ensure a long range of motion.

Benefits of the Meadows Row

• The exercise builds thickness in the upper back by emphasizing key muscles, including the rear delts and teres major.
• The staggered stance creates a need to resist rotation of the torso, adding a challenge to core strength and stability.
• Because of the very stable base and strap-assisted grip, much heavier weights can be used compared to a dumbbell row.

Cable Upper Trap Shrug

Shrugs are typically performed with free weights such as dumbbells or a barbell. However, the movement can be optimized with the cable pulley because the angle of resistance from low cables matches the fiber alignment of the upper traps — on diagonal angle rather than strictly vertical — which increases muscle activation.

High-tension from the cables also means a more effective workout with relatively less weight, making the movement less stressful on joints and more stressful on the target muscles.

How to Do the Cable Trap Shrug

Stand in the middle of two low-cable pulleys, with your knees slightly bent and your hands firmly grasping a single handle from each pulley.

Keep your core stationary as you shrug your shoulders up and in toward your ears. Don’t swing your torso or drive with your legs. Control the weight as you slowly return back to the starting position.

Benefits of the Cable Trap Shrug

• The cable resistance allows a longer time under tension, creating a greater stimulus for muscle growth.
• This variation lines up the resistance with the muscle fibers of the upper traps, maximizing muscular tension while minimizing stress around the shoulder joint.
• The exercise delivers significant muscular stress without extremely heavy weights, making it ideal for lifters with joint pain.

Cable Rope Pullover

The cable rope pullover, sometimes called a stiff-arm pulldown, is great for placing tension strictly on the lats. It avoids the arms-overhead stretched position required for dumbbell pullovers, making this a great alternative for lifters with upper back or shoulder mobility restrictions.

Using a longer rope or strap allows each arm to move in a more individualized arm path, which creates even less strain on the shoulder joints and more muscular stress on the lats.

How to Do the Cable Rope Pullover

Stand in front of a high-pulley cable station, holding a rope attachment with both hands. Lean slightly forward and keep a soft bend in your arms. Keep your torso rigid and abs tight while driving your upper arms down. Pull the attachment toward your hips as far as possible.

Control the weight as you return back to the starting position. Don’t allow your arms to bend when lifting or lowering the weight.

Benefits of the Cable Rope Pullover

• The peak contraction of the movement creates extremely high muscle activation in the lats.
• This exercise is one of the few ways to effectively isolate the lats without involvement from other back muscles.
• It provides a more effective resistance compared to the dumbbell pullover because the cable resistance is constant throughout the full range of motion while a dumbbell pullover delivers less resistance at the top of the movement.

Face Pull

To facilitate increased growth and strength of larger back muscles, your smaller muscles often act as synergists. They add strength and stability to the joints connected to those muscles, which allows them to function optimally and efficiently. The face pull is effective for training the upper back muscles around your shoulder blades, helping improve postural strength and control.

Unlike several exercises on this list, the face pull shouldn’t be used to break any strength records. Go light with higher reps. As you build up strength, you can start to slowly increase the weight, but moving heavy loads is not the best use of this exercise.

How to Do the Face Pull

Attach a rope handle to a high-cable pulley and adjust it to near eye-level. Grab the rope with your palms facing each other. Take a few steps back so there’s tension in the cable and extend your arms in front of your body.

Pull the rope toward your face and flare your elbows out and back. In the contracted position, your wrists should be close to your ears and your elbows should be in-line with your shoulders

Benefits of the Face Pull

• The face pull increases your scapular strength and stability, which is crucial for upper back bracing during movements like the deadlift as well as overhead pressing.
• It works the muscles between the shoulder blades such as the traps and rhomboids, while also building up strength in the rotator cuff muscles, improving overall shoulder joint health.

Farmer’s Walk

This loaded carry isn’t a strict “back exercise,” but it’s effective for placing tension across the muscles of the upper and lower body simultaneously. The postural muscles of the spine, as well as the upper back and traps, are challenged to a very high degree.

When performed consistently, it can build grip strength, core strength and stability, and improves postural strength and control. This exercise mimics many activities performed in your daily life, and can be performed by all ages and experience levels.

How to Do the Farmer’s Walk

Find a stretch of open space, as long as possible, and walk while carrying a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, or even a trap bar. Keep your hands at your sides and your shoulder blades pulled down and back, not shrugged up. Remain upright and don’t allow your back to round forward as you fatigue.

When walking with load in your hand, the challenge becomes maintaining a steady, upright position. Focus on taking slow, controlled steps while moving a straight line with total-body stability. Don’t allow the weights to make you drift laterally.

Benefits of the Farmer’s Walk

• Can easily be performed anywhere you have open space and weights to hold onto.
• It builds grip and core strength, while also improving postural strength and control.
• It can be easily adapted to training for conditioning or fat loss by increasing the total duration or length of the walk.

The Back Muscles

The back is made up of a group of muscles that work together to achieve a wide range of movement patterns. As such, certain muscles will be biased more or less depending on the exercise being performed.

The primary muscles when it comes to training the back include the latissimus dorsi (lats), teres major, trapezius (traps), rhomboids, rear delts, and erector spinae (lower back).

When training your back, you will be using both muscles anatomically located more superficially (like the lats and traps), as well as deeper (like the rhomboids or erector spinae) within the back and torso. The back muscles have many different functions and are designed to work in synchronicity with one another, or as a unit.

Latissimus Dorsi

Commonly referred to as the lats, the latissimus dorsi are most widely known for their role in adducting the arm toward the body (bringing the upper arm towards the body’s midline), as well as medially rotating the arm around the back of the body (similar to “opening your chest” during a stretch).

During back movements, the lats play many roles — most notably helping stabilize the pelvis and interacting with the abdominal muscles in everything from respiration, maintaining shoulder positioning, to protecting the spine. (1)

Teres Major

The teres major attaches on the upper arm, next to the lat attachment, and stretches across to the lower part of the scapula. Sometimes referred to as the “little lat,” this muscle, along with the teres minor, are not technically part of the rotator cuff but share many roles with the muscles of the rotator cuff when it comes to glenohumeral (shoulder) stabilization.

The teres major also assists the latissimus dorsi in adducting the arm (bringing it closer to the body), as performed during a lat pulldown motion. (2)

Trapezius

The trapezius is a big muscle that spans across the better part of your upper and mid-back. This muscle has three divisions — upper, mid, and lower — and each plays an essential role in stabilizing the shoulder blades.

All three sections of the muscle are hard at work during pulling movements to help maintain tension and stability in the back. (3)

Rhomboids

The rhomboids are positioned directly below the traps in the middle of the back (between the shoulder blades). Both the major and minor divisions of this muscle retract, elevate, and rotate the scapula.

Weakness or loss of function of the rhomboids can be a significant contributing factor to a winged scapula (when the shoulder blades “point” away from the body), which makes it even more important to keep these muscles strong and working properly. (4)

Rear Delts

Also known as the posterior deltoid, the rear delts primary function is to bring the arm back around the body (shoulder extension), assisting the lats and teres major.

A flared arm position, with the elbows aimed out to the sides, makes the rear delts a primary mover during an exercise. This type of movement is how the muscle plays a big part in your back strength and development. (5)

Erector Spinae

These muscles, also known as the spinal erectors, are positioned deep within the torso and are responsible for controlling the axial skeleton — which includes the skull, vertebral column, and ribs. The spinal erectors primarily control flexion/extension, side bending, and rotation of the spine.

The lower back, in particular, is critical for stabilizing the pelvis and spine during movements such as the deadlift or many bent-over movements previously explained. (6)

How Often Should You Train the Back

To optimize muscle growth, train your back two to three times per week, depending on how many total days per week you’re training. Since the back is filled with different muscle groups, all with different fiber alignments and jobs, it’s important to train the back using many different exercises and rep ranges.

Depending on your training split, each workout may include a different amount of training volume. Anywhere from 10 to 16 total sets per week is a great starting point. Advanced lifters could potentially exceed 18 to 20 sets per week, especially if their goal is to emphasize a specific part of the back over another.

To achieve this total volume, choose three to four exercises and divide the sets up evenly across your training week. It’s generally a good idea to have a balanced ratio of vertical pulls (pulldown or pull-up variations) and horizontal pulls (rowing variations) to ensure balanced development across the entire back.

How to Progress Your Back Training

Since the back can be trained with a wide variety of exercises, it’s possible to steadily add weight to each specific exercise every week. As little as two-and-a-half to five pounds per week can be a sufficient increase to stimulate growth when the sets are taken near failure.

For multi-joint (compound) exercises like the barbell row or deadlift, you can add slightly more weight more quickly compared to an isolation-based exercise like dumbbell pullover or cable rope pullover.

If you find any exercises require more time to improve your technique, be sure to perform those movements towards the beginning of your workouts to avoid training them when fatigued.

If you’re new to lifting in general, simply improving your technique in an exercise can lead to gains in strength and muscle size across a few months’ timespan. Keep in mind that whenever you add a new exercise into your routine, it will take your body a few weeks to get used to the new challenge and nail down the technique.

How to Warm-Up Your Back

One of the most effective ways to warm-up for any muscle group is going to be with the exercises you are performing in that day’s training session. For example, if you’re performing chest-supported rows, you can warm-up by performing reps with light weight and raise the intensity (load lifted) as you proceed toward your working sets.

This ensures that the appropriate muscles and joints are being primed, reducing the risk of injury and improving your overall training performance.

If you need additional time to warm-up, include exercises that work the muscles surrounding the joints you’ll be working in that session. For a back workout, that would include the elbow and shoulder joints.

Building a Complete Back

Designing a back workout doesn’t need to be an arduous process. To be effective, choose three to four exercises that train multiple muscle groups and progress them over time with varying rep ranges. Be sure to train the back both horizontally (with rows) and vertically (with pulldowns) for complete development. This detailed list gives you plenty of options to choose from, ensuring a bigger, stronger back in the long-term.

References

1. Jeno SH, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Back, Latissimus Dorsi. [Updated 2020 Aug 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. 
2. Barra-López, M. E., López-de-Celis, C., Pérez-Bellmunt, A., Puyalto-de-Pablo, P., Sánchez-Fernández, J. J., & Lucha-López, M. O. (2020). The supporting role of the teres major muscle, an additional component in glenohumeral stability? An anatomical and radiological study. Medical hypotheses, 141, 109728. 
3. Ourieff J, Scheckel B, Agarwal A. Anatomy, Back, Trapezius. [Updated 2020 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. 
4. Farrell C, Kiel J. Anatomy, Back, Rhomboid Muscles. [Updated 2020 Jul 27]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. 
5. Elzanie A, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. [Updated 2020 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. 
6. Modes RJ, Lafci Fahrioglu S. Anatomy, Back. [Updated 2021 Mar 27]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021.

Featured Image: MR.SOMKIAT BOONSING / Shutterstock

The post The 18 Best Back Exercises for Width, Thickness, and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Having an impressive back is paramount when trying to develop an aesthetic physique. A V-shaped torso with a well-built back is an athletic and eye-catching look. And what about overall performance? The lower back, glutes, and hamstrings — collectively known as the posterior chain — provide a strong support and power base.

This is why most people should spend more time pulling. These different muscles of the back have different roles which respond better to diverse stimuli., so you’ll miss certain parts if you only do one or two pulling exercises.  Here are the eight best upper body pulling exercises for a complete back.

Best Upper Body Pulling Exercises

• Seated Cable Row
• Meadows Row
• Inverted Row
• Chest-Supported Row
• Face Pull
• Banded Dumbbell Pullover
• Banded Pull-Up
• Barbell Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

When most people think about targeting the lats, they usually picture a vertical pulling motion, like pull-ups or pulldowns. Yet, a properly executed seated cable row is one of the best exercises to emphasize the lats while minimizing involvement from other back muscles. Plus, you can eventually use a ton of weight.

Use a low pulley station and a neutral (thumbs-up), close-grip handle for this movement. The neutral grip combined with keeping your elbows close to your body helps focus on the lats and increase muscle recruitment. (1) Compared to a barbell row, the arms, lower back, and legs are less involved, allowing you to focus even more on the target muscle(s).

How to Do the Seated Cable Row

Sit at the low pulley station and grab the handle with a thumbs-up grip. Push your legs into the support platform while keeping a neutral spine. In the starting position, your knees should be slightly bent, and your chest puffed out (this helps to engage your upper back muscles for stability).

Imagine your hands are mere meaty hooks and pull hard with your elbows, without rounding your spine. The handle should nearly reach your abs in the peak contraction, and your elbows should be slightly behind your body.

Lower the weight slowly and let it stretch your back as far as possible, even letting the scapulae (shoulder blades) come forward. This extreme stretch is one way to hit the lats, trapezius, and rhomboids. (2) When lifting and lowering the weight, be mindful not to let the lower back round and not swing your upper body to cheat the weight with momentum.

Benefits of the Seated Cable Row

• The seated cable row allows potentially heavy loading, encouraging long-term progress.
• It reinforces strong posture by requiring upper-body control and spinal stabilization, while strengthening the upper back.

Meadows Row

This exercise is named after the late bodybuilding coach John Meadows, who popularized the movement. It uses a barbell landmine rather than a dumbbell and focuses on the upper back muscles — the lower traps, rhomboids, and even the rear delts. But don’t worry, it still works the lats as well.

The leverage of the landmine and the angle of movement allow for a unique stretch of the recruited muscles, which develops muscle mass.

How to Do the Meadows Row

Stand on one side of a landmine station in a staggered stance with slightly bent knees. Use your front leg as a support for the same-side arm. Keep your spine flat and remain bent at the waist. Use lifting straps to grab the barbell sleeve with a pronated (palm-down) grip. Because the sleeve is smooth and thick, the lifting straps will prevent grip strength from being a limiting factor.

Lift the weight by driving hard with your elbow. To emphasize the upper back, allow your elbow to flare out, rather than staying pinned to your ribs. Keep your torso flat, not rotated. Maximize the range of motion by using smaller 25-pound or 10-pound plates instead of 45-pound plates.

Benefits of the Meadows Row

• This unique row trains the upper back and lats with minimal lower back strain.
• As a unilateral exercise, it corrects strength imbalances and improves overall muscle development.

Inverted Row

This simple bodyweight exercise being “underestimated” is an understatement. Some hardcore gym-goers refuse to engage in bodyweight exercises once they get a taste of iron, but the inverted row is a fantastic exercise for any lifter.

Not only does it work the whole upper back and arms, but it also gives your lower back a rest. (3) It’s simple, effective, and can be easily adapted to any strength level or goal. Too hard? Set the bar higher or bend your knees. Too easy? Slip on a weighted vest and/or elevate your feet on a bench.

How to Do the Inverted Row

Position a stable bar (often a Smith machine) around waist height. The lower the bar, the harder the exercise will be because the more bodyweight you’ll be lifting. Lie under the bar and grab it using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, either pronated (palm-down) or supinated (palm-up). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.

Lower yourself with control. To reap the most benefits, keep your body as tight as possible. Contract your glutes and abs, and keep your entire body straight throughout each rep. Don’t let your scapulas move around as you stretch at the bottom. Let’s stay tight and work on core stability.

Benefits of the Inverted Row

• The inverted row will build total-body strength and stability because the body must be stabilized during the exercise.
• It improves scapular strength and health, which benefits posture.
• It’s relatively easier than a pull-up, so it’s an excellent place to start with bodyweight pulling exercises.
• For a bodyweight exercise, it targets the upper back more than the pull-up.

Chest-Supported Row

If you’re an older lifter or anyone who’s suffered injuries over the years, chances are you’ve tweaked your lower back at some point, and the mere reading of this article is making your spine itch. Well, do not fret. There’s a heavy-duty exercise that won’t bug your lower back.

Even if you don’t have back problems, the chest-supported row is valuable. It prevents any form of cheating and won’t tax your spinal erectors, which leaves them fresh for your squats and deadlifts. There’s minimal chance of shifting the stress of the exercise onto the wrong muscles.

How to Do the Chest-Supported Row

Some gyms are equipped with a machine specially designed for this exercise. Otherwise, use an incline bench and set it at around a 45-degree angle. Lie against the bench with your chest at the very top and your head above.

Assume a stable position with your feet and brace your core. You won’t be moving your body during the lift, apart from your arms and shoulder blades. Grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells and start rowing, driving your elbows up hard. Squeeze as hard and high as you can, then slowly lower the weight to a full stretch.

To emphasize the lats, use a neutral-grip (palms facing each other) and keep your elbows close to your body. For more upper back involvement, assume a pronated grip (palms down) and let your elbows go to the sides.

Benefits of the Chest-Supported Row

• This chest-supported row has no lower back involvement, which prevents back pain and fatigue.
• The strict movement prevents momentum and cheating. You only work the desired muscles and the perfect technique is reinforced.
• It works the lats, lower traps, and rhomboids.

Face Pull

Do you know what can put a roadblock between you and your goals? Injuries. The body needs a strong, balanced foundation to perform and be healthy, but many people spend more time performing pushing exercises than pulling. This can open the shoulder joint to an increased risk of injury when the body’s internal rotators (chest, anterior deltoids, and lats) overpower the external rotators (rotator cuff and posterior deltoids).

Coupled with a lack of development of the shoulder blade stabilizers (like the trapezius and rhomboids), this can create muscular imbalances and persistent injuries. Enter the face pull. A favorite in performance-based strength circles, this exercise works all the neglected little muscles contributing to shoulder health. (4) It’s also a nice rear delt builder and targets the traps and rhomboids in a unique way.

How to Do the Face Pull

Clip a rope attachment to a pulley set around chest-level. Grab the rope with your thumbs facing you and pinkies facing away. Extend your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, and step back until the weight plates are slightly lifted.

Bending your knees for stability, flatten your spine, and puff out your chest. Pull the weights to your forehead-level. Each hand should end up on the side of your face (hence the name). Pause for a second in the contracted position, then slowly lower the weight back to its initial position.

Avoid flexing your arms using your biceps, but instead pack your shoulder blades together and pull with your elbows. Your arms will bend naturally. If you’re a bodybuilding enthusiast, think about performing a “back double biceps” pose. 

Benefits of the Face Pull

• This cable movement works the upper back, rear delts, and rotator cuff.
• It’s very efficient at improving shoulder health and promoting joint longevity.
• It’s equally useful at improving posture, especially kyphosis in the thoracic spine (being slouched over).

Banded Dumbbell Pullover

The pullover is a classic exercise, older than the sport of bodybuilding itself. However, its main target muscle has been the subject of debate for just as long. Is it an exercise for the chest or the back? It actually works both, according to science and experience. (5)

Biomechanically, the lats are main arm extensors of the arms and shoulders, but the chest (and long head of the triceps) also contribute to that movement in certain ranges of motion. If you perform the exercise in a back workout, especially with your lats already pumped and fatigued, you’ll certainly feel them working.

The added band compensates for the lack of gravity-induced tension in the top position of the exercise. This allows more time under tension and muscle growth because the exercise now delivers both a great stretch and a hard contraction.

How to Do the Banded Dumbbell Pullover

Lie on a flat bench with the top of your head at one end, your upper body fully supported, and your feet planted on the ground. Do not lie sideways across the bench like some lifters perform the movement. Place a dumbbell on the ground behind your head. Attach one end of a resistance band to the dumbbell and the other end of the band to a stable rack, extremely heavy dumbbell, or have a partner hold it in place.

Grab the dumbbell with the palms of your hands on the underside of the weights around the handle. Place the dumbbell over your head with slightly bent arms. Don’t let your glutes leave the bench as lower the weight behind your head into a deep stretch.

Pull it back to the starting position against the band tension. Do not actively bend your elbows because it will shift the workload off the back and onto the triceps.

Benefits of the Banded Dumbbell Pullover

• The pullover targets the lats, chest, and shoulders.
• The movement can help to build your mind-muscle connection for the lats.
• The deep range of motion provides a great stretch upper body which improves thoracic (upper back) and shoulder mobility.

Banded Pull-Up

The pull-up might be a staple exercise for back development, but can you do more than a few? And can you do enough of them with perfect form? Enter the resistance band.

A light resistance band allows you to squeeze your muscles harder, because it offers slight help, and it allows you to really focus on feeling the lats. It’s easier on the joints as well because shoulder joint stress is reduced in the bottom position, where the band offers the most help.

For the muscle-focused lifter, it has another advantage. Compared to a lat pulldown, the pull-up involves movement at your lower body, which recruits a lot of core work for stability. (6) Now, unless you’re freakishly strong, an experienced gymnast, or a calisthenics aficionado, chances are you lack some control over your lower body during the pull-up.

This can make it less efficient for back development. The band takes care of this and guides you upwards like you’re on a rail. This provides more control and improves the mind-muscle connection with your back.

How to Perform the Banded Pull-Up

Secure a resistance band on top of a rack and stretch it down so you can step into it. The resistance of the band should allow you to complete 10-15 reps before muscle fatigue. Grip the bar palms-down, slightly wider than your shoulders. Keep your elbows in front of your body and start pulling yourself up.

It’s crucial that you keep an arched chest and not let it collapse by rolling your shoulders forward — this would shift the stress of the movement from the back muscles to the shoulder joints, possibly causing injuries. Think about leading with your chest to the ceiling. Lower yourself to a dead-stop hang for maximum stretch.

Benefits of the Banded Pull-Up

• The pull-up is one of the most efficient back-building exercises that activates multiple muscles in the back. 
• The resistance band allows the lifter to focus more on the back involvement and less on total body rigidity.
• The band’s assistance allows beginners to perform pull-ups and experienced lifters to perform high-rep pull-ups in a fatigued state.

Barbell Back Extension

We’re keeping the best for last. At least, the most underrated back exercise there is. Every gym bro is eager to pummel their lats and traps. But the vast majority discard lower back training. It’s treated as an afterthought, a muscle group sufficiently stimulated by lower body exercises, or it’s simply avoided because of an already aching spine.

But what many fail to understand is that the lower back is arguably the most important muscle group in the body, along with the other core muscles. It supports our spine — the center of our entire musculoskeletal system. Having a weak spinal region is like having a tree with a soft trunk.

Research has shown that people with back problems simply had less spinal muscle mass and strength. (7) Having a strong lower back will make you stronger, healthier and more resilient overall. (8)

Also, a muscular lower back (called a “Christmas tree” in bodybuilding circles) is just impressive-looking and aesthetic. The back extension also strengthens your glutes and hamstrings, and can drive up your deadlift and squat to unprecedented levels.

How to Do the Barbell Back Extension

Be sure to warm-up thoroughly and practice proper form at all times. Adjust a 45-degree back extension bench so that the top of the pad is just below your waist. Secure your ankles in the ankle pads and place your thighs on the upper pads, while keeping the legs straight.

Hinge forward at the hips and grab a barbell with a palms-down grip. Keep your arms straight and your spine neutral from your tailbone to your neck. Flex your abs and pinch your shoulder blades together. Lift the weight by squeezing your glutes until your entire body is in a straight line.

Don’t allow the weight to rest on the ground in the bottom position. Perform controlled reps and do not jerk the weight. If the position hurts the back of your knees, set the waist pad a bit higher and point your toes slightly out.

Benefits of the Barbell Back Extension

• The back extension builds the entire posterior chain: your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, as well as working the lats and upper back statically as stabilizers.
• The movement is one of the best exercises for building and maintaining a healthy and strong spine.
• It has tremendous carryover to squats, deadlifts, and strength in general.

The Back Muscles

The back is a complex array of several muscles, and one should know their purposes and apply different strategies for each part as they respond better to certain stimuli. Unfortunately, some muscles of the back are unknown or neglected by many lifters, which can lead to imbalances or suboptimal performance. Here are the most important back muscles.

Latissimus Dorsi

This is the largest muscle in the upper body, and one of the strongest. Commonly known as “the lats”, they play a key role in spine and arm movements. They help extend and stabilize the spine and, with the help of their little brother, the teres major, they move the arm downward. They also help to move and rotate the shoulders.

The lats are “the” pulling muscle. Whenever you’re pulling with your arms — during pull-ups, pulldowns, or rows — they are involved in some way, but humerus depression (when your upper arms are brought towards your ribs) is what will really hit them. This is why the cue of “pulling with your elbows” is so efficient to target the lats.

Trapezius

The trapezius is another one of the strongest muscles in the body. It goes from the middle of the spine to the bottom of the cranium, and laterally across both scapulae (shoulder blades).

It is made of three distinct parts with each serving a different function on the scapulae: the upper fibers are used for elevation, the middle fibers retract the scapulae, and the lower fibers depress it. Whenever your shoulder blades are engaged, the traps are, too.

When most people say that they are working their “traps,” they usually mean working the upper section while performing shrugs (scapular elevation). For overall back aesthetics and strength, you should also address the medium and lower fibers.

Posterior Deltoids

This relatively small muscle, one-third part of the larger shoulder muscle, the posterior (or rear) deltoids run from the upper side of the scapula to the humerus bone on the back of the arm.

Their main functions are to rotate the arm externally, extend the arm, and bring it down alongside the body. Neglecting this muscle will result in “sloped,” hunched-over shoulders. But more importantly, the rear deltoids are important for shoulder health and stability.

Rhomboids

Along with the teres, trapezius, and posterior deltoids, the rhomboids create “the upper back.” These muscles work together in an overlapping function to control scapular movement. The rhomboids particularly work to rotate, elevate, and retract the scapulae.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are a paired column of muscles running from the sacrum up to the base of the skull. It is possibly the most important muscle in your body (after the heart, of course) because it supports the base upon which all other bones, organs, and muscles are attached.

Along with the abdominal muscles, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor, they form the “core muscles.” Any movement that engages the core or the spine in any way recruits the spinal erectors.

How Often Should You Train the Back

Your back is large and can handle a lot of work. Unfortunately, many people have an unbalanced workout routine and insufficient pulling work can result in postural problems and strength plateaus.

While you can hit the back, in some way, every day for health or performance goals, a proven hypertrophy (muscle-building) plan is to hit the back one to three times a week for a total of 12 to 20 working sets. For muscle growth, include the back in a pulling workout with the biceps, as part of an upper body session, or in a full-body workout.

Total volume-per-session should be adjusted depending on your split. If you target the back once a week, 10 to 12 sets should be enough, but if you hit it twice or thrice, the total work done each week can increase as you reduce the volume in each workout.

For instance you could do six or seven sets for the back, followed by other upper body muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps, and biceps) for two upper-body workouts per week. With a full-body approach done three times per week, six sets for the back in each session would work well.

How to Progress Your Back Training

The back is composed of many different muscles with different purposes, so you will have to adopt different strategies depending on your objectives. Larger muscles, like the lats, can progress faster than others. A prime mover is guaranteed to elicit more force than a more postural muscle.

Track your progress on the big compound exercises, and add weight (and/or reps) from week to week. The quality of execution is paramount, so keep the weekly weight jumps conservative, around five to 10 pounds.

Certain muscles will respond better to different rep schemes and techniques. The lats and the erectors grow well with pretty basic work with heavy weights and low to moderate reps. The rear delts and upper back muscles often respond better to a higher rep range (15-30 reps). The upper back muscles also benefit from increased time under tension with the use of mid-rep pauses, for instance.

The back as a whole can be a pretty difficult area to feel, so do not hesitate to use the “isolation sandwich technique” — doing a compound (multi-joint) exercise, followed by an isolation (single-joint) exercise, then another compound movement. This can be an efficient way to improve the mind-muscle connection.

How to Warm-Up Your Back

Warming-up both your upper back and lower back is a good way to minimize any potential injury risk. It’s also a good idea to warm-up your triceps, because many lat exercises put the triceps under a stretch and you want to avoid strains and tears. Grab a light resistance band and try this circuit:

• Band Pull-Apart: Take a resistance band with a palms-down grip, holding the band at arms-length in front of your body. Keep a slight bend in your arms while pulling both hands back in line with your shoulders. Pause when the band touches your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Scapular Pull-Up: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and your arms straight, as if you were ready to perform a pull-up. Without bending your arms, pull your shoulder blades down and back. Your body will raise slightly. Think of doing a “reverse shrug”. Slowly let your scapulae come back up to a stretch. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Iso-Hold Row: Loop the resistance band around a stable rack at chest-level. Grab it using a neutral (thumbs up) grip and step back from the rack. Pull the band with your elbows close to your body, until your hands are just under your chest. Don’t allow your shoulders to rise up. Once you reach the peak contraction, hold it for 15 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
• Band Triceps Pushdown: Attach the resistance band to a point over your head. Grab the band with a thumbs-up grip using both hands. Keep your elbows fixed at the sides of your body and bring your hands down by extending your arms until fully locked out. Return to the starting position, resisting the band tension. Only your forearms should move. Perform 20 reps before repeating the first exercise. Do this circuit a total of three times.

Building a Complete Back

You can’t just do one back exercise and call it a day. You have to use different angles and techniques to cover all the muscles of this complex region. These exercise options will allow you to create a workout that will ensure each back muscle is properly addressed, for a complete development without wasting your time by pummeling the same muscle group or ignoring others.

References

1. Leslie, Kelly. L. M. BSc (Hons); Comfort, Paul MSc, CSCS*D The Effect of Grip Width and Hand Orientation on Muscle Activity During Pull-ups and the Lat Pull-down, Strength and Conditioning Journal: February 2013 – Volume 35 – Issue 1 – p 75-78 doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e318282120e
2. Paine R, Voight ML. The role of the scapula. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Oct;8(5):617-29. PMID: 24175141; PMCID: PMC3811730.
3. Fenwick CM, Brown SH, McGill SM. Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Mar;23(2):350-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181942019. PMID: 19197209.
4. Niederbracht, Yvonne; Shim, Andrew; Sloniger, Mark; Paternostro-Bayles, Madeline; Short, Thomas. Effects of a Shoulder Injury Prevention Strength Training Program on Eccentric External Rotator Muscle Strength and Glenohumeral Joint Imbalance in Female Overhead Activity Athletes, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2008 – Volume 22 – Issue 1 – p140 – 145. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815f5634
5. Eduardo Borges, Bruno Mezêncio, Rafael Soncin. Resistance training acute session: pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and triceps brachii electromyographic activity. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. Published June 2018. doi:10.7752/jpes.2018.02095.
6. Hewit, Jennifer. A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises. Published 2018/11/02. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports. doi:10.19080/JPFMTS.2018.05.555669
7. Yaprak Y. The effects of back extension training on back muscle strength and spinal range of motion in young females. Biol Sport. 2013 Sep;30(3):201-6. doi: 10.5604/20831862.1047500. Epub 2013 Jul 22. PMID: 24744489; PMCID: PMC3944566.
8. María Moreno Catalá, Arno Schroll, Gunnar Laube and Adamantios Arampatzis. Muscle Strength and Neuromuscular Control in Low-Back Pain: Elite Athletes Versus General Population. Frontiers in neuroscience. Published 03 July 2018. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00436

Featured Image: Paul Biryukov

The post The 8 Best Upper Body Pulling Exercises appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

By upending the bar and planting it into a pivoting sleeve, you can begin landmine training. This opens the potential for new exercises, unique leverages, and more stimuli for muscle growth that even dumbbells can’t replicate. It also introduces 360 degrees of rotational challenge, making it a top choice for building total-body strength in athletes of any sport or lifters who want to look and move like athletes.

Here are some of the best ways to use a landmine for head-to-toe strength, size, and conditioning.

Best Landmine Exercises

• Landmine Goblet Squat
• Landmine Belt Squat
• Landmine Reverse Lunge
• Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
• Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust
• Landmine Single-Arm Row
• Meadows Row
• Landmine Floor Press
• Landmine Overhead Press
• Landmine Lateral Raise
• Landmine Curl
• Full Contact Twist
• Landmine Hot Potato
• Landmine Clean and Press

Landmine Goblet Squat

The goblet squat, sometimes called a landmine front squat, is one of the most fundamental exercises you can perform with a landmine. By supporting the weight in front of your body, the weight is transferred to your legs through your arms, shoulders, upper back, and abs, while your spine and lower back avoid any significant strain.

The landmine’s natural range of motion being arc rather than a straight line also reinforces proper body positioning by encouraging (a.k.a. “forcing”) your torso to remain upright as you lower to sufficient depth. The bar is held to your chest, which physically prevents your upper body from collapsing forward.

How to Do the Landmine Goblet Squat

Getting into the starting position is often a limiting factor, so it can be useful to begin with the weight on a bench, box, or step. With your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, squat down and support the end of the bar with both hands near your upper chest.

Keep your feet flat and your shoulders pulled back as you stand upright. Be sure to keep the bar tight to your chest, as the bar’s path will be upwards and slightly forwards. Don’t let the weight drift away from you, which could increase strain on your shoulder and elbow joints.

Benefits of the Landmine Goblet Squat

• The landmine goblet squat builds the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes with minimal lower back stress.
• It reinforces basic squatting technique which carries over to other squat variations, making it an ideal option for beginners.
• The movement encourages a deep squatting position, which can help to improve overall hip mobility.

Landmine Belt Squat

The belt squat is a very useful, but very large, machine used to train the legs with heavy loads and nearly zero lower back stress. Rather than supporting a loaded bar across the shoulders or upper back, the weight is distributed almost directly across the stable pelvic girdle with no compression of the vertebral discs.

By combining a landmine with a basic dip belt (more commonly used for dips or pull-ups), you can reap the same benefits without needing to dedicate 25 square feet of gym space to one specialized machine. The landmine belt squat is an excellent addition for lifters dealing with wear and tear on their lower back or any lifter looking to finish their intense leg day with high-rep burnout sets.

How to Do the Landmine Belt Squat

Set up two stacks of steps (using bumper plates is common) with a landmine in the middle. The height of the steps will determine your squat depth. You should be able to reach a deep squat position without the weight resting on the ground, so adjust as needed. Loading the bar with smaller-sized plates, like 25-pounds instead of 45-pounds, will also increase the range of motion.

Stand on the steps and secure the dip belt around your waist. Lower into a deep squat position and attach the belt chain around the barbell near the weights. Pull your shoulders back, brace your abs, and keep your feet flat as you rise out of the squat position. The loaded bar should be suspended by the chain throughout each rep. When the set is over, lower into a deep squat and detach the belt from the weight.

Benefits of the Landmine Belt Squat

• It’s shown to significantly reduce stress on the abdominals and lower back while training the quadriceps and hamstrings as effectively as back squats. (1)
• The belt squat work the legs without involving the upper body to support the weight.

Landmine Reverse Lunge

The landmine reverse lunge is an excellent way to hit the legs without aggravating lower back issues. Your spine is under minimal load, your core is highly activated (which helps to support the lower back muscles), and your quads, glutes, and hamstrings are doing all the work.

Single-leg training is often given a backseat in favor of bilateral (two leg) exercises like squats and deadlifts. However, focusing on each leg individually addresses natural strength discrepancies and allows each leg to do more work in each set than when muscular stress is split between both legs.

How to Do the Landmine Reverse Lunge

Stand sideways to a landmine bar, with your toes under the sleeve and the sleeve nearly touching your shin. Squat down and grab the sleeve with the hand closest to the bar. Stand up with the weight, keeping your palm facing the front of your thigh. Keep your arm locked straight while taking a long step backwards with the foot that’s closest to the bar.

When your toes touch the ground, bend your front leg while keeping your shoulders back and your torso upright. Your rear knee should nearly touch the ground before the weight does. Stand upright while “pulling” your rear leg into the starting position. Repeat all reps on one side before turning around to switch hands and legs.

Benefits of the Landmine Reverse Lunge

• Landmine reverse lunges allow for single-leg training without a significant balance component.
• It targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings muscles with reduced stress on the lower back.
• Unilateral training helps to address muscle imbalances and asymmetries.

Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a classic exercise to train the glutes and hamstrings. The landmine single-leg RDL takes the exercise to the next level by activating more overall muscle — including your traps, upper back, abs, glutes, and hamstrings — due to the powerful combination of bar position, grip, and stance.

Using a landmine instead of a barbell, dumbbell, or other weight reduces the balance component which can otherwise be a limiting factor since the non-working leg is raised into the air completely. The base of the landmine acts as an anchor point. You can increase stabilization by tensing the back, shoulders, and abs of the side holding the weight and actively “pressing” through the barbell against the base.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand sideways to a landmine bar, with your toes under the sleeve and the sleeve nearly touching your shin. Keep your back in a neutral (not rounded) position while bending forward at the waist and pushing your hips back. Your knees should remain slightly bent. Grab the sleeve with a palms-down grip using the hand closest to the weight plate.

Pick the opposite foot slightly off the ground and contract the glutes and hamstrings of the working leg to lift the weight and return to an upright position. Your arm should remain nearly straight and the non-working foot should stay off the ground until the set is complete.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

• The single-leg RDL is shown to more strongly activate the glutes and hamstrings compared to conventional (two-legged) deadlifts. (2)
• The landmine single-leg RDL recruits more upper back, traps, and abdominal muscle, in addition to the targeted glutes and hamstrings.
• It builds more core strength than other deadlift variations due to the asymmetrical load.

Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

The hip thrust has exploded in popularity over recent years. The glute size it helps to build may have also exploded a few pant seams. It’s a lower-body focused exercise that emphasizes hip extension, a movement recruiting the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.

The traditional hip thrust uses a heavy barbell placed across the hip bones, and discomfort can be a limiting factor for many people. Using a landmine makes the exercise more comfortable to perform, since you can get a greater training effect using a relatively lighter weight and because the entire weight isn’t resting directly across your hip bones.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Set up a flat bench parallel to the sleeve of a landmine. Sit on the ground with your back against the bench and the barbell resting in the hip groove of the leg closest to the bar. Plant both feet flat on the floor.

Straighten the leg farthest from the weight, raising it into the air. Raise the weight by pressing through the floor with your working foot and allow your upper back to pivot onto the bench. Keep your core right to maintain a straight torso. In the top position, there should be roughly a 90-degree angle in the working knee, with a straight line from your knee to your shoulders.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

• The landmine single-leg hip thrust trains the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and lower back very effectively using relatively light weight.
• The movement is shown to help improve sprinting speed. (3)

Landmine Single-Arm Row

Single-arm dumbbell rows can be a reliable back-building exercise, but using a landmine delivers a unique stress by putting the muscles through a deep stretch and an intense “cramp” at the peak contraction which needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

Landmine single-arm rows also have the potential to be loaded heavier than most dumbbells, since the only limit is what you can load on the bar, compared to being limited to whatever dumbbells are available in your gym. This makes the movement particularly useful in home gyms with limited equipment.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Arm Row

Stand with both feet on one side of the barbell, with your toes just behind the weights. Slightly bend your knees and hinge forward at the hips while maintaining a neutral back. Grab the bar with the hand closest to it.

Pull the weight up without twisting your shoulders or rounding your back. Lower the bar to a full stretch without letting it rest on the ground between reps. Repeat all reps on one side before switching arms.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Arm Row

• The landmine single-arm row trains back muscles as well as involving abdominal stabilizers.
• It allows potentially heavier weights than single-arm dumbbell rowing.
• The exercise offers reduced lower back strain compared to standard (two-arm) barbell row.

Meadows Row

Popularized by bodybuilding coach John Meadows, the Meadows row is a landmine single-arm row performed with a specific body position and pulling angle to maximize stress on the target muscles of the upper back and lats.

Unlike many other row variations, it’s a good idea to wear lifting straps for nearly every set of Meadows rows because the sleeve of the bar is thick and smooth, making it extremely difficult to hold on to. Straps will support the smaller muscles of the forearms and prevent them from limiting the stress applied to your back. To allow an optimal range of motion, load the bar with smaller diameter 10-pound and/or 25-pound plates instead of wider 45-pound plates.

How to Do the Meadows Row

Stand in an athletic or split stance, with your feet set apart similar to a lunge. The weight should be between your feet. Bend at the waist and grab the sleeve with an overhand grip. Brace the non-working arm on the same side leg for increased stability.

Pull the weight by driving your elbow straight up. Don’t allow your torso to rotate throughout the rep. Maintain a neutral spine. Lower the weight to a full stretch. Repeat all reps on one side before switching your stance and switching hands.

Benefits of the Meadows Row

• Meadows rows train the upper back and lats with minimal lower back strain.
• The exercise involves a stable base of support which minimizes cheating, reduces momentum, and increases overall muscular stress.

Landmine Floor Press

The floor press appears counterintuitive to some lifters. “Lie on the ground and perform half-reps? Why bother?” Well, Negative Nancy, that “half-rep” is a deliberate way to get more triceps recruitment and less shoulder joint strain. It also gives concrete feedback (pun absolutely intended) for consistent depth from rep to rep, compared to some lifters shaving their reps shorter and shorter as fatigue sets in.

The landmine floor press, specifically, requires the lifter to grab the thick sleeve of the bar, which increases forearm recruitment for added stability. This helps to reduce strain on the elbow and shoulder joints.

How to Do the Landmine Floor Press

Lie on the ground with your head near the weight. Bend your legs and plant both feet flat on the floor. Grab the sleeve with the hand closest to the weight, keeping the hand roughly in line with your chest.

Roll onto the shoulder nearest the weight and grab the weight with the opposite hand. Return both shoulders to the ground while pressing the weight to lockout using both hands. Release the second hand and let it rest on the chest muscle closest to the bar. Lower the weight slowly, until your elbow and triceps slightly touch the floor. Pause briefly before pressing to lockout.

Benefits of the Landmine Floor Press

• It trains the triceps and chest muscles with minimal strain on the shoulder and elbow joints.
• The floor press strengthens the triceps which carries over to improved bench press strength.

Landmine Overhead Press

The landmine overhead press may be the best known landmine exercise due to its wide-spread popularity and effectiveness. It’s an extremely useful alternative when shoulder pain or immobility prevents direct overhead pressing.

Like the classic overhead press, the landmine overhead press can be slightly adjusted with various stances and grips to accommodate an individual lifter’s needs and goals. For example, pressing with both hands on the bar while “squeezing” inward attempting to (inefficiently) increase chest recruitment or performing the lift in a half-kneeling position to (efficiently) reduce lower back strain.

How to Do the Landmine Overhead Press

Stand facing a landmine. Squat down and grab the sleeve with both hands. Stand upright while quickly bringing the weight to chest-level. Shift the weight and hold it only one hand. Take a small step backwards with the same-side foot, setting up in a staggered stance for increased stability.

Tense your abs and press the weight upwards, allowing your shoulder to slightly raise when your arm is locked out. Lower the weight to shoulder-level. Repeat all reps on one side before switching your hand and foot position.

Benefits of the Landmine Overhead Press

• The landmine overhead press significantly reduces shoulder joint strain due to the altered pressing angle.
• The exercise is highly adaptable with numerous variations for increased, or decreased, challenges.

Landmine Lateral Raise

The landmine lateral raise somehow looks like it “shouldn’t” be as effective as it is since the extended position looks like you’re standing around, awkwardly holding a random barbell and not doing actual work. But what most people can’t see is the series of non-stop muscular contractions required to move the weight from point A to point B.

The landmine lateral raise has a significantly longer range of motion compared to a dumbbell, cable, or machine lateral raise. Using an increased range of motion has shown to be beneficial for muscle growth. (4) It also manipulates the weight’s leverage to maintain muscular tension and highly activate all heads of the shoulder (front, side, and rear).

How to Do the Landmine Lateral Raise

Begin standing sideways to the bar while holding the sleeve with a palm-down grip in one hand. Your working hand should be near the opposite hip and your elbow should be slightly bent. Brace your core and keep an upright torso. Lift the weight up, allowing the bar to travel in an arc forward and “away” from you.

Maintain the same bend in your arm throughout the set. Keep lifting until your hand is in line with your shoulder. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Don’t allow your upper body to twist as the weight moves during each rep.

Benefits of the Landmine Lateral Raise

• Landmine lateral raises train the anterior, lateral, and posterior (front, side, and rear) heads of the shoulder muscle with emphasis on the side deltoid and minimal joint strain.
• The movement allows a longer range of motion than many other lateral raise variations, making it more beneficial for muscle growth.

Landmine Curl

The landmine curl combines the forearm-building benefits of thick bar training with the biceps-building benefits of traditional curls. Throw in a bar position that makes it nearly impossible to cheat the weight up by swinging your torso, and you’ve got a winner for new arm size.

The landmine curl may seem like an overly specialized, “low priority” exercise, but it’s an efficient and effective way to target the biceps and forearms with one movement.

How to Do the Landmine Curl

Begin standing sideways to the bar, holding the sleeve with a palm-up grip in one hand. Your working hand should be just outside of your leg. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Curl your hand up while keeping your elbow pinned to your ribs. The bar will naturally arc towards your opposite shoulder. Pause briefly when the weight touches your shoulder before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the Landmine Curl

• The landmine curl trains the biceps and forearm muscles.
• The thick grip reduces strain on the elbow joint.

Full Contact Twist

The full contact twist, sometimes called a landmine twist, is extremely popular with combat sports athletes as well as track and field throwers due to the major rotational core strength it builds. It’s one example of replicating a sport-specific movement in the gym, like a big winding uppercut or hammer throw spin, for real-world strength.

The full contact twist is a total-body exercise improving the lifter’s ability to transfer power from the ground, through their legs, across their core, and deliver it at maximum force through their shoulders and arms.

How to Do the Full Contact Twist

Begin standing facing the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the sleeve in both hands at chest level. Press the weight forward until your arms are nearly locked out. Maintain this slight bend throughout the exercise.

Lower the weight towards one hip. Allow your shoulders to rotate and your foot to pivot as the weight moves. Rotate from the hips, do not bend at the waist. When the weight reaches your leg, forcefully reverse direction to raise the weight back to center and continue smoothly to the opposite leg. Lowering the weight to each side (left and right) is considered one full rep.

Benefits of the Full Contact Twist

• The full contact twist trains the abs and core, specifically the obliques.
• The movement builds core stability which is shown to reduce injury risk. (5)
• It also builds power for sports with a rotational element (various combat sports, shot put, hammer throw, etc.).

Landmine Hot Potato

The landmine hot potato may have the funniest name on the list, but its ability to build core strength is no joke. The goal is to “throw” the weight from hand to hand, quickly catching and releasing it repeatedly. By absorbing force and immediately redirecting the body to produce force, the hot potato teaches the body to build explosive, athletic core strength.

A secondary benefit to this unconventional movement is building shoulder stability by constantly recruiting the smaller stabilizer muscles of the shoulders and upper back.

How to Do the Landmine Hot Potato

Stand facing the bar with your feet wider than shoulder-width. Hold the sleeve with one hand at shoulder-level. Forcefully press the weight in a short motion before letting it go into the air in front of you. Allow the weight to fall back towards you as you catch it with the opposite hand. Brace your abs as you catch the weight and immediately reverse direction, throwing it back to the other side.

Relatively advanced lifters may be able to throw the weight a noticeable distance before switching hands. Lifters new to the exercise should use just enough force to transfer the weight from hand to hand. Increase the distance however your strength and coordination allow.

Benefits of the Landmine Hot Potato

• The landmine hot potato trains the core, specifically the obliques.
• It helps to improve shoulder and upper back health.
• The plyometric nature of the exercise builds explosive and reactive power.

Landmine Clean and Press

The bad news is that the landmine clean and press doesn’t allow lifters to move weights as heavy as with the standard barbell clean and press. You won’t be moving 400+ pounds here. The good news is that you won’t need 400+ pounds because this single-arm exercise can increase overall core activation and more significantly work the individual sides of the back, shoulders, and arms.

The landmine clean and press, like its conventional cousin, requires a degree of total-body mobility and coordination to perform properly. Be sure to practice technique before increasing training load or volume.

How to Do the Landmine Clean and Press

Stand above the sleeve of a landmine with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull your shoulders back and maintain a neutral spine. Squat down and grab the sleeve with an “inverted” grip, having your thumb pointing towards your body and your pinky pointing away.

Quickly stand upright while pulling the bar up and out, until your arm is bent and the weight is at shoulder-level. Immediately press the weight to lockout. Lower the weight to shoulder-level, then reverse the initial movement, lowering the weight to the ground while squatting down. That entire combination of movements is one rep.

Benefits of the Landmine Clean and Press

• The landmine clean and press trains the legs, back, shoulders, arms, and core.
• Like all clean variations, it builds explosive strength.
• The total-body exercise improves conditioning, especially if performed for moderate to higher reps (eight reps or more).

Benefits of Landmine Training

Landmine training is typically found in athletic training programs because it can be used to deliver strength gains, muscle size, and overall conditioning without significant risk of injury from joint strain. These same attributes make the landmine a useful piece of equipment for any lifter, athlete or not, who wants gains without breaking down their joints.

The landmine’s angled movement and leveraged resistance also allows many exercises which cannot be replicated with dumbbells or other free weights. For example, the lumberjack squat moves in an arcing path, which puts your torso into a safe position almost automatically. Barbell back squats or dumbbell goblet squats cannot offer that same degree of technique reinforcement.

How to Program Landmine Exercises

Landmine exercises can be programmed as needed according to the specific exercise, training volume, and overall workout plan. Because the majority of upper body landmine exercises are performed unilaterally, they could replace similar dumbbell movements. Rather than a dumbbell shoulder press, for example, a landmine press would be equally (or likely more) effective.

Generally, landmine exercises would not be loaded as heavy as similar barbell movements. For example, you may deadlift 500 pounds with a barbell, but would be unlikely to use similar weight for a comparable exercise with a landmine. That’s not necessarily a negative, but if moving seriously heavy weights are on your to-do list, landmine training may not be a significant factor in the majority of your training.

How to Warm-Up With a Landmine

The landmine can be used for a general, full-body warm-up as well as for training. Using little to no weight can be a quick, simple, and effective way to get the muscles and joints prepared for any type of intense lifting session. Try this thorough circuit.

• Landmine Goblet Squat: Hold the bar at chest-level, with your feet beyond shoulder-width apart. Squat down while keeping your shoulders back. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Two-Arm Landmine Overhead Press: From the standing position, keep both hands on the bar and press up to full lockout. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Full Contact Twist: From the locked out press position, rotate from the hips to lower the bar to one leg. Keep a very slight bend in your arms as you rotate all the way across and bring the weight to the opposite leg. That’s one rep. Perform four total reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Landmine Romanian Deadlift: Lower the weight to waist-height, holding it in both hands. Slightly bend your knees while bending at the waist until you feel tension in your glutes and hamstrings, then stand upright. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Landmine Two-Arm Row: Remain bent at the waist with your hips pushed back. With both hands on the sleeve, row the bar up to your chest before lowering it to a full stretch. Perform four reps before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three complete circuits.

Upgrade Your Barbell Experience

If you still only see the barbell as a two-handed vehicle for moving super-heavy weights on basic lifts, you’re missing out on size, strength, conditioning, and athleticism. Find your gym’s landmine station, pick one up for your home gym, or just stick the bar into a corner, and start getting the benefits.

References

1. Joseph L, Reilly J, Sweezey K, Waugh R, Carlson LA, Lawrence MA. Activity of Trunk and Lower Extremity Musculature: Comparison Between Parallel Back Squats and Belt Squats. J Hum Kinet. 2020 Mar 31;72:223-228. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2019-0126. PMID: 32269663; PMCID: PMC7126258.
2. Diamant, W., Geisler, S., Havers, T., & Knicker, A. (2021). Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis. International journal of exercise science, 14(1), 187–201.
3. Neto WK, Vieira TL, Gama EF. Barbell Hip Thrust, Muscular Activation and Performance: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2019 Jun 1;18(2):198-206. PMID: 31191088; PMCID: PMC6544005.
4. Pallarés, J. G., Hernández-Belmonte, A., Martínez-Cava, A., Vetrovsky, T., Steffl, M., & Courel-Ibáñez, J. (2021). Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 31(10), 1866–1881. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14006
5. Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013;5(6):514-522. doi:10.1177/1941738113481200

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Here are some ab workouts to get your midsection in shape while your diet does its job. Whether you’re training in a fully equipped gym or at home with the bare minimum, when it’s time to reveal your new look, you’ll have the shape and muscularity ready to show off.

Best Ab Workouts

• In the Gym
• At Home
• For Functional Strength
• With Bodyweight

Ab Workout in the Gym

Most commercial gyms are stocked with countless ab machines and other core training equipment. The options may seem overwhelming, but you can benefit from training your abs with a variety of angles for complete development.

Instead of throwing in a few sets of simple crunches and calling it a day, hit your abs with a comprehensive plan to get well-rounded results from high-intensity training.

The Complete Ab Workout

Take advantage of some of the most common pieces of ab equipment found in a typical gym. Pay special attention to execution and treat your abs as you would any other body part. Too many lifters dismiss ab training as an afterthought and rush through exercises without focus or intensity.

Roman Chair Leg Raise

• How to Do It: Climb into a Roman chair (also known as a dip/chin station or hanging leg raise station) and support your bodyweight using the elbow pads with your upper body against the back pad. Tilt your pelvis forward slightly and bend your legs. The more your legs are bent, the less challenging the exercise; the more they’re straight, the more difficult the movement becomes. Raise your legs up until they are even with your waist before lowering them back down. Move slowly and use control throughout the entire rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest Time: 30 seconds between sets.

Hyperextension Bench or GHD Sit-Up

• How to Do It: Sit “backwards” on a horizontal hyperextension bench or GHD (glute-ham developer), facing upwards with your shins fixed under the pads and your legs relatively straight. Cross your arms over your chest and keep them in place to avoid swinging for assistance. Lean back slowly until your torso is almost parallel with the floor and you’re facing the ceiling. Contract your abs to curl your upper body into an upright position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 15
• Rest Time: 20 seconds between sets.

Cable Woodchop

• How to Do It: Attach a single handle to a high cable pulley. Stand sideways to the handle and grab it with both hands. Keeping your arms slightly bent, bring the handle down and across your body until it’s at your waist on the opposite side. Slightly twist your torso and crunch down towards the handle using your obliques (side ab muscles). Slowly return to the starting position. Perform all reps for one side before flipping your stance to work the other side.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest Time: None

Machine Crunch

• How to Do It: Sit in a crunch machine and grab the handles above your head. Focus on contracting your abs by bringing your ribcage and pelvis together. Pause in the crunched position and squeeze your abs before returning slowly to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest Time: 20 seconds between sets.

Ab Workout at Home

Even in the smallest home gym, there are plenty of ways to get an effective ab workout. Exercise balls and resistance bands are convenient, space-saving staples.

All it takes is some creativity to create a great program. While basic bodyweight exercises are one option, increasing the challenge using the most simple equipment can deliver better results.

The Home Gym Ab Workout

This simple and effective at-home workout uses just an exercise ball and resistance bands for a serious ab session. This lets you work the abs with more intensity than basic bodyweight exercises and without breaking the bank on any specialized equipment.

Banded Crunch

• How to Do It: Wrap the center of a resistance band around a stable object around waist-height. Lie on the floor in front of the band and hold both ends near your shoulders. With your legs bent and feet flat on the ground, crunch your upper body to pull the band. Hold the top position for one second before returning down slowly.
• Reps and Sets: 3 x 10
• Rest: 20 seconds between sets.

Exercise Ball Leg Raise

• How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your arms flat and your hands next to your hips. Squeeze an exercise ball between your feet and calves. Lift your legs to raise the ball up and over your pelvis, then lower it close to the floor. Don’t allow the ball to touch the floor until the entire set is completed.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
• Rest: 20 seconds between sets.

Banded Twist

• How to Do It: Secure a band to a stable, upright object around waist-height (heavy table, chest or dresser, etc.). Stand sideways to the band and grasp it, keeping your elbows by your sides bent at 90-degrees. With your hips and feet stationary, “pull” the band by twisting your upper body while actively contracting your obliques and abs for stability. Return to the starting position. Repeat all reps for one side before switching.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest: None

Ab Workout for Functional Strength

Crunches and sit-ups are great for ab development, but they aren’t the only tools to use. Some lifters and athletes can benefit from more “functional” ab training — which translates to fewer static movements and more exercises that engage the core in motion. (1)

This requires a more “total-body” approach to training your abs. It not only will be a unique training experience, it’ll also force you to adapt to various angles not achieved through traditional strength training methods.

The Athlete’s Ab Workout

For a functional ab workout, you may need to shift your mindset on how to perform some of these movements. You’ll be coordinating stability, balance, and explosiveness to stimulate your abs in new and different ways.

This approach to ab training involves more than just your abs, which helps to carryover to strength in other exercises, while building a stronger complete core.

Plank

• How to Do It: Lie on the floor face-down, supporting your body on your elbows and toes. Maintain a straight line from your feet to your shoulders. Contract your abs and stabilize your entire midsection. Hold this position and maintain head-to-to tension for the duration of the exercise.
• Sets and Reps: Three sets of 30 seconds per set.
• Rest: 30 seconds between sets.

Medicine Ball Sit-Up Throw

• How to Do It: Sit on the ground in the top of a sit-up position with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your upper body near your thighs. Have a partner stand two to three steps away holding a light medicine ball. Have them gently throw you the medicine ball. Catch the ball at chest-level, lower your upper body to the floor, and immediately reverse direction, coming up to toss the ball back to your partner.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8
• Rest: 30 seconds between sets.

Russian Twist

• How to Do It: Take a medicine ball and assume a sit-up position. Straighten your legs and pick your feet off the floor. Only your glutes should be touching the ground. Twist your upper body from side to side, touching the ball to the floor on repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20 touches to the floor (10 per side).
• Rest: 60 seconds between sets.

Bodyweight Ab Workout

The great thing about ab workouts, unlike many other body parts, is that they’re easy to adapt to wherever you end up and can be done anywhere, anytime.

If you’re home, on the road, or even in the office, an ab workout is only limited by your imagination. You can get a lot done with no equipment.

The Bodyweight-Only Ab Workout

Some equipment can be useful, but you don’t need any “stuff” to get a good ab workout. The plan below allows you to train your abs directly and effectively wherever you may be.

Floor Crunch

• How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your knees bent at 90-degrees and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and slightly tuck your chin. Raise your upper body while keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. Squeeze at the top and then slowly return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20
• Rest: 30 seconds between sets.

Partial Lying Leg Raise

• How to Do It: Lie on the floor and place your hands flat under your glutes to relieve pressure from your lower back. Keep a slight bend in your knees while slowly raising your legs up until they are about 45-degrees from the floor (roughly halfway to a vertical position). Slowly return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20
• Rest: 30 seconds between sets.

Three-Way Plank

• How to Do It: Begin on the ground supporting your body on your elbows, forearms, and toes. Maintain a straight body position without sinking or arching your lower back. Hold for 20 seconds. Rotate to one side by shifting your weight to one shoulder and forearm and stacking your feet on top of each other. Don’t allow your hips to sink down. Hold the position for 20 seconds before rotating to the opposite side and holding for 20 seconds. Holding each position — center, one side, and opposite side — completes “one rep.”
• Sets and Reps: 3 sets of one rep.
• Rest: 30 seconds between sets.

Muscles of Your Abs

The abdominals are more than just the “six-pack abs” you might hope to see in the mirror. They consist of a group of muscles, some visible and some equally important below the surface. It’s important to know that the actual “six-pack” separation is determined by fibrous tissues, not any actual muscles, and they can’t be specifically trained.

This is why, no matter what exercises or diet are used, some people may not be anatomically capable of building six or eight separate abdominals. Regardless, hard training and a cleaned-up diet can help reveal how your own abs will look.

Rectus Abdominis

This muscle group is best known as the coveted six-pack (or eight-pack, if your genetics allow it) that plenty of people desire. It originates from your ribs to the front of your pelvis. It helps keep your body stable and brings your ribs and pelvis closer when contracted, like during the classic ab crunch or sit-up exercise.

Transverse Abdominis

This muscle is found underneath the rectus abdominis and helps to stabilize the trunk. It’s an important postural muscle working to provide tension, stability, and support for the upper body. They also help to maintain internal abdominal pressure, which offers support for the spine.

External Obliques

This pair of muscles sit on each side of your rectus abdominus, above the hips. They run from the sides of your body towards your midline, working to rotate your trunk and “crunch” sideways, as well as stabilize your body during those types of twisting movements.

Internal Obliques

This pair of muscles sit below the external obliques and also sit on the sides of your rectus abdominis. They also help rotate and twist your trunk, flex or “crunch” sideways, and provide overall stability.

All About Abs

Whether you have little to no equipment or you’re training at a traditional gym, hitting your abs is possible wherever you are, no matter your goal. All it takes is some discipline, organization, and a consistency. Follow these workouts and you’ll improve your abs in no time. But if you really want to see them shine, you’ll still need to clean up your diet.

References

1. Kibler, W. B., Press, J., & Sciascia, A. (2006). The role of core stability in athletic function. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 36(3), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200636030-00001

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