Legendary bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman earned plenty of praise and Mr. Olympia hardware by constructing hulking physiques that included sculpted shoulders, killer quads, and bulging ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Lower Chest Cable Flye for Complete Chest Development
When lifters talk wanting to about build a "barrel chest," they're often recommended to emphasize the upper portion of their chest muscles. Indeed, this typically neglected body part can create a fuller, ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Bicycle Crunch for Sharp Abs and Obliques
Ab workouts are one of the few types of exercise that some people are instinctively drawn to whether they’re dedicated lifters or not. Many people use ab exercises as an entry point into some type of ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Hex Press for Chest Size without Shoulder Pain
Part dumbbell bench press and part isometric dumbbell flye, the hex press is a unique high-tension chest-builder. The hex press is performed on a flat bench with the dumbbells squeezed together throughout ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown for a Bigger Back
Due to their prominence, well-developed back muscles have been described as wings. Want wing-like back muscles? On the short list of things that allegedly “give you wings” are energy drinks, good deeds, ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown for Back and Biceps Gains
The lat pulldown can be a reliable and effective alternative to back-training staples like chin-ups or pull-ups. Pulldowns can be useful for novice lifters who may not yet be strong enough to perform ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Pallof Press for a Stronger, Healthier Core
Physical therapist John Pallof shared a simple exercise with a few influential strength coaches in the early 2000s. It offered an effective way to challenge core stability in an upright, athletic position. ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Toes-to-Bar for Core Strength and Power
Ask several people to describe the toe-to-bar movement and you’re likely to hear multiple descriptions of how the outcome should be accomplished. That is, actually getting one’s toes “to the bar.” You ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Reverse Biceps Curl for Complete Arm Development
For most lifters, a week full of workouts just isn’t complete without some tickets to the gun show. But good arm training goes beyond simply ripping through some biceps curls and triceps pressdowns. There ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Split Squat for Single-Leg Size and Strength
When it’s time to train your lower body, barbell back squats get plenty of attention, but single-leg training should spend more time in the spotlight. In particular, it’s worth focusing on the dumbbell ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Bear Plank for Stronger Abs and Total-Body Stability
Everyone in the gym has their own ideas about ab training. And the majority of people seem to hate it. It’s the one thing most lifters leave to the end of their workout in favor of movements for other body ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Front Squat for Leg Size and Strength
Imagine this: It’s peak hour at your gym and you've spent all day looking forward to attacking some front squats, but the wait for a squat rack is longer than the line at the smoothie bar on half-price ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Kettlebell Deadlift for Lower Body Size and Strength
When a new lifter finally gets a kettlebell in their hands, the swing is typically one of the first exercises they try. But it shouldn’t be. The swing is arguably the most popular kettlebell exercise and ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Pullover for Upper Body Muscle and Mobility
Maybe you first saw the pullover performed in low-res videos of Golden-era bodybuilders. Now, it’s common to see in commercial fitness centers, rehabilitation facilities, and home gyms. The dumbbell ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Renegade Row for Conditioning and Core Strength
The recent rise (and arguably unnecessary obsession) with "functional training" has seen the renegade row become a staple in CrossFit, fitness boot camps, and bodyweight workouts across the world. It's ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Face Pull for a Stronger Upper Body
When it comes to developing an upper body that looks great and performs even better, the best coaches in powerlifting, strongman/strongwoman, weightlifting, bodybuilding, and sports performance all agree ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Turkish Get-Up for Total-Body Strength and Conditioning
Talk to anyone in your average gym about training to build conditioning or cut body fat, and the Turkish get-up is probably not going to be one of the first exercises mentioned, if it comes up at all. It ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Russian Twist for Powerful Abs
If you listed the most popular ab exercises, there would be some familiar contenders like crunches, planks, and leg raises, no doubt. But one dark horse in the race is the Russian twist. You'll see it ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Deadlift for Size and Strength
The barbell deadlift is the king of the jungle when it comes to pulling exercises. It's a primary movement with the potential to move the most weight. Plus, it’s a competition lift in powerlifting, along ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Spider Curl for Better Biceps
Big basic exercises like the bench press, pull-up, and barbell row are great for building your back, chest, and even shoulders, but they might not suffice to fill your sleeves and build an impressive set ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Straight-Arm Pushdown for a Wider Back
Exercises like the chin-up and the deadlift are seen as the kings of back-builders by many lifters, but they are only the meat and potatoes. You have to add some seasoning if you want the best final ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Upright Row for More Upper Body Muscle
Most shoulder exercises involve pressing a weight overhead, while most back exercises involve pulling a weight toward your body. The upright row is a little bit of both. This unique vertical pulling ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Trap Bar Deadlift — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes
In growing numbers, most commercial gyms are adding at least one trap bar to their arsenal of available equipment. As a gym member, you should be counting your blessings. With all of the unique benefits ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Close-Grip Bench Press for Bigger, Stronger Triceps
Most lifters in the gym have performed the classic flat bench press to build chest size and upper body pressing strength. When it comes to variations of this time-honored exercise, most lifters adjust the ... Continue Reading
