I was chatting with some people the other day and one of them said "If there is a weird exercise, Mike is doing it". Which is pretty accurate. Most people look like zombies in the gym doing the same BS they always have been and getting the same minimal results they always will. The lack of results is mostly due to overall programming and I'm sure diet, but it's good for the soul to toss in some new shit every once and a while. I'm not saying your entire workout has to be made up of funky moves, but variety is the spice of life (and gains). So here is a list of some commonly un-used exercises that I personally love and endorse. Soon those looks of "What the hell is that guy/chick doing?" will turn into "Damn, I'm going to do that if I can shoulders like that dude/woman!".
Overhead Shrug
Hold a barbell over you while keeping your arms straight, shrug straight up with your traps and squeeze for 2 seconds. Easy right?
Regular shrugs are great, but often done wrong. Most guys load up the bar or grab the heaviest dumbbells they can pick up and just kind of "bounce" the weight. If you want traps like Tom Hardy, you have to squeeze the traps. This exercise also helps you get the feeling for holding weight overhead. I like to engage my core and squeeze my glutes to make sure my back is neutral and the weight doesn't move to far forward or backwards. Use 8-12 reps.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Use either a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells, perform a normal RDL but stick one leg behind you. Keep the grounded leg slightly bent and use the weights to act as a counter balance.
This will immediately show you your weaknesses throughout your hips, glutes and hamstrings. When you use unilateral exercises, you can't hide one side's weakness by making up for it with the other. Use 6-8 reps.
Squeeze Press
Take two dumbbells as if you were going to press them, but push them together as you rise and lower them. You keep constant pressure during the entire range of motion.
You can also do this move with an incline to really hit the top of your pecs. The squeeze press is truly superior to the traditional fly as it keeps all the tension on your chest the entire time. Check your ego and use light weights as the constant pressure is what gives this move the magic sauce. Use 10-12 reps.
Guillotine Press
Grab a bar like you're going to do a traditional bench press, but use a extra wide grip. Bring the weight right under your chin to your throat instead of your chest.
The bench press is a great move, but it actually kind of stinks for developing a complete chest. It actually utilizes a lot of your shoulder. Because you're using a wider than normal grip and bringing the weight lower, you will incorporate significantly more of your chest and cut our most of your shoulder from doing the work. Start light, cause you know, you don't want to die. Use 8-12 reps.
Dumbbell Floor Press
Use dumbbells, lay on the floor, elbows out and press the weight up. You perform this just like you would on a bench, except, on the floor (who would've thought!?).
The Floor Press lets you load up your triceps with massive weight without recruiting to many other muscles. You could do rope pull downs/press downs until your blue in the face, but you won't see the same results as you just can't use enough load and maintain proper form. Use 8-12 reps.
Stir the Pot
Plank on the top of a swiss ball, engage your core, keep your spine neutral, rotate your forearms in a circle, now reverse the direction.
Crunches suck. There really isn't a way around it. They are one of the worst ab exercises. Stirring the pot will really test your core strength and stability. Start will small circles and work your way up to larger ones to make the move more difficult. Use 8 reps per side.
There you go! Next time you hit the gym, don't be afraid to get some strange looks and give these exercises a try! Sound off in the comments if you need help implementing them into your current program.
Overhead Shrug
Hold a barbell over you while keeping your arms straight, shrug straight up with your traps and squeeze for 2 seconds. Easy right?
Regular shrugs are great, but often done wrong. Most guys load up the bar or grab the heaviest dumbbells they can pick up and just kind of "bounce" the weight. If you want traps like Tom Hardy, you have to squeeze the traps. This exercise also helps you get the feeling for holding weight overhead. I like to engage my core and squeeze my glutes to make sure my back is neutral and the weight doesn't move to far forward or backwards. Use 8-12 reps.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Use either a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells, perform a normal RDL but stick one leg behind you. Keep the grounded leg slightly bent and use the weights to act as a counter balance.
This will immediately show you your weaknesses throughout your hips, glutes and hamstrings. When you use unilateral exercises, you can't hide one side's weakness by making up for it with the other. Use 6-8 reps.
Squeeze Press
Take two dumbbells as if you were going to press them, but push them together as you rise and lower them. You keep constant pressure during the entire range of motion.
You can also do this move with an incline to really hit the top of your pecs. The squeeze press is truly superior to the traditional fly as it keeps all the tension on your chest the entire time. Check your ego and use light weights as the constant pressure is what gives this move the magic sauce. Use 10-12 reps.
Guillotine Press
Grab a bar like you're going to do a traditional bench press, but use a extra wide grip. Bring the weight right under your chin to your throat instead of your chest.
The bench press is a great move, but it actually kind of stinks for developing a complete chest. It actually utilizes a lot of your shoulder. Because you're using a wider than normal grip and bringing the weight lower, you will incorporate significantly more of your chest and cut our most of your shoulder from doing the work. Start light, cause you know, you don't want to die. Use 8-12 reps.
Dumbbell Floor Press
Use dumbbells, lay on the floor, elbows out and press the weight up. You perform this just like you would on a bench, except, on the floor (who would've thought!?).
The Floor Press lets you load up your triceps with massive weight without recruiting to many other muscles. You could do rope pull downs/press downs until your blue in the face, but you won't see the same results as you just can't use enough load and maintain proper form. Use 8-12 reps.
Stir the Pot
Plank on the top of a swiss ball, engage your core, keep your spine neutral, rotate your forearms in a circle, now reverse the direction.
Crunches suck. There really isn't a way around it. They are one of the worst ab exercises. Stirring the pot will really test your core strength and stability. Start will small circles and work your way up to larger ones to make the move more difficult. Use 8 reps per side.
There you go! Next time you hit the gym, don't be afraid to get some strange looks and give these exercises a try! Sound off in the comments if you need help implementing them into your current program.
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