The bench press is a go-to exercise when you’re looking to increase the size and strength of your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The stability of the bench and the fixed range of motion of the barbell allows you to use more weight. And moving more weight means building more size and strength.

If you’re looking for a standalone bench-focused workout to increase strength and muscle in your upper body, you have come to the right place. Let’s dive in below.

Best Bench Press Workout For Muscle and Strength

To gain absolute strength, you must focus on moving heavier weights, working around 85-90% of your one-repetition maximum. (1) The cluster set technique will give you all you can handle in this regard — performing multiple “mini-sets” of low repetitions with heavy weights to accumulate significant volume. This helps set the table for more muscle because a stronger muscle has the potential for more size. After the heavy work, two different supersets concentrate on exercises that efficiently increase your chest size and strength.

The Size and Strength Routine

Perform this workout once weekly as part of your upper/lower body split. To progress with the first exercise, start at three complete cluster sets, do four the next week, and then five. When you’re able to do five cluster sets, add weight. The other three bench exercises start at the lower end of the rep range and add one repetition each week. When you have reached the upper range, increase the weight by five to 10 pounds and start the process again.

Bench Press Cluster Set

The flat barbell bench press should be a staple in your routine and your go-to for more size and strength whenever you want to move the most weight. This benching variation focuses equally on your upper and lower chest for better overall muscle development.

How to Do it: Lay supine on the flat bench, arch your lower back slightly, and plant your feet on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together to enhance stability and upper back strength. Grab the bar and squeeze your hands hard to flex your arm and grip muscles maximally before unracking the load. Lower the bar to your sternum/base of your chest. Press the weight up, keep your back tight and your shoulder blades pulled together.

Sets and Reps: 3-5 x (4×2) — Perform four mini-sets of two reps, repeated a total of three to five times.

Rest time: Rest 10 seconds between each mini-set. Rest three minutes after each full set.

Close-Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press has your hands set shoulder-width apart and shift the load to your triceps and inner chest. (2) You may not be able to lift as much weight, but you’ll be training your chest and triceps from a different angle for improved muscle development.

How to Do it: Set up as you would for the flat bench press, but position your hands inside shoulder-width with your elbows tucked into your body. Pull the bar out of the rack and get tight. Pull keep your elbows close to your ribs while lowering the bar to your chest. Once you have reached your desired depth, press back up until lockout.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 4-6

Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Seated Band Pull-Apart

After two pressing exercises, you’ll get a break with this simple pulling exercise to strengthen your upper back and keep up the health of your shoulders. This seated band pull-apart will increase your upper back engagement (because of the stability of being seated) without you leaving the bench.

How to Do it: Sit upright, holding a looped band at shoulder height with your hands shoulder-width apart. Pull the band apart, keeping your arms nearly straight. Keep your shoulders down and your chest up. Pull until your shoulder blades are together and your arms are extended to either side of your body. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-25

Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating previous exercise.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

This single-arm (unilateral) exercise won’t allow you to go as heavy as you could with the barbell bench press, but there is still a lot to like about this pressing variation. First, you’ll address any imbalances between sides of your body, leading to better muscle development and improved joint health. Second, you’ll have more freedom of movement, because the dumbbell bench press allows you to adjust your grip and arm angle to find a pressing path that is comfortable for your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints.

How to Do it:  Place one dumbbell on your knee while sitting on a flat bench. Lean back and drive the dumbbell toward your shoulder using your knee, while pressing the dumbbell up. Lower the dumbbell, keeping your elbow at roughly 45-degrees from your body. Press the dumbbells up to lockout and repeat. 

Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 8-12 reps per arm.

Rest time: Rest 60 to 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise. 

Dumbbell Chest Flye

The dumbbell chest flye is as close to a chest isolation exercise as it gets. This exercise takes the triceps out of the movement and stretches the pecs for a more extensive range of motion, which gives you better muscle-building potential. (3)

How to do it: Lie supine on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Begin with both arms locked out above your chest. Create a slight bend in your elbows and keep this bend throughout the movement. Lower your arms out to your sides in line with your shoulders. When you feel a stretch in the pecs, reverse the motion and squeeze the chest muscles to return to the top position.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-15

Rest time: Rest 60-90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.

Chest Anatomy

The chest is a large superficial fan-like muscle, and the two chest muscles are the pectoralis major and the pec minor. It has two attachment points — the clavicular head on the upper chest and the sternal head attachment on the mid-to-lower chest. The pec major is on your anterior (front) ribcage, while the pectoralis minor is a small muscle underneath the pec major.

The pec major’s clavicular head originates, as expected, on your clavicle’s (collarbone) anterior or front surface. The pec major’s sternal head originates at the sternum’s anterior surface. Both muscle heads insert on the humerus (upper arm) and are involved in most upper body movements. The two primary chest functions that the training above focuses on are:

• Shoulder flexion — Raising your arms up by pushing or lifting in front of your body.
• Horizontal adduction — Bringing your hands (and joints) together in front of your pecs, as you do during a chest flye, bench press, or push-up.

Besides creating a big and muscular chest, the pecs are the primary “hugging” muscle. Pec size and strength help tackle, grab, and fend off opponents in the sporting arena, as well as throw and swing harder and faster if you play sports like football, baseball, or tennis. 

How to Warm-Up for Your Bench Workout

Have you ever seen someone walk off the street under the barbell and start pressing away to their heart’s content? Don’t be that person, they’re asking for injuries and poor performance. Although not warming up may not a huge issue on rare occasions, over time, it may lead to a decrease in performance and increased injury risk.

It’s better to take the time to warm-up and get the blood moving through your working muscles, while get your shoulder and elbow joints ready for action.

Because your upper back and rotator cuffs are involved in the bench press, be sure to perform any upper back movement that is effective for engaging your scapula and rotators — face pulls with external rotation or band pull-parts.

After that, a few light ramp-up sets on the bench press (low rep, light weight sets getting progressively heavier), focusing hard on engaging your chest muscles, will have you ready to roll.

If you decide to take more time for a thorough warm-up, take this upper-body prep for a spin. There are a couple of upper back-focused exercises here because your lats and upper back stabilize your chest during benching. You’ll need to get your back ready for chest day to fully protect and prepare your shoulders and rotator cuff.

• Face Pull with External Rotation: Secure a resistance band to a stable object at eye-level. Take an overhand grip and step back until your arms are extended straight ahead. Drive your elbows back in line with your shoulders while pulling your hands to the top of your head. In the peak contraction, your thumbs should point behind you and your palms should be near your ears. Return to the arms-extended position. Perform two sets of 15 reps.
• Scapular Push-up: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Keep your arms stiff and locked as you pinch your shoulder blades together while reaching your chest toward the ground. Drive your hands “through the ground” as you extend your shoulder blades down and push your chest away from your hands. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
• Rear Delt Fly: Take a pair of light dumbbells in each hand, or stand in the middle of a light resistance band and hold each end. Bend forward at the waist, nearly parallel to the ground, and let your arms hang toward the ground with a slight bend in your arms. Drive your arms up in line with your shoulders. Don’t allow your arm angle to change throughout the exercise. Pause briefly before returning to the stretched position. Perform two sets of 12 reps.
• Spiderman With Rotation: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Step forward with your left leg, aiming to get your foot near the pinky of your left hand if mobility allows. Keep your right leg straight. Without bending your right arm, lift your left arm to the ceiling, turning your upper body to allow a full rotation. When your arm is perpendicular to the ground, feel a total-body stretch before returning to a push-up position. Alternate sides with each repetition. Perform two sets of five reps per side.
• Incline Plyo Push-up: Setup near a stable flat bench or box, in a push-up position with your hands on the bench, your toes on the ground, and your body straight. Lower your chest toward the bench and explosively drive upwards, letting your hands leave contact with the bench. Catch yourself with slightly bent arms and brace your core. Take a breath and reset quickly before performing the next repetition. Perform two sets of eight reps.

Happy Benching

There are many different ways to target your chest, shoulder, and triceps, but the bench press is the most popular and, potentially, the most effective tool. You can build muscle and strength by focusing on a handful of the most effective movements to complement the bench press. Always warm-up your chest and shoulders, and then attack the muscles using the in-depth, ultimate bench workout laid out above. Your Mondays will never be the same.

References

1. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021). Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020032
2. Lockie, Robert & Moreno, Matthew. (2017). The Close-Grip Bench Press. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39. 1. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000307.
3. 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

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Getting better and stronger at the deadlift is a lifelong pursuit for many lifters who dive down the rabbit hole trying to lift more weight.

However, mistakes can happen when you push the boundaries to improve your deadlifting strength, which is perfectly okay. The trick here is to recognize these mistakes and fix them ASAP, so you can improve safely and, hopefully, not end up on the physical therapist’s table.

Here are 12 of the most common deadlifting mistakes to watch out for, so you can continue being strong and safe.

Common Deadlifting Mistakes

• Stance Mistakes
• Hip Mistakes
• Grip Mistake
• Performance Mistakes
• Programming Mistakes
• How to Deadlift

Common Stance Mistakes

Your feet act as your support base, and ensuring correct foot placement goes a long way in shoring up your pull.

Too Much Heel Emphasis

The heart of the deadlift is the hip hinge movement, but some lifters overemphasize rocking back on the heels to attempt a better hinge. You should feel your heel solidly, but feeling your whole foot on the ground is more efficient. Driving too much through your heels may result in a loss of balance during the pull.

The Fix: Feel your whole foot on the floor before you begin lifting the weight. When hinging down, first make sure you feel your weight shifting back onto your heels. Next, feel your big toe by pressing it into the floor. Doing so ensures you will use your whole foot when you pull.

Too Much Toe Emphasis

Similar to putting too much emphasis on your heels, sometimes you may feel like you are being pulled onto your toes when deadlifting. This goes hand in hand with excessive knee flexion (squatting too much) in your setup. This mistake may stop you in your tracks and prevent you from lifting any serious weight off the ground.

The Fix: Similar to the solution for the heel issue, you need to feel your heel and your big toe before you pull, and you need to ensure you feel them throughout the entire set. Start with the barbell over the middle of your feet during your initial setup, which will put your body in a better overall position.

Your Feet Rotating While Pulling

When and if your feet turn outward during your pull, you can often correct this error during your setup. This rotating can happen when your body tries to “find space” while putting force into the ground. It can increase strain on your ankle and knee joints while decreasing power output.

The Fix: Spend time finding the best stance for you whether that’s conventional (feet roughly shoulder-width), sumo (feet well-beyond shoulder-width), or somewhere in between. Setting your feet slightly outward, instead of having them pointed straight ahead, can give your knees somewhere to go during your pull and works well for most lifters.

Common Hip Mistakes

The hip position is critical for a safer pull. If your hips are not correctly placed, say hello to eventual lower back issues. The deadlift is a hip hinge, after all. Getting your hips in the right position is crucial.

Your Hips Are Set Up Too Low

When trying to get into a good hinge position, you may find yourself setting your hips too low at the start of the deadlift. It may help you brace, but sitting down too much doesn’t allow you to “wedge” yourself into position or pull the slack out of the bar — two important technique tips for a more efficient deadlift.

When your hip hinge is compromised from low hips, your shoulders end up behind the barbell which is a weak position to pull from.

The Fix: Start with a soft bend in your knees before hinging down to grip the barbell. Pay attention to feeling your hip position. Ensure that your shoulders are slightly higher than your hips when setting up. If you’re not feeling your hamstrings engage, something is probably off and you should restart your positioning.

Your Hips Are Set Up Too High

Almost the opposite of the previous mistake, but equally as disruptive, a high hip position turns the deadlift into a pure hinge — like a stiff-legged deadlift. Although the deadlift is a hinge movement, the bend in your knees brings your quadriceps into the equation, which helps the initial pull off the floor.

The Fix: Make sure your shoulders are only slightly higher than your hips, not significantly higher. Use some knee bend to get into the starting position. Before lifting the weight, run a quick spot-check in the mirror or ask your lifting buddy to tell you what’s what.

Common Grip Mistake

If you cannot grip it, you cannot rip it. Grip strength is a common weak point and it pays to strengthen your grip by any means possible. Your grip is mostly a personal preference, but it’s best to have a shoulder-width grip for most deadlift variations. Whether you go with overhand, mixed (one overhand and one underhand), or hook grip (grabbing your thumb alongside the bar) is ultimately up to you.

Helicopter Deadlift

If you do use a mixed grip but your hands are set in a poor position, the barbell may twist and rotate while reaching lockout. This could be potentially torque your spine and end your deadlift quickly. It’s vital to have your hands and shoulders in the correct position before pulling, especially when using a mixed or “over/under” grip.

The Fix: Ensure your shoulder mobility allows you to perform a mixed grip properly. Your “underhand” arm will need to maintain external shoulder rotation — the palm-up position — throughout the entire set. For safety and top performance, go through a few shoulder mobility drills before deadlifting with a mixed grip.

Common Performance Mistakes

Here are a few of the most common actual technique and performance mistakes that can be holding you back and putting you at risk of injury.

Hips Coming Up Too Early

This is sometimes referred to as the “stripper deadlift” and is usually a result of weaker quads or a lack of upper back engagement. If your hips come up before the bar moves, what began as a standard deadlift immediately turns into an awkward and overloaded stiff-leg deadlift. It is only a matter of time before your lower back will tell you that enough is enough.

The Fix: If your quad strength is an issue, focus on maintaining your setup position and gradually strengthen your quads with split squat variations to improve leg drive. Pulling the slack out of the bar while keeping your chest up and shoulders down will also create the tension necessary to fix this problem.

Rounding of Your Lower and Upper Back

There is a small number of elite competitive deadlifters who are the exception to the rule here, but you are probably not one of them. Rounding your upper or lower back increases the distance you have to pull the barbell to lockout, which makes the exercise harder than it needs to be. It also puts you at greater risk of injury by exposing your spine to more direct stress. It’s more efficient, more safe, and more stable to keep a neutral spine.

The Fix: Strong lats and a strong upper back are the keys here. When those muscles are adequately engaged — by squeezing your armpits together and putting your shoulder blades in your back pocket — it decreases the distance you have to pull the bar and keeps your spine neutral, which protects you from shearing and compressive forces.

Too Slow Off The Floor

Being slow off the floor and allowing your hips to rise too fast is a deadlift catch-22. You don’t want to come up too quickly, but you also don’t what to come up to slowly. When you’re slow off the floor, you spend too much energy during your initial pull, which saps your overall strength and makes a successful lockout less likely. Plus, it puts your lower back at greater risk of injury because that’s one of the more vulnerable positions of the lift.

The Fix: Build strength and power from the bottom position to blast past this sticking point. One way to do this is to program a period focused on deficit deadlifts (standing on an elevated platform) to improve your speed in the bottom position. Another surprisingly obvious issue could be that the weight is too heavy, so you may simply need to take some weight off the bar and build overall strength.

Overarching Your Lower Back at Lockout

Locking out your deadlift when you are fatigued is difficult, and some lifters finish the movement by using their lower back, not their glutes. Some lifters may care how they end their lift as long as they reach lockout, but their lower back certainly does. Over time, crushing your lower spine will catch up with any lifter.

The Fix: This is summed up in three words: Squeeze your glutes. When locking out, bring your hips forward, engage your glutes, and resist any temptation to lean your shoulder far back behind your hips. Your lower back will thank you.

Common Programming Mistakes

Programming is subjective because goals differ from person to person. The deadlift is a full-body lift that requires all of your energy and attention, and avoiding these common programming mistakes will keep you safe and strong.

It’s Not an Accessory Lift

Standing over a barbell and pulling it from the floor is a full-body experience. The barbell deadlift requires a ton of energy from your nervous system, as well as your muscles, and it’s always best trained early in your workout. If you squat and deadlift on the same day, perform the deadlift first.

The Fix: It is a fairly easy one. Without question, perform the deadlift after your warm-up, core work, or lightweight power training. Don’t approach the deadlift after you’ve fatigued your body with significant weight training for any other body parts.

Higher Rep Sets

Pulling from the floor is excellent for building strength and resilience, but it’s not the best deadlift variation for building muscle because it doesn’t focus tension on any one emphasized muscle — that belongs to the Romanian deadlift because you’re building eccentric and concentric strength.

Performing higher rep sets, 10 or more reps per set, with the barbell deadlift for building muscle or strength is not the best idea because once your muscles get tired, your chance for injury jumps higher.

The Fix: If you want to build strength and perform with a heavier weight for “higher reps,” achieve that training volume using every minute on the minute sets. With 85 to 90% of your one-rep max, perform one or two reps, rest the remainder of the minute, and do it again at the start of the next minute. Start with 10 minutes total and build up to 20 minutes. You’ll never look at “high-rep” deadlifts the same way again.

How to Deadlift

Time for a quick refresher on how to achieve a powerful and crisp conventional deadlift.

Step 1 — Lock In Your Stance

Approach the barbell with a hip-to-shoulder-width stance, with the barbell above your midfoot. Angle your feet out slightly.

Step 2 — Set Your Grip

With a soft bend in your knees, hinge down at your hips to grip the bar with your grip of choice (overhand, over/under, or hook grip). Keep your hands close to your body without getting in the way of your knees.

Step 3 — Think About Your Hips

Pull your chest up. Squeeze your armpits together and drive your shoulder blades down to get a neutral spine. This allows your hips to be slightly below your shoulders, where they should be for a safe and efficient pulling position.

Step 4 — Breathe and Brace

Engage your abs, upper back, and lats. Squeeze the bar and feel tension throughout your whole body while feeling a slight stretch in your hamstrings. Take a deep breath in and get ready to rip.

Step 5 — Pull

Imagine performing a leg press, driving the barbell away from the floor while extending your hips and knees, and raising your upper body. Think about standing tall and finishing with your glutes at lockout.

Grip it and Rip It

Mistakes are bound to happen when you push your deadlift boundaries. There is no such thing as a “perfect form,” but there is such thing as safe, efficient, and effective form. It pays to dot your I’s and cross your T’s whenever you’re standing over the bar ready to pull. Now that you know some common errors, you know what to watch for while getting stronger more safely. Time to grip it and rip it, baby.

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Whether you’re an athlete or just want to look good, bench pressing is the go-to pressing exercise to slap on upper body size and strength.  

The barbell bench press is an integral member of the powerlifting big three, along with the back squat and deadlift. The classic bench is even associated with its own day the week. Who hasn’t wanted to do the barbell bench press on a Monday only to find a dozen other gym members with the same idea?

Fortunately, it’s half-brother — the dumbbell bench press — is a similar movement, but it’s even more forgiving on the joints and you need to work harder overall to stabilize the weights. Here we’ll dive deep into both exercises so you can choose when to perform each according to your goals. Let’s get ready to bench press, one way or the other.

Dumbbell Bench Press and Barbell Bench Press

• Exercise Differences
• Exercise Similarities
• Technique Differences
• How to Dumbbell Bench Press
• How to Barbell Bench Press
• Programming the Right Press for Your Body and Goal

Dumbbell and Barbell Bench Press Differences

The key differences to the naked eye seem apparent — it’s the equipment, either one barbell or two dumbbells are used. But the press setup and other slight differences should also be noticed between these two fantastic pressing variations.

Muscle Recruitment

Both exercises recruit the pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulder), and triceps to varying degrees depending on the variation used. The barbell locks your joints into a specific range of motion every time. Because it’s one connected unit, the barbell’s stability allows you to press more weight than dumbbells, which require each arm to work independently.

The pressing path with the dumbbells often varies slightly with each rep and requires more upper-body stabilizers because the range of motion (ROM) isn’t fixed — the weights tend to sway in all directions more than a barbell. This means your rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizers are turned on more to protect your shoulder joint.

Setup

Unless you have specialized equipment, there is no way to unrack and re-rack dumbbells like with the barbell bench press. Getting the dumbbells in position for the press requires effort and sound technique to avoid injury, and the same when you have finished your press. Getting the dumbbells into the starting position can become even more challenging as your working weights get heavier.

With a barbell, it’s a relatively simple matter of unracking the bar from the bench supports and replacing it at the end of the set. The process is identical regardless of the weight on the bar.

Grip

A barbell allows you to press using either a standard overhand grip, a false (thumbless) grip, or even an underhand grip. Each of these have their own benefits — the underhand grip recruits more of your shoulders and biceps for added stability, while the false grip can help to reduce shoulder joint strain. (1) However, the barbell doesn’t offer any freedom of movement at your wrists during the movement. Once you grip the bar, you’re locked into that position until the set ends.

Dumbbells allow much more variety of wrist movement, which can reduce strain on your elbows and shoulder joints. One key difference is that dumbbells allow you to press with a neutral (palms facing) grip. Not only does that put your shoulders and arms in the strongest leverage position, but it stresses the shoulder joint less because it is neither internally nor externally rotated.

Dumbbell and Barbell Bench Press Similarities

Both flat bench press variations are horizontal presses, where you lie on your back, press the weight up, and lower it down. In that vein, there are several similarities despite the equipment and setup differences. Here’s how you know the exercises are different branches of the same tree.

Training The Same Muscles

Because they’re both horizontal pressing movements, with your body in the same position relative to the weight, both the dumbbell press and and barbell bench press engage the chest as the primary working body part.

Both exercises are completed with assistance from your triceps and shoulders (particularly the anterior, or front, head of the muscle), while your upper back, core, and even your legs contribute to total-body stability.

Upper Body Pressing Power and Strength

The barbell bench press is the pressing variation where you’ll be able to use more overall weight, which lends itself to building serious upper pressing power and strength. It’s not uncommon for an experienced lifter to barbell bench press 300 or more pounds.

While the dumbbell bench press doesn’t allow for as much total load — using a pair of 100-pound dumbbells, or 200 total pounds, would be an achievement for gym veterans— the exercise still creates a tremendous strength-building stimulus. Both exercises involve horizontal adduction (bringing your arms together toward your centerline), and both can build muscle, strength, and power in the chest and triceps.

Key Technique Differences

The dumbbell bench press and the barbell bench press have specific technique differences influencing the results delivered. Here’s a closer look at exactly what makes them different.  

Pressing Path

With the dumbbell bench press, you’re coordinating the weights as you press each dumbbell individually. This can address muscular imbalances between your left and right sides, while the barbell requires you to push as a single unit with both hands. This changes the pressing path and range of motion in a few ways.

The dumbbells can move in a distinct arc and allow for more arm adduction — you can bring your arms close to each other in the top position, which cannot be done with a barbell.

The barbell’s range of motion is more fixed because your hand stays in place and the barbell stops at chest-level. The dumbbells aren’t blocked by your chest in the bottom position, which can allow for a little more range of motion and a more extensive stretch on the chest and shoulders.

Upper Body Position

It is common with the barbell bench press to see a significant lower back arch and a puffed-out chest to shorten the range of motion. This acts as a type of counterbalance and can especially happen when using heavier weight.

This is difficult to do with the dumbbell bench press, and this position isn’t as necessary because there is no need to meet your chest with the dumbbells. While you do still need to use your lower body to brace during the dumbbell bench press, your torso stays mostly flat on the bench.

Dumbbells are also relatively more difficult to stabilize throughout the exercise, meaning each rep will be very slightly different from the next because your shoulder stabilizers will be working harder than with the barbell movement.  

Grip Options

The barbell locks your hands into two basic types of grip: overhand or underhand (which can both be done with dumbbells). The barbell bench press allows you to vary the width of your grip to change the emphasis on the muscles trained. Pressing with your hands closer will prioritize your triceps, while a wider grip will emphasize your chest and shoulders.

The most significant difference between the traditional barbell and dumbbells is the ability to press with a neutral grip which stresses the wrists, elbows, and shoulder joints less, making it a better choice if discomfort or poor joint mobility is an issue.  

How to Dumbbell Bench Press

Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each knee. Lie back and raise your knees to drive the dumbbells back towards your shoulders while pressing the dumbbells up into a locked out position above your chest.

Slowly lower the weights, keeping your elbows angled out at roughly 45-degrees. In the bottom position, when your elbows are nearly level with your torso or when you’ve reached a comfortable stretch, push the dumbbells back up.

Form Tip: Because of the potentially increased range of motion when using dumbbells, some lifters have a tendency to think “more is better.” But when you drop your elbows below-level with your torso, your shoulders become more externally rotated which puts them in a more vulnerable position. Keep your elbows roughly even with your torso in the bottom position to reduce the risk of joint strain.

Benefits

• Lifting each dumbbell individually can help strengthen developmental imbalances between arms.
• The dumbbell bench press lets you train with a high intensity using a relatively lower weight, which can improve upper body size and strength without wear and tear from heavy loading.
• It gives your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints a break from the barbell because of the ability to use a neutral grip.  

Dumbbell Bench Press Variations

The dumbbell offers better freedom of movement, allowing you to train the dumbbell bench press from varying angles and positions for better overall muscle development.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Floor Press

This single-arm floor press will train your core and shoulder stabilizers more due to the offset load that gets neglected during bilateral (two-arm) pressing.

It’s also a shoulder-saver because it eliminates the lower range of motion, which is where the shoulder is externally rotated and problems like shoulder impingement can happen.

Dumbbell Squeeze Press

When it comes to building strength and muscle, tension is king. (2) The squeeze press cranks up muscle tension to the next level. You perform this like a regular dumbbell bench press, but you press the hex dumbbells together (similar to the top of a dumbbell flye) throughout the entire repetition.

This extra tension provided by the constant contraction means you’ll need to use a lighter weight than a standard dumbbell bench press, but this variation will fire up your chest like few other exercises.

How To Barbell Bench Press

Lie down on a flat bench, slightly arch your lower back, and plant your feet on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together and grip the bar with at a comfortable and powerful width, outside of your shoulders. For added control, squeeze your hands hard to flex your arms and gripping muscles.

Unrack the barbell and think about pulling it toward your body to touch near your sternum or the base of your chest. Press the bar up, keeping your upper back tight and your shoulder blades pulled together.

Form Tip: Many lifters think the barbell bench press is just an “upper body” exercise, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Creating tension with your lower body — pushing your feet back and down which flexes your calves, hamstrings, and glutes — is a counterbalance that builds total-body stability and helps you press more weight safely.

Benefits

• The barbell bench press recruits a number of upper body muscles including the chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and lats, which helps to build more upper body size and strength.
• Compared to the dumbbell bench press, you can potentially load the bench press up with a very heavy weight. 
• It has direct carryover for powerlifters because it’s one of the three lifts judged in a competition.

Barbell Bench Press Variations

There are several effective barbell bench press variations, but the two below will particularly help build lockout strength in your triceps, which has a huge carryover to your barbell bench press performance.

Close Grip Bench Press

A close-grip bench press is the same in every respect as the standard bench press, but you set your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. This changes your leverage and shifts the load more to your triceps and less to your chest.

Because the arm position focuses more on the triceps, it takes some stress off the shoulder joints but places slightly more stress on the elbow joints. It’s a delicate balancing act, and it is best to vary your grip width to avoid overuse injuries.

Barbell Floor Press

Similar to the dumbbell floor press but a little harder to initially set up, the barbell floor press lets use more weight than the dumbbell variation. It is a shoulder-saver and focuses more on the triceps than the chest because of the reduced range of motion.

One of the most significant advantages of the barbell floor press is that it takes the lower body out of it to focus entirely on strict upper body pressing power. If you don’t have access to an adjustable squat rack with a low setting to place the bar, then finding a spotter to help get the bar into position is necessary.

When to Program the Dumbbell or Barbell Bench Press

Many lifters perform the barbell bench press and its variations because that is what they have always done. But don’t discount the dumbbell bench press, as both can be used to improve your upper body strength and size.

Competitive Powerlifting

The barbell bench press is one of the powerlifting “big three,” along with the barbell squat and deadlift, so it should always take priority in every competitive powerlifter’s program.

However, pressing with a barbell all the time may give rise to overuse injuries due to exaggerating strength imbalances and cumulative wear and tear on your joints from being locked into the same range of motion. Occasionally using the dumbbell bench press and its variations as “accessory exercises” will give your joints a break and reduce imbalances between arms.

General Strength

Either bench press variation can be effective for non-competitive lifters interested in building strength. With its increased stability and fixed ROM, the barbell bench press allows you to lift heavier weights than the dumbbell bench press. And dumbbells in most gyms only go so high and become awkward to get into position; the barbell bench press should form most of your strength work.

Use the dumbbell bench press to strengthen imbalances between sides and as a break for the barbell when your joints begin to bark at you. But both bench variations will deliver strength gains; it’s a matter of personal preference.  

Building Muscle

When building slabs of upper body muscle is your goal, both bench press variations can work hand in hand. Bilateral lifts like the barbell bench press allow you to lift heavier total weight, which may benefit a muscle-building program because heavy loads are one way to achieve muscle-building tension.

The dumbbells, being lighter individually, are better for higher rep training which can also deliver an increased muscle-building stimulus.

Lifters With Long Arms

Lifters with relatively long arms will have a longer range of motion when it comes to pressing compared those with shorter arms. Generally speaking, those with shorter arms can lift more weight due to shorter levers creating a favorable pressing position.

Lifters with long arms can use either variation, but should consider how their joints feel on any given day when choosing which to perform. To avoid aggravating joints, opt for the dumbbell bench press.

Let’s Get Ready To Press

There is no one-size-fits-all to determine which bench press variation you should use. Some lifters feel no discomfort and can efficiently press with only a barbell to their heart’s content. For other lifters, the barbells make their joints angry and not worth the trouble. The choice between the two sometimes comes down to comfort, personal preference, and goal. But if pain and discomfort are not an issue, both should be used in a comprehensive plan to improve your upper body size, strength, and flexing time.

Research

1. 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
2. Burd, Nicholas & Andrews, Richard & West, Daniel & Little, Jonathan & Cochran, Andrew & Hector, Amy & Cashaback, Joshua & Gibala, Martin & Potvin, James & Baker, Steven & Phillips, Stuart. (2011). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology. 590. 351-62. 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200.

Featured Image: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

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But if you’re looking for a deadlift variation that’s easier on the spine, builds muscle in your upper and lower body, improves posture, and helps to boost your barbell deadlift, trade the bar for a pair of dumbbells. 

The dumbbell deadlift is an overlooked exercise that can increase muscle and strength while providing less compressive load on your spine. It allows you to train the same movement pattern with reduced lower back strain compared to the barbell exercise.

Here’s a closer look at the dumbbell deadlift including how and why it’s done, what not to do, programming tips, and more. mistakes to avoid. It’s time to be reminded why “the deadlift” is not all about the barbell.

• How to Do the Dumbbell Deadlift
• Dumbbell Deadlift Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Dumbbell Deadlift
• Benefits of the Dumbbell Deadlift
• Muscles Worked by the Dumbbell Deadlift
• How to Program the Dumbbell Deadlift
• Dumbbell Deadlift Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Dumbbell Deadlift

Here’s a step-by-step guide for performing the dumbbell deadlift with safe and effective technique. This movement is performed “suitcase-style” with a pair of dumbbells by your sides.

Step 1 — Nail the Setup

Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, facing your hips with your arms down by your sides. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears, puff your chest up, and firmly grip the weights. Begin with your legs straight but not fully locked out and grip the floor with your feet to create tension in your glutes.

Form Tip: Starting this exercise with good posture is vital. Pinch your shoulder blades together to open your chest and create a neutral spine. Stand “tall” looking straight ahead.

Step 2 — Control the Descent

Push your glutes toward the wall behind you and hinge at your hips. Keep your arms straight and allow the weights to “slide” alongside your legs. Keep your shoulders back and down — don’t allow the weights to pull your arms out of position.

Focus on feeling your hamstrings stretch as you lower the weights. As the weights approach your knees, bend your legs to reach a lower position. Don’t force your way to the bottom or sacrifice form, but if you can touch the weights to the ground without losing your posture, that’s an excellent goal.

Form Tip: The barbell deadlift has no significant eccentric contraction (lowering phase), but the dumbbell deadlift is all about the eccentric. Feeling tension in your hamstrings is critical because, if you are not, it means the movement isn’t coming from the target muscles.

Step 3 — Pull and Lockout

Push your feet through the floor to reverse the movement. Drive your hips forward and keep your shoulders pulled back to “un-hinge.” Ensure you finish at the top by squeezing your glutes, not your lower back. The dumbbells should remain near the sides of your legs throughout the repetition.

Form Tip: When returning upright, avoid simply “standing up” like a squat. Imagine squeezing your armpits together to ensure a neutral spine and to prevent your hips from shooting up too quickly.

Dumbbell Deadlift Mistakes to Avoid

The main thing to remember with the dumbbell deadlift is performing a hinge, not a squat. This requires using your glutes and hamstrings as intended, and keeping your body in the proper position. Lifting out of position creates most problems.

Squatting the Weight

There is nothing “wrong” with doing a dumbbell squat, unless you actually intended to do a dumbbell deadlift and performed a squat accidentally. You end up changing the exercise focus and not achieving your goal.

Some lifters tend to move the weight by squatting with a deep knee bend and an upright torso. Instead, you should be hinging at the hips and getting your torso nearly parallel to the ground while keeping their knees only slightly bent. When the dumbbell deadlift is performed correctly, it’s a glute and hamstring exercise. When it’s performed incorrectly, with a squat, it becomes an exercise for the quadriceps.

Avoid it: Pay attention to the muscles you feel stretching and contracting during each repetition. Your hamstrings and glutes should be doing much more work than the quads on the front of your thighs. Performing this exercise sideways to a mirror, or recording a video of your training, may also help you determine whether you’re squatting and not hinging.

Losing Tension

Maintaining muscular tension is the key with most strength exercises, and the dumbbell deadlift is no different. Keeping your upper back engaged, maintaining a neutral spine, and feeling your feet screwed into the floor are keys to a properly performed dumbbell deadlift.

As you lower and lift the weight, the entire back side of your body should feel tense — from your feet up through your hamstrings and glutes, to your abs, lower back, and shoulders.

Avoid it: Squeeze your arms to your sides, like you’re bringing your armpits together through your body. This will engage your upper back and lats, which helps to keep your upper body in a strong position. Trying to grip the floor with your feet, even when you’re wearing shoes, will also help to provide a stable base with good total-body position.

How to Progress the Dumbbell Deadlift

The key to the dumbbell deadlift and most other strength exercises is adding more muscle-building tension and providing progressive overload (gradually challenging yourself by doing more work). Here are a few ways to progress other than adding weight or doing extra reps.

Bodyweight Hip Hinge

If you have yet to master the hinge movement, go back to bodyweight training before adding the dumbbell deadlift. Using a wall as a reference point is a good way to learn how to lead with your hips.

This simple-looking drill will help teach your body the difference between a true hinge movement and a squat. Focus on pushing your hips back and keeping your hands sliding along your legs while keeping your spine stiff.

Tempo Dumbbell Deadlift

Every repetition of an exercise has four components: the eccentric or lowering portion, the stretched position, the concentric or lifting portion, and the lockout. Manipulating how long each component takes is called tempo lifting, and it can be an effective training method when the dumbbells at your gym only go so high. 

For example, perform a dumbbell deadlift with a 4-3-3-1 tempo. You take four seconds to lower the weight, hold the bottom position for a three-second pause, take three seconds to stand upright, and pause for one second. This puts your glutes and hamstrings through a longer time under tension which can increase muscle growth. (1)

Single-Arm Suitcase Deadlift

Holding the weight in one hand does two things. First, you must train each side independently, which means more opportunities to strengthen any imbalances between sides and, hopefully, add more overall muscle and strength.

Second, you add an anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion component to the exercise because the single-sided load with try to pull, rotate, and shift your core toward the weight. Resisting this pull and maintaining a stable torso can improve core stability and strength.

B-Stance Dumbbell Deadlift

Single-leg deadlifts are challenging because you must have great balance to perform them well. Enter the B-stance dumbbell deadlift, which helps your stability and balance while still putting more focus on the front working leg.

This modified stance delivers all the benefits of a single-leg deadlift without having to worry about losing your balance. Focusing the work on each leg separately will also help to address any strength or muscle discrepancies between sides.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Deadlift

The dumbbell deadlift can deliver some big benefits when the exercise is performed as a consistent part of your training program. Here are some reasons to grab the dumbbells instead of the barbell.

Better Hinge Technique

The dumbbell deadlift helps develop the hinge technique using relatively lighter weights because some lifters struggle to maintain a neutral spine once the load gets heavy. Dumbbell deadlifts can make you more aware of any form deviations, like when the dumbbells’ path may change.

The dumbbells act independently as opposed to the barbell deadlift, which keeps you more aware of your body’s position throughout the lift. This develops better total-body awareness and control.

Increased Upper Back Engagement

The dumbbell deadlift requires rock-solid upper back strength because the dumbbells can swing and cause you to lose position. Locking in your upper back and shoulder muscles can prevent this.

The dumbbell position, with a neutral-grip alongside your legs, can make you aware of your shoulder and back position compared to a barbell. Ultimately, this leads to a stronger back and better, safer deadlift technique.

Better Grip Strength

Performing dumbbell deadlifts, especially for higher reps, can deliver gains in grip strength. Your grip strength is challenged by holding onto individual dumbbells, rather than so your stronger hand can’t pick up the slack to perform each rep.

Decreased Joint Strain

Holding dumbbells with a neutral-grip at your sides, instead of holding a barbell with a palm-down grip in front of your body, puts your shoulders and upper body in a more stabilized position.

This decreases the strain on your lower back by reducing the compression and shearing forces. This is a similar benefit of the trap bar deadlift, but can be accomplished much easier with dumbbells since not all gyms provide a trap bar.

Muscles Worked by the Dumbbell Deadlift

There is almost no a muscle untouched when performing the deadlift movement, but there are a few primary muscles emphasized with the dumbbell deadlift in particular.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings assist your glutes with hip extension (straightening your legs and standing up straight) during the lifting and lockout portion of the dumbbell deadlift, and their eccentric strength allows you to control the weight’s descent. Feeling your hamstrings stretch and contract is the exact feedback needed to know you are performing the exercise correctly.

Glutes

Your glutes are primarily responsible for extending your hips during the deadlift, bringing your lower body straight in-line with your upper body. They significantly engage and contract during in the upper portion of the movement, as you approach a complete lockout.

The glutes work together with the hamstrings, and the upper and lower back, to ensure good hip hinge technique. Driving your hips back and “pushing” them through are important steps for activating the glutes.

Upper Back

Your upper back — which includes the rhomboids, trapezius, and parts of the latissimus dorsi, among other smaller muscles — is trained almost as a single unit while performing the dumbbell deadlift.

The primary function of the upper back is to keep a safe and strong neutral spine by maintaining a stable thoracic position. The upper back also helps to control your shoulder blades and keeps them pulled back when controlling the weight.

Lower Back

The erector spinae, a.k.a. “the lower back,” is actually a long column of muscles along the full length of your back. This powerful muscles works together with your glutes, hamstrings, and upper back for strength and stability during the dumbbell deadlift.

The lower back muscles’ primary responsibility is stabilizing your spine, supporting torso, and resisting spinal flexion (bending) under load. If you deadlift with a rounded back, you limit the strength and stability of these important muscles and expose them to significant (and potentially dangerous) direct stress.

How to Program the Dumbbell Deadlift

How you program the dumbbell deadlift depends on your actual goal. Below are some goal-specific set and rep schemes to incorporate the movement into your training program.

To Improve Hinge Technique and Deadlift Form

When you want to improve your deadlift form, it pays to spend more time drilling the hinge position. With its reduced load compared to the barbell, the dumbbell deadlift is helpful for beginners looking to improve general technique and strength the movement-related muscles. Perform three to five sets of six to 10 repetitions, using a controlled eccentric and focusing on good posture.

For Hypertrophy

Because it’s not well-suited to moving hundreds of pounds, the dumbbell deadlift is best used to build muscle size. This exercise can be performed for more reps and, potentially, through a longer range of motion than a barbell because the diameter of the dumbbells is smaller than barbell weight plates.

Increased training volume and a greater range of motion leads to more time under tension for hypertrophy gains. Start by performing three to four sets of eight to 16 reps, using a moderate-to-heavy weight and taking each set close to technical failure — the point at which you can’t perform another rep with good form, as opposed to muscular failure when the target muscles cannot control the weight.

For Muscular Endurance

To improve muscular endurance in the legs, back, and core, training in the higher rep ranges for fewer sets and shorter rest periods is the name of the game. Two to three sets of 15-20 repetitions with less than one minute between sets will have you feeling the burn.

Dumbbell Deadlift Variations

Adding variety to your training keeps you more engaged, reduces the likelihood of picking up an overuse injury, and gives you ways to progress when you can no longer increase the load. These three variations of the dumbbell deadlift will keep you guessing and progressing.

Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift

The single-leg dumbbell deadlift is one of the more challenging leg exercises, requiring total-body strength, stability, and coordination. If, or when, you can perform these with good form, you can end up with performance benefits ranging from addressed muscle imbalances, better balance, and improved glute hypertrophy. (2)

You may need to work on B-stance dumbbell deadlifts, explained above, as an intermediary step toward this difficult exercises. The time and effort is well worth it.

Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift

The dumbbell sumo deadlift is a wide-stance deadlift that focuses a little more on your quadriceps, along with your glutes and hamstrings, and without as much lower back stress because you are not as bent-over or hinged forward compared to other deadlifts.

The movement can be performed with a dumbbell in each hand or holding a single dumbbell with both hands.

Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift

The dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift minimizes knee flexion and focuses almost entirely on hip flexion to put the hamstring and glutes under a little more tension. This is an ideal exercise for lifters looking to emphasize the back halves of their legs.

This simple variation is also effective for lifters who have “outgrown” the dumbbell deadlift in terms of potential load but want to keep progressing.

FAQs

References

1. Burd, N. A., et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of Physiology, 590(Pt 2), 351-362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
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.

Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

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This movement forms the basis of the Olympic lifts and other vertical pulling variations. It’s versatile and can be performed nearly any tool including a barbell, EZ-curl bar, resistance bands, even one or two dumbbells or kettlebells.

The classic and most common movement is the standard barbell upright row. This allows you to build the most vertical strength and power while packing size onto your “yoke” — the trapezius, upper back, and shoulders. Here’s everything you need to know to thrive with this weightlifting staple.

• How to Do the Upright Row
• Upright Row Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Upright Row
• Benefits of the Upright Row
• Muscles Worked by the Upright Row
• How to Program the Upright Row
• Upright Row Variations 
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Upright Row

The upright row is a vertical pulling exercise, moving the weight from your waist to near your shoulders. This movement can simultaneously improve upper body coordination and power for sports performance, while building some beefy shoulders and upper back.

Step 1 — Nail Your Starting Position

Stand up straight, holding a barbell with a shoulder-width grip at arm’s length. Drop your shoulders down, lift your chest up, and engage your glutes. Have your knuckles facing the ground and flex your thighs for the entire set. Tuck in your chin and keep a forward gaze to help maintain good posture throughout the entire set.

Form Tip: You can adjust your grip width to change the muscle recruitment. (1) A closer than shoulder-width grip will emphasize your front deltoids (shoulders). Lifting with a much wider grip will hit your upper traps harder.

Step 2 — Lead With Your Elbows

Bend your elbows and pull them up to shoulder-height. Keep the barbell close to your body and bring it up until you reach roughly chest-level. Maintain an upright torso and don’t let your hips swing the weight up. Keep your core, quads, and glutes engaged to keep a strong, stable posture. Squeeze your shoulder blades, trapezius, and shoulder muscles as you pause briefly in the top position. Don’t lean too far back when the weight is at the top.

Form Tip: In the top position, your elbows should be nearly level with your shoulders. Your wrists should be slightly below your shoulders, and the barbell should be below your wrists. This will help to keep your joints in strong and healthy positions.

Step 3 — Lower the Weight with Control

Keep the weight close to your body as you slide it back down toward the starting position. Grip the barbell tightly to maintain full control. When your arms are straight, pause and reset to ensure a good posture before doing the next rep.

Form Tip: Take three seconds to lower the barbell. This will help you control the eccentric (lower phase) and increase muscular tension for more growth.

Upright Row Mistakes to Avoid

The upright row may seem easy — you pull the barbell up and down your body and let the upper body gains begin. But, hang on, there is more than meets the eye here. Avoid these mistakes to get the most out of this exercise.

Lifting Too Heavy

As tempting as it is to load up an exercise to see how much you can lift, the upright row isn’t that exercise. It needs to be treated as an “accessory” to support your vertical pulls and to build muscle in your shoulders and upper back. It shouldn’t be trained for “absolute strength,” or the most amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition.

Trying to pull too much weight will encourage you to swing your body for momentum, which can strain your lower back. Excessively heavy weights can also stress your shoulder joints in the top position.

Avoid it: If you find yourself needing body English to pull the weight up, and if you cannot control the eccentric for two or three seconds, don’t be a hero. Lighten the load and lift with good form and proper control for better results.

Lifting Your Elbows Too High

Bringing your elbows higher than parallel to the floor may cause shoulder issues like impingement or bursitis when repeated over time. (2) Rather than driving your elbows up to your ears and trying to pull the bar to your neck, stop when your elbows have reached shoulder-level.

More range of motion is not better in this case because, as your elbows rise above shoulder-level, your shoulder joint is put into an awkward and potentially dangerous position as the smaller tissues within the joint capsule can be compressed and potentially damaged.

Avoid it: Pay attention to where your elbows are in relation to your shoulders. As you raise the weight, focus on reaching the appropriate height and not any farther.

Leaning Back

If you’re pushing the limits with too much load or trying (inefficiently) to create a longer range of motion, you may end up leaning too far back and extending your lower back while pulling the weight upwards.

When that happens, you lose good posture and put yourself at risk for a potential injury. You also add a “diagonal” movement to what should be a vertical pull, which changes your leverage and reduces the difficulty of the lift.

Avoid it: Keep your core tight, and engage your quads (thighs) and glutes for the entire set. When you lose that muscular engagement, end the set and consider lightening the load.  

Letting The Bar Drift Away

If you get tired and begin using momentum to finish your set, or if you’ve got too much weight loaded, the barbell may drift away from your torso because you’re using too much body English and can’t maintain control over the bar.

As the bar gets farther in front of your body, your smaller rotator cuffs are put under more stress, your wrist and elbow joints are put under more strain, and your overall leverage decreases which removes muscular activation from your upper back.

Avoid it: Keep your shoulders down and your chest up. This should help to recruit your shoulder and upper back muscles, which will help keep the barbell close to your torso as you lift and lower the weight.

How to Progress the Upright Row

The upright row may not always be the ideal movement for a vertical pulling exercise depending on your individual mobility. You may benefit from working up to the full barbell upright row. Here’s how to get started.

Two-Dumbbell Upright Row

The barbell can sometimes be unforgiving for lifters with existing wrist or elbow joint problems. A barbell also locks your hands into a fixed width and a position that may be uncomfortable for your current wrist or forearm mobility. Performing dumbbell upright rows is an excellent way to build size and strength while working around any mobility issues.

Dumbbells allow your hands and wrists to naturally rotate during the exercise, and this freedom of movement is more forgiving on your joints while still applying tension on the target muscles.

Tempo Upright Row

Every rep of every exercise technically has has four “parts” — the eccentric or lowering portion, the stretched position, the concentric or lifting portion, and the lockout or peak contraction. Manipulating how long each part takes is called tempo lifting, and it can be the key to getting more results from lighter weights.

For example, you might work with 3-1-2-3. This would mean you take three seconds to lower the weight, hold a one-second pause in the stretched position, lift the weight in two seconds, and pause for three full seconds in the contracted position. This puts the working muscles through more time under tension, and more time under tension leads to more growth. (3)

Unilateral Smith Machine Upright Row

While you can perform a single-arm dumbbell upright row, the weight can become problematic and unwieldy as the dumbbells get bigger and bulkier. This is an excellent time to turn to the Smith machine for an unconventional but highly effective movement.

With the fixed range of motion provided by the guided rails, the Smith machine provides extra stability. This allows you to go heavier than any dumbbell variation. The long barbell is also easier and more comfortable to grab than a relatively smaller dumbbell.

Benefits of the Upright Row

The upright row has excellent carryover to other vertical pulling movements like the snatch and clean & jerk. It’s also a great exercise to build a big “yoke” — the muscles across your shoulders and upper back.

Upper Body Muscle

Because the upright row works your deltoid muscles, upper back, and traps, bodybuilders and physique-focused lifters should include this exercise to train their entire shoulder area. It is an effective exercise for shoulder hypertrophy (growth), and building the “yoke” helps you look fit, muscular, and athletic even when you’re wearing a baggy sweatshirt.

Strength Carryover

If you’re a strength athlete involved in CrossFit or Olympic weightlifting, you are regularly performing lifts such as power cleans or high pulls. Training the upright row will have a direct carryover to the performance of these lifts because it trains the same muscle groups and supports overall development.

The upright row is also a good accessory exercise for Olympic weightlifting because it mimics the movement path of the snatch and clean. Although the full Olympic lifts train total-body power, the upright row helps to build the muscles involved, which helps to strengthen the entire movement.

During the snatch and the clean & jerk, it’s essential to keep the barbell close to your torso when it travels at full speed. Doing the barbell upright row as an accessory exercise will improve the strength needed to keep the barbell close to your body. 

Improved Posture

The barbell upright row targets the upper back and upper traps, which are essential for good posture. Improving postural strength has excellent carryover when keeping a neutral spine for barbell squats and deadlifts, or when simply walking in daily activity.

Improved Core Strength

The upright row is primarily an upper body exercise, so your anterior core (abs and hips) and posterior core (lower back and glutes) work hard to maintain a neutral posture. With the weight being in front of your body, your six-pack muscles are working hard so you don’t round forward or tilt sideways, while your posterior core ensures you don’t extend your lower back as you pull the load up toward your chest.   

Muscles Worked by the Upright Row

The upright row is predominantly an upper body movement with your core and lower body muscles playing a supporting role. Here are the major muscles trained by the upright row.

Trapezius

The trapezius muscle’s primary function is controlling your shoulder blades, which occurs when pulling the barbell up. The scapulae (shoulder blades) outwardly rotate to pull the barbell up your torso. The vertical pulling motion of the upright row is in the trap’s wheelhouse.

Deltoids

All three heads of the deltoids — the front, side, and rear — are trained in shoulder abduction when your upper arm rises out to your sides. This is seen most significantly in the peak contraction at the top of the upright row.

Upper Back

The upper back (including your rhomboids and teres) plays two roles during the upright row. It controls the upward rotation of the scapula, as you reach the top part of the repetition, and it works to keep a good lifting posture with a neutral spine from top to bottom. 

Biceps

Because your elbows bend and flex during the upright row, your biceps are also trained. However, they play a supportive role and aren’t the primary target. If your biceps are fatiguing before other muscles, adjust your grip width and focus on driving your elbows up — don’t overfocus on pulling with your hands. 

Core

Your abdominals, obliques, and lower back work surround your torso to support your spine. This allows you to remain in a good overall posture so you can focus on the rest of the upper body muscles doing their job to move the weight.

How to Program the Upright Row

The upright row can be customized by adjusting sets and reps to suit your personal goals. The upright row cops some flack in lifting circles because it can put the shoulders in a potentially vulnerable position. But when the movement is programmed properly and performed correctly, it can be an extremely beneficial exercise with limited risk.

For Strength

Like many barbell exercises, the upright row can increase overall upper body strength. This is done by performing fewer reps and a few more sets at a relatively heavier weight. To focus on improving your upper back strength, perform three to five sets of four to six repetitions. However, the movement should remain strict and without any swinging. If you have to heave the weight up, you’ve gone too heavy.

For Performance

The barbell upright row can be performed when weightlifting athletes want to improve their bar path, coordination, and strength for Olympic lifts. When this is the case, use a moderate weight with a higher volume — three to four sets of 10 repetitions works well.

For Muscle  

When looking to build your yoke, relatively higher reps with a light to moderate weight should be your go-to. This lets you emphasize your shoulders and upper back with higher volume to overload the tissue for better potential muscle growth. Here, anywhere from three to five sets of 10 to 15 repetitions works well.

Upright Row Variations

Although the barbell upright row is a great exercise to build your shoulders and upper back, it helps to have a few variations in your back pocket to pull out for variety, to reduce boredom, and to avoid overuse injuries. Here are three such variations.

Kettlebell Upright Row

The kettlebell upright row can be performed with one or two kettlebells. Holding one kettlebell with both hands doesn’t favor the shoulder joint, so either perform is with one weight in one hand or one weight in each hand.

Working unilaterally (a weight in each hand) can help strengthen imbalances between sides. The kettlebell also offers a different feel compared to a dumbbell because the weight’s center of gravity is lower. This can help to reinforce keeping the weight close to your body during the lift.

 Snatch Pull

The snatch pull is an Olympic lift variation that trains lower- and upper body power. Because you’re driving the weight with your lower body, more weight can be used than with a strict upright row.

The snatch pull mimics a deadlift setup combined with the pulling part of the upright row, but using a wide snatch-grip will further strengthen your upper back. The explosive nature of the lift also helps to develop power and strength.

Single-Arm Upright Row 

If you haven’t got access to a kettlebell, the single-arm upright row with a dumbbell is an effective and reliable variation.

The focus on unilateral strength will help strengthen each side of the body to improve overall bilateral performance. This is one of the most joint-friendly variations because you can easily adjust the range of motion and your hand position to your individual mobility needs.

FAQs

It’s perfectly fine if you’re unsure about the pros and cons of the upright barbell row, because it’s earned a slightly “controversial” reputation over the years — partly due to its demands on the shoulder joint, and partly due to lifters simply performing it incorrectly and negating its benefits.

Know Your Row

The upright row is a time-tested movement for adding size to your shoulders, traps, and back and building pulling strength that carries over to almost every upper body exercise. It’s short-sighted to dismiss the upright row as simply being potentially dangerous. When performed with good technique, following proper programming, it can be a critical player in building a more muscular and more powerful upper body.

References

1. McAllister, M. J., Schilling, B. K., Hammond, K. G., Weiss, L. W., & Farney, T. M. (2013). Effect of grip width on electromyographic activity during the upright row. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 27(1), 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f23ad
2. Schoenfeld, Brad MSc, CSCS¹; Kolber, Morey J PT, PhD, CSCS²; Haimes, Jonathan E BS, CSCS². The Upright Row: Implications for Preventing Subacromial Impingement. Strength and Conditioning Journal: October 2011 – Volume 33 – Issue 5 – p 25-28 doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e31822ec3e3
3. 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

Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

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Your shoulders, grip, forearms, and lungs soon burn with every step, and any deviations in your walking pattern will be felt twofold while lugging around dumbbells. Besides strengthening your grip to open all the pickle jars, carries can boost your mental toughness, which has a huge carryover to your lifts and daily activities.

As great as the classic farmer’s walk is, there are plenty of effective variations to diversify your game plan. Here are some of the best loaded carry variations, the muscles particularly trained by carrying heavy weights, and the things to watch out for to get the best out of your carries.

Best Loaded Carry Variations

• Offset Carry
• Figure-8 Trap Bar Carry
• Trap Bar Overhead Carry
• Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
• Unilateral Chaos Carry
• Barbell Overhead Carry
• Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Waiter’s Carry
• Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Overhead Carry
• Zercher Carry
• Bear Hug Sandbag Carry
• Plate Pinch Carry

Offset Carry

Offset carries train your body with mismatched weights, requiring your core to work overtime to stabilize your core as you move. Because the load is distributed asymmetrically, your body will want to tilt sideways. The challenge is in not allowing that to happen.

With the offset carry, there is a more significant demand on your core to maintain stability and a neutral spine. The greater difference in the offset, the greater the need for core stability and strength to maintain good posture, even if using the same total load. Holding 60 pounds in one hand and 40 pounds in the other is less challenging than holding 80 pounds in one hand and 20 pounds in the other.

When to Use it

You can program the offset carry at the start of your training session, as part of your warm-up or core work before hitting your main workout. Use can also perform it as a superset and pair it with a press, squat, or any exercise that doesn’t demand too much grip strength. For example performing a landmine press for six to 12 reps, then immediately performing the offset carry for 40 yards per side.

How to Do it

Although you can use dumbbells, kettlebells allow several specific offset carry variations. Hold a heavier load on one side of the body, with your arm hanging straight and your palm facing your leg. Hold a weight roughly 50% lighter in your opposite arm. This can either be locked out overhead or in the “rack position” with your arm bent and your thumb near your shoulder.

With a kettlebell, you can also use a “bottoms-up” position, with your arm bent, elbow pointed forward, and the bottom of the kettlebell aimed at the ceiling. This will require you to squeeze the handle extremely hard to maintain the bell’s vertical position.

Figure-8 Trap Bar Carry

One drawback of any loaded carry is that it requires a lot of space to move and some gyms don’t have 20 or 40 yards of clear space to walk. This is the perfect opportunity to take the trap bar figure-8 carry for a literal spin.

Walking in a figure-8 pattern allows you to get more yards out of a limited space. The trap bar makes turns easier as it places less rotational torque on your lower back than dumbbells do.

When to Use it

The movement brings the opportunity go heavy, as the trap bar allows you to carry more load than dumbbells. Use this carry when training space is limited. Program it at the start of your training when your grip is fresh.

How to Do it

Stand in the center of the trap bar, hinge at your hips and slightly bend your legs to grab the handles. Keep a neutral spine and brace your core as you deadlift weight to a standing position. Walk in a figure-8 pattern — go forward for several steps, turn slowly to one side, continue forward, turn slowly to the other side, and repeat.

Resist the urge to hurry. Walking at a controlled, deliberate pace will make your turns easier and safer, and it extends your time under tension. Keep your shoulders down and your chest up. When you’re finished walking for distance or total time, stabilize the weight before lowering it with control.

Trap Bar Overhead Carry

The overhead carry can be great for shoulder health and upper body strength, but not everyone can carry a barbell locked out overhead due to wrist or elbow issues. Enter the trap bar with the neutral handles to put your joints in a more user-friendly position.

Setting the trap bar in a squat rack at shoulder-height works best. With the weight overhead, watch every step you take due to total-body demand and instability.

When to Use it

Use the trap bar overhead carry if you have any wrist or elbow pain when supporting a barbell in the overhead position. Overhead carries are especially demanding of your upper back and shoulder stabilizers, so the movement is best trained early in your workout before those support muscles are fatigued from other exercises.

How to Do it

Set up the trap bar in a squat rack at shoulder-height with the handles pointed down. Step inside the trap bar, facing the direction you are walking. Perform an overhead press and hold the locked out position. Walk slowly straight ahead for a set distance or time. Stand still and carefully turn around before walking back into the squat rack. Lower the weight to the pins and rest.

Trap Bar Suitcase Carry

The suitcase carry is single-arm farmer’s walk, performed with the load in one arm hanging at your side. The offset load is an way to strengthen your lateral core (abdominals and obliques) while building your grip.

The trap bar suitcase carry takes this movement up a notch as the weight is more off-center, forcing your obliques to work harder. You can also potentially use more weight on a trap bar than any dumbbell variation to further your strength gains.

When to Use it

The trap bar suitcase carry works well to emphasize your oblique muscles and stabilizers on the sides of your core. This is another variation to plug in when you want to challenge yourself with heavier loads, or when your available dumbbells only go so high. Perform the exercise as part of your warm-up or early on in your training before grip strength and core stability are exhausted from other movements.

How to Do it

Stand the trap bar on its side and load plates on both ends. Grab the center of the bar, and with your shoulder down, chest up, and shoulders level, and walk slowly with good posture. Once you have gone your programmed distance, put the trap bar down and rest it on the side of your leg. Then hold it with one hand as you turn around. Swap sides and repeat.

Unilateral Chaos Carry

Adding a band around the handle of kettlebell or through the center of a weight plate creates tremendous instability because of the oscillations or “micro-bounces” created with each step. This will light up your core, grip, and shoulder stabilizers.

Gripping the band places unique demands on your grip strength because it’s tough to hold on to. The single-sided load will also increase the challenge to your oblique muscles.

When to Use it

If you have access to resistance bands, this is an excellent variation to incorporate. It’s ideal for focusing on shoulder stabilizer strength and rotator cuff health. You can do this as part of your warm-up or pair it with an exercise during your workout that doesn’t require too much grip strength, like a squat or a press variation.

How to Do it

Wrap a heavy looped band around the kettlebell handle (sometimes called the “horn”) or slide it through the center hole of a weight plate. Holding the band closer to the load makes this exercise easier because there will be less room to bounce. Sliding your hand farther from the weight will increase the difficulty. Keep your shoulder down away from your ear and your chest up. Don’t let your shoulders tilt to compensate for the weight. Walk for distance or time, place the weight down, and then repeat with the opposite hand.

Barbell Overhead Carry

The barbell overhead carry puts your whole body under tension. Every step will test your single-leg balance, strength, concentration, and mental toughness. It also might be one of the most eye-catching movements you can do.

Because the weight is so far from your center of gravity, a little goes a long way. Start on the lighter side, somewhere around 60% of your barbell overhead press one-repetition maximum. This also makes it less difficult to get the weight into position, so you can focus on holding the lockout as you walk.

When to Use it

This is one of the most challenging loaded carry variations because it works every muscle from head to toe and requires laser-like focus. Perform this early in your training before fatiguing any muscles, after your general warm-up and before your main workout.

How to Do it

Set up the barbell in a squat rack near head-height. A wider-than-shoulder-width grip works well for most people, but adjust to your individual arm length and mobility. Press the barbell overhead and ensure your wrists are neutral, elbows are locked out, and your biceps are even or behind your ears. Walk slowly and with total control. Pause and carefully rotate to return the barbell to the squat rack.

Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Waiter’s Carry

The instability of holding a kettlebell “bottoms-up” forces you to squeeze the squeeze the daylights out of the kettlebell’s handle to maintain its inverted position. This does wonders for your grip strength and carries over to increased recruitment of your shoulder stabilizers. (1)

The bottoms-up kettlebell waiter’s carry helps to build your rotator cuff, shoulder stability, and lateral core strength. Your forearm and grip muscles are also called into action non-stop, so don’t be surprised if your grip burns out before your abs or shoulders.

When to Use it

If you’re coming back from a shoulder injury or if you lack the shoulder mobility needed to maintain an overhead carry, this is a great exercise to strengthen your shoulders, rotator cuff, and upper back. If you dislike side planks, this is a good alternative to work your obliques without laying still for 60 boring seconds.

How to Do it

Grip one kettlebell and bring it to shoulder-height with your thumb toward your face and the bell pointed to the ceiling. Bend your elbow and create a roughly 90-degree angle from your forearm through your elbow to your shoulder. Make sure your wrist is neutral and the kettlebell’s handle sits centered in the meat of your hand. With good upright posture, walk straight ahead, swap hands, and repeat.

Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Overhead Carry

This is a more challenging progression of the bottoms-up waiter’s carry. You’ll get increased intensity with a reduced load because of the extra muscular tension needed to hold the bottoms-up KB overhead.

Because the load is farther from your center of gravity, it’s much harder to balance the weight with each step. Your core, shoulder, and arm will be highly activated for the entire set.

When to Use it

When you feel comfortable with the bottoms-up waiter’s carry, use the same load and progress to this alternative. It’s an efficient way to train your upper back, shoulders, and core, with an emphasis on the obliques and shoulder stabilizers.

How to Do it

Grip a kettlebell firmly with the bottom of the bell facing the ceiling. Use a neutral-grip with your thumb toward your face, and press the weight overhead while maintaining the bottoms-up position. Keep your wrist neutral and your pinky facing forward. Walk with the weight locked out overhead. After a set distance or time, lower the weight, switch hands, and repeat.

Zercher Carry

The front-loaded position of the Zercher carry challenges your upper back, core, arms, and legs while dealing with holding the weight in the crooks of your elbows. This helps build some mental toughness, total-body conditioning, and rock-solid anterior core (abdominal and hip) strength.

If you want to improve your ability to deal with physical and mental discomfort, this exercise is for you. However, if supporting a barbell in the crook of your arms is too much, the movement can be performed with an EZ-bar or even a sandbag or duffel bag filled with random objects for heft.

When to Use it

The Zercher carry is tough, no doubt about it. It works well as part of a conditioning circuit to improve fat loss or as a standalone session for mental toughness.

How to Do it

Set up a loaded barbell around hip-height in the squat rack. Squat down and cradle the barbell in the crooks of your elbows with your palms facing you. Clasp your hands together for added strength and stability, pull your shoulders back, and stand up without rounding your back. Avoiding shrugging your shoulders up as you walk. Pause after a set distance or time, turn around, and return to the squat rack. Try not to collapse when the set is done.

Bear Hug Sandbag Carry

When most people think of loaded carries, they think of fairly traditional exercises using balanced and symmetrical implements that give you convenient handles to hold. But how often does that perfect scenario happen outside of the gym? Not often, and that’s why it pays to get a bit awkward with asymmetrical loads like the sandbag carry. (2)

By manipulating unevenly distributed weight, like a floppy sandbag, your body is challenged to recruit a variety of stabilizers in most joints including your ankles, hips, and shoulders.

When to Use it

Whenever you have access to a sandbag, this exercise is great to include as part of a conditioning or fat-loss circuit. It can also be performed as a finisher, for either time or distance, at the end of your training.

How to Do it

Place the sandbag on a flat bench, or leave it on the floor for even more lower body work. Squat down and slide your hands under the bag to set your grip. Pull the bag close to your body as you stand upright. Hug the bag to your torso and stabilize your upper body. Walk upright, maintaining total body tension for safety and effectiveness. Keep the bag close to your body as you walk. Don’t allow the weight to pull your upper body out of alignment as your arms and shoulders fatigue.

Plate Pinch Carry

The plate pinch tests your “pinch grip” strength, which is different from “support grip” (trained in movements like the suitcase carry) or “crushing grip” (trained with bottoms-up movements). The pinch grip specifically strengthens your fingers and thumbs, as well as your forearms.

This is an excellent exercise for football players, rugby players, and combat sports athletes to improve sport-specific grip strength. Stronger hands and fingers will also carry over to boost any pulling exercises, making your grip less of a weak link.

When to Use it

This movement is best trained at the end of your workout because you don’t want to exhaust your finger strength before other exercise, which will interfere with your strength work. Pairing it with a biceps exercise will give your forearms a nice pump.

How to Do it

In each hand, grab a weight plate by the outer ring using just your fingertips and thumb, not “sinking” your entire hand onto the weight. Pull your chest up and set your shoulders down to maintain good posture. Walk straight ahead, paying careful attention to your finger fatigue as you walk. Be careful not to unexpectedly drop the weight on your feet.

Muscles Worked by Carries

Most carry variations work similar muscles, but certain variations can emphasize your upper back, or core strength, shoulder stability, or more. Generally, loaded carries and their variations train the muscles of your back, core, and arms.

Forearms

Any time you pick up a weight, your forearm flexors (on the bottom of your forearm) and extensors (on the top side) co-contract to grip and to keep your wrists in a neutral position.

Your forearm muscles will be more heavily recruited in movements that keep your arms down by your side and relatively less recruited in overhead movements.

Upper Back

Keeping your shoulders down and your chest up  while walking with a load will put your upper back to work overtime. The upper back is composed of several muscles including the trapezius, rhomboids, and rear deltoids (shoulders). These muscles work together to control your shoulder blades, which are held in a static contraction during any walking exercise.

Rotator Cuff

Your small rotator cuff muscles are engaged when you grip anything in your hands. Its primary role is, essentially, to keep your upper arm in its socket. Loaded carries will attempt to push or pull your arm out of position, and the rotator cuff is required to constantly fight to maintain a strong, stable position.

Deltoids

You shoulder muscles (deltoids), along with your rotator cuff, work isometrically to give your shoulders the stability it needs to carry heavy things. Supporting a locked out position overhead or holding your arms in front of your body (as in the sandbag bear hug or Zercher carry) will increase recruitment of the shoulders, specifically the anterior (front) head.

The lateral and posterior heads (side and rear) are more significantly recruited during overhead or “arms-at-your-side” carries.

Core

Your core muscle — the abdominals, obliques, and lower back — work isometrically to keep your spine neutral and to maintain good posture while carrying things. A stronger core can help to reduce your overall risk of injury.(3) Any exercise emphasizing a single-side of the body (like the offset carry) will drastically increase the challenge to your core muscles.

Glutes

When you’re carrying a load, every single step you take will engage your glutes to keep you balanced and to propel you forward through a little thing called hip extension. Hip extension is what drives your leg back behind your body (and, at the same time, pulls your body forward in motion), and it’s a key function of the glutes.

Interestingly, the glutes have been shown to be more heavily recruited in single-arm carries, like the suitcase carry, compared to front-loaded carries like the Zercher carry. (4)

Carry Form Tips

Although you “can” carry some things with less than optimal posture — the sandbag bear hug can be tricky here— it’s more efficient and safer if you don’t let your posture slip. To get all the benefits of carries, it’s best to walk under load with good posture. Keep your shoulders punched back and pulled down away from your ears, keep your chest up, and aim to keep your shoulders and hips level without being pulled sideways.

When you’re new to performing loaded carries, start with the by-your-side variety like the suitcase carry or even the plate pinch carry. The further away the load is from your body’s center, like any overhead carry, the more stability and balance demands increase. If you lack the shoulder mobility to press overhead, stick to carries with a lower arm position while working on your shoulder mobility.

Although increasing the load you carry is often the name of the game, it pays to vary your load and distance depending on your specific goals. If you’re after fat loss or improved conditioning, reduce the weight, shorten the rest period between sets, and increase the total distance. If your goal is strength, increase the load and decrease the distance to shift focus.

Carry Away For Gains

Loaded carries are some of the biggest bang for your buck exercises. They can have a huge carryover to your lifts inside the gym and the activities of daily living because they strengthen key muscle groups in your legs, hips, abs, and shoulders. They can improve your strength, mental toughness, posture, and balance. All you have to do is pick up a weight and walk. Work your way though these variations and you’ll soon find out they sound simple, but they’re far from easy.

References

1. 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
2. Sell, Katie PhD, CSCS¹; Taveras, Kurt BS²; Ghigiarelli, Jamie PhD, CSCS¹. Sandbag Training: A Sample 4-Week Training Program. Strength and Conditioning Journal: August 2011 – Volume 33 – Issue 4 – p 88-96 doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e318216b587
3. Huxel Bliven, K. C., & Anderson, B. E. (2013). Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports health, 5(6), 514–522. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738113481200
4. Neumann, D. A., & Cook, T. M. (1985). Effect of load and carrying position on the electromyographic activity of the gluteus medius muscle during walking. Physical therapy, 65(3), 305–311. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/65.3.305

Featured Image: lunamarina / Shutterstock

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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

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That’s why it’s a personal trainer’s responsibility to ensure your older adult clients, no matter what other goals they have, need to stand strong on their own two feet. Because you don’t want them to end up like one of the statistics below:

• One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.
• Each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries.
• Over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture.
• Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
• More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways.
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
• In 2015, the total medical costs for falls totaled more than $50 billion. Medicare and Medicaid shouldered 75% of these costs.

Plus, this loss of mobility makes it two-three times more likely that the older adult who suffered the fall meets their maker.¹

However, before getting into the exercises that prevent falls, let’s define balance and the systems within the body that govern balance.

Balance is ‘the ability to maintain the body’s center of mass over its base of support.’ Balance is both static (still) and dynamic (movement).

The systems that work to keep you balanced are:

1. The Vestibular system – is in the inner ear. This provides the brain information about the body’s motion, equilibrium and spatial awareness.
2. The Musculoskeletal system – skin, muscles, ligaments, and tendons send sensory information to the brain that makes you aware of your body’s position in space and when changes happen in your environment.
3. The Neuromuscular system – information from the eyes, vestibular and musculoskeletal systems travel via the neuromuscular system to the brain which then sends information to respond to changes in the environment via the central and peripheral nervous system.

Granted there are many exercises that will improve your client’s posture, balance, and cut their risk of falling and hopefully you’re training them. However, my criteria for choosing the best 5 exercises for fall prevention are:

• Biggest bang for your buck
• Simplicity
• No special equipment needed
• Improving the 3 systems above

The following 5 exercises will improve your client’s ability to stand upright and look the world in the face.

1. Squats

Squats are a part of your client’s everyday routine from the moment they wake up, till the moment they go to bed. Throughout the day, they have performed the squatting movement several times, possibly without realizing it.

For example:

• Getting in and out of bed
• When nature calls
• Picking something off the floor
• Standing and sitting from a chair

Strong legs are essential for your clients to stay mobile and prevent falls as they get older, and squats will help develop this leg strength. Strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes will help them prevent falls and dominate life as they age.

Furthermore, squats strengthen the core muscles that make everyday movements like turning, bending, and even standing easier. Not only that, but a strong core can ease pain in your low back and make it easier to support their good posture.²

Hopefully, you know all this, and squats play a huge role in your older adult programming.

2. Half And Tall Kneeling Positions

It’s the central nervous system’s main job is to reduce the threats of physical harm (real or perceived) and being close to the floor reduces the dangers the CNS senses while training to improve balance.

Plus, if your client cannot keep themselves upright on the floor for any length of time with the tall or half kneeling positions, they haven’t much hope of doing it standing either.

Both these positions strengthen the glutes and improve core stability and hip mobility which are huge factors in their health and well-being.

Program the tall kneeling and half kneeling positions for 1-2 minutes each. When they start to feel comfortable, they can perform exercises from there to improve your strength, stability, and balance. For example, Half/Tall kneeling lat pulldowns, Pallof presses and Landmine presses.

3. Farmers Carries

Think of how many times a week your clients (or you) carry things in their hands. 2, 3, 4 or every day? Carrying and walking are fundamental human movements so, it makes sense to program these in your client’s programs.

Plus, farmer’s carries will improve:

• Posture – Trying to carry heavy weights in your hands with rounded shoulders is almost impossible.
• Breathing patterns – It’s hard be a chest breather when carrying around weights in your hands
• Shoulder stability – The rotator cuffs are working hard to keep shoulders in their sockets.
• Balance – Every step of the farmer’s carry is a single leg stance.
• Grip strength – which is important if you like pickles.

If there is anything off about your client’s gait, walking with weights will expose them so you can improve it. Programming wise, carries should be programmed early in the training as part of warm up or core training when your older adult clients have the most energy.

This exercise has a huge carryover from the gym to daily life and is a must do for every senior.

4. Head Nods

Where the head goes, the rest body follows and the inability to control the head position affects the way the rest of the body operates. Because the ability to hold your head up directly affects the way the vestibular system operates.

The vestibular system is the first sensory system in the human body to develop and all other sensory systems rely on the vestibular system. It’s why babies work so hard to hold their heads up. Without it, walking wouldn’t be possible.

So, strengthening the neck and having your clients head in a good position makes sure all their balance systems work in harmony to keep them upright and the best way to do this, is to program Head Nods.

Head Nods help improve posture and reduce the amount of shearing and compression forces on the neck. Plus, this reduces the amount of pressure on the cervical nerves as they exit the spinal column, allowing them to work better.³

This is a simple exercise that’s easily programmed into the warmup for 10-15 reps in the prone or six-point position.

5. Ankle Mobility Exercises

Ankles are the base, providing feedback on the environment and they’re the foundation of your balance, posture, and mobility. It’s the ankle’s job to sense and respond to the ever-changing environment from stairs, cracked and uneven sidewalks or walking up and down a mountain.^{4, 5, 6}

Ankle movement plays a starring role in this. The ankle, being the only joint near the ground, is the first joint to sense what’s going on and it sends those signals via the nervous systems to the brain for processing and a muscular response.^{5, 6, 7}

If your ankle mobility is lacking, the brain doesn’t receive good information to respond to your environment and loss of balance and falls can result.

Here’s a test to see if your clients have good ankle mobility.

If their ankle mobility is lacking, this is a great exercise to improve it.

Ankle mobility exercises can be programmed into the warmup or paired with a strength exercise that requires good ankle mobility, to improve the ankles and to act as an active recovery between sets.

Wrapping Up

The 5 exercises done regularly will not only improve your clients’ balance and cut their risk of falls, they will make them a stronger and more resilient person, ready to face the world head on.

References

1. J Am Geriatr Soc 2000 May;48(5):493-8. Mobility Difficulties and Physical Activity as Predictors of Mortality and Loss of Independence in the Community-Living Older Population. M Hirvensalo 1, T Rantanen, E Heikkinen

2. J Hum Kinet. 2018 Jun; 62: 43–53. Comparison of Core Muscle Activation between a Prone Bridge and 6-RM Back Squats. Roland van den Tillaar and Atle Hole Saeterbakken

3. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2016 Apr;20(2):409-17. The Contribution of Postural Balance Analysis in Older Adult Fallers: A Narrative Review. L Pizzigalli , M Micheletti Cremasco A Mulasso , A Rainoldi

4. Williams, VJ., et al. (2016) Prediction of Dynamic Postural Stability During Single-Leg Jump Landings by Ankle and Knee Flexibility and Strength. J Sport Rehabil. Aug;25(3):266-72.

5. Christiansen, C. (2012). Geriatric Physical Therapy, Impaired Joint Mobility. Chapter 13, pp 248- 262, Mosby Elsevier.

6. Gaur, K & Davinder, A (2014). Comparison of ankle joint range of motion on balance score in healthy young and adult individuals. Journal of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, Vol. 10, No. 1, Jun: 25-30.

7. Spink, MJ., et al. (2011). Foot and Ankle Strength, Range of Motion, Posture, and Deformity Are Associated With Balance and Functional Ability in Older Adults. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, January Volume 92, Issue 1, Pages 68–75.

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But after being in the fitness industry for a while, reading, studying, doing continuing education credit hours on top of training clients, and teaching group exercise classes, I’ve gotten a pretty decent handle on how to get fit.

Now God didn’t etch these in stone and send them down through the clouds, nor did I perform any miracles like parting the Red Sea. So, in that respect, they’re up for debate.

But after being in the fitness industry for a while, reading, studying, doing continuing education credit hours on top of training clients, and teaching group exercise classes, I’ve gotten a pretty decent handle on how to get fit.

However, there are many options for you to shed weight, build muscle, and be your best self. A quick Google search for health and fitness generates over 2,670,000,000 hits, so you’ve got plenty of choices.

However, this is a classic case of information overload. Hence, the need to take the view from 10,000 feet and to not major in the minors. It’s easy to do when you’re supporting or improving your health and fitness.

Think of these commandments as a guide to best navigate the world of health and fitness on the interwebs and mainstream media.

Hopefully, you and the man upstairs approve.

1. You Shall Engage In Resistance Training

It doesn’t matter what type of resistance training you engage in because the body can’t tell the difference between a dumbbell, a stone, or your own bodyweight.

Having a decent amount of muscle mass and strength will act as armor for whatever the world throws at you, and you’ll look better naked.

It also helps to keep bones strong, increase your energy levels, support good posture, and increase your metabolism to help you lose weight.

2. You Shall Eat Fruit And Vegetables

Personally, I’ve never seen someone become overweight by eating too many fruits and vegetables. It’s hard to eat too much because of the amount of chewing they require and their water content.

Both fruits and vegetables provide the body with the energy to perform in and out of the gym.

Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals because they draw the nutrients to grow from mother earth.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, both offer fiber to help you feel fuller longer and more regular in the bathroom. But I’ll stop there.

3. You Shall Eat Enough Protein

To build and support muscles, you must eat protein. Protein contains amino acids that repair and rebuild muscles, and protein helps you stay fuller longer, which helps you lose fat.

Protein is also an important building block for your bones, cartilage, skin, and blood.

There are all kinds of protein, and some are better than others, but that’s not the most important thing. Whether you’re a vegan, meat-eater, or vegetarian, you should strive to eat enough protein to repair and rebuild muscle.

4. You Shall Engage In Cardiovascular Activity

Heart disease is one of the human race’s biggest killers. This has probably touched you or someone you know. I have friends and clients who have suffered heart attacks, and coming back from them is no joke.

Having good aerobic fitness doesn’t totally cut the chances of having heart disease, but it surely helps. Having good aerobic fitness helps cut the risk factors associated with this terrible disease, such as:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Regulates blood sugar
• Improves the quality of sleep
• Regulates weight
• Strengthens the immune system

All you have to do is find a movement you enjoy, do it consistently, and raise a sweat every once in a while.

It’s that easy.

5. You Shall Drink Water

Our bodies are 60% water. And if you lose more than 2% of this through sweat, bad things start to happen like:

• Dehydrated skin
• Feeling dizzy
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Sunken eyes
• Sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion, or irritability
• Fainting

Your body needs water to function, and drinking (or eating fruit and vegetables that contain water) enough for your body weight and activity levels is a no-brainer.

6. You Shall Take Time For Yourself

Between work, life, family, and friends, a lot is going on. Maybe you’re rushing around, trying to get stuff done, and you’re getting pulled in a million different directions.

However, making time for yourself should be a priority because your sanity depends on it.

Whether it’s lying in bed for a few minutes thinking about all the blessings in your life, doing meditation, or engaging in a moving-meditation-like exercise, you need to focus on you and drown out the noise of the world before you run yourself ragged.

Because you’re not useful to anyone else if you’ve lost your mind.

7. You Shall Be Consistent

Consistency is the most important commandment because none of this works if you don’t do this. Consistency is a skill.

It’s about finding what works best for you, your schedule, and your lifestyle.

Does it mean doing it every day? No.

It means most days. And if you fall off the horse for a few days, dust yourself off and jump back in the saddle.

The only way you can fail at this health and fitness thing is to quit.

And you’re no quitter.

8. You Shall Make Sleep A Priority

Sleep plays a huge role in your health and well-being. Getting enough sleep can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

The way you feel when you’re awake depends on (in part) the quality of your sleep. And if you don’t sleep great, there is always coffee, but caffeine only lasts for so long.

During sleep, the body is hard at work to support healthy brain function and repair and recuperate your body. And if sleep quality is an issue, it will catch up with you eventually.

Because you’ll be too tired to run.

9. You Shall Eat Like An Adult

It’s great when you’re a kid. You can eat McDonald’s Happy Meals, all you can eat candy, a variety of fried yellow food, and barely put on a pound because you have a metabolism that runs like a Ferrari.

However, when you’re an adult (some in age only) with a slower metabolism and more stress and responsibilities, eating like a kid will have you staring down at your waistline in disbelief.

You shall follow commandments 2, 3, and 5 and eat like an adult and leave your childhood behind you.

10. You Shall Not Shame Others

There’s a reason The Biggest Loser isn’t popular anymore. The yelling, the screaming, and the boot camp mentality that tore these overweight people down to build them back up again are now out of step with today’s society.

Obesity is a crisis that won’t be solved by shaming them into eating less and moving more.

People like this need encouragement and not stares, ridicule, judgment, and finger-pointing. That’s the easy way out.

Are these good enough to be etched in stone? Maybe not, but if you follow these ten commandments, they will lead you to a better quality of life and a longer life.

And that’s what we all want.

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Rough power could be the most neglected attribute in the gym besides skipping your warmup. People often think they don’t need to train power because they’re not an athlete. They think they got no need to dunk a basketball or to sack the quarterback. However, they would be wrong.

What Is Power?

Force and Acceleration determine Power, P = F x A.

Force is the push or pull from the object’s interaction with another object, like the pull of gravity or the concentric phase of pushups.

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its speed, like you sprinting to catch a bus or a car moving from a dead stop.

The Benefits

• Better cardiovascular function – Training power encourages the heart to pump more blood with each pump and to return to a resting heart rate faster after exercise.
• Increased strength – Most power exercises involve rapid contractions that build and enhance fast-twitch muscle fibers.
• Increased calorie burn – Using the big muscles of your arms and legs increases the number of calories burned during the workout and up to 24-48 hours later.
• Better force absorption – Every time your feet hit the ground, three times the force comes right back through your body. Training power better prepares you for this.

Other benefits include being a badass and being a great stress reliever. If you’re having a bad day, throw a medicine ball into the wall rather than punching a hole in it.

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you that training power is not only essential, but it is also fun. Now let’s get started.

When Do You Train Power?

• Train power after your warmup when your muscles are ready to go but are not fully taxed.
• Training power is demanding on your neurological/muscular system, so the best time to train is when you’re fresh.
• Furthermore, it sets the table for the rest of your training because your fast-twitch muscles are ready to lift some weight.¹
• For example, if you’ve got heavy squats on the agenda, then program in some jump squats for three sets of six reps.

Or if you’re training the upper body, doing a med ball slam wakes up those fast twitches of your back. Do three sets of 8-12 reps.

How Many Reps?

When training power, you need to be as explosive as possible. The moment you lose the pop, you’re not training power anymore—you’re training muscular endurance.

For most people, this lies somewhere between 4-12 reps or 10-20 seconds of full-on effort.

How Much Rest?

Although you may feel recovered after about 30 seconds, it usually takes (for most people) anywhere from 60-180 seconds to fully recover to get the best out of your next power set.

However, play around with your rest periods to find what works for you.

If You’ve Never Trained Power?

You haven’t? Well, that’s a shame. It’s usually better to have a strength-base, but the moves here are on the most fundamental part of the spectrum when it comes to power.

And performing them will help get you stronger. It is a win-win.

Upper Body Power

My power favorites are medicine ball throws. They’re easy to perform, highly effective, and fun. Most gyms have them tucked into a corner, unclean and unloved, but once you use them, you’ll never let them go.

The exercises below are best done on upper body days so you can crush your pushes and pulls. However, they can be performed at any time, because who am I to tell you what to do?

When performing these exercises, make sure you follow through with your arms. This follow-through helps bring the ball back towards you, which allows for a smoother transition between repetitions and gives you a little extra oomph.

2. Lower Body Power

There is a multitude of exercises to choose from here. Still, for the sake of simplicity, the exercises below are relatively safe, easy to do, and an excellent introduction to total body power.

However, if you have any knee/lower body issues, please let pain be your guide and put your safety first.

Program Recommendations

Pairing power exercises into a superset before moving on to the central part of your training is a great way to insert power into your routine.

Rest 1 min between exercise and 2 min between supersets.

Repeat 1-2 times.

Or, you can pair a power with a mobility exercise to train your power and movement simultaneously.

Power Density Circuit

For more power, you’ll perform eight repetitions of the following per minute. Once you’ve done eight reps, rest the rest of the minute before moving on to the next exercise. Do 3-4 circuits for a total time of 15-20 minutes that will leave you sweating and smiling.

Or:

Wrap-Up

A small power investment pays enormous dividends for you in and out of the gym. And who knows? You’ll be able to leap tall buildings with a single bound similar to another famous superhero.

Reference:

1. McBride JM, et al. The effect of heavy- vs. light-load jump squats on the development of strength, power, and speed. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 Feb;16(1):75-82.

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Let’s explore the working definition of each:

• Health: A state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being—not merely the absence of disease.¹
• Fitness: The condition of being physically fit.

Health and fitness are often lumped together but there’s a difference—and sometimes it’s a sizeable gap.

Let’s explore the working definition of each:

• Health: A state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being—not merely the absence of disease.¹
• Fitness: The condition of being physically fit.

But that doesn’t tell us a lot. Dan John describes fitness as the ability to do a certain physical task. It is important to note that fitness ability is different for a professional athlete than it is for the general population. The professional athlete relies on his/her fitness for a living. If they can’t get through game or event, they see less money on their paycheck.

For those of us who are not as genetically gifted, not blowing out our knees or back after a hard day’s work is the very definition of being fit.

It’s different strokes for different folks.

An ideal state of health (and fitness) varies from person to person and day-to-day. Some days you’re ready to take on the gym and smash your PRs and other days your back hurts so badly you can barely move.

The Relationship Between Health and Fitness

Usually being healthy and having a level of fitness go hand in hand. For example, when you’re healthy you’re able to move more, which helps improve your fitness. When you’re getting fit, you’re getting healthier by dropping excess weight, gaining muscle, and improving health markers like blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

Looking a certain way physically doesn’t define fitness. A person can look fit but it is possible that they really aren’t healthy. On the flip side, there are those who don’t appear healthy but can do amazing things.

A pertinent example of this difference are those who compete as figure contestants. It is a fact that the contestant has lost a lot of body fat in order to make their muscles pop and to look a particular way on the competition stage.

By outward appearances they are extremely fit with large, strong muscles. But unfortunately the methods that are required to achieve this particular look aren’t sustainable in the long-term.

When you deprive the body of certain nutrients and train the body a certain way to lose body fat, it can mess with the body’s hormones and play tricks on the mind.

Let’s jump into the diet world for a moment. There are examples of extreme diets such as the Twinkie Diet or the McDonald’s Diet where people drop pounds and improve certain health markers by eating food that’s not the healthiest.

When it comes to weight loss, calories are king and as long as you’re in a caloric deficit you’ll lose weight, but are people who are dropping weight and eating unhealthily thus becoming healthy?

That’s up for debate.

Achieve Fitness Through the Right Methods

Although health and fitness usually go together, there is a gap. People can achieve fitness in ways that are not healthy, and people can look healthy by doing things that aren’t healthy.

Furthermore, there are people who don’t look heathy but are fit. Outward appearance is deceiving because health and fitness are more than just skin deep.

The best way to achieve lifelong health and fitness is to not rely on extremes. Stick to the proven methods of eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Health and fitness is not a race—it’s for life.

Reference:

1. Herbert L. Fred, MD, MACP. Tex Heart Inst J. 2013; 40(1): 13–14. In Good Health: An Opinion at Best.

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