Squat stands consist of two simple metal uprights to support a barbell — they are more compact and significantly lighter than power racks. A power rack, sometimes referred to as a squat rack, will typically have four to six metal uprights and offer more exercise options and accessories than a pair of squat stands.

While these two pieces of equipment are often used interchangeably, differences in their characteristics and intended usages are worth consideration. This article will help you make the most out of your home gym budget or your commercial gym workout by guiding you to the most appropriate and safest piece of equipment for your specific needs.

Squat Stand vs. Power Rack

• Equipment Differences
• Equipment Similarities
• How to Use Squat Stands
• How to Use a Power Rack
• When to Choose the Right Piece of Equipment

Differences Between Squat Stands and Power Racks

At first glance, squat stands and power racks differ substantially in physical size — squat stands are smaller and power racks are bigger. Comparison done and dusted, right? Nope, not so fast. Differences in safety features, mobility, stability,potential exercises, and accessories are worthy of consideration.

Safety Features

A spotter is a trained and capable individual whose primary task is to ensure the safety of the lifter by assisting when necessary. One or more spotters are recommended for traditional strength training exercises when a barbell is held on the back or front of the body, when weight is lifted overhead, or when a weight travels over the face. (1) Under these guidelines, many common barbell exercises require the presence of a spotter — back squat, front squat, overhead press, bench press, incline press, and more. 

No one wants to get pinned under a barbell, asphyxiate with a bar atop their windpipe, or catch a barbell to the face. Albeit unlikely, serious injuries or even death could occur if you train without appropriate safety precautions. But if you train alone or at home, you might not always have a trained spotter available. Now what?

Fortunately, a power rack, when properly set up and appropriately used, provides safety pins/pipes, arms, or straps that “catch” the barbell in the event of a failed lift. (2) Traditional squat stands, on the other hand, do not offer safety arms — even among squat stands that offer safety arms, the stability of the stands varies widely across designs and manufacturers.

Some heavy-duty squat stands with safety arms are appropriate to handle the failed lifts of all but the strongest lifters, while lighter and smaller squat stands with safety arms might not be trusted. Altogether, lifters who train alone might benefit from the safety features of a power rack. 

Mobility

A key feature of squat stands is their mobility, or ability to be relocated from place to place. Traditionally, squat stands were used by Olympic weightlifters. Relatively lightweight squat stands could be carried or wheeled onto the platform for use then pushed back against a wall or into a corner when no longer needed.

To further improve mobility, some squat stands have two-piece designs. Each upright has its own base, allowing it to be moved and positioned independently of the other. One piece squat stands commonly include or have the option of adding wheel kits, which allow the stand to be rolled around the gym with relative ease. 

For individuals with a garage gym, the mobility of a squat stand may allow it to be stowed away when not in use, possibly allowing the garage to serve its original purpose — vehicle storage. Better yet, on a nice day, a squat stand might be moved outdoors. Sun’s out, guns out, right?

Stability

Power racks are typically more difficult to move around than squat stands. They tend to be big and heavy, with lighter power racks typically designed to be bolted to the floor.

Most importantly, power racks tend to have a longer base of support, or footprint. This allows the lifter to perform squats, bench presses, and other exercises within the rack. Lifters tend to feel more “secure” when performing barbell exercises within a power rack — and for a good reason.

All exercise in the power rack is performed over the rack’s base of support, which allows effective use of the safety features. A missed lift is almost assuredly “caught” by the safeties and the rack won’t tip over. Moreover, the larger base of support, paired with the larger mass of the power rack, makes it less prone to tipping or moving while in use. 

Note: The half rack is a design variant of the power rack. Half racks consist of two uprights in front, to support the barbell, and two additional uprights in back, which enhance the stability of the rack above and beyond the two-post squat stand design. While performing common barbell exercises in a half rack, the lifter remains over the rack’s base of support owing to the elongated base of the rack.

Accessories and Exercise Options

More space and more stability offer the ability to deck out power racks with accessories. In addition to safety equipment such as spotter arms, pins/pipes, or straps, power rack can offer attachments for additional exercises and equipment storage. 

While taller squat stand designs may offer the option of a pull-up bar, multi-grip pull-up bars are routinely mounted on power racks. Multi-grip pull-up bars allow for traditional pull-ups, chin-ups, neutral-grip pull-ups, and more. Many power racks are compatible with rack-mounted dip bars and medicine ball targets. Attachments may also be affixed to the bases or uprights of power racks to perform a variety of landmine exercises.

Heavier power racks or those bolted to the floor may accommodate band pegs, which allow for band-resisted or band-assisted barbell movements. Plates may be stored on posts, which are bolted or welded to the rearmost uprights of a six-post power rack or a half rack. Simple storage solutions, such as hooks, bands, chains, belts, and barbells, mounted to the sides of power racks or half racks. If you value customization and exercise variety, a power rack is a strong choice.

Similarities Between Squat Stands and Power Racks

Although certainly not interchangeable, squat stands and power racks provide similar benefits and uses.

Support for the Barbell

Many common exercises, including squats and presses, benefit from an elevated starting position for the barbell. Before squat stands and power racks, squatters had to clean the barbell to their shoulders or perform an outlandish maneuver of tipping the barbell on end in an attempt to get under it.

Think about how much energy was expended prior to starting the actual set. Squat stands and power racks allow the lifter to conveniently retrieve the barbell when setting up and finishing various lifts.

Accommodate Lifters of Various Sizes

Squat stands range in height from just over four feet to well over nine feet, while power racks tend to range from six feet to 10 feet. The start position of the barbell is adjustable in increments to allow fine-tuned position of the J-hooks (the specialized attachment used to support the barbell on the rack).

This adaptive setup allows trainees to customize starting positions to their height for more efficient training, which can be necessary for taller lifters as well as lifters of shorter stature.

Allow a Variety of Exercises

Squat stands and power racks are versatile. Both pieces allow lifters to perform barbell squat variations, including, but not limited to back squats, front squats, Zercher squats, and safety squat bar squats. Additionally, power racks and very sturdy squat stands can be used to support the barbell in an elevated position to avoid having to deadlift from the floor (i.e. rack pull deadlifts) or avoid having to lift the bar from the floor to the start position of exercises such as bent-over rows, wide rows, and Romanian deadlifts.

Many other exercise options may be possible with other accessories. For example, add an adjustable weight bench and lifters can perform the bench press, incline press, and seated overhead press. Exercise options for squat stands and power racks are discussed at length later in the article.

How to Use Squat Stands

• Ensure your squat stands are appropriately placed. Squat stands should sit on level ground. Independent or two-piece squat stands must be placed an appropriate distance apart — stands should be set narrower than the distance between the sleeves of the barbell. Placing the stands four to six inches narrower than the inside distance between the sleeves reduces the likelihood of bumping or knocking over the stands when re-racking the barbell. 
• Set the height of the stand or J-hooks. The J-hooks should be placed one setting below or one to three inches below the anticipated start height of the exercise. Appropriately placed J-hooks allow the lifter to remove the barbell from the rack with minimal vertical displacement and minimal disruption to body position. For example, the height of the J-hooks should require the lifter to slightly flex their knees and hips to place the bar on the upper back when setting up for a back squat. (3)
• Load the barbell, recruit a spotter if necessary, and perform your set. Recall, at least one spotter is recommended for traditional strength exercises when a barbell is on the back or front of the body, when lifted overhead, or lifted over the face. (1)
• Re-rack with care. Depending on the stability of the squat stand, a degree of caution is indicated when replacing the barbell on the squat stands. Aggressively driving the barbell into the J-hooks or carelessly bumping the stands may cause undesirable movement of your equipment at the worst possible time — when you’re fatigued at the end of the set.

How to Use Power Racks

• Set the height of the J-hooks. Hooks should be placed one setting below or one to three inches below the anticipated start height of the exercise. Once again, appropriately placed J-hooks allow the lifter to remove the barbell from the rack with minimal vertical displacement and minimal disruption to body position. For example, the height of the J-hooks should allow a lifter performing a bench press to slide the barbell forward out of J-hooks with their elbows straight, but without losing upper back tension or requiring forward movement of their shoulder blades. 
• Set the height of the spotter arms, pipes, or straps. The safety arms should be placed one setting below, or two to four inches below, the anticipated lowest depth of the exercise. (2)
• Load the barbell, take note of hand placement, and perform your set. Take note of your hand placement on the bar during setup. Those who squat or press with excessively wide hand placement may be at risk of pinching their hands or fingers between the barbell and the power rack. If your mobility does not allow you to take a narrower grip, be aware that quick movement of your hands may be required to prevent pinching during re-racking or in the event of a failed lift. (2)
• Return the barbell to the rack. Return the barbell to the power rack by first pushing the bar against the vertical back surface of the J-hook. Once you feel, hear, and see the barbell make contact with both J-hooks, control the bar until it comes to rest. 

When to Use Squat Stands or a Power Rack

As indicated by their long history of use in Olympic Weightlifting, squat stands can be appropriate for certain types of exercise and convenient for exercise in novel locations. However, beefy power racks are a mainstay in strength training facilities across professional and Olympic sports. They’re a key piece of equipment for a wide variety of exercises.

For Power-Focused Exercises

“Power exercises” refer to lifts performed with ballistic intent — not to be confused with powerlifting exercises (i.e, the squat, bench press, and deadlift). Power exercises include Olympic weightlifting movements (i.e., clean & jerk, snatch), weightlifting derivatives, and loaded jumps. A spotter is typically not recommended for power exercises, as the individual may get in the way of the fast lift or worse yet, become injured by the rapidly moving barbell.

Certain barbell-based power exercises benefit from the convenience of a squat stand but might be inappropriate to be performed in a power rack. Exercises like jerks, push presses, and squat jumps are more appropriately performed outside of the power rack or several feet away from a squat stand. 

Using a squat stand allows the lifter to efficiently load the barbell and set up jerks, push presses, and squat jumps, then step away from the rack. In the event failure occurs during power-based exercises, the lifter must know how to safely “bail,” or get out from underneath the barbell. (2) Bailing may entail either pushing the barbell forward and simultaneously jumping back or throwing the barbell backward and leaping forward out of its path. (2)

It’s best not to be “trapped” in a power rack if bailing is necessary. In the event a lifter is forced to bail during a power exercise, clear surroundings are essential with no other persons, and minimal equipment, in the immediate area. Loading the bar with bumper plates is preferred to promote equipment longevity. (4)

For Technique Work

While squat stands do not tend to be as stable or offer the safety features of power racks, they should be sufficient for handling relatively lighter sets of traditional barbell exercises and sets ended far from muscular failure. Essentially, these sets can be classified as “technique work.”

Technique work is appreciated as an opportunity to stimulate improvements in coordination and foster long-term athletic development. Squat stands allow you to efficiently set up barbell exercises and put in the reps while maintaining total control over the bar, even at the end of a set.

For Outdoor Workouts

“Suns out, guns out,” remember? Few things are better than training outside on a beautiful day. Mobile squat stands allow traditional barbell exercise to be performed in non-traditional environments. Simply haul or roll your squat stand to level and firm ground, set up, and train while simultaneously topping up your vitamin D levels.

For Heavy, High-Effort Lifting

Heavy lifting is performed with high loads (i.e., 85% or more of one’s maximum), while high level of effort lifting describes sets approaching failure. Although neither heavy lifting nor high-effort lifting are inherently dangerous, both present an elevated risk of failure.

In the event that failure is reached during a barbell squat or press, you’re going to want the secure frame of a steel power rack to protect you. Appropriately placed safety pins/pipes, arms, or straps on a power rack should provide the confidence to push through the hardest sets.

For Accessory Exercises

While commercial gym etiquette may declare “no curling in the squat rack,” power racks do allow for a wide variety of accessory exercises. Most power racks come equipped with a pull-up bar, which allows for a variety of pull-up variations.

Unlike taller squat stands, which might also offer a pull-up bar, the stability of an appropriately installed power rack may allow for kipping exercises, such as toes-to-bar or muscle-ups. Power racks can be used to set up rack pull deadlifts and barbell shrugs.

For Pin Pressing and Pin Squatting

Pin presses and pin squats begin with the barbell setting on the safety pins/pipes of a power rack in the lowest position of the exercise. Each repetition begins and ends with the barbell coming to a dead stop on the pins/pipes. Pin presses and pin squats eliminate the stretch reflex at the bottom of traditional pressing and squatting exercises.

Ultimately, pin presses and pin squats tend to require less weight to achieve a stimulating training effect, and may help to improve “starting strength,” or the ability to overcome the inertia of a load at rest.

The Centerpiece of the Gym

Squat stands and power racks are key pieces of gym equipment for athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts alike. But just as you wouldn’t use a hammer to drive a screw, selecting the right tool for the job is essential for safe and effective training.

References

1. Haff, G. G., & Triplett, N. T. (Eds.). (2015). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 4th ed. Human Kinetics. Champagne, IL, USA. 351-408. 
2. Garhammer, J. (1991). Weightroom safety: Using a power rack for squatting. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 13(5), 74-82.
3. Ronai, P., & Gendron, K. (2023). The barbell back squat exercise. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 27(4), 65-73.
4. Waller, M., & Townsend, R. (2007). The front squat and its variations. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 29(6), 14-19.

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

The post Squat Stand vs. Power Rack: How to Choose Your Gym’s Command Center appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

While bent-over rows and reverse flyes are traditional choices to target these regions, the barbell high row offers distinct mechanical advantages that promote targeted loading and honest form.

The barbell high row is an old school exercise enjoying widespread recognition. Whether you use it to round out an intense back workout or to round out the backsides of your shoulders, the barbell high row is a solid addition to any lifting routine.

Barbell High Row

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

Barbell High Row Video Guide

Dr. Merrick Lincoln, the article’s author, provides an instruction video explaining the barbell high row. Watch the demonstration, then check out the step-by-step analysis with more form tips.

How to Do the Barbell High Row Step By Step

To get the benefits of the barbell high row, you’ll need to focus on crisp, strict form. Execute pristine barbell high rows with these four steps.

Step 1 — Take a Wide Grip

The barbell high row uses a significantly wide overhand grip — specifically, a “snatch grip” similar to the Olympic weightlifting exercise. Your hands should grab the bar substantially beyond your shoulders and approximately the distance between the points of your elbows when your arms are outstretched at shoulder-height.

Form Tip: Rather than getting the measuring tape, a simple technique to determine an appropriate grip width is to grab the bar in the “scarecrow position:” bend forward, flare your elbows to shoulder-height, and allow your forearms to hang with your elbows at an approximately 90-degree angle. Grab the bar at this width. 

Step 2 — Stand Up, Then Hinge Down

Grip the bar firmly and stand up straight, allowing your elbows to straighten with the barbell resting near your hips. Hinge forward at your hips, letting your hips flex as your buttock travels backward to keep you balanced. The position of your spine should remain virtually unchanged — no rounding. Keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement.

Form Tip: Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (behind your thighs) or when the plates are hovering just above the ground, whichever comes first. 

Step 3 — Pull High and Wide

Hold the bent position and pull the barbell toward your upper chest, or just below your collarbone, by simultaneously driving your elbows out to your sides while drawing your shoulder blades together. Not all lifters will be able to touch the barbell to the upper chest, and that is okay.

Form Tip: Think about “stretching” the bar or making it longer as you pull. This cue reinforces proper arm path. Ensure your elbows remain flared to the sides and not alongside your ribs.

Step 4 — Lower With Control

Lower the barbell toward the floor by allowing your elbows to straighten and your shoulder blades to be pulled apart, moving forward around your ribcage. Maintain the hinged forward position and repeat the pull for additional rowing repetitions

Form Tip: Don’t miss out on the stretch across your mid-back at the bottom. Ensure your trunk angle or hip hinge depth allows you to get a full range of motion without the barbell plates touching the ground. If you’re flexible and the weight plates hit the floor before you feel the stretch, reset your trunk angle by extending your hips or load the bar with smaller diameter plates.

Barbell High Row Mistakes to Avoid

The barbell high row involves stability and a degree of coordination between your upper and lower body. Keep exercise quality high by avoiding these recurring errors.

Using Too Much Biceps

Training your biceps is nice, but hitting the target muscles of your shoulders and back is nicer. It has been suggested that rowing with greater than 90-degrees of elbow flexion increases contribution of the biceps brachii. (1)

Moreover, rowing with excessive elbow flexion reduces the resistance arm, or perpendicular distance between the barbell and the shoulder joint, which ultimately reduces demand on the shoulder musculature. 

Avoid it: Avoid letting your biceps steal the row by using appropriate grip placement, setup, and technique. First, ensure your grip is overhand and spaced approximately the distance between your elbows when your arms are at shoulder-height. Second, when you hinge forward to set up, ensure the bar is hanging underneath your upper chest. Finally, pull toward your upper chest, not your stomach.

Poor “Scapulohumeral Rhythm”

As you pull your arms back, or horizontally abduct your shoulder joint, your shoulder blades ought to come together, or retract. The coupling of shoulder joint motions with appropriate shoulder blade motions is called scapulohumeral rhythm. If your blades aren’t working with your shoulder joints, well, you’ve got no rhythm.

Avoid it: Draw your shoulder blades back as you perform the upward movement phase of the row. A useful cue is to create progressively more space between the front of your shoulder and the floor as you row. (2) Then, allow this space to shrink as you perform the downward movement phase.

Momentum from Your Hips or Trunk

While the upward movement phase of the repetition should be performed with powerful intent, form should not be compromised. If the angle between your trunk and the floor dramatically changes during each repetition, with your torso dipping up and down, you’re cheating and likely sacrificing tension on the target muscles.

Avoid it: If you cannot fix this error by stiffening your midsection and consciously keeping a tight core, it may be time to reduce the weight and put in some more practice sets.

How to Progress the Barbell High Row

Once the barbell high row begins to feel relatively easy, you need progression to ensure ongoing gains. Based on your goals and preferences, consider the following strategies.

Add Repetition Volume

Unlike the bench press, no one will ever ask how much weight you can barbell high row, because no one really cares. So, rather than adding weight when your sets of barbell high rows start to feel “easy,” simply add another repetition or two per set.

Provided your sets have not become miniature endurance events limited by other energy systems, gradually progressing into higher repetition ranges can be effective for building muscle. (3)

If you’re a physique-focused lifter who enjoys moderate-to-high volume sets, and your sets are still under 25 or 30 repetitions, continue to add repetitions until your sets become challenging again.

Increase the Weight

Adding more repetitions may stimulate ongoing muscle growth, but it may not be the best option for building strength in your back and shoulders. Strength, defined as the ability to exert force in a measurable and meaningful way, is logically best developed using progressively heavier loads.

If you are a strength-focused athlete who is consistently hitting six or more repetitions per set with some in the tank, it may be time to add some change plates to the bar. For your working sets, start by adding increments of 2 to 5% of the total weight.

Consider an Eccentric Tempo

Popular wisdom in the gym suggests using a relatively slow tempo during the downward movement (eccentric phase) can improve your gains. However, this topic is more controversial than it seems. Research on intentionally slow eccentric training is mixed when it comes to hypertrophy and appears decidedly unwise for strength goals. (4)

However, if you find yourself unable or unwilling to progress barbell high rows via the traditional methods discussed above (e.g., injury, lack of additional weights, or good old-fashioned stubbornness), applying an eccentric tempo may be worth consideration. 

If using an intentionally slow tempo during the eccentric requires you to decrease the weight or reduce the repetitions performed, it likely does not represent a progression. (4) To be clear, using an eccentric tempo is only a progression if you impose it upon the repetitions and load your body is accustomed to. If you choose to experiment with eccentric tempo work, a lowering phase that lasts for a full three-to-four count is a reasonable target.

Finally, intentionally slowing the upward movement (concentric phase) of a lift has little to no physiological benefit. (5) So you will still want to strike the balance between intent for bar speed and control during the concentric.

Benefits of the Barbell High Row

Why are more and more lifters choosing the barbell high row to build their shoulders and backs? Because this rediscovered exercise has advantages that other common options cannot match.

Robust Shoulder Complex Training

The shoulder complex includes the shoulder joint proper (i.e., glenohumeral joint), the shoulder girdle (i.e., shoulder blade and collar bone), along with all associated muscles. While other types of rows may hit your latissimus dorsi harder, arguably no common row variation trains the back of the shoulder complex as robustly as the barbell high row. 

Although we tend to classify all rowing exercises as “horizontal pulling,” the uniqueness of the high row is all about differences in angles and arm paths. Most row variations bias your shoulder extensors due to relatively narrow and low arm paths. These muscles are also trained in neutral-grip lat pulldowns, neutral-grip pull-ups, chin-ups, and other similar exercises.

However, the barbell high row trains your shoulder horizontal abductors due to the high and wide arm path. These muscles include the rear deltoid, part of the middle deltoid, and even several muscles of the rotator cuff.

High rows may better target your mid-back, namely the middle trapezius, compared to row variations with lower arm paths (6) This finding makes sense, because the high and wide resistance applied through your arms maximizes resistance to the scapula retractor muscles.

If you are already hitting pulldowns or bent-over rows, the barbell high row might be a great addition to round out your training for the back of the shoulder complex. It can also serve as a substitute for reverse flyes, as discussed below.

Hard to Cheat

Compared to reverse flyes, a dumbbell exercise for your rear deltoids and mid-back, the barbell high row promotes strict form. It is a little too easy to generate momentum at the bottom part of a reverse flye, and that momentum helps to carry the dumbbells to the top position without significant muscular activation.

The barbell high row, on the other hand, leaves little room for generating arm swing because tension never really comes off the working muscles. What’s true for both exercises, however, is that you must still remain vigilant to avoid momentum from your hips. This can be accomplished by carefully maintaining the same trunk angle, or distance between your trunk and the floor, throughout the exercise. 

Low Back Health

If you could collect a dollar every time you see an exercise purported to “bulletproof” the low back, you could quickly buy a barbell and build strength and endurance with hip hinge or forward-bent exercises.

Barbell exercises that load the hip hinge include deadlifts, good mornings, bent-over rows, and high rows. They’re all effective for training the spinal erector muscles. For this reason, among others, these exercises may be useful for combating low back problems. For example, the Pendlay row has been used as a part of an effective resistance training protocol for individuals with low back pain. (7)

The barbell high row is an effective exercise for building low back strength and endurance. Will the exercise “bulletproof” your low back? Not in the literal sense, but it may be worth a shot for potentially preventing back problems or treating appropriate types of low back pain.

Disclaimer: All brands of low back pain are different. If you are suffering from low back pain or injury, you should get checked out by a sports medicine physician or physical therapist.

Muscles Worked by Barbell High Row

While traditional bent-over rows and reverse grip bent-over rows are great for building lats due to their narrower grip and lower bar path, the barbell high row biases different muscles of your back. It’s also a phenomenal shoulder-builder.

Middle Trapezius and Rhomboids

Your mid-back muscles include the rhomboids major, rhomboids minor, and the middle part of the trapezius. Rhomboids retract your scapulae, or pull the shoulder blades together, and assist with downward rotation and elevation.

The muscle fibers of the middle part of the trapezius, sometimes called “middle traps,” are oriented horizontally, so they exclusively perform scapula retraction. Since retraction is the predominant resisted movement of the shoulder blades during the barbell high row, it hits middle trapezius and rhomboids.

Rear and Middle Deltoids

Your deltoids are the round muscles that sit atop and envelop your shoulder joints. Well-built deltoids have a “capped” or rounded appearance, which requires training the front, middle, and rear portions of the muscle. The barbell high row hammers the rear deltoids and also hits some of the middle fibers.

Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff consists of four deep muscles and tendons that surround the ball and socket joint of the shoulder. They are typically considered stabilizing muscles, working to counteract or modify forces imposed on the joint by much larger superficial muscles. During rows, the subscapularis, or anterior rotator cuff, has been shown to be most active. (8)

In addition, anatomical analysis of the posterior rotator cuff (infraspinatus and teres minor) suggests these muscles may also be trained along with the posterior deltoid during the barbell high row. Both muscles pass behind the shoulder joint and are mechanically suited to act as horizontal abductors.

How to Program the Barbell High Row

The barbell high row can be programmed in a full-body workout or in a variety of workout splits. As a multi-joint pulling exercise, the barbell high row can be used to build functional strength or as an efficient way to pack on mid-back and shoulder muscle.

As a Moderate Weight Back-Builder

Lifters with hypertrophy or muscle-building goals should focus on moderate weight sets of barbell high rows. As a rule of thumb, you will use 30-50% less weight for the barbell high row than you do for standard bent-over barbell rows.

For those reaching for calculators or scrolling for calculator apps, relax. There is no need to overthink the weight and repetition range. As long as your sets are high effort, or carried out close to muscular failure, they will be effective at virtually any weight. (3)(9) To put on muscle, perform three or four sets of eight or more repetitions, taking each working set to within two or three repetitions of failure. Rest two or three minutes between sets.

As a Strength Staple

Load barbell high rows with relatively heavy weight, and you’ve got a potent exercise for building upper back and shoulder strength. As the weight increases, stay disciplined with your form. Extending your hips to initiate the row shifts emphasis from your upper body to your lower body.

To build pulling strength, perform three or four sets of four to six repetitions using a challenging weight. Rest two to four minutes between sets.

As Part of a Superset

Using supersets refers to two different exercises performed back-to-back without a rest interval in between. It’s a time-efficient training method, if you’re tough enough to handle it. In the strictest sense, the two exercises comprising a superset should target antagonistic or opposite muscle groups.

Since the barbell high row is a horizontal pulling exercise primarily targeting the back and rear deltoids, its superset counterpart should be a horizontal pushing exercise that hits the chest and front of the shoulders. Appropriate “pushing” exercise options for this push-pull superset include the time-honored bench press, the dumbbell hex press, or the dumbbell bench press. 

Supersets save time, and research indicates lifters experience similar hypertrophy gains compared to straight sets. (10) While supersets are known to result in greater perceived exertion and discomfort, most lifters prefer them over traditional straight sets. (11) For an efficient workout, perform a pressing exercise immediately followed by the barbell high row with no rest in between.

Barbell High Row Variations

Looking for other effective exercises to build your mid-back and shoulders? The row variations below use barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, and machines to spice up your workout. 

Meadows Row

Another increasingly popular type of exercise uses a barbell as a lever. They’re called landmine exercises. (2) The Meadows row is a single-arm high row landmine exercise. It was popularized by the late coach John Meadows, MS, CSCS.

Aside from the ability to perform the movement unilaterally, a feature making the Meadows row unique is the resistance curve of the exercise. The barbell lever makes the row “heavier” at the bottom position. (2) Keep in mind, you’re stronger at the bottom of the rowing motion than you are at the top. (2)

Also, the target muscles of the mid back and shoulders are stretched at the bottom position while they are exposed to greater loads. These features can make the Meadows row incredibly effective for building pulling capacity and stimulating stretch-mediated hypertrophy.

Resistance Band High Row

Resistance band exercises are great for warm-ups, accessory exercises, pump-work, and travel. The resistance band high row allows for quick setup and performance of the high row movement in an upright position.

To perform resistance band high rows, simply anchor a resistance band securely at the level of your upper chest and take an overhand grip on the band — slightly wider than shoulder-width if using a loop-style resistance band. With your arms at shoulder height, back up into tension. Pull the handles high and wide, leading with your elbows, to bring the band to your upper chest before returning to the starting position. Be sure not to turn the movement into a face pull by pulling the band to eye-level.

Three-Point Dumbbell Wide Row

The dumbbell wide row is the single-arm version of the barbell high row. (1) Using a three-point stance on a bench provides the support you may need to zero-in on target muscles.

Set up by placing the non-working side knee and palm on the bench, with your working-side foot on the floor, and the dumbbell in the working-side hand. Drive your elbow out the side as you pull toward the upper chest. Return to the starting position while allowing your shoulder blade to “wrap forward” around your ribcage.

Machine Wide Row

Support and guidance offered by a well-built machine can help to ensure your rear deltoids and mid-back receive the intended training stimulus from wide rows. The machine can also minimize demands on your low back, which can be useful when managing fatigue throughout a grueling workout.

Find a row machine with wide-set horizontal handles. Adjust the seat to allow a high arm path toward your upper chest. Take overhand grips on the handles and draw the machine’s movement arms back. Like the barbell version, drive your elbows out to your sides and retract your shoulder blades as you pull. Reverse the movement to return to the start position.

FAQs

Build a Top-Level Physique with the Barbell High Row

The barbell high row is an effective exercise for adding muscular thickness behind the shoulders and between the shoulder blades. Over time, this new muscle will fill out the top half of your physique. Better yet, to help keep you in the gym long enough to realize those gains, the barbell high row also promotes shoulder and low back stability.

References

1. Hedrick, A., & Herl, M. (2021). Technique of the unilateral dumbbell wide row. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(4), 121-123.
2. Lincoln, M. A., et al. (2023). Exercise Technique: The Landmine Row. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 45(3), 371-378.
3. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
4. Suchomel, T. J., et al. (2019). Implementing eccentric resistance training—part 1: a brief review of existing methods. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 4(2), 38.
5. Hermes, M. J., & Fry, A. C. (2023). Intentionally Slow Concentric Velocity Resistance Exercise and Strength Adaptations: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 37(8), e470-e484.
6. Lim, J. Y., et al. (2015). A comparison of trapezius muscle activities of different shoulder abduction angles and rotation conditions during prone horizontal abduction. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 27(1), 97-100.
7. Tjøsvoll, S. O., et al. (2020). Periodized resistance training for persistent non-specific low back pain: a mixed methods feasibility study. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 12, 1-12.
8. Wattanaprakornkul, D., et al. (2011). Direction-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscles during bench press and row. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 21(6), 1041-1049.
9. Weakley, J., et al. (2023). Physiological Responses and Adaptations to Lower Load Resistance Training: Implications for Health and Performance. Sports Medicine-Open, 9(1), 1-10.
10. Fink, J., et al. (2021). Physiological Responses to Agonist–Antagonist Superset Resistance Training. Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, 3, 355-363.
11. Andersen, V., et al. (2022). A comparison of affective responses between time efficient and traditional resistance training. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 912368.
12. Aasa, B., et al. (2015). Individualized low-load motor control exercises and education versus a high-load lifting exercise and education to improve activity, pain intensity, and physical performance in patients with low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(2), 77-85.
13. Welch, N., et al. (2015). The effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain, squat biomechanics and MRI-defined lumbar fat infiltration and functional cross-sectional area in those with chronic low back. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 1(1), e000050.

Featured Image: Paul Aiken / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Barbell High Row for a Powerful, Muscular Upper Back appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Don’t let the derogatory connotation fool you. Newbie gains are awesome. You’ll hit frequent personal bests, stack on pounds of lean muscle mass, and dial-in natural lifting technique. 

What’s the best way for a new lifter to take advantage of this honeymoon period of gains? Easy. Get your hands on a weight set and train consistently with the basic barbell lifts. Built around barbell basics, this program provides everything you need for serious muscle.

Beginner’s Barbell Workout

• Warm-up to Prepare for Power
• Total-Body Workout for Size and Strength

How to Warm-up for Your Barbell Workout

Starting a workout cold may lead to reduced performance, so learn good habits from the start. Don’t skip your warm-up. Warm-ups typically begin with a four-to-six-minute session of cardio to increase body temperature and circulation, ultimately improving oxygen delivery to your muscles and improving metabolite clearance. Common options for the cardio warm-up include skipping rope, riding a stationary bike, or taking a quick jog. 

Next, mobilize and activate the joints and muscles of the body involved in the upcoming workout. Since you’re warming up for a full-body workout, you could burn a lot of gym time here, so it’s best to focus on a few key areas such as your hips, shoulders, and spine. Below is a two-movement mobility and activation sequence for these regions. Perform three rounds of following movements:

• Plank to Pike with Alternating Reach: Assume a “high plank” position — the top position of a push-up — then use your upper body to push your hips back over your heels until you feel a hamstring stretch. This “upside down V” is called the pike position. Maintain the pike position and reach your right hand toward your left foot, return your hand to center, then reach your left hand toward your right foot. Return to a high plank by lowering your hips. That’s one repetition. Perform 8 repetitions.

• Plank to Deep Lunge with Rotations: Begin in the high plank position and drive your left leg forward and plant your foot as close to the outside of your hand as your mobility allows. Then, lift your left hand and reach out and up toward the ceiling as you rotate your trunk to the left as far as you can. Rotate back and return your hand to the floor, then step back to high plank. Repeat on the right side. That’s one repetition. Perform 8 repetitions. 

Once you finally get your hands on the barbell, remember to perform several “work-up sets” of each exercise using lighter weights. Work-up sets allow you to dial-in technique and help you to identify appropriate weights for the sets that count.

Barbell Basics for Size and Strength

A barbell with plates is possibly the most versatile tool for resistance training. In addition to being the requisite piece of equipment for common exercises, it’s loadable, allowing you to scale the intensity of your training to your current level of strength. Paired with an adjustable bench and sturdy rack, a barbell set gives you the means to train your entire body. 

Fortunately, beginner lifters don’t need to live at the gym to experience newbie gains. A large meta-analysis compared the effects of less than five weekly sets per muscle group, five to nine weekly sets, and ten or more. (1) For hypertrophy and strength results, this analysis concluded beginners and novice lifters should target five to nine sets per week per major muscle group. (1)

Of course, this recommendation does not imply all sets should be performed in the same workout. Full-body workouts help to maximize training frequency, or the number of times each muscle group is trained per week. Higher frequency training allows for greater weekly sets while avoiding marathon-length workouts. 

The workout below consists of 15 sets of barbell exercises. If repeated two or three times per week, this workout puts beginner and novice lifters squarely into the target range for weekly sets. (1) It might be the only resistance training program you need to take your physique from entry-level to next-level.

Barbell Basics Workout Plan

• Front Squat — 3 x 6-10
• Bench-Supported Barbell Row — 3 x 8-12
• Romanian Deadlift — 2 x 8-12
• Incline Bench Press — 3 x 6-10
• Barbell Rollout — 2 x 12-16
• Barbell Curl — 2 x 8-12

Front Squat

Set the tone of your workout by hitting squats first. Specifically, front squats, which hammer your thighs and glutes. The front squat differs from the back squat in several ways. First, as the name implies, the front squat requires carriage of the bar in front of the body, while back squats are performed with the bar across the upper back.

The front carriage or “front rack” position may be more forgiving for those with shoulder instability, and it tends to promote a more upright trunk position. Compared to back squat, the front squat also tends to require relatively less weight to elicit a similar training effect. (2) 

Why favor an exercise that uses less weight? This is a full-body workout, and we are just getting started. Less load spares the body from excessive fatigue accumulation, which might interfere with subsequent exercises. Front squats will toast your quads without burning through all your matches. 

• How to Do it: Set up for the front squat by placing the bar at chest height in the rack. For safety, set the spotter arms to approximately one increment below the lowest point you anticipate the bar reaching during the movement. Place your fingers over the bar, slightly outside shoulder-width and dip under the bar as you point your elbows straight ahead. Step back a half step from the rack, place your feet approximately shoulder width, and squat down, keeping your elbows high and chest up. Descend as far as possible while remaining upright with heels on the floor, then return to standing. 
• Sets and Repetitions: 3 x 6-10
• Rest time: Rest three minutes between sets .

Benefits of the Front Squat

• The “front rack” bar position promotes an upright trunk, which may be beneficial for lifters who tend to fold excessively forward during squats.
• Front squats build big, strong quadriceps. Quadriceps can be further biased by placing wedges or small plates under the heels.
• The exercise promotes athleticism. Front squats have direct carryover to Olympic weightlifting movements (i.e., clean & jerk) and are shown to improve vertical jump performance more effectively than heavy hip thrusts. (3)

Bench-Supported Barbell Row

The next exercise is an upper body pulling movement. Barbell rows are known to build wide lats. This bench-supported variation spares your spinal erectors (the lower back muscles that support your back) for the next exercise. (4) Spoiler alert: deadlifts are next, so you’ll need a fresh set of erectors. In addition to your latissimus dorsi, barbell rows hit your rear deltoids and trapezius. (4)

The bench support also allows you to dial-in natural rowing technique because you do not have to worry about maintaining trunk or hip positions as in the bent over row. Rows should involve the entire shoulder complex, not just the ball and socket joint of the shoulder. Meaning when you pull, your shoulder blades out to retract, or squeeze together. To re-enforce proper shoulder blade movement, focus on creating more space between the front of your shoulders and floor as you row the barbell. (5)

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to a roughly 35-to-45-degree angle. Lie on your stomach with your chest supported by the top several inches of the bench. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly beyond shoulder-width. Draw the bar toward the underside of the bench, then return to the bottom position, ensuring motion comes from the shoulder joint and shoulder blades.
• Sets and Repetitions: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.

Benefits of the Bench-Supported Barbell Row

• The bench support prevents unnecessary fatigue and allows for greater focus and emphasis on the target muscles — lats, mid-back, and rear delts.
• Using a moderate-width, overhand grip promotes balanced development of mid-back and lat muscles for back thickness and width.
• The bench-supported row is great for shoulder health. In addition to building your back, rows train the rotator cuff, namely the subscapularis, as a dynamic stabilizer. (6)

Romanian Deadlift

When programmed earnestly, conventional deadlifts tend to be unforgiving. They place heavy demands on your grip, trunk, and legs. The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a deadlift variation beginning at the top position of the lift and executed with minimal bend at the knees. It’s a smarter barbell lift for targeting hamstrings at this stage of the workout.

Following the same rationale as programming front squats rather than back squats to reduce systemic demand and ensuing fatigue, the RDL is favored for this full-body workout. At 70% of one-repetition maximum, conventional deadlifts and RDLs place similar mechanical demands on the hips and show similar hamstring muscle activity. (7)

However, the RDL one-repetition maximum is substantially lower than the conventional deadlift. Sure, conventional deadlifts are shown to hit the quadriceps harder than RDLs, but you’ve already toasted your quads with the front squat. (7) Savor the stretch of RDLs as you build an impressive set of “hanging hamstrings.”

• How to Do it: Stand with either an overhand or mixed (“over/under”) grip on the barbell. Maintain a slight bend in your knees as you lower the bar by bending at the hips. Lower the weight until you feel a strong stretch behind your thighs in the bottom position, then return to standing. Keep your torso stiff as you bend at the hips and avoid curving your back forward.
• Sets and Repetitions: 2 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest three minutes between sets.

Benefits of the Romanian Deadlift

• The RDL builds “strength at length.” By keeping your knees relatively straight while you bend forward at the hips, you stretch the hamstrings under load, which promotes simultaneous gains in hypertrophy and flexibility. (8)(9)
• Romanian deadlifts activate the hamstrings to similar levels as conventional deadlift. (7) RDLs likely exposes the hamstrings to greater tension due the increases stretch across three of the four hamstring muscles — semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris long head.

Incline Bench Press

No full-body barbell workout is complete without a press. Rather than default to the ever popular bench press or classic military press, we’re striking middle ground by programming the incline bench. The incline bench press not only hits the middle and lower fibers of your pectoralis major — the largest and most prominent chest muscles — but it also hammers the upper (clavicular) fibers. (10) Since your shoulders are trained through a larger range of motion, the incline bench press is also an effective choice for building your deltoids, specifically the front portion. 

Still not convinced the incline bench is the right press for you? Results of an eight-week training study showed similar gains in muscle thickness in the middle and lower regions of pectoralis between a group training exclusively traditional bench press and a group training exclusively incline bench press. (11) However, the thickness gains were significantly greater in the upper pectoral region for the incline bench group. (11)

Most surprisingly, improvements in a lab-based test of horizontal pressing strength at the end of the study were similar between groups. (11) As a disclaimer, those looking to compete in the sport of powerlifting should still program traditional bench press, as the principle of training specificity still applies.

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to the 45-degree incline position. Retract your shoulder blades so they lie flat when you lean against the pad with an arched back. Ensure the spotter arms are positioned one notch lower than your anticipated range of motion. Take a closed overhand grip on the bar, ensuring the bar rests on the heels of your hands. Keep your forearms vertical and bend at the elbows to lower the bar to your mid or upper chest. Avoid bouncing the bar off your chest before driving it back up to the lockout position. 
• Sets and Repetitions: 3 x 6-10
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.

Benefits of the Incline Bench Press

• The incline bench press delivers robust chest training by hitting all parts of your pectoralis major, as well as your front deltoids and triceps. (10)
• Incline pressing builds mid and lower pec size (sternocostal head) while also building strength similarly to the traditional flat bench press, with the added benefit of stacking on more upper pec muscle (clavicular head). (11)
• Working on an incline delivered efficient results while requiring about 20% lower weights than traditional bench press. (12)

Barbell Rollout

The front squat and RDL have already trained your spinal erectors (the core muscles on the back of the trunk), but no exercise so far has directly targeted the anterior core, or abdominals. Enter the barbell rollout exercise. Essentially, it’s an ab wheel rollout performed with a barbell and plates. Sure, you could use the cheap plastic, purpose-built device, but wouldn’t you rather chisel your abs with steel rather than something that looks like it was lifted from a toddler’s tricycle?

Exercise biomechanics of the barbell rollout are virtually identical to the classic ab wheel rollout. The ab wheel rollout is known to produce higher upper abdominal, lower abdominal, and external oblique muscle activity that crunches and reverse crunches. (13) In addition to training your anterior core, the rollout also hits your shoulder extensors. (13)

Since these shoulder muscles are trained through a relatively long range of motion, the rollout may provide added benefits of shoulder mobility and latissimus dorsi flexibility. (9) Ultimately, if you are not accustomed to this style of core training, get ready for serious delayed onset abdominal soreness.

• How to Do it: Load a plate and a collar on each side of the barbell. Kneel in front of the barbell and take a shoulder-width overhand grip. Use your abdominals to draw your rib cage slightly downward and tilt your pelvis slightly back — “tuck your tail.” Keeping your hips extended and without allowing your spine to arch, roll the bar forward as far as you can comfortably control. Use your shoulders to pull yourself back to an upright position.
• Sets and Repetitions: 2 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Benefits of the Barbell Rollout

• The rollout is an anti-extension abdominal exercise that also builds shoulder strength and mobility.
• Barbell rollouts tend to be more challenging than other common core exercises, such as crunches and reverse crunches.
• Rather than adjusting the weight, the barbell rollout can be made less difficult by limiting your range of motion forward.

Barbell Curl

No weight training workout is complete without “pump work” for the glamor muscles. Everyone’s favorite showcase muscle, the biceps brachii, will have received some training stimulus during the row, but you cannot earnestly count those as three sets of biceps training. (14) 

As old school as it may feel, the straight barbell is an effective choice for building big strong arms. During the downward movement phase of the exercise, the barbell curl elicits more biceps brachii activity than the dumbbell curl. (15) During the upward movement phase, the barbell curl is more effective than the dumbbell curl for stimulating muscle activity in the brachioradialis muscle, the thumb-side muscle that crosses in front of your elbow. (15)

Finally, from a practical standpoint, the straight barbell always stays in front of your body during curls, which keeps tension on the target muscles. Compared to dumbbell curls, it is much more difficult to “cheat” on barbell biceps curls by swinging the weight. 

• How to Do it: Stand upright with an underhand shoulder-width grip on the barbell. Keeping your arms at your sides or slightly in front of your ribs, curl the barbell by flexing your elbow. Maintain a vertical torso and don’t use your hips to swing the weight. Return to the bottom position with control.
• Sets and Repetitions: 2 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Benefits of the Barbell Curl

• Barbell curls are equally effective to EZ-bar curls for activating the biceps brachii. (15) However, barbell curls require full forearm supination throughout the movement, which may further emphasize your biceps brachii. (16)
• For those interested in forearm training, barbell curls appear better suited for training brachioradialis than the dumbbell curl. (15)

Maximizing Your Iron Investment

This 15-set, barbell-only workout hits all major muscle groups. For best results, perform it two or three times per week with at least one full day of recovery between sessions. 

As your strength and muscularity steadily increase, you might come to realize your weight set (or gym membership) was the best investment you’ve ever made. But there’s no such thing as passive return on this investment.  Even “newbie gains” require regular deposits of sweat and effort.

References

1. Ralston, G. W., et al. (2017). The effect of weekly set volume on strength gain: a meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 47, 2585-2601.
2. Bird, S. P., & Casey, S. (2012). Exploring the front squat. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(2), 27-33.
3. Contreras, B., et al. (2017). Effects of a six-week hip thrust vs. front squat resistance training program on performance in adolescent males: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(4), 999-1008.
4. García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
5. Lincoln, M. A., et al. (2023). Exercise technique: The landmine row. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 45(3), 371-378.
6. Wattanaprakornkul, D., et al. (2011). Direction-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscles during bench press and row. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 21(6), 1041-1049.
7. Lee, S., Schultz, J., Timgren, J., Staelgraeve, K., Miller, M., & Liu, Y. (2018). An electromyographic and kinetic comparison of conventional and Romanian deadlifts. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 16(3), 87-93.
8. Wolf, M., Androulakis-Korakakis, P., Fisher, J., Schoenfeld, B., & Steele, J. (2023). Partial vs full range of motion resistance training: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 3(1).
9. Afonso, J., et al. (2021). Strength training versus stretching for improving range of motion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare 9(4), 427.
10. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722.
11. Chaves, S. F., et al. (2020). Effects of horizontal and incline bench press on neuromuscular adaptations in untrained young men. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(6), 859-872.
12. Saeterbakken, A. H., et al. (2017). The effects of bench press variations in competitive athletes on muscle activity and performance. Journal of Human Kinetics, 57(1), 61-71.
13. Escamilla, R. F., et al. (2006). Electromyographic analysis of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training. Physical Therapy, 86(5), 656-671.
14. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Haun, C., Itagaki, T., & Helms, E. R. (2019). Calculating set-volume for the limb muscles with the performance of multi-joint exercises: implications for resistance training prescription. Sports, 7(7), 177.
15. Marcolin, G., et al. (2018). Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl. PeerJ, 6, e5165.
16. Murray, W. M., Delp, S. L., & Buchanan, T. S. (1995). Variation of muscle moment arms with elbow and forearm position. Journal of Biomechanics, 28(5), 513-525.

Featured Image: Benoit Daoust / Shutterstock

The post Your Beginner Barbell Workout: A Starter Plan for Strength and Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

For many, machines offer the right mix of stability, accessibility, comfort, novelty, and training stimulus. Sure, some machines have design flaws and problems, but many are an absolute pleasure to use. Better yet, machine-based training has been shown to stimulate equivalent muscular adaptations to free weight training. (1)

The chest press is a staple machine-based exercise. But there’s more to the quintessential chest press machine than the info contained on its instruction placard. Learn proper setup and technique, common pitfalls, unique benefits, programming strategies, and more.

Chest Press Machine

• How to Do the Chest Press Machine
• Chest Press Machine Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Chest Press Machine
• Benefits of the Chest Press Machine
• Muscles Worked by the Chest Press Machine
• How to Program the Chest Press Machine
• Chest Press Machine Variations 
• Frequently Asked Questions

Chest Press Machine Video Guide

See the instructional chest press machine video from the article’s author, Dr. Merrick Lincoln, then check out the step-by-step breakdown with additional form tips. 

How to Use the Chest Press Machine

To get the most out of the chest press machine, follow these steps for correct setup and effective execution.

Step 1 — Set Up Your Machine

The first, and arguably most important, step is to properly set up the machine — it must be adjusted to fit the user. Although machine designs vary considerably, most have two adjustments: Seat height and the fore-aft position of the backrest. 

Adjusting the height of the seat determines the location of the handles relative to the user. Lowering the seat creates a higher starting position for the handles and raising the seat results in a lower starting position of the handles. The handles should be at the level of your lower chest, at approximately nipple-height to be anatomically specific.

On most machines, front-and-back adjustment of the backrest determines the “depth” of the starting position. Move the seat forward to create more stretch at the bottom position or move the seat backward to limit the range of motion in the bottom position.

Your personal preference, injury history, and individual anatomy interact to inform your own acceptable range of motion. In general, identify a seat position that maximizes a comfortable range of motion.

Form Tip: Take the time to actually examine the specific machine’s design, particularly the movement arms — the metal levers that you push away from your body. Movement arms that pivot from above the seat tend to promote pressing at a slightly upward angle relative to your body, similar to a slight incline press. Therefore, to execute “flat bench” technique and elicit balanced chest development, the handles should be slightly lower than normal. On machines with movement arms that pivot from below the user, the pressing motion may follow a slight decline. On this style machine, it’s prudent to set up with handles slightly higher than usual.

Step 2 — Set a Stable Starting Position

Get your body into a stable and strong position by establishing points of contact with a slight arch in your spine. Points of contact include: your head against the headrest, both shoulder blades against the backrest, your glutes on the seat, both feet on the floor, and both hands fully gripped around the handles. 

Arch your middle and upper back as you squeeze your shoulder blades together without shrugging upward. Maintain this position throughout the exercise. 

Form Tip: Although many who cannot reach the floor when seated on the chest press machine intuitively cross their ankles for stability, this strategy is not optimal. If you’re unable to reach the floor, place your feet on a stable foothold — a step, a short plyometric box, a weight plate, or the machine’s foot pegs if available.

Step 3 — Drive the Movement Arms Away

Keep your forearms and wrists aligned with the natural path of the movement arm and push both handles away. Continue to push until your elbows are straight or nearly straight. 

Form Tip: “Press to your eye-line” is a coaching cue used by Tyler Hobson, one of the great designers and builders of gym equipment. This cue is brilliant, because it exploits the benefits of an external focus of attention. Essentially, your focus shifts to whatever object or environmental landmark is in your line of gaze. This may result in more efficient, more forceful movement, and potentially greater strength gains. (2)

Step 4 — Lower With Control

Lower the movement arms back toward the starting position. Control is essential. Lower until you feel a profound stretch across your chest muscles or until the movement arms gently contact the machine. Do not bounce off the machine’s stops at the bottom.

Form Tip: Instead of “lowering the weight,” think about “rowing” or actively pulling the movement arms back toward your chest. This technique reinforces a strong position of your shoulder blades.

Chest Press Machine Mistakes to Avoid

Sidestep these common errors to build more muscle with the chest press machine.

Wrist Extension

Many lifters hop on the chest press machine and grip the handles in the center of their palms without consideration to their specific hand position. This results in an extended wrist position — bending hands back toward the top of your forearms.

Ultimately, excessive wrist extension is a relatively weaker position for pressing and could result in an excessively “tucked” arm path during the press. 

Avoid it: Ensure the handles lie across the heels of your hands. When pressing, aim your knuckles along the path movement. Viewed from the side, your forearm and hand should form a straight line throughout the press.

Sloppy Transition Between Reps

“Ego lifters” and uninitiated trainees often exploit Newton’s law of action-reaction at the bottom of each repetition by bouncing the movement arms off the machine to make the following repetition easier to perform.

Uncontrolled impact returns energy into the next repetition, robbing the target muscles of all-important tension. Exerting control throughout the entire repetition is more challenging, but also more rewarding.

Avoid it: While lifters tend to be intentional about the lockout position at the top of the press, most would be better served shifting their attention to a smooth and slow transition between repetitions at the bottom position. Slow down as you approach the bottom position. Gently “kiss” the movement arms against the machine. Listen to keep yourself honest — light contact with the machine should make very little sound.

Excessive or Insufficient Range of Motion

While there’s no universal “correct” range of motion (ROM) for every lifter on the chest press machine, the ROM you use should check a few key boxes: ROM should be well-tolerated by your shoulders; ROM should, if possible, produce a profound stretch across your chest and front of your shoulders; ROM should not produce compensatory movements or movements not intrinsic to the exercise. Pressing with technique that fails to satisfy these criteria is suboptimal, at best.

The second criteria (“big stretch”) is straightforward. Mounting evidence suggests the stretched position of the repetition is the most important for gains. (3) Don’t cut it short by using insufficient ROM.

Finally, if the ROM is pushed too far, the lifter will begin to demonstrate undesirable compensations including dropping your chest, allowing your shoulder blades to tilt forward, and/or flaring your elbows. If you’re unable to keep your shoulder blades retracted and maintain a consistent arm path through the bottom position, there’s a good chance you’re trying to use excessive ROM. In all cases, errors can be corrected by re-adjusting the machine.

Avoid it: Lifters with shoulder injuries or instability might not tolerate as much shoulder extension at the bottom of the repetition, so feel it out on your “work up” sets and adjust the machine accordingly.

How to Progress the Chest Press Machine

When it’s time to ramp up your workload, traditional progression strategies such as adding weight or increasing repetitions and sets can work well with the chest press machine. In addition, machine designs are conducive to advanced training techniques such as drop sets and lengthened partials.

Increase Relative Effort

A straightforward progression strategy for resistance training involves increasing the level of effort — or proximity to failure — of each set. This strategy may involve adding weight and/or adding repetitions.

For example, consider a lifter who typically performs a set using 220 pounds (100 kilograms) for 10 repetitions. This set brings the lifter somewhat close to failure — Subjectively, they may report having three more reps left in the tank, or “repetitions in reserve.”

To increase relative effort, the lifter may simply add weight or perform one or more additional repetitions. Because a good chest press machine has “built-in” safety features, the lifter may feel more comfortable pushing their level effort closer to or even to failure compared to a barbell or dumbbell bench press.

Lengthened Partials

While pristine repetitions through full range of motion may be considered the pinnacle of lifting skill, it isn’t the only effective way to build muscle and strength. Legendary bodybuilding coach John Meadows commonly ended his high-intensity sets with partial range of motion reps. And science is beginning to recognize the potential value of partials.

A recent systematic review comparing full ROM training and partial ROM training reported trivial differences between strength and hypertrophy. (3) However, partial range of motion training was found to have slight advantage for hypertrophy when emphasizing the lengthened (stretched) position. (3) Lengthened partials appear to enhance tension and promote muscle hypoxia, which are mechanical- and chemical stimuli conducive to growth. (4)(5) 

The chest press machine offers a great opportunity to progress your training by adding lengthened partials to the end of your traditional full range of motion set.

The target muscles are lengthened in the bottom position of the chest press, so perform your partials in the bottom one-third to two-thirds of the repetition. Partials are great to tack onto the end of traditional sets. Shoot for three to six lengthened partial repetitions immediately after your full range of motion repetitions. Be warned: you’re in for a painful burn. By avoiding lockout, you’ll keep tension on your chest, bathing the muscle in metabolites and starving it of oxygen. (5)

Drop Sets

When it comes to intense training for your chest, few exercises can compare to the chest press machine performed with drop sets. Drop sets entail taking an exercise to, or close to, failure, reducing the weight, then immediately performing an additional set.

One to three “drops” are commonly performed, transforming a challenging set into a training bout that flirts with failure multiple times. Drop set protocols with one and three “drops” have been shown to be as effective for improving bench press strength as four traditional sets. (6) Moreover, the three-drop drop set protocol was superior to traditional sets for improving repetitions to failure (i.e. muscle endurance). (6)

To perform a three-drop drop set protocol, ideally use a cable stack (“selectorized”) chest press machine to minimize the time needed to change the weight. Perform the first set to or close to failure using a moderate weight (one which allows roughly 10 to 12 repetitions).

Reduce the weight 20 to 30% and immediately perform another set to or close to failure. Repeat this process of decreasing the weight by 20 to 30% for each drop until you have performed a total of four sets.

Benefits of the Chest Press Machine

Sure, you can press with a barbell or dumbbells, but a well-designed chest press machine offers several advantages — enhanced safety, a stable movement path, and a smooth resistance curve.

High Intensity Chest Training

Whether you train with heavy loads and grind through just a handful of reps or use light loads for marathon sets, safety is paramount. In case this claim isn’t self-evident, here’s the rationale: an injured lifter cannot train, and a lifter who cannot train loses gains. 

All forms of free-weight pressing, including the barbell and dumbbell bench press, require a trained spotter for safe execution. However, the designs of machines have “self-spotting” mechanisms built in. Meaning, if you fail on a repetition on a chest press machine, you’re unlikely to get choked out under a bar or displace your teeth with a dumbbell. Built-in safety features should instill confidence, allowing you to push your sets ever closer to failure and maximize gains.

Consistency For Mind-Muscle Connection

The levers and pivot points of typical chest machines constrain movement to a predictable path. While no two lifters press using the exact same technique due to differences in movement strategy, machine setup, and body dimensions, the constrained movement path promotes consistency for each individual user.

This consistency may allow you to develop a technique characterized by intentional and intense contraction of the target muscles. This conscious connection to the target muscle is known as the mind-muscle connection. Developing a strong mind-muscle connection has been suggested as a superior strategy for lifters who want to increase recruitment of a target muscle. (7) 

To develop a stronger mind-muscle connection, use lighter “work up sets” to consciously explore subtle variations in movement technique. For example, try slightly tucking or flaring your elbows, try holding your sternum a bit higher, or try applying a subtle rotational force to the handles. Machines provide more efficient and safer environments for cultivating a strong mind-muscle connection.

Superior Resistance Curve

Resistance training exercises are limited by the amount of load our muscles can overcome during the sticking point, or the most challenging portion of the movement. The sticking point for the barbell bench press occurs toward the beginning of the upward movement phase when the bar is just above the chest. (8) During the remainder of the movement, your muscles are not maximally challenged.

While the bands or chains may be used to overcome this potential limitation, these modifications require additional equipment, may be cumbersome to set up, and will likely never achieve the feel of a well-designed chest press machine. 

A well-designed machine varies the resistance applied to the lifter throughout the range of motion using levers and/or cams. While meta-analyses have shown no difference in training adaptations between variable resistance and traditional resistance training, these analyses include band- and chain-based variable resistance. (9)(10)

Studies specifically comparing variable resistance machines to free weight versions of the exercises have reported superior adaptations for the variable resistance groups including increased muscle torque and increased resistance to fatigue. (11)(12) While other evidence-based lifters wait for more research, hedge your bets by incorporating machine-based chest pressing.

Muscles Worked by the Chest Press Machine

Check out the placards or instruction cards on the chest press machines at your local gym. On each anatomy diagram, the entire upper front of the torso will be highlighted as “target muscles.” The chest press machine will undoubtedly light up your chest, as expected, along with parts of your shoulders and arms.

Pectoralis Major

As the name suggests, the chest press machine primarily targets your chest. Your pectoralis major is the largest and most visually prominent muscle of the chest by a longshot. Typical chest press machines resist an arm path that toes the line between flexion, or raising your arms directly in front of your body, and horizontal adduction, or moving your arms together in front of your body.

Your pectoralis major contributes to both movements. (13)(14) Moreover, the chest press machine appears to stimulate robust muscle activity in all parts of the broad, fanlike pectoralis major muscle. (15)

Triceps Brachii

Like the bench press, the chest press machine also trains your triceps brachii. Triceps muscle excitation has been shown to be lower during the chest press machine compared to the bench press when both exercises were performed at 80% of their respective 1-repetition maximum. (16) On the other hand, another study showed no difference in triceps brachii muscle excitation when both exercises were performed at 60% of 1-repetition maximum. (17)

Altogether, there is ongoing debate about whether the more stable conditions of the chest press machine are more or less conducive to triceps excitation. (16)(17) The answer may be dependent on individual differences of specific machine designs (e.g., which machine allows the lifter to handle more weight?). Either way, rest assured, your triceps are trained during the chest press.

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid, sometimes called the “front delts,” contribute to shoulder flexion and horizontal abduction, the movements combined during the typical chest press machine. (13)

Using a chest press machine with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) rather than an overhand (“pronated”) grip has been shown to promote more anterior deltoid activation, although the difference fails to reach statistical significance, and the practical relevance of these findings are questionable. (15)(18)

How to Program the Chest Press Machine

The chest press machine can be programmed into many different types of training splits — as a main exercise on “chest day,” on “push day” in a push/pull/legs split, as one of several compound lifts during a dedicated upper body workout, or as a part of a full-body routine.

As a Heavy Primary Exercise

When structuring workouts to build muscle or increase strength, it is common to frontload the heaviest multi-joint movements toward the beginning of the workout. This strategy makes sense, as high threshold motor units — the groups of muscle fibers with the most strength and greatest training potential — have not been fatigued by accumulating volume.

While a “strength purist” might program the barbell bench press as their primary horizontal pushing movement, the chest press machine can work just as well. To use the chest press machine as your primary heavy pushing exercise, work up to a challenging weight for two to four sets of five to 10 repetitions. Take generous three-to-four-minute rest intervals between sets. This protocol will build strength and size.

As a Moderate-to-Light Secondary Exercise

Not ready to fully embrace the machines? Keep a free weight exercise as your primary pressing movement and use the chest press machine as if it were an accessory exercise, or “pump work.” Use moderate-to-light weight and perform for high repetitions. The chest press machine can take the place of a triceps- or chest isolation exercise, such as pushdowns or pec flyes.

We know a wide range of loads are effective for building size and strength. (19)(20)(21) — So, don’t stress about percentages or 1-repetition maximum testing. Using a weight that you find “light to moderately heavy,” perform two or three sets. Perform enough repetitions to approach failure. Take two to three minute rest between sets.

As Part of a Superset or Alternating Set Routine

If your workout split allows you to pair exercises that hit opposing muscle groups in the same workout, you can save a ton of time. Supersetting is when no rest is taken between the paired exercises. If a traditional rest interval is taken between the opposing exercises, the programming strategy is called “alternating sets.”

For a killer chest and back workout, try pairing the chest press with a back exercise like a barbell bent-over row or a neutral-grip lat pulldown. To decide whether you will use supersets or alternating sets, choose whether you are optimizing for efficiency or fatigue management.

Supersets save more time, but could result in more fatigue. Although supersets typically avoid fatigue in the working muscles (“peripheral fatigue”), they may not provide enough rest to avoid accumulating systemic or central fatigue, which could interfere you’re your next set.

On the other hand, alternating sets provide more overall rest. They may also still save time relative to traditional straight sets, because most lifters will not require as much rest to recover between opposing exercises.

Chest Press Machine Variations

If you’re fortunate to train at a well-equipped gym, the standard chest press machine isn’t your only option. You may want to explore the gym to see if you have access to these variations.

Converging Chest Press Machine

The arms converge, or come together, throughout the upward movement phase when using a converging chest press machine. You’ll know a chest press is converging by inspecting the pivot points of the machine’s movement arms. On converging machines, the movement arms are angled inwards while, on traditional or non-converging chest press machines, the movement arms are directed straight ahead.

The converging chest press facilitates more range of motion toward peak contraction, or shortest muscle length of your pectoralis major. While some find the converging chest press machine feels more “natural,” machine designs vary. Basic technique guidelines apply to the converging machine. Set an appropriate seat height and seatback position, maintain retracted shoulder blades, and press along the path of the movement arms.

Incline Chest Press Machine

Just as the incline bench press may provide greater upper chest training compared to the flat bench press, the incline chest press machine may bias your upper chest more than the traditional chest press machine. (22)(23)(24)

The primary difference between the incline chest press machine and traditional chest press machine is the movement arm path. On the incline machine, the movement arms travel at an upward angle relative to your torso, while the traditional chest press machine’s movement arms travel roughly horizontal relative to your torso.

Although exercise technique and setup is similar between the two exercises, the initial position of the handles should be higher for the incline chest press machine than the traditional chest press. Adjust the seat height so the handles are midway between your mid-chest and collarbones. Push along the natural path of the movement arms with your wrists straight. Lower with control and transition into the next repetition without bouncing out of the bottom position.

Smith Machine Chest Press

Looking for a hybrid exercise between chest press machine and barbell bench press? Consider the Smith machine chest press. Like the standard chest press machine, the Smith machine chest press constrains the movement path and likely has some built-in safety features, such as adjustable range of motion limiters.

The barbell bench press and Smith machine chest press are both performed from a lying position, both use a pronated (overhand) grip on a straight bar, and neither incorporate the variable resistance patterns of lever- or cam-based chest press machines.

Counterbalanced Smith machines negate the weight of the bar, meaning the unloaded bar feels virtually weightless. Obviously, you’ll need to add slightly more weight to counterbalanced Smith machines than non-counterbalanced.

Smith machines use a hook-like mechanism to safely un-rack and re-rack the barbell on its tracks. Become familiar with the wrist-motion required to operate this mechanism and, in anticipation of this movement, pre-position your wrists slightly in the other direction before your set.

Finally, position yourself appropriately on the bench. In contrast to bench press, which is set up with the bar above your neck, you will need to start with the bar above your mid-chest on the Smith machine as it tracks vertically throughout the exercise.

FAQs

Chest Terminator — Rise of the Machine Press

A well-designed chest press machine may feel like it has been sent from the future to improve your gains and protect you from harm. If you accept the help of the machine and apply the programming recommendations above, it will soon be Judgement Day for your lagging chest. 

References

1. Hernández‐Belmonte, A., et al. (2023). Adaptations in athletic performance and muscle architecture are not meaningfully conditioned by training free‐weight versus machine‐based exercises: Challenging a traditional assumption using the velocity‐based method. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1111/sms.14433.
2. Grgic, J., Mikulic, I., & Mikulic, P. (2021). Acute and long-term effects of attentional focus strategies on muscular strength: A meta-analysis. Sports, 9(11), 153.
3. Wolf, M., et al. (2023). Partial vs full range of motion resistance training: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 3(1).
4. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 126, 30-43.
5. Goto, M., Maeda, C., et al. (2019). Partial range of motion exercise is effective for facilitating muscle hypertrophy and function through sustained intramuscular hypoxia in young trained men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 33(5), 1286-1294.
6. Fasihiyan, M., et al. (2023). The effects of a single or multi-step drop-set training compared to traditional resistance training on muscle performance and body composition. Scientific Journal of Sport and Performance, 2(3), 410-422.
7. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Contreras, B. (2016). Attentional focus for maximizing muscle development: The mind-muscle connection. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 27-29.
8. Kompf, J., & Arandjelović, O. (2017). The sticking point in the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift: Similarities and differences, and their significance for research and practice. Sports Medicine, 47, 631-640.
9. Andersen, V., et al. (2022). Comparing the effects of variable and traditional resistance training on maximal strength and muscle power in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
10. Dos Santos, W. D. N., et al. (2018). Effects of variable resistance training on maximal strength: a meta-analysis. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(11), e52-e55.
11. Staniszewski, M., Mastalerz, A., & Urbanik, C. (2020). Effect of a strength or hypertrophy training protocol, each performed using two different modes of resistance, on biomechanical, biochemical and anthropometric parameters. Biology of Sport, 37(1), 85-91.
12. Walker, S., Hulmi, J. J., Wernbom, M., Nyman, K., Kraemer, W. J., Ahtiainen, J. P., & Häkkinen, K. (2013). Variable resistance training promotes greater fatigue resistance but not hypertrophy versus constant resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113, 2233-2244.
13. Ackland, D. C., et al. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
14. Ackland, D. C., & Pandy, M. G. (2011). Moment arms of the shoulder muscles during axial rotation. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 29(5), 658-667.
15. Muyor, J. M., Rodríguez-Ridao, D., & Oliva-Lozano, J. M. (2023). Comparison of muscle activity between the horizontal bench press and the seated chest press exercises using several grips. Journal of Human Kinetics, 87, 23.
16. Coratella, G., et al. (2020). Specific prime movers’ excitation during free-weight bench press variations and chest press machine in competitive bodybuilders. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(5), 571-579.
17. Saeterbakken, A. H., van den Tillaar, R., & Fimland, M. S. (2011). A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. Journal of sports sciences, 29(5), 533-538.
18. Vigotsky, A. D., et al. (2018). Interpreting signal amplitudes in surface electromyography studies in sport and rehabilitation sciences. Frontiers in physiology, 985.
19. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
20. Lasevicius, T., et al. (2018). Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 772-780
21. Weakley, J., et al. (2023). Physiological Responses and Adaptations to Lower Load Resistance Training: Implications for Health and Performance. Sports Medicine-Open, 9(1), 1-10.
22. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722
23. Chaves, S. F., et al. (2020). Effects of horizontal and incline bench press on neuromuscular adaptations in untrained young men. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(6), 859.
24. Cabral, H. V., et al. (2022). Non‐uniform excitation of the pectoralis major muscle during flat and inclined bench press exercises. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 32(2), 381-390.

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The post How to Use the Chest Press Machine: A Detailed Guide to Build Upper Body Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Training chest and back in the same session lets you use agonist-antagonist supersets — a high-dollar term for exercise pairings that hit opposite sides of your body with zero rest in-between.

By deleting the rest interval, these supersets allow you to get lots of training accomplished in less time. Better yet, they’re less likely to impair exercise performance compared to supersets targeting the same muscle groups. (1)

So buckle up, grab the plan, and get to work hitting just about everything above your hips using a handful of high intensity, highly focused movements.

Chest and Back Workout

• Muscles Trained
• Chest and Back Superset Workout
• Fast and Effective Upper Body Warm-up

Meet Your Chest and Back Muscles

In his prime, massive and full pectoral muscles were among Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most impressive attributes. Arnold’s chest had size and symmetry — attributes which are key to a well-developed chest. Not only will lifters with bodybuilding goals need to perform chest exercises with sufficient intensity, but they will also need to ensure all areas of the chest are adequately targeted. 

Pectoralis major, the most prominent chest muscle, has two or three functional “subregions.” The sternocostal head is the largest portion and it is effectively trained during horizontal adduction exercises such as horizontal chest presses and flyes. (2)(3)(4) The upper-most part of the pec major, termed the clavicular head, is emphasized with shoulder flexion exercises and incline presses. (2)(3)(4)(5)

Less often discussed, but relevant to any lifter training for a top physique, is the inferior-most portion of the pecs — the lower costal fibers and abdominal fibers. These fibers pull your arms down from the overhead position, as in pulldowns and pullovers. (2)

An impressive back has three key qualities: breadth or width, thickness, and definition. While the latter can only be achieved by reaching sufficiently low levels of body fat, developing all qualities depends on robust muscle growth, or “hypertrophy,” of the back muscles. Major aesthetic back muscles include the latissimus dorsi, middle- and lower trapezius, and rhomboids. 

In bodybuilding, the muscles of the back are trained during vertical and horizontal pulling movements, along with a slew of single-joint accessory exercises. Perhaps counterintuitively, narrow-grip pulldowns and rows tend to promote back width, while wide-grip horizontal pulling tends to promote back thickness. (2) This workout builds both.

The Ultimate Chest and Back Workout

This double-duty routine incorporates free weights and machines, programs supersets and traditional sets, and leans into tension and “the pump” to build the ultimate upper body. It fits perfectly into either a chest and back/legs/shoulders and arms split or an upper/lower workout split. It might also be useful in a more classic “one body part per day” split when a missed workout necessitates doubling up.

Classic Chest and Back Superset Routine

• Neutral-Grip Pulldown — 3 x 8-12 (superset with following exercise)
• Machine Chest Press — 3 x 8-12
• Machine Wide Row — 3 x 12-16 (superset with following exercise)
• Machine Kelso Shrug — 3 x 8-12
• Incline Dumbbell Flye Press — 3 x 8-12
• Bar Dip — 2 x 8-12 (superset with following exercise)
• Standing Cable Pullover 2 x 16-20

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

The neutral-grip lat pulldown is a joint-friendly back-builder. It principally trains your latissimus dorsi — the muscle responsible for back width. The rhomboids of your mid-back, the muscles behind the shoulders (such your posterior deltoids and teres major), and even the lower portion of your pectoralis major (“costal fibers”) will also contribute to the movement. (2)

From the deep stretch when your arms are overhead to the peak contraction when your upper arms are pinned against the sides of your ribcage, the neutral-grip lat pulldown trains the target muscles through a range of motion unmatched by most other back exercises. Since your lower body is locked into the machine, the exercise can also be loaded heavily. Starting the workout with a heavy, full range of motion exercise sets the tone for the workout.

• How to Do it: Sit at a lat pulldown station using a grip attachment with parallel handles. Secure your thighs under the roller pads and slightly lean back at your hips. Initiate the pulldown by drawing your shoulder blades downward as you bring your elbows toward the sides of your ribcage. Return to the starting position with arms outstretched overhead.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

• The exercise trains the back through large arcs of motion at the shoulder joint proper (glenohumeral joint) and shoulder girdle (scapulothoracic joint). Importantly, pulldowns train the latissimus dorsi at long muscle lengths, which may enhance muscle gain. (6)
• The neutral grip tends to be well-tolerated by lifters with banged-up shoulders or elbows. 
• This multi-joint back exercise largely spares the muscles that will be trained in the chest press, the second exercise of this superset.

Machine Chest Press

Provided your gym is not too busy and the lat pulldown station and chest press machines aren’t on opposite sides of the facility, plan to superset pulldowns with machine chest presses. If you’re training in a public gym and are concerned about occupying two machines at once, give the machine you are departing a quick wipe down and carry your things with you instead of leaving them to “claim” he equipment. This will give a non-verbal cue to anyone waiting to “work in.”

Sure, if someone does work in, it’ll slow your workout, but it’s the decent thing to do in a shared public space. Nine times out of ten, the machine will be empty when you return. 

Machine chest presses come in many designs — seated, lying, plate-loaded, cable stack-loaded, etc. Ideally, locate one that feels comfortable and provides a stretch across your shoulders in the bottom position. Although it may be acceptable to substitute the barbell bench press for the machine movement, you’ll need a trained spotter for the free weight version. Moreover, most lifters are more comfortable pushing high-effort sets — sets that approach or even reach failure — on a “self-spotting” chest press machine. 

• How to Do it: Adjust the seat and starting handle position so that your elbows and hands naturally track at approximately nipple-height at the bottom position. If the seat is too high (or if you are positioned too high up the bench on a lying chest press machine), it will feel like a decline press. If the seat is too low (or you are positioned too far down the bench on a lying version), your elbows will be flared out at or near shoulder-height. Even though you’re not performing a competition-style barbell bench press, you should still establish an arched mid-back position to facilitate greater chest tension. Lift your sternum and pull your shoulder blades together and toward your glutes. Press the handles until your elbows reach lockout. Lower with control to a tolerable stretch across your chest and the fronts of your shoulders.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Chest Press

• Machine chest press may offer more targeted chest training compared to free-weight variations. This is likely due to the stability offered by the equipment, as the machine bench press has shown reduced lateral deltoid and triceps muscle activity and equivalent pectoralis major activity compared to the barbell bench press. (4) However, these findings were not replicated in a recent similar study. (7)
• It’s a machine-based exercise, which enables relatively heavy loading and high-effort sets without requiring a spotter. (7)

Machine Wide Row

Wide rows, traditionally performed with an overhand grip spaced wider than the shoulders, target the mid-back and back of the shoulders. As such, wide rows are a great exercise for back “thickness.”

Chest-supported machines, in particular, allow for greater focus on the target muscles and reduced systemic demand (i.e. less fatigue), because the lifter is not required to maintain an unsupported forward-bent posture. (8) Wide rows may also be performed on a chest-supported T-bar row machine or using free weights with your trunk supported on an incline bench.

• How to Do it: Set the seat height so the support pad makes contact with your lower chest and the handles are just below shoulder-height. Lean into the pad to ensure your hips are slightly behind your chest. Grab the handles with an overhand grip. You should have to stretch to reach the handles — if not, adjust the chest support or start position of the handles. Initiate the row by drawing your shoulder blades together and driving your elbows to the sides. Your elbows should track slightly below shoulder height, not tuck toward your body or flare above shoulder-height. Return to the starting position, allowing the machine to pull your arms forward and stretch your mid back.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Wide Row

• This rowing variation has a favorable stimulus-to-fatigue, meaning support from the machine reduces the need for activity in non-target musculature. (8)
• When appropriately set up, the machine wide row applies a profound stretch to the mid-back and shoulders, increasing range of motion of the exercise and potentially enhancing hypertrophy.

Machine Kelso Shrug

Not all muscle groups targeted by multi-joint (compound) exercises are trained equally. Some muscles are hammered, while others are left relatively unscathed. For example, when using rows to target your mid-back, your shoulder muscles (e.g. posterior deltoid) may fatigue during wide rows, while muscles of the mid-back (e.g. middle trapezius and rhomboids) may not be trained to their potential. 

Advanced training techniques such as pre- and post- exhaustion may be useful to address inequitable training stimuli among agonist muscles during multi-joint exercise. Pre-exhaustion places an isolation exercise immediately before a compound exercise with no rest. Although bodybuilding pioneers like Arthur Jones tended to promote pre-exhaustion methods, the research on this strategy is somewhat lackluster. (9) At best, lifters accomplish equivalent training volume and experience similar strength gain compared to performing the isolation exercise and compound exercise as traditional straight sets. (10) At worst, trainees may lose repetitions during the compound exercise due to fatigue. (11) 

Fortunately, a related technique called post-exhaustion avoids the major downside of pre-exhaustion. Post-exhaustion uses compound supersets in a specific way. A multi-joint exercise is immediately followed by an isolation exercise for the same target muscle(s). 

Paul Kelso, an author and powerlifting analyst, promoted post-exhaustion training for thickening the upper back by using a sequence of rows and Kelso shrugs, his namesake exercise. Kelso shrugs may also be performed on a chest-supported T-bar row machine or using free-weights with trunk supported on an incline bench.

• How to Do it: Kelso shrugs involve isolated retracting (“drawing together”) the shoulder blades. While they may be performed with free weights while bent over or supported on an incline bench, performing Kelso Shrugs on a row machine with chest support allows you to better isolate the target muscles — your middle trapezius and rhomboids. Using a wide, overhand grips on the row machine, begin with your arms outstretched in front of you. You should feel a profound stretch as the machine draws your arms and shoulder blades forward. With little to no elbow bend and absolutely no rowing, squeeze your shoulder blades together, drawing the handles slightly closer to your body. Although your mid-back may arch or extend slightly as you draw your shoulder blades together, do not drive this motion by pushing your chest into the pad. Focus on using your middle trapezius and rhomboids. Pause momentarily, then allow the machine to slowly draw your shoulder blades apart.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: Rest two to two and a half minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Kelso Shrug

• This unique shrug variation hits the mid-back in relative isolation, allowing for additional training volume, especially when performed as a post-exhaustion technique following a rowing exercise.
• Kelso shrugs have a relatively easy exercise setup and minimal systemic fatigue.
• The exercise builds strength and control of the shoulder blades, which may promote overall shoulder health. (12)

Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

Muscles are stronger during eccentric contractions, which typically occur during the lowering phase of an exercise. One technique that exploits this phenomenon by increasing the intensity of the exercise during the eccentric phase is called eccentric accentuated training. (13) The flye press is a straightforward eccentric accentuated exercise, easily set up using an adjustable bench and a pair of dumbbells. 

While any incline press biases the upper chest, the incline dumbbell flye press packs an extra punch by accentuating the eccentric contraction of the clavicular head of pectoralis major. (3)(4)(5)(13) Therefore, this exercise serves to complement other chest exercises found in this workout, which tend to bias the lower muscle fibers of the chest.

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to the 45-degree incline position. Lay on the bench and set your shoulder blades together so they lie flat against the pad. Begin with the dumbbells just outside the front of your chest and press them vertically until your elbows are nearly straight. Keeping slight elbow flexion, allow the dumbbells to drift apart. Continue to lower the dumbbells until you feel a strong stretch across the front of your chest. Bend your elbows to return the dumbbells to the start position before pressing to the top to repeat the sequence for additional repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8 to 12
• Rest Time: Rest one and a half to two minutes between sets.

Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

• The exercise is eccentric accentuated, meaning demand on chest is greater during the lowering phase, which may enhance strength development and hypertrophy. (13)(14)
• Using an incline bench promotes upper chest — pectoralis major clavicular head — activity and development. (3)(4)(5)

Bar Dip

Dips are typically performed using a dedicated dip station or a sturdy dip attachment on a power rack. The handles of the dip station or dip attachment are often parallel or diverge slightly from parallel — a feature that results in different training stimulus and exercise technique compared to traditional bodyweight bench dips. (15) 

Compared to triceps-focused bench dips, which are performed with the heels of hands supported by the long edge of a bench, bar dips show greater pectoralis major muscle activity. (15) Also compared to bench dips, bar dips require less shoulder hyperextension. (15) Since loaded shoulder hyperextension can be hard on the shoulders, dips may be better tolerated by lifters with known shoulder issues. (15)(16)

Bar dips are easy adapt to beginner strength-levels via the use of the lower body or an elastic band for assistance. They can be made more challenging by adding weight to a dip belt. Effective and versatile, the bar dip is a great exercise for building the mid- and lower chest.

• How to Do it: If your dip station or attachment has diverging handles, select a grip width comfortable for your shoulders. Begin in the top position with your elbows locked out and your hands on the bars under your shoulders supporting your weight. Your hips should drift slightly backward as you lower your body, allowing your elbows to flex and your upper arms to extend slightly behind you. In the bottom position, achieve a stretch across the front of your chest. Pause momentarily before pushing back to the top.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 8-12
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Bar Dip

• The dip trains your pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, triceps brachii, and lower trapezius. Your latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, and the posterior rotator cuff may also be active, serving as stabilizing roles. (15)
• Your chest experiences a “loaded stretch” in the bottom of the bar dip, which may promote accelerated muscle growth. (14)
• High-effort sets of dips may further bias your pectoralis major, as increased muscle activity has been shown when sets are taken toward failure. (17)

Standing Cable Pullover

As the name implies, pullovers involve drawing a resistance over the body from high-to-low. Although typically thought of as back exercises, pullover variations such as the dumbbell pullover and cable pullover train your back and chest. (2)(18)

The cable pullover has a slightly different resistance curve than free weight versions, as the lifter experiences maximum resistance when their arms are perpendicular to the cable rather than perpendicular to the vertical line of gravity. (19) This feature makes the cable pullover more conducive to high repetition, “pump work” style sets. 

Cable resistance also enables the exercise to be performed standing, a variation sometimes called a straight-arm pushdown or pulldown. If you’re looking for a high-tension solution to polish off your upper body workout, don’t skip the standing cable pullover.

• How to Do it: Grab a straight bar cable attachment with a double-overhand grip, with hands placed wider than your shoulders. Hinge slightly forward at the hips and lift your chest. With your arms outstretched overhead, pull the bar toward your thighs. Once the bar contacts your thighs, control the movement back to the start position. Keep your elbows straight but not locked throughout the movement.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 16-20
• Rest Time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Standing Cable Pullover

• Pullovers train the back and chest together. (18)
• The resistance profile of the cable pullover applies substantial resistance when the latissimus dorsi is stretched, which may enhance muscle gain. (6)(19)
• The focused tension of the exercise tends to promote a great lat pump sensation.

How to Warm-up for Your Chest and Back Workout

Traditional warm-ups begin with a short bout of cardiovascular activity to raise body temperature, increase breathing rate, and improve overall circulation, followed by more specific movements and mobilizations to prepare the body for the workout ahead. With a substantial chest and back workout ahead of you, cardio followed by a multi-exercise specific warm-up may feel daunting. 

Rather than skip the warm-up altogether, try a high-volume warm-up instead. High-volume warm-ups include long sets of high repetition, light resistance and/or bodyweight exercises performed in circuit fashion.

The benefits of high-volume warm-ups are similar to traditional warm-ups. They physiologically and mentally prepare your body for the workout, but they have the added benefit of extra reps for muscle groups that will be targeted in the upcoming workout and for muscle groups that could benefit from additional training volume (including specific weaknesses you may need to address). 

Perform 20 to 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises as a circuit — take no rest between each exercise set. Rest 30 seconds between circuits. Repeat the entire circuit two or three times.

• Band Face Pull: Stand facing a light resistance loop anchored at chin-height. With arms outstretched in front of your body, grasp the loop leaving a length of resistance band slightly wider than your neck between your hands. Keeping your chest up and your body stationary, draw the resistance band toward your forehead by simultaneously performing a high row with shoulder external rotation — Your elbows should track at or above shoulder-height, and your wrists should travel higher than your elbows. When the band reaches or nearly reaches your forehead, reverse the movement and return to the starting position. 

• Elevated Push-up: Begin with your hands elevated on a bench or Roman chair/back extension and your feet on the floor. Perform a push-up by pressing your body up and away from the support surface until your elbows are straight. Your push-up should resemble a “moving plank,” with your trunk and legs moving together as a unit. Lower until your chest touches or nearly touches the support surface.

• Dynamic 45-Degree Back Extension: Set up a 45-degree Roman chair so the top of the pad is just below your beltline. Lay with your thighs supported by the pad and your feet on the footplate of the machine. As you lower your torso toward the floor, intentionally allow your spine to round. As you raise your torso toward the ceiling, intentionally extend (“arch”) your spine throughout the movement. This movement requires minimal movement from the hip joints.

Here’s the deal: Some lifters train their back extensor muscles (the “fins” of muscle that lie on either side of the spine) on leg day with exercises like deadlifts, good mornings, and hyperextensions. Other lifters place these exercises with their back training. The jury is out on which practice is “best,” but one thing is clear — most lifters will benefit from more low back training. 

Outside of powerlifters who’ve adopted the reverse hyper machine, and those who still use old school back extension machines, few lifters intentionally perform dynamic back extensor training — exercises that intentionally train the back extensors through an appreciable range of motion. If you are new to flexion- and extension-based low back exercises, the dynamic 45-degree back extension is a good place to start, but you may need to reduce the repetition target until you’re accustomed to the direct work.

Jacked from Front to Back

Nineteen sets in total, this formidable workout hits all major parts of your chest and back. Remember to take two or three “work-up sets” per exercise to groove your technique and identify a challenging weight for the target repetition range (“work-up sets” do not count toward set total). Altogether, plan to be in the gym a little over an hour accomplishing more than most do in two separate workouts. 

References

1. Weakley, J. J., et al. (2020). The effects of superset configuration on kinetic, kinematic, and perceived exertion in the barbell bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(1), 65-72.
2. Ackland, D. C., Pak, P., Richardson, M., & Pandy, M. G. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
3. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722.
4. Coratella, G., et al. (2020). Specific prime movers’ excitation during free-weight bench press variations and chest press machine in competitive bodybuilders. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(5), 571-579.
5. Lee, H. M. (2019). Force direction and arm position affect contribution of clavicular and sternal parts of pectoralis major muscle during muscle strength testing. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(1), 71-79.
6. Ottinger, C. R., et al. (2022). Muscle hypertrophy response to range of motion in strength training: a novel approach to understanding the findings. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 10-1519.
7. Muyor, J. M., Rodríguez-Ridao, D., & Oliva-Lozano, J. M. (2023). Comparison of Muscle Activity between the Horizontal Bench Press and the Seated Chest Press Exercises Using Several Grips. Journal of Human Kinetics, 87, 23.
8. García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
9. Trindade, T. B., et al. (2022). Pre-exhaustion training, a narrative review of the acute responses and chronic adaptations. International Journal of Exercise Science, 15(3), 507.
10. Fisher, J. P., et al. (2014). The effects of pre-exhaustion, exercise order, and rest intervals in a full-body resistance training intervention. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(11), 1265-1270.
11. Vilaça-Alves, et al. (2014). Effects of pre-exhausting the biceps brachii muscle on the performance of the front lat pull-down exercise using different handgrip positions. Journal of Human Kinetics, 42(1), 157-163.
12. Sciascia, A., & Kibler, W. B. (2022). Current views of scapular dyskinesis and its possible clinical relevance. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 17(2), 117.
13. Walker, S., et al. (2016). Greater strength gains after training with accentuated eccentric than traditional isoinertial loads in already strength-trained men. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 149.
14. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 136, 30-43.
15. McKenzie, A., et al. (2022). Bench, Bar, and Ring Dips: Do Kinematics and Muscle Activity Differ?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13211.
16. McKenzie, A. K., et al. (2021). Glenohumeral Extension and the Dip: Considerations for the Strength and Conditioning Professional. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(1), 93-100.
17. McKenzie, A., et al. (2022). Fatigue increases muscle activations but does not change maximal joint angles during the bar dip. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14390.
18. Muyor, J. M., López-Miñarro, P. A., & Alacid, F. (2022). Comparison of electromyographic activity during barbell pullover and straight arm pulldown exercises. Applied Sciences, 12(21), 11138.
19. Schütz, P., et al. (2022). Chest exercises: movement and loading of shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. Sports, 10(2), 19.

Featured Image: Ground Picture / Shutterstock

The post The Ultimate Chest and Back Workout for Upper Body Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

If you’re deliberately and dedicatedly hitting the gym in the hopes of adding muscle mass, but still not seeing results, it’s time to step back and think. Which of these twelve common mistakes are sabotaging your gains?

Common Muscle-Building Mistakes

• Failing To Plan
• Volume Control 
• Lack of Progression 
• Quasi-Cardio Workouts
• Tip-Toeing Around Tension
• Always Testing, Never Training
• Program Sampling
• Stale Programming 
• Forgetting the Food
• Sleep Struggles
• Excessive “Advanced” Training
• Impatience

Failing To Plan

Beyond the obvious need to schedule time for the gym, many lifters fail to make progress toward muscle-building goals because their training is disorganized. Haphazard workouts might burn some calories, stimulate a decent pump, and deliver a nice hit of “feel good” neurotransmitters, but real progress is made when your training is intentional and thought-out.

The Problem

By failing to plan your weekly training, you leave your workouts to chance. Some body parts may receive less-than-optimal training volume (sets and reps) while others are overworked.

Unlike specialized hypertrophy programs that intentionally underload one area to allocate more training to a lagging muscle group, unplanned training tends to be consistently inconsistent, resulting in inferior gains all around.

Training loads may go untracked, resulting in failure to recognize leading indicators of progress, such as the ability to perform more repetitions with a given weight or the ability to lift more weight. You may also miss leading indicators of accumulating fatigue and under-recovery, which might otherwise be addressed by program adjustments or a deload.

The Solution

Lifters serious about building muscle must structure their training, and following an effective training split is a good start. Training splits help lifters get organized and stay organized by assigning a focus to each workout.

For example, in a push/pull/legs split, your first workout of the week focuses on upper body pushing movements, which would tend to target chest, front delts (shoulders), and triceps. The second workout hits upper body pulling exercises, such as rows, pulldowns, and pull-ups, along with biceps and rear deltoid (shoulder) work. And, you guessed it, the third workout is leg day. 

Once each workout has a focus, even if that focus is a full-body workout, the desired weekly training volume for each body part can be allocated to each body part. Appropriate training volume for building muscle is discussed in the next section, but if you’re not planning or tracking your training volume, you’ll never know whether you hit the target.

Once you’ve established your split, you need to plan and track the specifics of each workout. At a minimum, this should include:

• Exercise selection
• Number of sets and target repetition range for each exercise
• Actual number of sets and repetitions performed
• Weight used

Keep records in your phone (i.e. using an app) or use a tried and true pen and notebook.

Volume Control

Resistance training volume refers to the amount of work accomplished in training. “Volume load” includes the number of sets, number of repetitions, and load for each exercise performed. (1) Volume load is a key determinant of hypertrophy (muscle gain). (2)

Weekly training volume load, rather than daily volume load, is a more important factor in hypertrophy training. (3) That is, whether each muscle group is trained once, twice, or three times per week, the recommendations below on appropriate weekly training volume still apply.

The Problem

Lifters run into trouble when they overshoot or undershoot effective weekly resistance training volume. Like many biological processes, the relationship between weekly volume and muscle gain appears to follow a two-tailed, bell-shaped curve — a “Goldilocks” scenario.

Perform too little volume and you’ll fail to make progress or even backslide. Perform too much volume and you’ll run the risk of non-functional overreaching, or declining performance that only rebounds to baseline after prolonged recovery. (4)

The Solution

To avoid missing out on gains due to insufficient volume or unsustainably high volume, you first need to have an idea of baseline training volume. A simple way of calculating volume is by totaling the number of weekly sets per major muscle group. (1)

According to an expert consensus statement on hypertrophy, 10 weekly sets per major muscle group is a good minimum target for trained individuals. As a general rule, total weekly sets should not increase more than about 20% per month of training. (5) While greater increases in volume may be sustained during planned “overreaching,” these temporary periods are typically followed by a deload, or a pre-planned reduction in training volume and intensity. 

Don’t fear deloads. During a deload, dramatic reductions in training volume are common. Weekly volume may be reduced by approximately 50%. Lifters may be wary about aggressively reducing volume during deloads for fear of losing muscle; however, research shows trained individuals maintain strength and size for at least two weeks of no workouts. (6) During a deload, you’re still active and training.

Deloads are time-limited — typically one week or so. Deloads allow for recovery from hard cycles of training. Following a deload week, lifters are anecdotally more sensitive to training volume, allowing them to “reset” weekly training volume back toward moderate volume (e.g. 10 to 16 weekly sets). 

The question of top-end weekly volume may be of interest, too. Although some lifters may benefit from higher training volumes, it is likely not necessary for most to push past 20 or so weekly sets per muscle group, especially if other training variables are progressive over time.

Lack of Progression

The same sets, reps, and weights that built your current body will not build your dream physique. This is because our muscles, like all biological systems, reach equilibrium (i.e. homeostasis) quickly if not provided with progressive training stimuli.

The Problem

Informed by the tenets of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), which describes how living organisms respond to stressors, non-progressive stimuli result in an eventual plateau of biological responses. (7) For hypertrophy training, this means non-progressive workouts will eventually become non-productive workouts and you’ll stop seeing muscle gains.

The Solution

The simplest solution to non-progressive training is to ensure you are either adding volume (sets and/or reps) or load to your lifts regularly.

Although any decent, ready-made program will already incorporate progression, a simple method of progression for building your own program is to start by identifying a weight for each exercise that allows you to perform a number of repetitions toward the bottom of your target repetition range for moderate effort sets.

For example, a lifter wishing to program neutral-grip lat pulldowns in the eight to 12 repetition range might determine she is able to use 165 pounds (75 kilograms) for 8 reps while having two or three repetitions left in reserve.

Now, each week, she can either add one repetition per set or add 2.5% to 5% more weight — she can either progress to 165 pounds for nine or more reps or 170 pounds for eight reps. She will continue to add repetitions or weight until she’s unable to remain within the target repetition range. Then it’s time to take a deload period of approximately one week and restart.

Alternatively, if you feel you are not ready for a deload, simply adjust your target repetition range to accommodate a longer period of progression (12 to 15 repetitions, in this example).

Quasi-Cardio Workouts

Working up a sweat and getting the heart pumping are features of many intense sessions, and most lifters value that type of training. Supersets, which pair exercises back-to-back thereby minimizing rest, are a mainstay of many of these intense workouts. (8)

But some lifters take “minimal rest” too far. If rest between sets is limited to the point where workout quality or performance suffers, the workout may fail to achieve its ultimate purpose: building muscle.

The Problem

To be clear, the problem isn’t lack of rest between sets, per se. It’s the resulting loss of training volume and/or intensity that inevitably occurs after not taking enough rest. (9)

Reducing rest periods will play up the cardiovascular challenge of the workout. While cardio is very good for overall health, it is not the ideal type of training for building muscle. Moreover, “lifting light weights fast” or “lifting with minimal rest” is unlikely to be optimal cardio for most. Rhythmic or cyclical exercises tend to be more suitable (e.g. rowing machine, jogging, cycling, swimming, etc.).

“Frankensteining” a cardio-like, resistance training workout will not allow adequate recovery of the phosphagen and anaerobic alactic energy systems which predominantly fuel traditional resistance training. This results in lost repetitions and/or necessitates use of lower loads. Since volume load drives hypertrophy, short rest intervals ultimately lead to inferior growth. (9)

The Solution

Outside of very specific scenarios such as supersets, ensure you are getting adequate rest between sets to maintain desired training volume throughout your hypertrophy workout. Take a minimum of two minutes rest between sets of multi-joint exercises and 60 to 90 seconds between sets of single-joint exercises. (5)

Tip-Toeing Around Tension

Those with hypertrophy goals lift weights to expose their muscles to tension. When exposed to tension, muscles experience a complex cascade of mechanical, neural, and chemical events that culminate in elevated rates of muscle protein synthesis and protein turnover. (10)(11) The end result, ideally, is bigger muscles.

The Problem

Mechanical tension is thought to be a key driver of hypertrophy. (11) However, lifters can be very efficient at working around mechanical tension, especially when sets get challenging. By using compensations or work-arounds that make repetitions easier, they end up taking tension off the target muscles.

The Solution

Develop a strong mind-muscle connection and don’t cheat yourself out of tension. From the beginning of each set, focus on controlling the negative (or eccentric/lowering) phase of the exercise. You might even linger a bit slower during the most challenging portion of the motion. For example, when lowering dumbbells during a lateral raise, focus on controlling the initial descent. 

As your set continues, disallow any compensations — don’t cheat! Keeping your form clean in the face of fatigue, burning muscles, and impending muscular failure is challenging, no doubt, but it can be mastered.

If, for example, you are performing dumbbell front squats as a quadriceps-focused leg exercise, continue to drive your knees forward as you squat down, shifting tension into your quads. Do not allow yourself to sit back into your hips during the final challenging repetitions. 

If you are new to the skills of pushing through tension or still developing the mind-muscle connection, consider certain machine-based exercises, which instill confidence and include built-in safety measures.

Always Testing, Never Training

Some lifters can’t resist training too heavy, too often. For many, nothing feels better than hitting a heavy personal best or maximum on a squat, bench, press or deadlift. But maxing out is not necessarily the same as productive training. Unplanned “YOLO sets” can sap energy, rob you of volume load, interfere with readiness to train, and ultimately detract from your hypertrophy gains.

The Problem

While there is an appropriate time and place in any program for maxing out, it is typically during a period of planned overreaching or testing to establish percentages and working weights.

Heavy singles, doubles, even triples can result in lower volume loads, a key driver of hypertrophy. (2) This is because maximum or near-maximum low-rep sets may detract from, or take, the place of sets in the five-to-30 repetition range, which are most efficient for accumulating volume load. 

Performed too frequently, heavy maximum sets might spur non-functional overreaching. Researchers reported non-functional overreaching (i.e. lack of gains) among trained squatters performing three sessions per week of two singles at 95% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and three singles at 90% 1RM after only three weeks. (12)

Another study compared a volume load equated program using three sets of 10 repetitions versus seven sets of three repetitions. The groups gained equivalent muscle over eight weeks, but the group performing heavy triples for seven sets reported more symptoms associated with overtraining, like joint pain. (13) 

Ultimately, heavy training can sneak up on you. Although it may be possible to achieve equivalent volume load and growth with heavy maximum sets, they may not be as efficient in the long-term as “hypertrophy-style” sets in the moderate to high-repetition range.

The Solution

Heavy, maximum effort sets (i.e. less than three repetitions) should be few and far between when you’re in a dedicated hypertrophy program. You do not need to max out every week.

True 1RM testing may not even be necessary for the hypertrophy-focused lifter. Programming based on multiple repetitions maximum (i.e. 5RM, 8RM, 12RM, etc.) is just as effective as percentages of 1RM, and arguably more specific to the repetition target of the sets commonly performed during training.

Plan to regularly test 8RM to 12 RM for your primary lifts approximately once or twice per four-to-six-week training cycle. On days your program does not call for maximum effort sets, resist the urge to max out.

Program Sampling

Countless training programs have potential to help you reach your physique goals. However, constantly sampling from the endless menu of workouts circulating through social media and fitness publications is a sure-fire way to slow your progress.

The Problem

With each new exercise or exercise variation, we ask our neuromuscular system to tackle a novel movement skill. Motor learning, or the process of learning a new movement skill, takes time.

If you’re constantly changing up your workout, you never approach the crest of the learning curve. Meaning, you will not get the most of your training because you haven’t spent enough time with each exercise to maximize technique, repetitions, and loads. (14)

The Solution

Think of each exercise in your workout as an investment. Keep an exercise in your workout portfolio long enough and you will experience compounding interest in the forms of technical proficiency and muscular adaptations associated with the exercise.

Keeping relative consistency allows for progressive overload, an essential feature of effective training. For hypertrophy, progressive overload is accomplished by gradually exposing your muscles to greater demands over time.

Once you develop or identify a workout program you enjoy that’s specific to your goals, see it through for at least four to eight weeks. How do you know when it’s time to shake things up? When training gets stale. And this next section just so happens to explain more.

Stale Programming

Variation, while potentially counterproductive if applied excessively, may play an important role in preventing stalled progress. (14)(15) Variation can take the form of changes in programming variables such as sets, repetitions, and load. (16) Or, variation can be accomplished via exercise selection. (15) Your program should include both sources of variety.

The Problem

Without some variation in your training, stagnation is likely to occur. Stagnation can be mental or physical. Repeating the same workouts week-in and week-out can drain motivation to train, while highly varied programs are shown to enhance motivation. (17)

Physically, our muscles will become accustomed to the stale stimulus, as discussed in the previous “Lack of Progression” section. Moreover, muscles may grow preferentially at specific regions in response to certain exercises. With varied exercise selection, more robust growth throughout the muscle has been shown. (14)(18)

The Solution

Vary your training systematically, not haphazardly. Consider a planned, or periodized, program. If you are drawn to lots of variation or need frequent changes to stay motivated, consider a program with an undulating periodization scheme — In these programs, volume and load are varied frequently (e.g. daily or weekly). (19)

For example, one workout might call for three sets of 12 repetitions, the next workout might be four sets of eight, and a third workout might be five sets of five repetitions. Although not specifically designated as a hypertrophy program, one example of a daily undulating program is the Conjugate Method popularized by powerlifters at the famed Westside Barbell. 

For others, a more traditional approach, such as linear periodization, may suffice. Programs that are linearly periodized gradually increase load while gradually reducing volume. (19) A systematic review comparing undulating periodized training programs with linear programs showed no difference in hypertrophy outcomes between the two periodization styles. (19) 

Periodization seem too complicated? Fortunately, true periodization may not be necessary for hypertrophy. (16)(20) But variation is still important. First, make sure your program is progressive by adding volume or load when training gets easy.

Next, consider including multiple exercises for each body part. Not only does this decrease boredom, but it may also lead to fuller muscular hypertrophy. (14)(18) For example, you might include spider curls and incline dumbbell curls, either in the same workout or throughout the week, to hit your biceps at different muscle lengths.

Finally, switch out your exercises for different variations when you begin to plateau — Changes might be as often as every four to eight weeks, or as seldom as every twelve to sixteen weeks.

Forgetting the Food

As the saying goes, you must eat big to get big. Elevated rates of muscle protein synthesis following resistance training are thought to be the key driving force of muscle gain among consistent lifters. (10) The raw materials for elevated rates of protein synthesis largely come from dietary protein, the most important macronutrient for hypertrophy-focused lifters.

The Problem

Although 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram body mass per day is commonly cited as a target for maximizing muscle gain, resistance trained individuals may benefit from substantially higher intake. A target of 2.0 to 2.2 grams protein per kilogram body mass may be more appropriate. (10)(21) Many lifters fail to consistently reach this target.

The Solution

While many lifters are not interested in tracking all macronutrients, focusing on optimizing protein intake may be the most practical and impactful step. A simple strategy to reach a protein target of 2.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram body mass — roughly one gram per pound body weight — is to divide target protein intake across the number of meals you plan to consume each day.

For example, a 200-pound lifter might plan to consume four meals containing approximately 50 grams of protein each. Alternatively, this lifter could consume three meals at approximately 50 grams of protein each, a post-workout shake containing 30 grams protein, and a snack containing another 20 grams. 

To effectively meet your protein target, you will need to familiarize yourself with the protein content of the foods you commonly consume. Before long, you’ll begin to memorize the protein contents of foods you commonly eat. 

For example, a single egg has six grams, a quarter-pound of beef has approximately 25 grams, and a small can of tuna fish also has 25 grams. Those with health conditions, those seeking meal plans, and those looking to optimize other facets of their nutrition, such as nutrient timing, should consult a registered dietitian, ideally one with experience with physique athletes.

Sleep Struggles

When it comes to fat loss, a common platitude goes: “Abs are made in the kitchen.” But when it comes to building muscle, a more correct claim is: “Muscle is made in the bedroom.” Recovery between workouts enables consistent high-intensity training, and recovery depends on adequate high-quality sleep.

The Problem

Sleep deprivation is known to blunt muscle protein synthesis (the building of new muscle). Just a single night of sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce the rate of overnight muscle protein synthesis by 18%. (22)

Another study showed five nights of partially restricted sleep (four hours in bed) resulted in significantly reduced muscle protein synthesis compared to matched groups getting a full night’s sleep (eight hours in bed). (23)

Over longer periods of time, even modest restrictions in sleep duration may have profoundly negative effects on your ability to gain muscle. Beyond sleep duration, the quality of sleep may also affect adaptations from hypertrophy training.

The Solution

To improve sleep, focus on three areas: Preparation, duration, and conditions. 

First, ensure you are “winding down” in the hours prior to bedtime. Whether it’s the blue light from electronics or the highly stimulating nature of the information and activities performed with these devices, minimizing screen time before bed seems pertinent. Moreover, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the afternoon and evening hours. (24)

Make every effort to get into bed early enough to allocate approximately eight hours to sleep. Yes, there are likely individual differences in the total duration of sleep required, but eight hours is a good baseline goal for most.

Finally, ensure the conditions of your bedroom are conducive to sleep. Make every effort to create a cool (i.e. approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius), dark, and comfortable environment for sleep. (24) Blackout shades, earplugs, fans, and/or air conditioning units can be helpful.

Ideally, the bedroom is kept free of electronics which might interrupt sleep. Sleep can be improved with planning and attention, resulting in a fuller night’s sleep and ultimately, a fuller muscular physique.

Excessive “Advanced” Training

Drop sets, forced reps, rest-pause, heavy negatives, and supersets are typically categorized as “advanced training techniques,” a classification that may sound alluring. Equally alluring is the fact that more than 80% of competitive bodybuilders use these techniques in “most but not all sessions.” (25) Advanced training techniques are fun and can increase motivation to train. (5)(26) But here’s the rub. You might already be using these techniques too often.

The Problem

Most lifters interested in building a muscular physique do not engage in competitive bodybuilding, a sport characterized by common use of anabolic androgenic steroids that likely allows individuals to tolerate (and thrive) under punishing training regimes. Therefore, most lifters should not attempt to train like competitive bodybuilders. 

While research on advanced training techniques is sparse in some areas, studies on drop sets and supersets tend to show similar muscle gain to traditional set configurations. (5)(26)(27) Keep in mind, training studies on advanced training techniques are time-limited — typically six to ten weeks in duration.

Because many advanced training techniques push the lifter past failure or dramatically reduce rest intervals, it may be difficult to sustain frequent use of these techniques in the long term without accumulating fatigue. With accumulated fatigue, performance in subsequent workouts begins to suffer, which may ultimately hinder gains.

The Solution

Advanced training techniques should be used judiciously. Limiting use of advanced training, particularly techniques that extend sets beyond failure (i.e. drop sets and forced reps), to primarily single-joint movements and machine-based exercises may help to manage the burden of fatigue. (5)

It may be wise to limit use of advanced training to the final set of a given exercise or to a defined period of intentional overreaching, such as the final week of a training cycle. (5)

Finally, while survey data indicates most competitive bodybuilders use advanced training techniques, they tend to use these techniques with primarily single-joint exercises. Biceps curls, triceps pushdowns, and pec flyes are the most common. (25)

If you wish to employ advanced training techniques frequently, go ahead and take this lesson from their playbook: Use advanced training primarily when training smaller muscle groups and for isolation-type exercises.

Impatience

Real talk: building muscle is painfully slow. Young, healthy newbies (individuals beginning an organized hypertrophy program for the first time) are a population expected to make the most rapid gains in muscle mass.

This is the “newbie gains” phenomenon. However, as your training experience increases, gains are slower and harder to come by.

The Problem

Rates of hypertrophy are relatively slow and highly individual. In a clever study design, variability in hypertrophy between individuals performing the same progressive training programs was 40-times greater than variability within individuals when the individuals performed different progressive protocols on left versus right limbs. (20) 

Further emphasizing variability within individuals, a small study on 24 “newbie” lifters reported a 10.7% average increase in muscle cross sectional area after ten weeks of hard training. But this average is somewhat misleading, as “high responders” grew nearly 15%, while just under a third of the individuals (“low responders”) lost muscle size throughout the study, albeit this change did not reach statistical significance. (28)

Altogether, research hints that individual features are more important than the specific nuts-and-bolts of the hypertrophy program.

The Solution

Fortunately, there are no non-responders to progressive hypertrophy training. (20) But if you are a low responder, also known as a “hard gainer,” or even an average responder to training, you’d better get comfortable playing the long game.

Practice setting expectations and goals in terms of longer timeframes. For example, an average experienced lifter not enhanced by anabolic steroids might reasonably set a goal of gaining four or five pounds of primarily lean muscle mass per month.

However, for a known low responder, a more realistic goal might be to add two pounds of muscle per month. Or better yet, aim at twelve solid pounds of muscle in a year. Rather than frantically seeking the next best program or supplement, most lifters would be better served thinking about gains in terms of months, years, even decades. Settle in and enjoy the progress.

Finally, there’s one silver lining for “hard gainers.” Although they tend to gain muscle more slowly, “hard gainers” shed muscle more slowly during periods of detraining. (28)

Avoid Roadblocks on Your Journey to “Gainzville”

Building muscle is an arduous journey but a rewarding one. A muscular physique affects your self-esteem, how you are perceived in the world, and your overall health. If you’re not getting where you want to go, now’s the time to re-examine and tinker with your programming, your habits, and even your mindset.

References

1. Nunes, J. P., et al. (2021). Equating resistance-training volume between programs focused on muscle hypertrophy. Sports Medicine, 51, 1171-1178.
2. Carvalho, L., et al. (2022). Muscle hypertrophy and strength gains after resistance training with different volume-matched loads: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 47(4), 357-368.
3. Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Latella, C. (2019). Resistance training frequency and skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A review of available evidence. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(3), 361-370.
4. Bell, L., et al. (2020). Overreaching and overtraining in strength sports and resistance training: A scoping review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(16), 1897-1912.
5. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1).
6. Hwang, P. S., et al. (2017). Resistance training–induced elevations in muscular strength in trained men are maintained after 2 weeks of detraining and not differentially affected by whey protein supplementation. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(4), 869-881.
7. Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2004). Fundamentals of resistance training: progression and exercise prescription. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(4), 674-688.
8. Iversen V.M., et al. (2021). No time to lift? Designing time-efficient training programs for strength and hypertrophy: a narrative review. Sports Medicine, 51, 2079-2095.
9. Longo, A. R., et al. (2022). Volume load rather than resting interval influences muscle hypertrophy during high-intensity resistance training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1554-1559.
10. Joanisse, S., et al. (2020). Recent advances in understanding resistance exercise training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy in humans. F1000Research, 9.
11. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology.
12. Fry, A. C., et al. (2000). Impaired performances with excessive high-intensity free-weight training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 14(1), 54-61.
13. Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2014). Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(10), 2909-2918.
14. Kassiano, W., et al. (2022). Does varying resistance exercises promote superior muscle hypertrophy and strength gains? A systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1753-1762.
15. Fisher, J. P., et al. (2018). Periodization for optimizing strength and hypertrophy; the forgotten variables. Journal of Trainology, 7(1), 10-15.
16. Grgic, J., et al. (2018). Should resistance training programs aimed at muscular hypertrophy be periodized? A systematic review of periodized versus non-periodized approaches. Science & Sports, 33(3), e97-e104.
17. Baz-Valle, E., et al. (2019). The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PloS one, 14(12), e0226989.
18. de Vasconcelos Costa, B. D., et al. (2021). Does performing different resistance exercises for the same muscle group induce non-homogeneous hypertrophy?. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(09), 803-811.
19. Grgic, J., Mikulic, P., Podnar, H., & Pedisic, Z. (2017). Effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training programs on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ, 5, e3695.
20. Damas, F., et al. (2019). Myofibrillar protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy individualized responses to systematically changing resistance training variables in trained young men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 127(3), 806-815.
21. Mazzulla, M., et al. (2020). Protein intake to maximize whole-body anabolism during postexercise recovery in resistance-trained men with high habitual intakes is severalfold greater than the current recommended dietary allowance. The Journal of Nutrition, 150(3), 505-511.
22. Lamon, S., et al. (2021). The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiological Reports, 9(1), e14660.
23. Saner, N. J., et al. (2020). The effect of sleep restriction, with or without high‐intensity interval exercise, on myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy young men. The Journal of physiology, 598(8), 1523-1536.
24. Bird, S. P. (2013). Sleep, recovery, and athletic performance: a brief review and recommendations. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 35(5), 43-47.
25. Hackett, D. A., et al. (2013). Training practices and ergogenic aids used by male bodybuilders. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(6), 1609-1617.
26. Krzysztofik, M., et al. (2019). Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4897.
27. Angleri, V., Ugrinowitsch, C., & Libardi, C. A. (2017). Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117, 359-369.
28. Räntilä, A., et al. (2021). High responders to hypertrophic strength training also tend to lose more muscle mass and strength during detraining than low responders. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(6), 1500-1511.

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This exercise also goes by “Champagne press,” but the hex press isn’t just for special occasions. Like Champagne, the hex press compliments just about anything — it’s great for lifters training for a stronger press, a more muscular chest, or healthier shoulders.

Ready to pop the cork on new chest gains? Find everything you need to know below. 

Hex Press

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

Hex Press Video Guide

See the hex press in action, demonstrated by author Dr. Merrick Lincoln. Note the key techniques, then check out the Step-by-Step breakdown with additional form tips. 

How to Do the Hex Press Step By Step

It may look like a close-grip dumbbell bench press but, while there are some similarities, there are crucial differences that make the hex press stand out. Follow these steps for proper, efficient, and effective technique.

Step 1 — Set Up Five Points of Contact

Like the bench press, the hex press is performed on a flat bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, set up with five points of contact for stability — the back of your head on the bench, your shoulder blades on the bench, your buttock on the bench, your right foot touching the floor, and your left foot touching the floor. (1)

Form Tip: Recruit a “spotter,” or individual who can assist you if you run into trouble during the exercise. Any exercise involving weights passing over the body requires a spotter. (1) A spotter is especially important when learning an unfamiliar exercise. The spotter stands behind the bench and, if assistance is necessary, they will assist by grasping your wrists to guide the dumbbells. (1)

Step 2 — Set Your Shoulders and Squeeze the Dumbbells Together

Lift your chest toward the ceiling by arching your back and pulling your shoulder blades together. Maintain this position throughout the exercise. With a neutral grip (palms facing each other), bring the dumbbells together just above your sternum and squeeze them together hard.

Form Tip: If you’re using hexagonal-shaped dumbbells — the namesake equipment for the hex press — ensure flat surfaces of the dumbbells are aligned and squeezed together. 

Step 3 — Maintain Pressure, Press to Lockout

Initiate the press by flexing your shoulders and extending your elbows. Keep the dumbbells squeezed together and elbows tucked throughout the movement. Don’t decrease inward pressure as you reach the top, locked out, position.

Form Tip: Keep tension. In addition to the profound contraction you’ll feel in your chest, you should feel tension in your upper back and lats, which keep your shoulder blades pulled together (retracted) and keep your elbows tucked toward your sides. 

Step 4 — Lower without Separating

Lower to the center of your chest using the same arm path as the upward movement phase. Focus on keeping the dumbbells firmly squeezed together throughout the lowering phase, which may feel slightly unnatural at first, since the lowering phase of most exercises emphasizes a muscle stretch.

Form Tip: Think about “rowing” or actively pulling the dumbbells back your chest. “Rowing” the weights back to the starting position reinforces tension in your upper back and eliminates the need to reset your arch before the next repletion.

Hex Press Mistakes to Avoid

Dodge these common errors for cleaner technique and more effective hex presses.

Losing The “Squeeze” Between Dumbbells

The pressure exerted between the dumbbells is part of the special sauce that makes the hex press effective — and extra spicy. It promotes muscular engagement in parts of the chest that might not otherwise be as active.

At the bottom position of the exercise, the lifter’s elbows are bent, and shoulder internal rotation force is required to keep the dumbbells together. Toward the top position, arms are straighter, and shoulder horizontal adduction force is required to keep the dumbbells together. Although it may get harder to keep the squeeze at the top and bottom of the movement, firm pressure between the dumbbells must be maintained throughout.

Dropping Your Chest, Freeing Your Shoulder Blades, or Flaring Your Elbows

Loss of tension in the back allows the chest to drop, shoulder blades to spread, and upper arms to drift away from the lifter’s sides. These three errors tend to occur together, and they can make the hex press less effective.

If you feel any of these faults, reset by arching your spine, retracting your shoulder blades (and pinning them to the bench), and tucking your elbows toward your ribcage. Now, keep this tension and finish.

Non-Perpendicular Pressure Between Dumbbells

When squeezing the dumbbells together, it’s essential to maintain opposing forces from the left and right arm that are horizontally aligned and nearly equal in magnitude. Otherwise, dumbbells may slip or roll apart, leading to loss of tension, missed reps, or worse.

Get the feel of creating the squeeze using light dumbbells during your “work up” sets and focus on maintaining even, steady pressure throughout the workout. 

How to Progress the Hex Press

When first performing the hex press, start with relatively light dumbbells to hone technique. Once you’re comfortable with the exercise, a “working weight” 20 to 30% lower than what you’d typically use for a traditional dumbbell bench press will likely be appropriate. From there, lifters have several great options for progressing the hex press.

Squeeze Harder

The simplest way to progress the hex press is to apply more inward pressure to the dumbbells. Increasing the “squeeze” makes the exercise more difficult and boosts the training stimulus experienced by the chest and shoulder muscles.

Increase Weight

Squeezing harder during the hex press can make virtually any weight more challenging, but this progression method isn’t likely to stimulate triceps growth or carry over to heavy pressing as efficiently as increasing the weight.

Once you’re able to hit or surpass your repetition target on the final working set, it may be time to use heavier dumbbells. Ideally, jumping up to the next pair of dumbbells on the rack will drop you back toward the bottom of your target repetition range.

Increase Repetition Volume

As you get stronger with the hex press, consider performing additional repetitions per set. For example, if you normally perform eight to 12 repetitions, and you’re consistently hitting 12 reps with more left in the tank, change your target to 12 to 16 repetition sets. Shifting the repetition range upward helps to ensure challenging sets and ongoing muscle gain.

Benefits of the Hex Press

The hex press biases your chest while requiring only light to moderate weights and minimal shoulder extension. Altogether, the hex press may provide new chest growth and a more shoulder-friendly pressing experience.

Robust Chest Training

Performed properly, the hex press enables maximal or near-maximal chest contraction throughout every repetition — a feat not possible during traditional presses. Here’s why: 

Traditional exercises are limited by the amount of resistance our muscles can overcome during the sticking point, or the most challenging portion of the movement. For presses, the sticking point occurs toward the beginning of the upward movement phase. (2) During the remainder of the movement, your muscles are not maximally challenged. During the hex press, you can ensure your muscles are adequately stimulated by squeezing the weights together as hard as you desire. 

Not feeling adequately challenged? Simply squeeze the dumbbells together harder to demand more force from the chest. Moreover, squeezing as you press virtually ensures thorough engagement of pectoralis major — Read more in the “Muscles Worked” section below.

Reinforces Mind-Muscle Connection and Pressing Technique

Horizontal pressing exercises, such as the bench press and dumbbell bench press, are a mainstay for strength training and physique development. Several technical elements are common across all bench-supported horizontal pressing exercises, including the need for shoulder blade retraction and co-contraction of muscles around the shoulder joints. Also desirable is the sensation of muscular effort from the chest. Lifters spend months, even years, honing their form to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Fortunately, the hex press can help lifters to build strength, technique, and a mind-muscle connection that can reinforce proper performance of other horizontal presses. During the hex press, squeezing the dumbbells together creates the feeling of peak pectoralis major contraction throughout the pressing movement. This sensation of “flexing the pecs” can help to enhance the mind-muscle connection, which may be conducive to greater gains. (3)

Squeezing the dumbbells together also encourages greater involvement of your rhomboids and middle trapezius, as they must counteract forces from pectoralis major, subscapularis, serratus anterior, and other muscles on the front of the torso. Rhomboids and middle traps are the muscles primarily responsible for maintaining retraction of the shoulder blades. Increased demand during the hex press may encourage lifters to create a tighter setup for bench-supported horizontal pressing.

Shoulder-Friendly Pressing

Individuals with certain shoulder problems, such as shoulder instability, may not tolerate traditional pressing. (4)(5) Individuals who present with apprehension and pain in the front of the shoulder when the arm is brought out and extended behind the body may have a specific type of instability called anterior instability. (4)(6) This problem is common among lifters. One small study reported over two-thirds of recreational resistance trainees showed signs and symptoms of anterior instability. (6) 

Unlike the basic dumbbell bench press or barbell bench press, the hex press limits shoulder extension at the bottom of the movement. Your arms cannot travel behind your body, because the dumbbells are not allowed to clear the chest. This feature may be better tolerated by lifters with functional anterior instability. 

Because every brand of shoulder pain is different, those suffering with shoulder issues should seek a qualified sports medicine provider — and the hex press might be worth discussing, as it may present an opportunity to train around or train through certain shoulder issues with the appropriate guidance.

Muscles Worked by the Hex Press

As a neutral-grip pressing movement, the hex press trains the muscles that flex your shoulders and extend your elbows. Squeezing the dumbbells together also trains the muscles of shoulder horizontal adduction (i.e. those trained during a chest flye) and the muscles of shoulder internal rotation. Here are the major players.

Pectoralis Major

You’ll feel the hex press most profoundly in pectoralis major, the biggest, most superficial muscles of your chest. The pectoralis major has two major parts — the clavicular head, or upper chest, and the sternocostal head, which composes the middle to lower part of the chest. Each part contributes to various shoulder actions and the hex press covers virtually all bases for training your pectoralis major.

Shoulder flexion is resisted during the pressing movement of the hex press. The clavicular head of pectoralis major is trained during resisted shoulder flexion. (7) Shoulder horizontal adduction is trained by squeezing the dumbbells together toward the top of the hex press.

Both heads of the pectoralis major are trained during shoulder horizontal adduction, along with a handful of different muscles. (7)(8) Shoulder internal rotation is trained when the dumbbells are squeezed together toward the bottom of the hex press. Again, both heads are trained during internal rotation exercise, albeit the sternocostal head is likely biased. (9)

Anterior Deltoid

The deltoid is the “cap” of muscle surrounding the front, back, and side of your shoulder. It is divided into three functional parts, each with different actions — anterior, middle, and posterior. The anterior deltoid, or front delts, flex the shoulder and assist with squeezing the dumbbells together during the hex press. (7) While typical pressing exercises hit this part of the delt, the extra squeeze of the hex press makes this exercise more effective for anterior deltoid development.

Triceps Brachii

The hex press trains your triceps brachii, the three-headed muscle on the backside of your arms. In addition to filling your sleeves, the triceps brachii helps improve your bench press numbers by enhancing lockout strength. For a great triceps pump, try three or four sets of hex press with light-to-moderate weight dumbbells for high-repetition sets with 60 seconds rest between each set.

Rotator Cuff

Although traditional pressing largely trains muscles on the front of your chest and shoulders, the movement also activates important muscles located deep behind the shoulders— the posterior rotator cuff. (10) The posterior rotator cuff serves a stabilizing function during the press.

By actively squeezing the dumbbells together, particularly during the bottom half of the hex press, the deep muscle on the front of the shoulder, or anterior rotator cuff, is engaged. Hence, the hex press appears to be uniquely suited to train both the posterior and anterior rotator cuff muscles.

How to Program the Hex Press

The hex press can be programmed in a variety of ways on push day, during a specific chest workout, or during a full body workout. Hex presses can build muscle and strength. In addition, they prime your chest and shoulders for heavy work and work nicely for intensification techniques.

As a Low-to-Moderate Weight, High-Repetition Chest Builder 

Whether training for building muscle (i.e. “hypertrophy”) or strength, high effort sets — those carried up to or near muscular failure — are effective even relatively with light weight. (11)(12)(13) 

Select light-to-moderate weight dumbbells (e.g. 40 to 70% of what you’d use for a standard dumbbell bench press). Then, take each working set to within two or three repetitions of failure. Two to four sets of eight or more repetitions will promote strength and size, provided sets are performed with high levels of effort.

As a Lightweight Activation Exercise

Do you or someone you know suffer from the inability to feel the chest working during presses? Don’t despair. The hex press might be the fix. 

Simply perform one to three light sets of hex presses before your primary press of the day (i.e. before the bench press, incline press, etc.). Focus on the “squeeze” during the hex press. Then, like an overfilled shaker bottle, the mind-muscle connection to your pecs will spill over to your primary pressing movement.

Maximally squeezing the dumbbells together during a set of hex pressing may increase power output during a subsequent set of presses via a phenomenon called post-activation potentiation. (14) This effect may be especially appealing for athletes and lifters training to be more athletic. 

As Part of a Giant Set

A giant set is an intensification technique consisting of four or more exercises in series without rest between. Like supersets, the exercises used giant sets can target non-competing muscle groups or identical muscles.

When all four exercises in the giant set target the same muscles, they’ve been shown to produce similar hypertrophy to supersets and traditional sets that used 90 second rest intervals. (15) But here’s the kicker — giant sets take less time than supersets and traditional sets. 

The hex press requires simple equipment, minimal setup, and compliments many different giant set configurations. Here’s a sample giant set:

• Dumbbell Bench Press — 3-4 x 12
• Dumbbell Pullover — 3-4 x 12
• Dumbbell Flye — 3-4 x 12
• Hex Press — 3-4 x 12

Take no rest between individual exercises. Switch dumbbells if necessary and immediately begin the next lift. Rest 60-90 seconds between giant sets.

Hex Press Variations

Looking for other effective and shoulder-friendly ways to train the chest? Depending on your preferences and available equipment, you might choose one of the following variations: 

Single-Arm Dumbbell Floor Press

The dumbbell floor press can be a great exercise for learning and training horizontal pressing movements. Compared to the basic dumbbell bench press, the floor press limits shoulder extension, as the upper arms will be stopped by the ground. The shoulder extension range of motion of the floor press is similar to the hex press, meaning it is likely to minimize stress on the front of the shoulder, as discussed in the Benefits section, above.

One major drawback of the dumbbell floor press, however, is that it is usually limited to light dumbbells due to difficult setup. Performing the floor press one arm at a time (“unilaterally”) helps to minimize this problem.

Perform the single-arm dumbbell floor press lying on your back, either with your feet flat on the floor or your legs extended out in front of you. Begin the press with a single dumbbell held at the side of your chest and your upper arm resting on the floor. Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the floor as you drive the dumbbell toward the ceiling and lower with control. 

Incline Hex Press

Limited research suggests the incline bench press may provide greater gains in upper chest, or clavicular head pectoralis major, muscle thickness compared to the flat bench press. (8)(16)

Although we must be cautious extrapolating these findings to the hex press, lifters wishing to build their upper chest might consider the incline version of the exercise. The incline hex press is performed just like the hex press, except an incline bench or adjustable bench set to approximately 45-degrees is used.

Hex Press to Flye Press Combo

A potential shortcoming of the hex press is the inability to expose the chest to training at long muscle lengths (e.g. “under stretch”). Enter the flye press. The traditional flye press involves pressing to lockout and then allowing the dumbbells to spread apart in a “flye-like” motion during the downward movement phase, thereby training pectoralis major at long muscle lengths during the eccentric (lowering phase).

For the hex press to flye press combo, get the benefits of the “squeeze” by performing the upward movement phase like a hex press and lowering the weights like a flye. Be sure to use lighter dumbbells than usual for this movement, as the eccentric flye is extremely challenging. 

Medicine Ball Push-up

While this final variation isn’t a dumbbell press at all, push-up variations are criminally underrated. They can be done nearly anywhere. Better yet, push-ups increase strength and muscle mass similarly to the bench press. (17) 

Performing push-ups with your hands on either side of a medicine ball requires isometric horizontal adduction of the shoulders similar to the hex press, while training through a similar pressing range of motion. Try the medicine ball squeeze push-up as a hex press alternative when dumbbells are scarce, when you want to change-up in the feel of your chest training, or when traditional push-ups become too easy.  

FAQs

Build a Magnum Chest with the Champagne Press

The hex press is performed by aggressively squeezing dumbbells together throughout a neutral-grip dumbbell bench press. The squeeze engages greater portions of your pecs, which may lead to accelerated chest gains. The hex press also reinforces important elements of pressing technique, spares sore shoulders from loaded hyperextension, and creates co-contraction conducive to joint stability. Savor the squeeze and celebrate the hex press.

References

1. Haff, G. G., & Triplett, N. T. (Eds.). (2015). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 4th ed. Human Kinetics. Champagne, IL, USA. 351-408. 
2. Kompf, J., & Arandjelović, O. (2017). The sticking point in the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift: Similarities and differences, and their significance for research and practice. Sports Medicine, 47, 631-640.
3. Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2018). Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(5), 705-712.
4. Moroder, P., et al. (2020). Characteristics of functional shoulder instability. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 29(1), 68-78.
5. Kolber, M. J., et al. (2010). Shoulder injuries attributed to resistance training: a brief review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(6), 1696-1704.
6. Kolber, M. J., Corrao, M., & Hanney, W. J. (2013). Characteristics of anterior shoulder instability and hyperlaxity in the weight-training population. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(5), 1333-1339.
7. Ackland, D. C., et al. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
8. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722
9. Ackland, D. C., & Pandy, M. G. (2011). Moment arms of the shoulder muscles during axial rotation. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 29(5), 658-667.
10. Wattanaprakornkul, D., et al. (2011). Direction-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscles during bench press and row. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 21(6), 1041-1049.
11. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
12. Lasevicius, T., et al. (2018). Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 772-780
13. Weakley, J., et al. (2023). Physiological Responses and Adaptations to Lower Load Resistance Training: Implications for Health and Performance. Sports Medicine-Open, 9(1), 1-10.
14. Esformes, J. I., et al. (2011). Effect of different types of conditioning contraction on upper body postactivation potentiation. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(1), 143-148.
15. Demirtaş, B., et al. (2022). The effect of three different sets method used in resistance training on hypertrophy and maximal strength changes. Physical Education of Students, 26(6), 270-279.
16. Chaves, S. F., et al. (2020). Effects of horizontal and incline bench press on neuromuscular adaptations in untrained young men. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(6), 859.
17. Kikuchi, N., & Nakazato, K. (2017). Low-load bench press and push-up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 15(1), 37-42.
18. López-Vivancos, A., et al. (2023). Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major Muscle during Traditional Bench Press and Other Variants of Pectoral Exercises: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Applied Sciences, 13(8), 5203.
19. Paoli, A., et al. (2019). Mind-muscle connection: effects of verbal instructions on muscle activity during bench press exercise. European Journal of Translational Myology, 29(2).

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The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) concluded creatine is the most effective performance supplement available for supporting high intensity exercise and muscle mass. (1)(2) The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published a similar stance. (3)

Despite favorable position stances in the scientific community, decades of research, and more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, creatine supplementation is still misunderstood. (4) This misunderstanding is largely limited to the uninitiated public, which is a shame because a wide variety of people (even non-lifters) might benefit from creatine supplementation. (5)

If you are unfamiliar with creatine, or if you could use a science-based refresher, it’s best to start with the basics. No, creatine is not a steroid. And, no, it won’t melt your kidneys. In fact, creatine monohydrate, the most common form of supplemental creatine, is generally recognized as safe (G.R.A.S) — an official designation which can only be applied to foods and products which have undergone stringent examination and critical review. (1)(6)(7)

Creatine’s potential benefits extend beyond athletic competition and the gym. Check out the benefits, potential side effects, and common dosing protocols below. 

Editor’s Note: The content on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen, diet plan, and/or supplement protocol, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for individualized consulting with a qualified medical professional.

Creatine Benefits 

• 7 Benefits of Creatine
• Potential Side Effects
• How to Use Creatine
• Frequently Asked Questions

7 Benefits of Creatine

Creatine supplementation has been studied among individuals young and old, athletes and non-athletes, healthy and injured. Creatine exerts effects on the musculoskeletal system, nervous system (e.g. brain), and endocrine system (e.g. hormones).

Some of these effects are immediate — better lifts, higher work capacity, and cognitive benefits. Others take a bit longer to register — increased muscularity, better recovery between workouts, and potentially increased performance during injury rehabilitation. Find a summary of some of the most exciting benefits of creatine below.

Supercharged Strength

In training studies, creatine supplementation is consistently shown to improve strength. (1) For example, in just six weeks, lifters taking creatine showed greater improvements in chest press and leg press strength compared to those taking a placebo. (8) Strength improvements have been documented with creatine supplementation across the lifespan — from young to very old. (5)(9)

Without getting too deep into biochemistry, creatine supports energy production via the phosphagen system — this is the system that supplies energy for brief high-intensity efforts such as short sprints, jumps, and heavy, low repetition lifts. Creatine is found in foods like meat and seafood, and our bodies are able to synthesize it from other amino acids. However, supplemental creatine appears to be necessary to “top off” or saturate our muscles with creatine. 

Recharged Repeated Efforts

Anyone who has ever sprinted 50-meter repeats or hit high-effort cluster sets knows the phosphagen system takes time to replenish before you’re ready to go again. Creatine supplementation may reduce the time needed to restore energy for the next high intensity set.

The mass action from having extra creatine available drives more rapid re-synthesis of phosphocreatine, the active form of creatine used for quick energy. In addition to benefiting training performance, this potential effect of creatine supplementation may have performance implications in sports like basketball, hockey, football, and volleyball. (1)

More Muscle Mass

Because creatine promotes the ability to move more weight and higher performance across repeated efforts, it should come as no surprise that it ultimately supports gains in muscle mass and improvement in body composition.

Once again, this effect is seen among individuals ranging from young to very old. (1)(9) Bodybuilders, athletes, folks who want to look better at the beach, aging adults wishing to remain independent, and more may benefit from the muscle-building effects of creatine. 

Increased Training Tolerance

Creatine supplementation is known to help improve recovery from a single session of hard exercise. (10)(11) Perhaps surprisingly, some studies show increases in exercise-induced muscle damage following consistent use of creatine. (10)

Researchers attribute this to the other beneficial effects of creatine supplementation — More strength, more muscle, and more high-intensity sets and reps following consistent supplementation intuitively lead to the potential for more muscle damage during workouts. (10)

Altogether, creatine appears to be a great tool for recovery from isolated bouts of exercise, particularly the sort of workouts that involve high-load eccentric (“lengthening”) muscle contractions or novel exercises.

Are you a lifter training for a local 5k, half marathon, or triathlon? Or, maybe you’re a trail runner or cyclist dedicated to building some extra strength? Athletes who train for aerobic- and strength performance in the same workouts may struggle to maintain their strength as aerobic training ramps up. Creatine might help. A study on creatine supplements for men looked at strength-trained men taking either creatine monohydrate or placebo who were put through running workouts prior to leg resistance training.

Only individuals taking creatine were able to maintain their leg press strength-endurance (i.e. repetitions to failure at 80%), while the men taking the placebo showed reduced leg press performance. (12) Concurrent training for aerobic and strength- or physique goals is never going to be easy, but supplemental creatine might play a supporting role. 

Ramped Up Recovery Following Injury

Injured individuals tend to drop or dial back their supplement regimes, often planning to resume once healthy again. But there’s a strong case for creatine supplementation during times of injury. (13) Due to the aforementioned antioxidant-like effect of creatine, its well-established benefits to muscle mass and strength, and other potential effects, supplemental creatine may have promise for those rehabilitating injuries.

Immediately following injury, affected body parts may be rested or even immobilized. Studies assessing the effects of creatine supplementation among individuals experiencing immobilization show protective effects on muscle protein composition and accelerated recovery of strength and size during their return to exercise. (14)(15)

It should be noted, current evidence for creatine during post-surgical rehabilitation is currently not as strong as the evidence for use during true immobilization. (16) While creatine may not be a panacea, banged up athletes, wrecked weekend warriors, and the clinicians who manage their care should consider the potential role of creatine supplementation post-injury.

Free Radicals Scavenged and Scrubbed Out

Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals related to cell damage, aging, and number of disease processes. For better or worse, free radicals are produced during normal metabolism. Fortunately, creatine acts to scavenge and scrub out a type of free radical called reactive oxygen species (ROS). (1)

While more research is needed to substantiate the potential role of creatine in systemic health, cellular aging, and disease, the antioxidant-like role of creatine points to applications for general health and wellness.

Boosted Brain Power

Just as creatine supplementation increases creatine concentrations in muscle, it also increases levels in brain tissue. (5) Just as muscle runs on creatine-based substrate, so to does the brain. Research is mounting in support of a creatine’s potential role as a nootropic, or brain-booster.

Vegetarians on a six-week “maintenance dose” of creatine monohydrate (five grams per day) performed better on tests of working memory and intelligence than they did on a placebo supplement. (17)

Now, one could argue that since a common source of dietary creatine is meat, the vegetarian subjects were simply correcting a deficiency, but the demonstrated link between creatine and brain power remains relevant. 

In two separate studies on sleep-deprived youngsters and rested elderly individuals, McMorris and colleagues reported positive effects of creatine supplementation on working memory and long-term recall. (18)(19) In both studies, “loading doses” of creatine monohydrate were used — 20 grams per day for seven and 14 days, respectively.

Since update of creatine in brain tissue may be less efficient than skeletal muscle, more research needed to establish dosing parameters that best elicit creatine’s cognitive effects. 

Potential Side Effects

Numerous studies have failed to show clinically-relevant side effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation across a wide variety of populations (athletes, children, adults, older adults) and using a wide range of doses (three to 30 grams per day). (1)(20)

Aside from the benefits discussed above, one potentially relevant side effect is increased body mass, which can occur early due to increased water content in the body. 

Early Water Retention

The most commonly reported side effect of creatine is water retention. Studies have reported early increases in body mass during the initial days of creatine supplementation too rapid to be attributed to muscle gain. (4) Instead, these increases appear to be primarily driven by increases in intracellular water, or water found within the cells which plays a key role in cellular health and performance. (21)

In the first three days or so of creatine supplementation (loading dose), it is common to see gains of two to four pounds of water weight. (21) Fortunately, there is probably no reason to worry about medium- or long-term bloating when supplementing with creatine. Intracellular water levels are shown to normalize after weeks to months of use. (4)

How to Use Creatine 

Creatine monohydrate mixes reasonably well with liquid, particularly if you purchase “micronized” powder, which is milled or sifted to smaller particles. Creatine supplementation need not be complicated — standard practices and considerations are provided below.

Steady Supplementation

The most common supplementation protocols involve three to five grams creatine monohydrate per day, or 0.1 gram per kilogram bodyweight. (4)(22) Gradually, creatine levels in muscle cells will increase above baseline and individuals will likely begin to realize the benefits discussed above.

This dosing protocol is referred to as a “maintenance dose,” because once muscle tissues reach creatine saturation, ongoing supplementation at this dose is likely to maintain high or maximum levels. Although about one-third of studies on creatine supplementation involve only a maintenance dose, just as many incorporate a loading dose to “jumpstart” the benefits. 

Consider a Loading Dose

With typical creatine doses (i.e. three to five grams per day), it may take weeks before muscles are saturated. Therefore, a “loading dose” is often recommended to accelerate this process. (1)(22) The most common creatine monohydrate loading protocol involves 20 grams per day for five to seven days. (1)(22)

The daily 20-gram loading dose is typically divided into four equal servings throughout the day (five grams each). The loading dose is typically followed by a maintenance dose of three to five grams per day (or 0.1 gram per kilogram bodyweight). 

Take with Food

Although creatine taken without other foods has been shown to effectively increase total muscle creatine levels, taking either with carbohydrates or with carbohydrates and protein appear to improve retention. (23)(24) Shoot for about 95 grams of carbohydrate or 45 to 48 grams each carbohydrate and protein. (25)

Common carbohydrate sources used in creatine studies are dextrose and glucose. Although studies commonly use powdered dextrose or glucose, these carbs are found in starchy foods and non-fruit sugars (i.e. corn flour, pastas, rice). A convenient protein source may be a post-workout protein powder.

Consistent Use vs. Cycling

Little scholarly evidence currently informs whether creatine should be cycled (e.g. eight to 12 weeks “on,” followed by four to six weeks “off”) or taken consistently at a maintenance dose. Mechanistically, there does not seem to be a strong rationale behind cycling creatine — Again, creatine is not a steroid, so there is not a risk of “resistance” as a result of prolonged use. 

Long-term studies illustrate the safety of consistent creatine supplementation for as long as five years of consistent use. (1) Moreover, since excess creatine is ultimately excreted in the urine (similar to vitamin C), the risk of “overdose” appears low. (25) 

Should one decide to “cycle off” creatine, they are still likely to experience benefits for weeks, even months following your last dose.

FAQs

G.R.A.S. for Mass (with a Disclaimer)

Few, if any, supplements are as well-studied as creatine monohydrate. The scientific research is virtually overwhelming, but if you’re still searching for an anecdote, I’ve taken a creatine monohydrate maintenance dose for over 10 years with minimal interruptions. My wife, my mother, and, occasionally, even my dog supplement with creatine monohydrate — it’s unlikely many lifters would be comfortable giving other sports supplements to any one of those three case studies, let alone all three.

But this article should not be considered an endorsement or nutritional advice — it is simply a brief review of relevant literature. Consult your physician, sports dietician, or veterinarian for individualized advice.

References

1. Kreider, R. B., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18.
2. Kerksick, C. M., et al. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 38.
3. Thomas, D. T., et al. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 501-528.
4. Antonio, J., et al. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 13.
5. Rawson, E. S., & Venezia, A. C. (2011). Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino Acids, 40, 1349-1362.
6. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. GRAS Notices. Available online: https://www.fda.gov/media/143525/download (Accessed April 17, 2023).
7. Kreider, R. B.,et al. (2022). Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: A critical review. Nutrients, 14(5), 1035.
8. Mills, S., et al. (2020). Effects of creatine supplementation during resistance training sessions in physically active young adults. Nutrients, 12(6), 1880.
9. Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2014). Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults—a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46(6), 1194-1203.
10. Doma, K., et al. (2022). The paradoxical effect of creatine monohydrate on muscle damage markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 52(7), 1623-1645.
11. Cooke, M. B., et al. (2009). Creatine supplementation enhances muscle force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 6(1), 13.
12. de Salles Painelli, V., et al. (2014). Creatine supplementation prevents acute strength loss induced by concurrent exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 114(8), 1749-1755.
13. Tack, C. (2016). Dietary supplementation during musculoskeletal injury: Protein and creatine. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 22-26.
14. Elosegui, S., et al. (2022). Interaction between caffeine and creatine when used as concurrent ergogenic supplements: a systematic review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(4), 285-295.
15. Hespel, P., et al. (2001). Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 536(2), 625-633.
16. Mistry, D., Lee, P., & Gee, T. (2022). Systematic review for protein and creatine supplements in peri-operative period in elective musculoskeletal surgery-knee and hip replacement. Journal of Arthritis, 11(1), 6-10.
17. Rae, C., et al. (2003). Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double–blind, placebo–controlled, cross–over trial. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270(1529), 2147-2150.
18. McMorris, T., et al. (2007). Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior. Physiology & Behavior, 90(1), 21-28.
19. McMorris, T., et al. (2007). Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 14(5), 517-528.
20. Kim, H. J., et al. (2011). Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. Amino acids, 40, 1409-1418.
21. Ziegenfuss, T. N., et al. (1998). Acute fluid volume changes in men during three days of creatine supplementation. Journal of Exercise Physiology, 1(3), 1-9.
22. de Guingand, D. L., et al. (2020). Risk of adverse outcomes in females taking oral creatine monohydrate: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(6), 1780.
23. Greenwood, M., et al. (2003). Differences in creatine retention among three nutritional formulations of oral creatine supplements. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 6(2), 37-43.
24. Preen, D., et al. (2003). Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 13(1), 97-111.
25. Naderi, A., et al. (2016). Timing, optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 20(4), 1.
26. Van der Merwe, J., et al. (2009). Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(5), 399-404.
27. Elosegui, S., et al. (2022). Interaction between caffeine and creatine when used as concurrent ergogenic supplements: a systematic review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(4), 285-295.
28. Trexler, E. T., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2015). Creatine and caffeine: considerations for concurrent supplementation. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 25(6), 607-623.
29. Stout, J. R. (2006). Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 20(4), 928-931.
30. Preen, D., et al. (2003). Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13(1), 97-111.

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Just a few problems there. The high intensity, high volume programs used by the pros do not tend to be sustainable for the rest of us due to some physiological (and often pharmaceutical) reasons. Most people also aren’t ready to trust their potential gains to an algorithm-fueled robot, so that leaves you creating a program for yourself.

Consider a time-tested axiom before diving in: It’s not hard to create a good bodybuilding workout program, but it’s also not hard to create a bad one. Fortunately, we’ve got your back. And your chest, shoulders, arms, and legs.

Here you will find evidence-based workouts to build every major area of an aesthetic physique. These workouts assume you’re a relatively healthy lifter with at least some experience in the gym (i.e. not a true beginner who could benefit from a more generalized approach). These plans work best with a body part split across the week.

Bookmark these workouts for your next hypertrophy training block and support the workouts with enough food to fuel performance, recovery, and growth so you can get started adding size. 

Best Bodybuilding Workouts for Each Body Part

• Chest Workout
• Back Workout
• Shoulder Workout
• Arm Workout
• Leg Workout

Best Bodybuilding Workout for Chest

The chest muscles play a prominent role in our physique. They are most often trained by multi-joint, upper body pushing exercises. The angle the “push” can be used to bias certain portions of the chest, allowing us to fully develop this region. In addition to pushing exercises, single joint exercises can also be used to target the chest. Single-joint exercise serves as “icing on the cake,” providing a touch of additional training stimulus. 

The Complete Chest Workout

Just about any repetition range can build muscle. (1)(2) This engaging workout begins with the heaviest exercise. As the workout progresses, moderate repetition, moderate weight exercises are introduced as compound sets — a time-efficient superset technique that pairs movements targeting the same muscles back-to-back without rest. The workout ends with high repetition “pump work,” leaning into the metabolic mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy. (3) This general format is repeated for workouts for all body parts. 

This chest workout is designed to be performed once per week. Select weights that allow completion of repetitions is near the lower end of the repetition range. Sets need not be taken to failure but should flirt with it. Meaning, sets must reach a high level of effort. (4)(5) When you end the set, you should feel like you have three or fewer repetitions remaining “in the tank.”

When you’re able to complete sets at the top end of the repetition range, add five to 10 pounds. This progression method “resets” your sets back toward the lower bound of the repetition range, allowing your to progress repetition volume once again in subsequent weeks. 

Barbell Bench Press

• How to Do it: Lie on a bench with your back arched and shoulder blades pulled down and together (“in your back pockets”). Unrack the bar and lower it to your chest. Press the bar upward until your elbows are straight but not locked.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-8
• Rest time: Rest three minutes seconds between sets.

Dip

• How to Do it: Support your body from a dip bar and lean slightly forward. Lower yourself until you feel a stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders or until your upper arms break parallel. Add weight or assistance as needed to achieve the target repetition range.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

• How to Do it: Lie on a 30- to-45-degree incline bench and begin with the dumbbells pressed locked out above your chest. Face your palms together and lower the weights in a flye, keeping a slight bend in your arms. From the bottom position, pull the weights in toward your shoulders and press the weights up to lockout.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Machine Incline Press

• How to Do it: Sit with your back and buttocks supported on an incline press machine. Push the handles along the arc of the machine’s path until your elbows are straight but not locked. Control back to the start position.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 16-20
• Rest time: Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Muscles Trained on Chest Day

Chest day often draws added attention because the pecs are featured so prominently when you check the mirror, even more so once you get an awesome pump going mid-session. The majority of chest movements will also recruit “the pressing muscles” — your shoulders and triceps — for assistance.

Pectorals

When viewed from the front, the upper bodies of modern bodybuilders are dominated by well-developed chest muscles. The pectoralis major is the largest and most superficial chest muscle. All parts of the pectoralis major act to draw the arms toward the body, pull the arms together in front of the body, and internally rotate the arms. The upper portion of the pectoralis major also raises the arm. Therefore, a wide variety of exercises target the pecs. 

Anterior Deltoids

The anterior deltoids, or “front delts,” share the same actions as the pectoralis major. Conveniently, this means that anterior deltoids are trained during chest workouts, such as the one above, and during direct shoulder workouts. 

Triceps

The triceps brachii primarily serve to extend your elbows (straighten your arms). Because of this, compound movements such as pressing and dips can be counted toward total triceps training volume. This aesthetic “three-headed” muscle fills t-shirt sleeves more readily than any other arm muscle.

How to Warm-Up Your Chest

A traditional warm-up has two components: 1) the “general warm-up” and 2) the “specific warm-up.” The general warm-up elevates body temperature, improves oxygen delivery to muscle and other body tissues, and improves joint freedom of motion. It typically consists of short duration, low-to-moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise (e.g. air bike, rowing, jogging, or jumping rope).  

The specific warm-up primes areas of the body and movement patterns to be used in the subsequent workout for improved technique and performance. It is also a good time for dedicated mobility exercises and/or exercises intended to reduce risk of injury.

A specific warm-up for the chest may consist of exercises to prepare the upper body and spine for proper positions during pressing, stimulate muscle contractions of the muscles to be trained, and reinforce shoulder stability. It is wise to include lower intensity sets of the workout’s first exercise at the tail end of the specific warm-up.  

Chest Warm-Up

• Cardio: Five minutes, low-to-moderate intensity effort
• Band Pull-Apart: 2 x 15 
• Foam Roller Thoracic (Upper Back) Extensions: 2 x 10
• Push-Up: 2 x 10
• Bench Press: 3 x 6–10, work-up sets at light to moderate weight (e.g. approximately 40%, 60%, and 80% of the weight to be used for the first set of the workout’s first exercise).

Best Bodybuilding Workout for Back

A muscular back supports a confident posture, adds width to your upper body, and provides visual interest for those who happen to be walking behind your statuesque physique. That visual interest will come from the various muscles of the back, which converge on the shoulder blades and shoulders.

To create desirable definition and size, training the back from multiple angles using a variety of exercises may be useful. each exercise variation biases certain areas of the back and may result in distinct patterns of muscular development. (6)(7)

Back Width and Thickness Workout

Complete this full back workout once per week. Select weights that allow you to complete repetitions on the lower end of the repetition range. Sets to failure are not necessary to build muscle. (8) However, each set should reach a high level of effort. (4) When you’re able to complete all sets at the top end of the repetition range, add five to 10 pounds. 

Three-Point Dumbbell Row

• How to Do it: Perform the three-point dumbbell row with the knee and hand of your non-working side on a flat bench. Initiate the movement by pulling your shoulder blade toward your spine, and row toward the outside of your hip. Lower to a full stretch without rotating or sinking your hips
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-8
• Rest time: No rest between sides. Rest three minutes between sets.

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

• How to Do it: As the name implies, the neutral-grip lat pulldown is performing using a handles attachment that faces your palms toward each other. Begin in a full overhead position and pull your elbows down to the midline of your ribcage — don’t force the bar to reach your chin or chest.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest two and a half minutes between sets.

Machine Wide Row

• How to Do it: Set up on a machine with a chest support, grasping the handles with a wide, overhand grip. Initiate movement with your shoulder blades and pull toward your chest. Return to a fully stretched position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Cable Flexion Row

• How to Do it: Perform this seated row variation on a low cable machine. Allow resistance to pull your trunk and shoulder blades toward the machine — your spine should round forward, promoting a massive stretch through your back muscles. Begin by pulling the shoulder blades together and down. As you row the bar toward your torso, extend your spine but do not use momentum from the trunk to drive the movement. Reverse the movement and repeat.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16-20
• Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Muscles Trained on Back Day

Your back is one of the largest muscle groups on your body because a number of various individual muscles coordinate during each movement. This comprehensive workout will address and train a large number of muscles on your posterior torso including the lats, rear shoulders, and upper and mid-back. Your biceps and gripping muscles are also recruited during most exercises.

Mid-Back and Lats

Mid-back muscles, which act on the shoulder blades, create the appearance of a raised, central diamond-shape. Your latissimus dorsi (lats) sweep from the small of the back toward the outsides of your armpits and enhances the appearance of a “V-shaped” torso. These muscles comprise the bulk of the back musculature and are trained by upper-body pulling exercises. 

Rear Deltoids

While your rear deltoids are traditionally trained via shoulder-specific exercises (e.g. reverse flyes and cable external rotations), wide and narrow-grip pulling movements also hit the rear deltoids. When considering total weekly training volume for the rear deltoids, it is appropriate to include pulldowns, pullovers, and rows. 

Biceps and Other Elbow Flexors

Drawing a resistance toward your body, as performed during pulldowns, trains your elbow flexors. As the most visible elbow flexor, the biceps brachii gets all the glory; however, the brachialis is a deep elbow flexor that boosts the appearance of the biceps by pushing it up — kind of like the supportive parent or friend whom you should probably call and thank (after your workout, of course). 

How to Warm-Up Your Back

Once again, it’s a good policy to raise the body’s temperature with some general movement and prime the areas of the body to be trained before jumping into the workout. On top of that, “back day” is a great time to incorporate some direct exercise for the midsection, as many workout splits don’t allocate ab training to one specific day. 

Back Warm-Up

• Cardio: Five minutes, low-to-moderate intensity effort
• Abdominal Crunches: 3 x 15-20 
• Medicine Ball or Landmine Rotations: 3 x 10-12
• Band Over and Backs: 2 x 10-12
• Three-Point Dumbbell Row: 3 x 6–10, work-up sets at light to moderate weight (e.g. approximately 40%, 60%, and 80% of the weight to be used for the first set of the workout’s first exercise).

Best Bodybuilding Workout for Shoulders

The deltoids are the muscles that envelop your shoulders. Well-developed deltoids appear full and rounded, “capping” the shoulders. The deltoid has three functional parts — anterior, middle, and posterior.

The anterior deltoid is primarily responsible for raising the arms in front of the body (e.g. pressing), pulling the raised arms in toward your midline, and internally rotating the arms. The middle deltoid raises the arms out the sides (e.g. lateral raises and overhead presses) and assists with pulling the raised arms away from your midline (e.g. reverse flye). The posterior deltoid assists with the reverse flye movement in addition to external rotation and driving your arms behind your body (e.g. rows).

While your shoulders clearly get some work on chest day and back day, a dedicated shoulder workout helps to ensure each part receives adequate training. The diverse actions of the deltoids open the door for efficient use of supersets on shoulder day. 

The 3D Delt Workout

Perform once per week using weights that allow repetitions at or near the lower boundary of the stated repetition range. Once again, the majority of working sets should be high level of effort with three or fewer repetitions remaining before failure. Machine-based overhead pressing is included to allow lifters to safely approach or achieve failure without a spotter.

Once you reach the top of any repetition range, add five to 10 pounds to the exercise. Be vigilant for stagnating progress or drops in performance, as these features might indicate that it’s time for a deload. 

Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press

• How to Do it: Sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Rest a dumbbell on each thigh before “kicking” each weight into position at shoulder-level with your palms facing forward or angled slightly in. Press both weights overhead to full lockout before returning to shoulder-level.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-8
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Dumbbell Reverse Flye

• How to Do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length by your sides. Hinge forward at the waist and slightly bend your legs. Slightly bend your elbows and maintain the arm angle throughout the set. Draw your upper arms toward the ceiling, stopping the your elbows are roughly in line with your shoulders. Lower under control — don’t allow the weights to build momentum in the bottom position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Machine Shoulder Press

• How to Do it: Sit in an shoulder press machine and adjust the seat height to allow you hands to reach shoulder-height in the bottom position. Take a palms-forward grip and drive the weight up to near-lockout before lowering with control. Aim to move at a steady pace and maintain continuous tension through each repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.

Face Pull

• How to Do it: Set a resistance band or cable pulley at roughly eye-level. Take a palm-down grip and step back to create tension in the stretched position. Begin the face pull by driving your elbows back in line with your shoulders while pulling your hands in line with your eyes or ears. From the contracted position, reach forward until full lockout.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Lateral Raise

• How to Do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length, resting the weights on the front of your thighs. Keep a slight bend in your arms and raise the weights “up and out” until your hands are slightly above shoulder-height. Maintain a tight core and stable torso — don’t allow your hips or back to swing. Lower to the starting position with your hands in front of your thighs.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20-24
• Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Dumbbell Shrug

• How to Do it: Stand with a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length by your sides. Drive your shoulders toward the ceiling as high as possible — move vertically without “rolling” your shoulders or pulling your shoulder blades together. Lower to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 20-24
• Rest time: Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Muscles Trained on Shoulder Day

The shoulder joint is arguably one of the most precarious joints in the body, responsible for a long range of motion in a variety of directions. The deltoids may be your primary “shoulder muscle,” but several muscle groups play a role in completing most shoulder-focused movements.

Shoulders

The middle deltoids widen the appearance of the shoulders, so they are an important target for physique-focused bodybuilding training. Your middle and anterior deltoids are trained by the presses in this workout. Middle deltoids get direct, high-repetition work during the lateral raises.

As previously discussed, it is fair to consider rows, pulldowns, and pullovers as rear deltoid exercises; however, these exercises alone may not result in adequate stimulation of this relatively small part of the shoulder — reverse flyes can be superior in that regard. (9) As a bonus for shoulder health, face pulls hit the rear deltoids, middle deltoids, rotator cuff, and some of the muscles acting on the scapula. 

Trapezius

The traps are a diamond-shaped muscle of your mid- and upper back. The upper and lower fibers of trapezius (e.g. the top and bottom portions of the “diamond”) are trained during presses, as they act to upwardly rotate your shoulder blades. Shrugs are included in the shoulder workout to further develop the upper trapezius. 

Triceps

Your triceps brachii receive additional training volume during the shoulder workout, owing to the muscle’s role as an elbow extensor. These extra sets are beneficial, especially if you’re reasonably well-trained. Recent research suggests the triceps brachii are among the muscles that grow more rapidly with higher training volumes. (10)

How to Warm-Up Your Shoulders

Prepare your shoulders for peak performance by increasing your body temperature with a small dose of rhythmic cardiovascular exercise, such as rowing, jumping rope (ideally with a heavy rope to further activate your upper body), or riding an air bike. Then, perform exercises to mobilize your shoulder joints, shoulder blades, and spine through essential ranges of motion. Wrap up the warm-up with light sets of the first exercise of the workout.

Shoulder Warm-Up

• Cardio: Five minutes, low-to-moderate intensity effort
• Band Pull-Apart: 2 x 15 
• Foam Roller Thoracic (Upper Back) Extensions: 2 x 10
• Band Over and Backs: 2 x 10-12
• Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 x 6–10, work-up sets at light to moderate weight (e.g. approximately 40%, 60%, and 80% of the weight to be used for the first set of the workout’s first exercise).

Best Bodybuilding Workout for Arms

Although your arms undoubtedly receive training during chest, back, and shoulder workouts, a dedicated arm day may help to accelerate muscle gain. But arm day need not be exclusively single-joint (isolation) exercises. In this workout, a pull-up variation is used as the first exercise, because it targets your biceps with the bonus of additional training volume for your lats and rear deltoids. (11)

Single-joint exercises for your biceps and triceps come next in the workout. These are performed back-to-back on the same incline bench to promote a searing stretch and enhanced growth. (12)(13) The workout concludes with training for lesser-appreciated muscles for arm thickness.

Gun Day Isn’t Only Sunday

Complete the arm workout once per week. Use weights that allow you to complete of repetitions on the lower end of the repetition range. When you’re able to complete all sets with repetitions at or exceeding the repetition range, add five pounds.

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

• How to Do it: Hang from a neutral-grip pull-up bar or freely moving handles with palms facing each other. Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your shoulders back and flexing your elbows. Lower with control.  
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 6-8
• Rest time: Rest three minutes between sets.

Incline Dumbbell Curls

• How to Do it: Perform incline dumbbell curls on a bench set at an approximately 45-degree angle. With underhanded grips on the dumbbells, allow your arms to hang vertically beneath your shoulders. Without swinging your upper arms forward, curl the dumbbells. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Incline Skull Crusher

• How to Do it: Take a palms-down grip on the inner handles of an EZ-bar and lie on a 45-degree incline bench. Point your elbows toward the ceiling and allow the bar to lower just behind your head without moving your upper arms. Feel your triceps stretch and then straighten your arms to return to the start position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16-20
• Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Reverse Biceps Curl

• How to Do it: Perform the standing reverse biceps curl with an overhand grip on an EZ-bar or straight bar. Keeping your arms at your sides, curl the weight by bringing your knuckles toward your shoulders. Return to the start position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Gripper

• How to Do it: Hold grip trainers, or the handles of a grip machine, using a power grip with the fingers and thumb of each hand wrapped fully around each handle. Close your hands against the resistance, then slowly control the opening of the grip trainers or machine as far as possible without losing control of the implements.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20-24
• Rest time: Rest 90 second before repeating the previous exercise.

Muscles Trained on Arm Day

Arm training has a misconception of being only for vanity and appearance, but well-developed biceps and triceps can contribute to overall strength as well as shoulder and elbow joint health.

Biceps and Elbow Flexors

Your biceps brachii and brachialis add upper arm size, while the brachioradialis adds dimension to the forearm. All three of these muscles are trained via elbow flexion (bending your arms against resistance), whether in single-joint fashion as in the curl variations, or within compound pulling movements like the neutral-grip pull-up. 

Triceps

The three heads of your triceps brachii can be trained via resisted elbow extension (arm straightening). Since the long head of the triceps crosses behind the shoulder, triceps exercises that place the shoulder in flexion (e.g. overhead movements including incline skull crushers) may expose the triceps to more mechanical tension. Ultimately, this can result in enhanced growth. (12)(13)

Forearms

When you train your grip, forearm muscles that flex the fingers contract forcefully. These muscles tend to bend your wrists as well. To counteract wrist flexion, the muscles on the opposite side of the forearm (i.e. wrist extensors along the top of your forearm) contract. The result is a robust forearm-training stimulus. 

How to Warm-Up Your Arms

Your arm day warm-up can be straightforward: Simply get your body moving. Special attention is given to the wrists, forearms, and elbows. The exercises should be non-fatiguing. 

Arm Warm-Up

• Cardio: Five minutes, low-to-moderate intensity effort
• Push-Up: 2 x 8-12
• Zottman Curl: 2 x 8-12
• Dumbbell Wrist Flexion (Wrist Curl): 1 x 8-12
• Dumbbell Wrist Extension (Reverse Wrist Curl): 1 x 8-12
• Neutral-Grip Pull-Up: 2 x 6–10, work-up sets at light to moderate difficulty (e.g. on an assisted pull-up machine if necessary, using a greater amount of assistance than you’d use for your working sets).

Best Bodybuilding Workout for Legs

Leg day is a longer, often more grueling workout compared to other body parts, and rightfully so. If you’re only going to train lower body once per week, you’d better make it count.

While there is debate regarding whether deadlifts belong with back day or leg day, the hamstring-dominant Romanian deadlift (RDL) is programmed in this leg workout, as this variation reduces the overall load required by reducing leg drive without sacrificing training stimulus to the target muscles. Supersets and compound sets are used extensively during this 24-set workout to save time. 

The Ultimate Leg Day

Complete once per week. Select weights that allow you to complete repetitions on the lower end of the repetition range. Each set should reach a high level of effort. If you are accustomed to high-volume leg training (e.g. 25+ sets), you may consider adding a set or two to front squats, the squat machine exercise, or leg extensions, as the quadriceps have been shown to respond favorably to higher training volume among well-trained lifters. (10) When you’re able to complete all sets at the top end of the repetition range, add 10 to 20 pounds. 

Front Squat

• How to Do it: Support a barbell across the front of your shoulders with a palms-up or cross-arm grip. Keep your trunk as upright as possible as you squat to a comfortable depth. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-8
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Prone Hamstring Curl

• How to Do it: Lie on a prone hamstring machine with the roller pad contacting just above your heels. Flex your knees through the longest range of motion you can achieve, then control back to the stretched starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Romanian Deadlift

• How to Do it: Hold a barbell in front of your thighs. Begin by lowering from the hips, keeping your knees slightly bent throughout the exercise. Aim to feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings before returning to standing upright.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Leg Extension

• How to Do it: Sit in a leg extension machine with your knee joint aligned with the pivot point of the moving part of the machine. Straighten your knees, pause very briefly at lockout and then lower slowly with control. Keeping your feet pulled up toward your shins (ankle dorsiflexion) may help you feel a stronger quadriceps contraction. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest two and a half minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Machine Squat

• How to Do it: Pendulum or lever-style squat machines are becoming more popular in gyms; however, if your gym does not have one, a hack squat or leg press machine is an acceptable substitute. Set up under the padded “yoke” of the squat machine, keep your feet flat as you lower into a deep squat. Use a controlled motion at your hips, knees, and ankles. Push back to a nearly locked out position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise without rest.

Calf Machine

• How to Do it: Locate a calf machine that allows a relatively straight knee position during operation (e.g. standing calf machine or leg press). Lower slowly through your entire ankle range of motion. Without bouncing out of the bottom position, push through the ball of your foot and big toe until you’ve reached the top of your available ankle range of motion. Pause briefly in both the fully stretched and fully contracted positions.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16–20
• Rest time: Rest two and a half minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Back Extension

• How to Do it: Hit your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes by setting up in a glute-ham developer (GHD), as shown, or in a 45-degree Roman chair (back extension) with the top of the pad set just below your hip joints. Lower and raise your trunk primarily from the hips; however, it is acceptable to permit some low back movement as well. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest time: Move immediately to the next exercise.

Seated Calf Machine

• How to Do it: Set the pads atop your thighs with your knees bent approximately 90-degrees. Lower to the bottom position by allowing your ankles to full dorsiflex. Without bouncing out of the bottom position, raise to the top position of full plantar flexion (rising onto the ball of your foot).
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 20-24
• Rest time: Rest 90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.

Muscles Trained on Leg Day

Working entire lower body, leg day involves a significant number of separate body parts working in unison for many movements. Targeted isolation exercises will emphasize your quadriceps, hamstrings, or calves for further muscle-building stimulus.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps femoris, or “quads,” refers to the four muscles on the front of your thigh. All four act to extend your knee, and the centermost quadriceps muscle also contributes to hip flexion. You can train these muscles with squats, squat-type movements, and isolated knee extension exercises. For safety and confidence, machine-based exercises may be helpful, especially toward the end of the workout as fatigue sets in.

Glutes

Few muscle groups enhance the image of athleticism like the glutes. Therefore, the glutes are a common target for physique-based training. Although the glutes have various actions at the hip, all three “glutes” — gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus — act to extend your hips.  

Hamstrings

While your quadriceps are prominent when the legs are viewed from the front, well-developed hamstrings steal the show when the legs are viewed from the side. Composed of four muscles, the hamstrings act to flex the knee, and three of them act to extend the hip. Leg curls train the hamstrings as knee flexors, while the Romanian deadlift and back extension are the primary exercises in the workout for training hamstrings as hip extensors.  

Calves

Even if you favor baggy cargo shorts as your go-to warm weather attire, your calves are likely to be the most readily visible lower body muscle group. Although they may receive a modest training stimulus during squats and other squat-like movements, direct calf exercises are typically needed to stimulate meaningful growth.  

How to Warm-Up Your Legs

Prepare your lower body for this leg workout with a warm-up that mobilizes stiff hips and lengthens tight muscles. Use front squat warm-up sets to hone technique and dial-in a strong squat stance. 

Leg Warm-Up

• Cardio: Five minutes, low-to-moderate intensity effort
• Walking Lunge: 2 x 10 per leg 
• Hamstring Sweep: 2 x 10 per leg
• Deep Squat plus Trunk Rotations: 2 x 10
• Front Squat: 3 x 6–10, work-up sets at light to moderate weight (e.g. approximately 40%, 60%, and 80% of the weight to be used for the first set of the workout’s first exercise).

On the Road to Ripped

You’ve probably heard of the “Stairway to Heaven” and the “Highway to Hell,” but the roadmap provided here gets you on the Road to Ripped. When all five workouts are performed once per week, total training per major muscle group is consistent with current best practice recommendations for building muscle. (1)(14) Those accustomed to lengthy or convoluted training sessions will find this program to be refreshingly simple. Simple, but not easy.

References

1. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1).
2. Lacio, M., et al. (2021). Effects of resistance training performed with different loads in untrained and trained male adult individuals on maximal strength and muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11237.
3. Schoenfeld, B. J. (2013). Potential mechanisms for a role of metabolic stress in hypertrophic adaptations to resistance training. Sports Medicine, 43, 179-194.
4. Helms, E. R., et al. (2016). Application of the repetitions in reserve-based rating of perceived exertion scale for resistance training. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 38(4), 42-49.
5. Refalo, M. C., et al. (2022). Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 1-17.
6. Lehman, G. J., et al. (2004). Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study. Dynamic Medicine, 3, 1-5.
7. Wakahara, T., et al. (2012). Association between regional differences in muscle activation in one session of resistance exercise and in muscle hypertrophy after resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112, 1569-1576.
8. Grgic, J., et al. (2022). Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 11(2), 202-211.
9. Franke, A. R., et al. (2015). Analysis of anterior, middle and posterior deltoid activation during single and multijoint exercises. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 55, 714-721.
10. Brigatto, F. A., et al. (2022). High resistance-training volume enhances muscle thickness in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 36(1), 22-30.
11. Youdas, J. W., et al. (2010). Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(12), 3404-3414.
12. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 126(1):30-43.
13. Maeo, S., et al. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science, 1-11.
14. Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2019). Calculating set-volume for the limb muscles with the performance of multi-joint exercises: implications for resistance training prescription. Sports, 7(7), 177.

Featured Image: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

The post The Best Bodybuilding Workout for Each Body Part appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Based on the amount of energy drinks consumed by studious first-year college students, we can dispatch the first claim. Alertness and insomnia? Yes. Back muscles? No. As for good deeds, this is a fitness article so it shall be kept secular. That leaves vertical pulling — pull-ups and pulldowns.

Although pull-ups can be modified for nearly everyone, nothing beats the adjustability and convenience of cable-stack pulldowns. But the traditional overhand grip isn’t for everyone, especially those with shoulder issues. (1)(2)(3)

The neutral-grip lat pulldown is a shoulder- and elbow-friendly alternative to standard lat pulldowns. Find out how to perform, program, and modify this big back builder.

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

• How to Do the Neutral-Grip Pulldown
• Neutral-Grip Pulldown Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Neutral-Grip Pulldown
• Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Pulldown
• Muscles Worked by the Neutral-Grip Pulldown 
• How to Program the Neutral-Grip Pulldown
• Neutral-Grip Pulldown Variations 
• Frequently Asked Questions

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown Video Breakdown

Dr. Merrick Lincoln (the author of this article) demonstrates how to do a neutral-grip pulldown and talks you through a complete repetition. Check to see what form looks like before reading on for the details.

How to Do the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown Step By Step

As opposed to using a straight or cambered “lat bar,” the neutral-grip pulldown requires use of a bar with grips running perpendicular to the length of the bar. This allows you to keep your forearms in a “neutral” rotation, with your palms facing each other, halfway between full supination (palms facing toward you) and full pronation (palms facing away from you).

Step 1 — Establish Points of Contact

Face a cable machine with your glutes on the seat, both feet flat on the floor, and your upper legs under the thigh pad. If necessary, adjust the height of the thigh pad or seat for secure fit.  

Form Tip: When setting the height of the thigh pad or seat, ensure your feet are flat on the floor with your heels slightly behind your knees. This enables you to easily slide your feet back to stand when it’s time to retrieve or return the pulldown bar.

Step 2 — Grab the Bar and Set Your Trunk Angle

Grab the handles with a shoulder-width, or slightly narrower, position. If the bar has traditional cylinder-shaped grips, use a fully closed grip with your fingers and thumb wrapped around the bar. If the bar has more modern paddle-style or angled grips, ensure the palms of your hands make maximum contact with the paddles. With this handle, the knuckles of your fingers should be flexed over the top of the handle. 

Once your grip is secure, lift your chest, lean back slightly (e.g. 10 to 30-degrees from vertical), and brace your core. Maintain this trunk position throughout the exercise. In the stretched position, your elbows should be locked completely straight.

Form Tip: If you have a limited range of motion in the overhead position, you may benefit from leaning back slightly farther (e.g. approximately 30-degrees from vertical). This changes the pulling angle and reduces stress on your shoulder joints.

Step 3 — Pull Down to Peak Contraction

Initiate the movement by drawing your shoulder blades together and down, and “pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets.”

Immediately after beginning to move your shoulder blades, begin pulling your elbows toward the sides of your ribcage. Peak contraction is achieved when your shoulder blades are squeezed together and down, and your upper arms are pinned to your sides. 

Form Tip: Don’t worry about getting the bar to your chest, below your chin, or to some other arbitrary position. Focus on achieving a strong contraction in your back muscles when you reach the bottom position. 

Step 4 — Return and Seek Stretch

Lower the weight and allow your arms to be drawn upward, slowly letting your elbows extend. At the same time, allow your shoulder blades to be elevated. The upward movement phase ends when your elbows are completely straight. You should feel a strong stretch across the outside of your armpits — those are your lat muscles being properly stretched.

Form Tip: As your arms are drawn overhead and your latissimus dorsi are stretched, your low back might tend to arch. Avoid this by keeping your abdominal muscles engaged to maintain a neutral torso.

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown Mistakes to Avoid

Common errors in the neutral-grip pulldown occur when range of motion goes unchecked, when compensations are permitted, and when your arms “out-muscle” your back. 

Excessive Range of Motion

The uninitiated often assume the pulldown is not complete until the bar touches their chest. This is erroneous. Hyperextension of your shoulder places additional stress on the front of the shoulder. (4)(5) This is not typically good for folks with anterior shoulder instability, a prevalent issue among lifters. (4) Also, there’s simply no added benefit because the demand on your shoulder muscles decreases due improved leverage in the bottom position.

Still convinced touching the bar to your chest is “necessary?” Watch a handful of folks with barndoor backs perform neutral-grip pulldowns. They don’t touch the bar to their chest — albeit, they likely couldn’t if they wanted to due to the size of their latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles. 

Avoid it: A good rule of thumb for pulldown range of motion is to pull down and back until your triceps squeeze against your lats. Achieve a strong contraction, then begin the upward movement. 

Slouching Into the Repetition

The sticking point, or most challenging part of the repetition, occurs near the bottom of the downward pulling phase. Novice lifters often work through this portion of the lift by rounding their shoulders forward and flexing their mid-back. This gives the appearance of “crunching” or slouching at the bottom of the repetition.

Avoid it: As you pull, keep focus on your back muscles by reminding yourself to create space between the front of your shoulder and the cable pulley.

“Curling” the Weight Down

While it’s true the neutral-grip pulldown can be a great biceps-builder, it is not intended to be an arms-focused exercise. Lifters who initiate the pulldown with elbow flexion and “muscle” the bar down with their elbow flexors are missing out on back gains.

Avoid it: Performed properly, upper body vertical pulling exercises (i.e. pull-ups and pulldowns) are initiated by back muscles, specifically your lower trapezius and latissimus dorsi. (8) These muscles should activate a split-second before your biceps. Ensure this sequence by downwardly rotating and depressing your shoulder blades to begin each rep or “pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets.”

How to Progress the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

To learn the neutral-grip pulldown, start with light weight. Over time, progress the exercise by adding weight and/or repetitions. Incorporating strategic pauses may also be useful for dialing-in proper form and building strength. 

Start Light, Add Weight and Reps

Once proper form is dialed in, progress the pulldown by adding weight. The amount of weight you add should be related to your primary training goal. A weight that allows four to six good repetitions is an effective target when you’re prioritizing strength. A wide range of weights can be effective for hypertrophy, so pick a weight that allows a repetition target you prefer (e.g. eight to 12 repetitions, 12 to 16 repetitions, or 16 to 20 repetitions). 

Once you’ve established your working weight, you will need to add weight or repetitions over time to ensure you are progressively overloading your muscles. A simple strategy is to add repetitions, then add weight once you’ve exceeded the top end of your target repetition range. For example, if you/re aiming for eight to 12 repetitions per set, start by identifying a weight that allows you to perform approximately eight repetitions.

In a week or two, you’ll likely be hitting nine or 10 repetitions with the same weight. Eventually, you’ll reach 13 repetitions, which is the signal to add weight. Note: If you have a bit more training experience, gains sometimes come more slowly and you might consider the occasional deload to ensure ongoing progress. 

Add “Iso-Holds”

Near the bottom position of a pulldown, when your elbows are bent and just in front of your chest, the resistance at the shoulder is amplified by the length of the humerus (upper arm bone). This portion of the movement is the sticking point — the point where muscular failure or form breakdown is most likely to occur. It’s also the perfect position for adding an isometric hold or “iso-holds.” This is an intensification technique used to prolong time under tension and improve strength at targeted positions.

To add an iso-hold, simply stop at the most challenging portion of the pulldown. Hold for four to six seconds, and then complete the repetition. Iso-holds can be performed on the final repetition to maximize set performance or incorporated on every repetition. Keep in mind, you will likely need to lower the weight or repetition target if you intend to use iso-holds on every rep. 

Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

Sure, there are a lot of back exercises you could do at the gym, so why focus on this pulldown variations? With good effort and decent programming, lifters can build respectable size and strength with the neutral-grip pulldown due to the setup, range of motion, and user-friendliness.

Works Back Muscles Through a Full Range of Motion

During pulldowns, shoulders reach the overhead position at the top of every repetition. This exposes the target muscles to substantial stretch and load. This mechanical tension is a key driver of muscle growth. (6) Unlike rows, for example, which only train the muscles through a relatively partial range of motion, pulldowns reach maximum or near-maximum stretch on the target muscles.

Full range of motion training may result in more muscle gain over time. (7) As a bonus, full range of motion training is likely to improve flexibility as effectively, or even more effectively, than stretching. (9)  

An Alternative for Banged Up Shoulders and Elbows

Although traumatic injuries among resistance trainees are somewhat uncommon, a large percentage of lifters complain of painful shoulders and elbows. (4)(10) The lion’s share of these issues can often be attributed to overuse or training errors. 

Forearm position during exercise affects the stress and strain experienced by joint structures, connective tissues, and muscles around the elbow. (11) Structures around the shoulders experience different patterns of stress based on your arm path. For example, the “high five” position of abduction and external rotation passed through during traditional lat pulldowns is associated with increased stress the front of the shoulder. (4)(1)(3) Temporarily avoiding this position may be indicated in the presence of certain shoulder injuries.

It may be prudent for lifters to incorporate neutral-grip variations to reduce the risk of overuse. Periodically switching out pull-ups or traditional lat pulldowns for a slightly different vertical pulling exercises, such as neutral-grip pulldowns may help to ward off overuse-type injuries. 

Lifters already contending with overuse injuries related to upper body pulling may wish to experiment with variations such as the neutral-grip pullover to determine whether it’s better tolerated than previous exercises. 

Allows Easy Use of Advanced Training Techniques

Advanced training techniques can include methods used to take sets past failure (e.g. forced reps, drop sets, rest-pause), delay failure (e.g. cluster sets), or increase time under tension by imposing a tempo (e.g. lowering the weight very slowly with six-second eccentrics). (12) The neutral-grip pulldown is typically performed on a stable and safe machine that allows for efficient use of these techniques.

The pulldown machine enables quick manipulation of weight — just move the pin or slide plates on or off. This allows for efficient performance of drop sets. The machine is also self-contained and “self-spotting.” If muscular failure is reached, there is very little chance of getting pinned under weight. Just stand up and control the pulldown bar back to the top position. 

Similarly, if the lifter wishes to take rest within a given set (i.e. cluster set training), the machine allows for quick stops and starts. Finally, the seated position on the machine allows for a training partner to safely and efficiently assist the lifter to perform additional reps. Advanced training techniques are far from easy, but the pulldown setup makes them about as efficient as they can be.

Muscles Worked by Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

The neutral-grip pulldown hammers muscles of the back, shoulders, and arms. (3)(13)(14) The pulldown is a relatively fundamental movement because it recruits a number of upper body muscles and works them through a significant range of motion.

Shoulder Extensors — Lats, Upper Back, Deltoids

The neutral-grip pulldown targets the muscles that extend the shoulders or draw the arms from in front of the body toward the back of the body. They primarily include the latissimus dorsi, teres major, rear deltoids, and the long head (or innermost portion) of the triceps brachii. Interestingly, the lower part of the pectoralis major (“costal fibers” of the chest) contribute to the pulldown as well. (14)

Collectively, the shoulder extensors have the potential to be highly aesthetic muscles. Well-developed latissimus dorsi gives the back breadth, while teres major and rear deltoid enhance shoulder dimensions. And if any gap remains between the arms and upper sweep of the lats, building the long head of triceps brachii will appear to fill it in. “Wings” achieved.

Mid-Back

Sometimes called “scapular muscles,” the muscles of the mid-back act on your shoulder blades. No big back is complete without the visual interest and depth of well-developed scapular muscles.

While these muscles may not be the primary target of the pulldown, they will receive a training effect. During the pulldown, the rhomboids, lower trapezius, and middle trapezius rotate the shoulder blades downward, pull them together, and draw them toward the small of your back. 

Elbow Flexors

Curls aren’t the only way to build big biceps. Drawing resistance toward the body trains the muscles of elbow flexion (bending your arms) — specifically, your biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and brachialis. Functional importance notwithstanding, these muscles give your arms a more muscular, anaconda-like appearance. 

How to Program the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

Neutral-grip pulldowns can fit nicely into most lifters’ programs in a full body workout, back day, or pulling session. Whether your major training goal is strength or muscle gain, an overarching recommendation is to perform neutral-grip pulldowns earlier in the workout to maximize adaptations.

As a Primary Exercise for Strength

The neutral-grip lat pulldown is a long range-of-motion, multi-joint exercise that allows incremental loading. These features make it ideal for use as a primary exercise in your “back day” or “pull day” routine. Primary exercises, sometimes termed “core exercises” in some circles, are compound (multi-joint) movements typically placed earlier in the workout before any “accessory exercises,” which are typically single-joint exercises or rehab/prehab work.

This exercise order is preferred, because multi-joint exercise performance tends to suffer when performed after isolation exercise. (15) Moreover, exercises performed earlier in the workout tend to stimulate greater improvement in strength. (16)

To prioritize back strength, hit two to five sets of four to six repetitions using 85% or greater of your one-repetition maximum (1RM), ideally early in your workout. (17)

As High-Volume Hypertrophy Work

If your training focus is building a big back, address neutral-grip pulldowns toward the beginning of your workout. Due to heavy involvement of the biceps brachii and other elbow flexors, it is best practice to perform pulldowns before curls or other direct biceps exercises. 

Some research has shown that as few as three sets of barbell curls performed before pulldowns can decrease back-training performance by three to five repetitions. (13) Lost repetitions does not bode well for optimal muscle gain, as hypertrophy is positively related to exercise volume (i.e. total weekly sets x reps). (18) Maximize pulldown volume by performing this exercise early in the workout.

For building bigger back and biceps, perform three to six sets of eight to 20 repetitions using a weight that brings each set within three or fewer repetitions of failure.

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown Variations

On your back-building quest, there are many variations of the neutral-grip pulldown to help move you forward. Select the most appropriate variation based on personal preference, equipment availability, and goals. 

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up 

No pulldown machine? Prefer pull-ups over pulldowns? Swap neutral-grip pulldowns for pull-ups. If multiple neutral-grip widths are available, start with the ones closest to shoulder-width or slightly narrower.

Despite the fact your bodyweight provides the resistance, the mechanics of the neutral-grip pull-up are similar to the neutral-grip pulldown. Start from a dead-hang, initiate from your shoulder blades, and pull your elbows down to your sides.

V-Bar Lat Pulldown

Using a narrow V-bar or “chinning triangle” attachment results in a tighter arm path and hits your back and arms differently. Neutral-grip pulldowns with the V-bar appear to rely more heavily on the biceps brachii than shoulder-width and wide neutral-grip variations. (13) So the V-bar pulldown is a great option for those prioritizing strong, thick arms.

The V-bar pulldown is performed much like the neutral-grip pulldown except the lifter should focus on squeezing the elbows and forearms together throughout the exercise. Elbows should graze your ribcage below your pecs as you approach the bottom position of the exercise. 

Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Single-arm lat pulldowns are wonderful for feeling the stretch and contraction of your latissimus dorsi and other shoulder extensor muscles through a large arc and long range of motion. Because each arm is worked individually, they can also help to address any possible side-to-side strength asymmetries.

The half-kneeling single-arm lat pulldown is the next level of single-arm pulling. The “half-kneeling” position (i.e. one knee down) provides a large, stable footprint for the addition of subtle trunk movements. These trunk movements allow more stretch at the top followed by a stronger peak contraction at the bottom of each rep. The former may enhance “stretch-mediated” muscle growth, while the squeeze at the bottom promotes mind-muscle connection and increased latissimus dorsi activity. (6)(19)

Face the cable stack and kneel with the working side knee down. Allow your shoulder blade to be pulled up for a full stretch through your lat. Side-bend your trunk slightly away from your working arm. Pull by drawing your shoulder blade and elbow down and in. Achieve peak contraction by aggressively pulling your arm to your ribcage and side-bending slightly toward the working side. Focus on feeling your lats “cramp” at the bottom of each rep.

Swiss Bar Pullover

The pullover is a phenomenal exercise for the shoulder extensor muscles — latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoid, part of your pectoralis major, etc. Although commonly done with a two-handed grip on a single dumbbell, the pullover may also be performed using a neutral-grip implement such as a Swiss bar, a multi-grip barbell, or triceps bar.

The Swiss bar may enable those with less-than-ideal range of motion (i.e. limited forearm pronation or shoulder external rotation) to reap the benefits of pullovers – Namely, heavy loading overhead when the target muscles are at their longest lengths, which may enhance growth.(6)(20)(21) Just be sure to have an attentive spotter due to free weights passing over your head and face during the movement.

Earn Your Wings

The neutral-grip lat pulldown builds a wide back and thick arms to boot. When performed with a shoulder-width or slightly narrower grip, it tends to be a joint-friendly exercise for your lats, upper back, mid-back, and biceps. Altogether, neutral-grip lat pulldowns may be among the best options for building a set of wings when your shoulders have other plans.

FAQs

References

1. Escalante, G. (2017). Exercise modification strategies to prevent and train around shoulder pain. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 39(3), 74-86.
2. Ribeiro, A. S., Nunes, J. P., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2020). Selection of resistance exercises for older individuals: the forgotten variable. Sports Medicine, 50, 1051-1057.
3. Fees, M., et al. (1998). Upper extremity weight-training modifications for the injured athlete. The American journal of sports medicine, 26(5), 732-742.
4. Kolber, M. J., Corrao, M., & Hanney, W. J. (2013). Characteristics of anterior shoulder instability and hyperlaxity in the weight-training population. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(5), 1333-1339.
5. Watson L, et al. (2016). The treatment of multidirectional instability of the shoulder with a rehabilitation program: Part 1. Shoulder & Elbow. 8(4):271-278
6. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 126(1):30-43.
7. Kassiano, W., et al. (2022). Which ROMs Lead to Rome? A Systematic Review of the Effects of Range of Motion on Muscle Hypertrophy. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 10-1519.
8. Youdas, J. W., et al. (2010). Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(12), 3404-3414.
9. Morton, S. K., et al. (2011). Resistance training vs. static stretching: effects on flexibility and strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(12), 3391-3398.
10. Siewe, J., et al. (2014). Injuries and overuse syndromes in competitive and elite bodybuilding. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 35(11), 943-948.
11. Bryce, C. D., & Armstrong, A. D. (2008). Anatomy and biomechanics of the elbow. Orthopedic Clinics of North America, 39(2), 141-154.
12. Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897.
13. Vilaça-Alves, J., et al. (2014). Effects of pre-exhausting the biceps brachii muscle on the performance of the front lat pull-down exercise using different handgrip positions. Journal of Human Kinetics, 42(1), 157-163.
14. Ackland, D. C., Pak, P., Richardson, M., & Pandy, M. G. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
15. Figueiredo, T., et al. (2016). Influence of Exercise Order on One and Ten Repetition Maximum Loads Determination. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 19(2).
16. Nunes, J. P., et al. (2021). What influence does resistance exercise order have on muscular strength gains and muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Sport Science, 21(2), 149-157.
17. Peterson, M. D., Rhea, M. R., & Alvar, B. A. (2004). Maximizing strength development in athletes: a meta-analysis to determine the dose-response relationship. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(2), 377-382.
18. Figueiredo, V. C., de Salles, B. F., & Trajano, G. S. (2018). Volume for muscle hypertrophy and health outcomes: the most effective variable in resistance training. Sports Medicine, 48, 499-505.
19. Snyder, B. J., & Leech, J. R. (2009). Voluntary increase in latissimus dorsi muscle activity during the lat pull-down following expert instruction. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(8), 2204-2209.
20. Maeo, S., et al. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science, 1-11.
21. Pedrosa, G. F., et al. (2021). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European Journal of Sport Science, 1-11.
22. Murugan, S., et al. (2013). Grip strength changes in relation to different body postures, elbow and forearm positions. Int J Physiother Res, 1(4), 116-121.
23. Valério, D. F., etal. (2021). The effects of lifting straps in maximum strength, number of repetitions and muscle activation during lat pull-down. Sports Biomechanics, 20(7), 858-865.
24. Snarr, R., Eckert, R. M., & Abbott, P. (2015). A comparative analysis and technique of the Lat Pull-down. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 37(5), 21-25.
25. Vigotsky, A. D., et al. (2018). Interpreting signal amplitudes in surface electromyography studies in sport and rehabilitation sciences. Frontiers in Physiology, 985.
26. Vigotsky, A. D., et al. (2017). Greater electromyographic responses do not imply greater motor unit recruitment and ‘hypertrophic potential’ cannot be inferred. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(1), e1-e4.

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

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Fast-forward two decades. Pallof’s “belly press” was renamed by way of common usage, and what’s become known as the Pallof press is a mainstay exercise in settings from rehabilitation clinics to the strength and conditioning facilities of elite athletes. (1)(2)(3)(4)

This relatively new spin on the classic plank challenges core strength at a new angle, literally. The direction of force requires anti-rotation, as opposed to dynamic rotation. “Anti” movements are a generally overlooked and undertrained aspect of core health and strength.

How can a single exercise be effective across such a wide range of populations? Well, it’s scalable for difficulty, making it effective and accessible to beginners and experienced athletes alike. It also trains the body to resist rotation, which is useful across human movement patterns from athletics to daily life. Here’s a detailed look at the Pallof press and how to incorporate into your training plan.

Pallof Press

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

Classic Pallof Press Video Tutorial

Author Dr. Merrick Lincoln demonstrates the Pallof press in the video below. Read on for step-by-step instructions. 

How to Do the Pallof Press

Follow these detailed instructions to dial-in proper Pallof press form for maximum benefit and efficiency. You’ll need a cable system with an adjustable pulley or a resistance band and a stable, chest-high anchor point.

Step 1 — Set Your Equipment and Step Out

Set a resistance band or cable pulley (with a single handle attached) at approximately chest-height. Grasp the band or handle with both hands and hold it in front of your sternum with bent arms.

Pull your shoulders back and brace your core. Sidestep away from the anchor-point until you feel moderate tension on the band, or until the weight plates lift several inches from the cable stack.

Form Tip: Although this is just the “setup” of the exercise, your core is already experiencing resistance from the band or cable. Before the walkout, not after, is the best time to set your brace and tense your abs, as this avoids having to establish proper alignment while under greater resistance. 

Step 2 — Quarter-Squat and Press

With your shoulders squarely over your pelvis and your feet just beyond shoulder-width, perform a shallow squat. Maintain this stable position throughout the remainder of the exercise. Slowly press the band or cable directly away from your sternum until your elbows are straight. 

Form Tip: The turning force from the band or cable doesn’t stop at your core. You will need to establish a firm connection with the floor during the Pallof press. Accomplish this by attempting to “grip” or “spread” the floor with your feet.

Step 3 — Pause at Peak Tension

This portion of the exercise is responsible for a relatively large amount of the training stimulus, so give it plenty of attention. The end position of the press is the most challenging part of the exercise — Savor it by pausing for a moment or longer.

Form Tip: You’ve (likely) inhaled to set your brace before initiating the repetition, and you’ve exhaled throughout the pressing motion. Now, fill the pause at peak tension with another full breath cycle (breathe in, breathe out) without losing your brace. This is a good way to make sure you hold the pause for a sufficient duration.

Step 4 — Return to Start Position

Pull the band or cable handle back to your sternum with a smooth, controlled movement. Repeat steps two through four (press, pause, pull back) for the desired number of repetitions before sidestepping toward the anchor point or pulley and switching sides.

Form Tip: Although the exercise becomes progressively easier as you bring the band or handle back toward the start position, do not lose your brace. Strive for no movement below the shoulders. 

Pallof Press Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t be lulled into thinking this simple-looking exercise doesn’t require focus. Avoiding these Pallof press pitfalls ensures exercise effectiveness. 

Setting Up at an Angle

One common error in the Pallof press occurs before the exercise really begins. After you step out with band or cable, your torso must be perpendicular to the line of pull of the resistance. Don’t bend at your waist and don’t stand in front of, or behind, the anchor point or cable.

Any substantial deviation from perpendicular will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise by decreasing the turning force (“torque”) applied to your trunk. An oblique angle reduces demand on your obliques.

Avoid it: No need to track down a protractor or angle finder. Just imagine a straight line running between your shoulder joints and another straight line running through your hip joints. These two imaginary lines should be parallel to each other and run at a right angle to the actual line of the band or cable. 

Midsection Motion

Poor trunk control during the Pallof press is indicative of a misunderstanding of the exercise or the use of too much resistance. Assuming you’re not simply overpowered by the band or cable, you can improve your Pallof press form by focusing on a “braced” midsection.

Avoid it: Treat the Pallof press like a “standing plank.” Make your trunk rigid by bracing or co-contracting the muscles on the front, back, and sides of your midsection. 

Retreating Quickly From Peak Tension

The Pallof press should be most challenging after the press, when your arms are outstretched in front of the body. This is informed by Newtonian physics (i.e. “law of the lever”) and it’s supported by the obvious sensation of effort you should feel at the end-range.

Avoid it: Make Sir Isaac Newton proud by pausing and demonstrating control when the resistance force has the most leverage. When your elbows are straight and your hands are at approximately chest-height, take a moment to verify your shoulders and hips are square. As you breathe during the pause, make sure your midsection is tight and braced before returning to the start position. 

How to Progress the Pallof Press

When progressing the Pallof press, use a combination of traditional exercise variables (e.g. adding resistance or volume) and non-traditional variables (e.g. devising modifications that increase the technique-demands or complexity of the exercise. (5) When the traditional Pallof press gets too easy, lean into one or more of the progression strategies below.

Change the Base of Support

The basic version of the Pallof press is performed with both feet slightly outside shoulder-width. Your “base of support” is always going to be the area outlined by your feet and all the space between the feet. The exercise becomes drastically more difficult with a smaller base of support. Achieve this progression by standing with a narrower stance. Once you’re able to perform Pallof presses with your feet together, try the lunge variation or even the single-leg variation, described below.

Increase the Number of Repetitions

For performance training, the Pallof press is considered an “accessory exercise,” generally performed for moderate to higher repetitions. It isn’t the type of exercise conducive to high resistance/low repetition programming. No one cares about your Pallof press one-repetition maximum. Rather than push for more resistance, push for higher-repetition sets. Work up to sets of 20 or more smooth, controlled repetitions before worrying about adding resistance.

Increase the Movement Speed

Your primary task during the Pallof press is to keep your trunk motionless. Or, if there is any motion or loss of the initial trunk position, your task is to regain control and re-achieve the initial position as soon as possible. In fact, the latter scenario most closely describes the biomechanics definition of stability. (6) Rapid movement speed during the Pallof press exposes the body to a greater stability challenge.

As long as any movement below your shoulders is minimal and well-controlled, increasing the speed of the pressing motion can be an effective progression. However, even when performing faster repetitions, you should still pause at peak tension when arms are fully outstretched.

Benefits of the Pallof Press

Isometric core exercises like the Pallof press are recommended to improve core muscle endurance. (7) But the benefits of the Pallof press don’t stop there. Emerging research points to its potential role in improved sports performance and injury-risk reduction. 

Enhances Force Transfer and Performance

From a movement development perspective, we know the ability to control the trunk and demonstrate stability is a prerequisite for effective limb movement. This is evidenced by babies sitting unsupported before they walk or before launching their toys across the room. This same phenomenon is seen in athletes, albeit during much higher-level activities. Trunk stability enhances the ability to generate forceful, rapid, and precise limb movement. (8) The good news is, this appears to be trainable.

For example, a core training program including Pallof press variations was shown to improve striking force among Muay Thai athletes. (9) Whether you’re a fighter, thrower, field- or court sport player, swimmer, or just about any other type of athlete, progressive training with the Pallof press might up your game.

Teaches You To ‘Breathe and Brace’

Many sports and athletic endeavors require the skill of simultaneous breathing and bracing — sprinting, kayaking, swimming, and pretty much any CrossFit-style workout, just to name a few. The peak tension position of the Pallof press is a great opportunity to practice this skill.

As noted in the step-by-step instructions, you should pause when your arms are fully pressed away from your sternum. If you fill this pause with one or more breath cycles while also preventing any motion between your shoulders and hips, you are training “breathing and bracing.” Since the Pallof press is typically programmed as a fairly-high repetition, moderate-to-low load exercise, it gives plenty of opportunities to practice. 

Potentially Reduces Injury Risk

Poor core stability is thought to predispose athletes to injury. (10) And although we know not all injuries can be prevented, there is a strong case for the inclusion of core exercises like the Pallof press in workout programs designed to reduce injury risk. Improving core stability is thought to improve control or coordination of the body and limbs. (10)(11) And improved coordination may translate into reduced risk for injury.

For example, across 13 studies, core training was shown to improve balance, which may ultimately decrease the risk of injurious falls. (12) Altogether, exercises intended to improve stability and coordination (i.e. “neuromuscular training”), along with strength training, are among the most well-supported types of training to reduce risk of injury. (13)

Muscles Worked by Pallof Press

Although the term “press” may seem to imply the shoulders are targeted, the Pallof press is decidedly core work. The pressing motion is minimally-resisted due to the body’s orientation to the line of pull of the band or cable stack. The press isn’t “lifting” the weight. Instead, the exercise hammers your core, particularly the muscles that prevent trunk rotation. 

Abdominals

The primary muscle task during the Pallof press is to resist trunk rotation, which is why the movement pattern is termed “anti-rotation.” Muscles that act to rotate the trunk contract isometrically and create tension without creating appreciable movement.

Key muscles include the external obliques and internal obliques. Your rectus abdominis (i.e. the six-pack abs) and transversus abdominis (the deepest abdominal muscle) may also contribute to the Pallof press by increasing intra-abdominal pressure to increase the rigidity of your trunk.  

Tiny Back Muscles

Often forgotten, many small muscles on the backside of the trunk contribute to trunk rotation and anti-rotation. These muscles are arranged between the bones of the spine (vertebrae), run between the ribcage and vertebrae, or span the pelvis and sacrum to vertebrae.

Among them, erector spinae may be the most notable, but semispinalis, multifidi, and rotatores deserve honorable mention. Multifidi and rotatores, in particular, are thought to produce“fine-tuning” muscle contractions needed for effective stabilization of the spine. (14)

How to Program the Pallof Press

For most, the Pallof press is an accessory exercise, meaning it plays a supplementary role in the training program. Accessory exercises can be programmed in a variety of ways, provided they support, or at least do not interfere with, the primary objectives of the workout.

As a Warm-up or Primer

The warm-up is a time dedicated to increasing body temperature and rehearsing movements that support the upcoming training session. It’s also a great time to incorporate core work. As a fairly low-intensity exercise, the Pallof press is well-suited for inclusion during any general warm-up.

As Dedicated Core Training

By setting aside time specifically for core training, as you likely do for your shoulders, arms, chest, back, or quadriceps, you help to ensure the work gets done. The Pallof press primarily works the rotators of the trunk. Therefore, to create a robust core workout, you may also wish to add exercises targeting the flexors, extensors, and lateral flexors of the core, such as crunches or planks, Roman chair back extensions, and farmer’s walks, respectively.

Although the Pallof press is a wonderfully effective year-around core exercise for most individuals, high-level athletes may wish to incorporate more dynamic trunk rotation training, such as medicine ball twists and tosses, during the pre-season and in-season for more sport-specific training. (7)

As Rest Interval “Filler”

The amount of exercise completed in a defined period of time determines the density of a workout. Increasing the density of your workouts makes them more efficient, as long as the additional work (or reduced rest) does not adversely affect exercise performance. The Pallof press does not create excessive fatigue in muscles commonly targeted by traditional resistance training.

Therefore, it may be a great “filler” exercise. Take some of the two or three minutes you’d typically rest passively between sets of bench presses, rows, or any other exercise, and hit a set of Pallof presses. By supersetting the Pallof press with another exercise, you’ll increase the efficiency of your workout and keep your mind (and body) engaged throughout your entire training session. 

Pallof Press Variations

The Pallof press can be modifiable in countless ways. Below, find a beginner-friendly version of the Pallof press, followed by three relatively more advanced modifications.

Half-Kneeling Pallof Press

To reduce the difficulty of the Pallof press, try the “half-kneeling” position. Place your inside knee (the leg closest to the band or cable stack) on the floor and bend your outside leg 90-degrees at the knee and hip. Place your front foot flat on the floor. (1)

From this position, brace your midsection and perform the Pallof press with typical pressing technique. When you switch sides, be sure to switch leg positions — the leg closest to the resistance is on the ground and your opposite foot is flat on the floor.

Lunge-Position Pallof Press

Performing the Pallof press in a lunge stance increases the difficulty by narrowing your base of support. (1) With your outside leg in front, drop into a narrow lunge position, brace, then perform the Pallof press with standard “press and pause” form.

Be sure to keep your outside knee pointing straight ahead, as tension from the band or cable will try to “unravel” your body. Don’t allow your knee to collapse inward. When you switch sides, switch lead legs and repeat the lunge position.

Single-Leg Pallof Press

The single-leg Pallof press is performed standing on the outside leg — The leg farthest from the anchor point of the band or the cable stack. By performing the exercise on one leg, the single-leg Pallof press increases training demand on the lateral hip muscles, namely the gluteus medius. (4)

You will also need to prevent your foot and ankle from caving inward (“pronating”) under the pull of the band. To get the greatest training effect from the foot and ankle complex, perform in minimalist shoes or even barefoot. 

Chaos Pallof Press 

To further progress the Pallof press, increase the reactive demand of the exercise by adding a light weight to the center of the resistance band setup (demonstrated in the video). Be sure the weight is secured in place, so it can’t slide up and down the length of the band.

Performing the “press” portion rapidly will create oscillating movements of the weight plate. Your core muscles will be forced to contend with the added, and somewhat unpredictable, challenge of the bouncing plate. Hold the paused position to regain core control before continuing repetitions.

FAQs

Make Room for Anti-Rotation in Your Exercise Rotation

Since its introduction, the Pallof press has become a contemporary classic exercise. It builds rotational strength and enhances trunk stability. And it might even boost athletic performance and reduce injury risk. Remember, to achieve meaningful benefits, consistency and progression are key.

References

1. Mullane, M., Turner, A. N., & Bishop, C. (2021). The Pallof Press. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(2), 121-128.
2. Wilson, K. W., et al. (2019). Rehabilitation and return to sport after hip arthroscopy. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics, 29(4), 100739.
3. Cotter, A. (2022). Return to Sport Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Women’s Field Hockey. Journal of Women’s Sports Medicine, 2(2), 57-69.
4. Holling, M. J., Miller, S. T., & Geeslin, A. G. (2022). Rehabilitation and Return to Sport After Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Review of the Recent Literature and Discussion of Advanced Rehabilitation Techniques for Athletes. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 4(1), e125-e132.
5. La Scala Teixeira, C. V., et al. (2019). Complexity: a novel load progression strategy in strength training. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 839.
6. Reeves, N. P., Narendra, K. S., & Cholewicki, J. (2007). Spine stability: the six blind men and the elephant. Clinical Biomechanics, 22(3), 266-274.
7. Willardson, J. M. (2007). Core stability training: applications to sports conditioning programs. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 21(3), 979-985.
8. Kibler, W. B., Press, J., & Sciascia, A. (2006). The role of core stability in athletic function. Sports Medicine, 36, 189-198.
9. Lee, B., & McGill, S. (2017). The effect of core training on distal limb performance during ballistic strike manoeuvres. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(18), 1768-1780.
10. Willson, J. D., et al. (2005). Core stability and its relationship to lower extremity function and injury. JAAOS-Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 13(5), 316-325.
11. Huxel Bliven, K. C., & Anderson, B. E. (2013). Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health, 5(6), 514-522.
12. Barrio, E. D., et al. (2022). Effects of core training on dynamic balance stability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40(16), 1815-1823.
13. Lauersen, J. B., Bertelsen, D. M., & Andersen, L. B. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11), 871-877.
14. Kavcic, N., Grenier, S., & McGill, S. M. (2004). Determining the stabilizing role of individual torso muscles during rehabilitation exercises. Spine, 29(11), 1254-1265.

Featured Image: Merrick Lincoln, DPT, CSCS / YouTube

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While the movement has gymnastics roots, the toes-to-bar is closely associated with CrossFit athletes and the exercise features frequently in WODs (workouts of the day). Despite the movement’s erratic appearance, the toes-to-bar has potential benefits for athletes of any sport, as well as physique-focused bodybuilders. This article describes technique and programming considerations for the toes-to-bar.

Toes-to-Bar

How to Do the-Toes to-Bar Step By Step

A common version of toes-to-bar involves well-coordinated movement of body segments to achieve fast and efficient performance —kipping. A variation involves action of your abdominals and hip flexors with immaculate body control — strict. The kipping version is described below.

Step 1 — Grab the Bar

Choose an appropriate pull-up bar that’s strong, secure, and taller than your standing overhead-reach height. Take an overhand grip at, or slightly outside, shoulder-width and hang with straight arms. 

Form Tip: Consider using a “reverse hook grip” — After wrapping your fingers around the bar, squeeze your thumb over the nailbed of your index finger (and middle finger, too, if you’re able). 

Step 2 — Generate a Kip

“Kipping” refers to the controlled act of swinging to generate momentum. For the toes-to-bar, initiate the kip by arching your back as you extend your legs behind you. Your body should form an extended or “arched” shape under the bar. Immediately reverse the movement by rounding your spine and pulling your legs forward to achieve a flexed or “hollow” shape under the bar. Without losing speed, transition again to the initial extended shape. 

Form Tip: When kipping, it’s helpful to think about pushing and pulling the bar horizontally even though the bar itself won’t move. First push backward, then pull forward, and then push backward again. This will help to incorporate your upper body, improve stability and positioning, and can help establish a rhythmic movement.

Step 3 — Carry the Kip into Upward Leg Movement

From the arched position, carry your trunk and leg momentum forward once again, but this time actively flex your low back and hips at the end of the kip to transition the momentum upward to the ceiling, not forward. 

Form Tip: Keep your gaze straight as you lift your feet. Following your toes with your eyes will only promote neck and spine extension, which will interfere with this phase of the movement. 

Step 4 — Touch Your Toes to the Bar

As your low back and hips reach maximum flexion (i.e. maximum compression between your stomach and thighs), straighten your knees and touch your toes to the bar. Use control — you don’t want to kick the bar.

Form Tip: Quickly “flicking” your knees into extension at the top of the repetition rather than keeping your knees straight throughout the movement will promote movement efficiency and speed.

Step 5 — Return to the Extended Arch Position

To smoothly transition into the next rep, allow a slight re-bend to your knees and drive your hips into extension downward. As your legs move below your waist, begin to extend your spine. Once you achieve the arched position, immediately transition to the hollow position to initiate the next repetition. 

Form Tip: Unlike the first repetition, subsequent reps should not require multiple forward and back kipping movements to generate momentum. Transition immediately from the hollow position into the upward leg movement of the next repetition.

Toes to Bar Mistakes to Avoid

Common toes-to-bar errors occur when form gets sloppy, when range of motion gets cut short, or when the distinction blurs between the kipping version and the strict version.

Swinging Too Far Forward

An athlete who allows their hips to travel underneath the bar during the “hollow” position (immediately before and during the leg lift) is unlikely to achieve a full repetition. Even if the repetition is salvaged, excessive swinging will disrupt the rhythm of the kip and interfere with the next repetition. 

Avoid it: When transitioning from the “arch” position to the “hollow” position of the kip, avoid excessive forward motion of the pelvis by actively pushing yourself backwards. Keeping tension in your upper body and trying to move the bar can help.

Missing Full Compression at the Top

Achieving the end goal of touching your toes, well, to the bar requires full hip and low back flexion. Athletes who fail to achieve this fully compressed position may simply require technique remediation or supplemental mobility work. 

Avoid it: During upward leg movement, focus on powerfully pulling your knees toward your elbows. If this intent isn’t enough, it is acceptable to maintain a small amount of flexion throughout the upward movement phase. Then, at the last possible moment, complete the movement by reaching your feet to the bar. Athletes who lack the mobility to achieve the fully compressed position, may benefit from the hanging L-sit variation discussed below. 

Slowing the Descent

In contrast to the strict version (and most exercises in the gym), the downward movement phase of the kipping toes-to-bar is not intended to be slow and controlled. Coming down slowly kills your momentum and extinguishes the stretch reflex — Both of these features are needed to perform efficient reps in consecutive fashion. 

Avoid it: Instead of attempting to control the descent with your hip flexors and abdominals, actively drive into extension during the descent — first from your hips, then from your spine.

How to Progress the Toes to Bar

Unlike traditional resistance training exercises, the toes-to-bar is not typically progressed via the addition of weight unless, of course, this occurs inadvertently after a big pre-workout meal. Rather, the toes-to-bar is appropriately progressed by increasing repetition rate, manipulating body position, and extending set durations. 

Perform More Repetitions Within a Given Time

In fitness competition, the rate of repetition completion is the most important factor, often aiming to complete as many repetitions as quickly as possible. Therefore, pushing yourself to complete more toes-to-bar reps in a set timeframe is a great way to progress this movement. Set a timer for 20 to 40 seconds and hammer out as many good repetitions as possible. Next session, shoot for one or two more reps in the same time. 

Lengthen Your Legs

Keeping a slight bend in the knees during the kipping toes-to-bar is acceptable and potentially beneficial because it increases repetition speed. For those less interested in competition and more interested in training abdominals and hip flexors, keeping your knees straight throughout the toes-to-bar is an appropriate progression.

Straight legs place your center of mass further from the working muscles (your abdominals), thereby increasing mechanical demand. To progress in this fashion, simply keep your knees as straight as possible throughout the forward/upward movement phase of the exercise.

Perform More Repetitions “Unbroken”

In CrossFit vernacular, “unbroken” refers to stringing multiple repetitions together without interruption. If fatigue or loss of coordination forces you to release the bar between reps, miss a rep, or perform an extra kip, your set of toes-to-bar is no longer unbroken. Performing unbroken sets builds muscular endurance and taxes coordination. 

To progress, simply establish the number of repetitions you can perform unbroken, then shoot for an extra repetition or two next time. 

Benefits of the Toes to Bar

In stark contrast to the complex movement and coordination demands of the toes-to-bar, the exercise requires one simple piece of equipment — a sturdy pull-up bar. Therefore, the following benefits can be reaped at any gym or local park. 

Full Range of Motion Training

The hips and trunk cycle through extremes of flexion and extension during the toes-to-bar. At these extreme positions, core and hip muscles are trained at long muscle lengths. Consistent training at long muscle lengths may reduce risk of muscle and tendon injury. For example, Nordic Curls, which train the hamstrings at long lengths are associated with reduced injury risk. (1)

While more dynamic exercises like toes-to-bar have not yet been studied for the purpose of injury prevention, it is plausible they confer a protective effect, making the abdominals and hip flexors more resilient to strains.

Builds Ballistic Core Power

Abdominal- and hip flexor muscles experience rapid stretch immediately followed by contraction during the toes-to-bar. This sequence engages a phenomenon called the “stretch-shortening cycle” to produce a powerful and efficient muscle contraction. Nearly all sports and athletic endeavors rely on stretch shortening cycle muscle actions. And with training, stretch shortening cycle contractions can be enhanced.

So, whether you want to spike an unreturnable volleyball, launch a downfield soccer throw-in, or accelerate past your competition on the cross-country ski trails, training the stretch shortening cycle through the toes-to-bar is likely to help. 

Movement Coordination Training

The kipping toes-to-bar demands sequenced and controlled movement of the trunk, hips, and shoulder girdle. Timing is everything, as momentum must be carried from one body segment to the next. Dialing-in this coordination sets the foundation for other skills requiring similar movements. Gymnasts use toes-to-bar to teach a clean kipping technique for mounting above the bar. You might use the toes-to-bar to build up to similar movements, such as kipping muscle-ups, kipping pull-ups, or maybe even “the worm” (if you’re into breakdancing).

Muscles Worked by Toes to Bar

The toes-to-bar trains muscles of the anterior chain — the muscles on the front of the body. Muscles of the posterior chain, such as the spinal erectors, multifidi, and hip extensors, help to drive the body into the backswing of the kip, but the anterior core predominates.

Abdominals and Hip Flexors

The tasks of transitioning from the arched position to the hollow position of the kip and driving the toes legs vertical to reach to the bar are accomplished by the abdominals and hip flexors. Key muscles include rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, iliacus, psoas major, and rectus femoris. 

Grip and Shoulders

A strong grip and robust shoulders are non-negotiable attributes for the toes-to-bar. Finger flexors and thumb muscles must not only support the weight of the body, but contend with multidirectional forces produced during kipping.

While stabilizing muscles preserve the integrity of the shoulder, shoulder flexors and extensors rhythmically contract to facilitate kipping. Most notable are latissimus dorsi, regions of pectoralis major, and posterior deltoid, which help to create the hollow position and keep the trunk behind the bar during the leg lift. 

How to Program the Toes to Bar

The toes-to-bar is likely to pop up in prescribed CrossFit workouts during competitions and training. They can be programmed for day-to-day workouts in a variety of ways to suit your needs.

Part of a Complex

A complex is two or more exercises performed continuously with the same equipment. Complexes are an efficient and engaging way to build work capacity and develop movement skills. The toes-to-bar pairs well with kipping muscle-ups and kipping pull-ups, as the momentum from the kipping motion can be preserved throughout the entire complex. For a challenge, try six repetitions of toes-to-bar, followed by three reps of muscle-ups, then six kipping pull-ups. 

Progressive Skill Training

Dedicated practice is needed to achieve technical mastery of the toes-to-bar. Motor learning is likely most effective when unfatigued. (2) For best results, dedicate an early portion of your workout to the toes-to-bar. Try three to five sets of six to 12 reps, three or more days per week. 

If you are a CrossFit competitor, you will likely need to perform toes-to-bar in a fatigued state. So be sure to challenge yourself from time to time with longer sets, short rest intervals between sets, or circuit training that includes the toes-to-bar.

Part of a Multi-Mode Workout

In the sport of fitness (i.e. CrossFit), multiple exercises are programmed in the same workout, often in circuit training fashion. Commonly, these exercises are performed as “rounds for time” (RFT). In an RFT workout, a round consists of a defined number of repetitions for several exercises. The athlete performs a designated number of rounds as fast as possible. For example, eight rounds of 16 kettlebell swings, eight toes-to-bar, and four wall ball shots. Track the time it takes to complete the entire series and aim to beat that time next workout.

Another common workout design is EMOM or every minute on the minute. The exercises are performed for a prescribed number of repetitions every minute for a designated number of minutes. The repetitions should be completed in under one minute, and any time remaining is dedicated to rest. For quick workout, try a 10-minute EMOM of eight toes-to-bar, six push-ups, and four dumbbell front squats. 

Toes-to-Bar Variations

Novice athletes or athletes with goals outside of CrossFit, gymnastics, and parkour may be better served by one of the following variations. 

Strict Toes-to-Bar (Hanging Leg Raises)

Those with fitness goals not directly related to gymnastics or fitness competition may consider the strict toes-to-bar variation, commonly called “hanging leg raises.”

By eliminating the momentum and stretch reflex generated by a kip, the strict variation forces your abdominals and hip flexors to act in a slower and more isolated fashion. This results in higher levels of muscle activity in the rectus abdominis and obliques. (3)

Hanging L-Sit

Hanging L-sits are an isometric, or motionless, endurance exercise. The “L-sit” places the mass of the legs at its furthest point from the hips and low back, which trains your abdominals and hip flexors. This exercise may help to address weak points in the toes-to-bar.

If you’re not accustomed to training your hip flexors at short muscle lengths, don’t be surprised if they cramp during your first few sessions. Shake it out and get back to work.

Controlled GHD Sit-Ups

To progress toward the kipping toes-to-bar, novice athletes should consider the controlled glute-hamstring developer (GHD) sit-up. Unlike standard sit-ups on the floor or a sit-up board, this exercise trains your hip flexors and abdominals at long muscle lengths.

This exercise can also be used as a progression toward CrossFit-style GHD sit-ups, which are performed more rapidly and with outstretched arms.

Lying Leg Lifts

Athletes unable to hang from a pull-up bar due to weakness or equipment unavailability might consider training their abdominals and hip flexors using lying leg lifts. This exercise only requires a bench or open floor space and a sturdy object to hold on to as a counterbalance to the lower body — a heavy kettlebell or dumbbell also works.

Be sure to keep your low back pressed into the bench or floor throughout each repetition to avoid a loss of tension at the bottom of the repetition.

FAQs

Appropriated by CrossFit, but Not Limited to “Fitness Competitions”

The toes-to-bar is a relatively complex exercise used in some CrossFit competitions and workouts. It can also be used to develop gymnastics skills, be placed in calisthenics programs, or it can be added added to a standard gym workout as a novel core exercise. 

Like any complex exercise, mastery of the toes-to-bar takes practice and patience. But once you dial in, you’ll be stringing together unbroken repetitions with ease with core strength, and core development, to show for it. 

References

1. Al Attar, W. S. A., et al. (2017). Effect of injury prevention programs that include the Nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injury rates in soccer players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 47, 907-916.
2. Branscheidt, M., et al. (2019). Fatigue induces long-lasting detrimental changes in motor-skill learning. Elife, 8, e40578.
3. McGill, S., Andersen, J., & Cannon, J. (2015). Muscle activity and spine load during anterior chain whole body linkage exercises: the body saw, hanging leg raise and walkout from a push-up. Journal of Sports Sciences, 33(4), 419-426.
4. Franchi, M. V., Reeves, N. D., & Narici, M. V. (2017). Skeletal muscle remodeling in response to eccentric vs. concentric loading: morphological, molecular, and metabolic adaptations. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 447.
5. Pruthviraj, R., & Paul Daniel, V. K. (2017). Electromyographic analysis of exercises proposed for differential activation of rectus abdominis muscle components. Int J Phys Educ Sports Health, 4, 153-157.
6. Escamilla, R.F, et al. (2006). Electromyographic Analysis of Traditional and Nontraditional Abdominal Exercises: Implications for Rehabilitation and Training. Physical Therapy, 86(5), 656–671. 
7. Vigotsky, A. D., et al. (2018). Interpreting signal amplitudes in surface electromyography studies in sport and rehabilitation sciences. Frontiers in Physiology, 985.
8. Vigotsky, A. D., et al. (2017). Greater electromyographic responses do not imply greater motor unit recruitment and ‘hypertrophic potential’ cannot be inferred. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(1), e1-e4.

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