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OPTION #1

The Split Stance bent over kettlebell row is a great movement for crushing the upper back and lats as well as the core. To work the outer hip and abductors (resisting valgus forces) set the band up such as shown here. To work in the inner thighs and adductors , the band would be coming from the opposite side (or have other leg in front) in order to resist varus forces. However, these exercise is also very effective without band resistance and simply focusing on locking in the basic movement.

OPTION #2

Want to improve your hip hinge and Bent Over Row? Try performing eccentric isometric kickstand RDL's and Rows.

This is one of my go-to strength & mass builders. First notice the use of the eccentric isometrics at 90 deg which coincidentally for Christian ends up being right at the floor. Eccentric isometrics are the single most effective training strategy I’ve ever used not only for maximizing strength & size but also for improving joint health & optimizing body mechanics & technique.

Here’s why Reeves Trap bar deadlifts are so effective & superior to traditional Reeves deadlift with an Olympic barbell.

During the traditional Reeves deadlift the combination of using an inordinately wide grip while holding a barbell that’s loaded to the front of the body can be very precarious on the spine. Besides allowing a more natural-wide grip, the trap bar variation is loaded directly in-line with the center of mass rather than the front. Besides promoting better lat activation & shoulder retraction it’s much safer on the low back.

The traditional barbell version of the Reeves deadlift is more of an upper body move as the limited loading make it difficult to fully tax the legs. Fortunately with the trap bar version the legs just as pummeled as the upper body due to the heavy loading capabilities. Read more at: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/make-the-reeves-deadlift-better-with-the-trap-bar

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OPTION #1

This is both an explosive power exercise (on the concentric phase) & an eccentric overload stimulus on the eccentric or negative phase as you’re able to handle supramaximal loads on the eccentric (weaker high incline phase) if you chose to. This is similar to the eccentric overload pivot press I’ve highlighted over the years using the biomechanical drop rep protocol where the lifter doesn’t use their hips to drive the weight up but simply changes their body angle on the concentric and eccentric phases.

With that said there are 5 essential elements I highlight in my article that I use to determine whether or not a press falls into the “functional pressing category” although any press that gets you stronger is technically a functional movement. So here are the 5 criteria for “functional presses.

1. Employs an explosive concentric phase.
2. Includes an eccentric element or deceleration/impact component.
3. Involves either a standing/kneeling position or involves hip & leg drive to initiate the movement.
4. Requires an element of full body stability & motor control.
5. Involves significant core stabilization or stabilization through the lumbopelvic hip complex.

OPTION #2

Here I have one of my awesome clients and NPC national level figure competitor Leslie Petch performing an eccentric overload glute bridge floor press. Eccentric overload is one of the most effective strength and muscle mass techniques. For this drill, simply perform the eccentric portion of the floor press with a supramaximal load (greater than your 1 RM) pause, then use a strategically timed glute bridge to help drive the weight up during the concentric phase.

For instance Leslie typically handles 115-125 lbs on strict floor press. This variation allowed her to handle 135 lbs during her cutting phase only several weeks before last weeks competition where she came in 2nd place in a national level IFFB qualifier NPC Masters show in Pittsburgh.

On a side note, you’ll notice I have Leslie performing these with her head off the edge of a lifting platform. Here’s why.

• When performing a glute bridge chest press with the head pressed into the floor, this create strong levels of compressive forces against the neck while also pushing into a significant flexion.
• The head-off glute bridge chest press variations on the other hand eliminate this issue and actually feel very therapeutic on the shoulders & neck while still deriving the same glute and hip benefits as the traditional variations. That’s because the neck & cervical spine can elongate rather than being compressed into the floor.
• When the head is compressed into another surface this promotes forward head tilt, cervical flexion, shoulder elevation, shoulder protraction, & internal rotation particularly during horizontal pressing. However, when the cervical spine is allowed to elongate it frees up the shoulders and scapula due to improved t-spine extension that ultimately leads to enhanced shoulder packing and centration of the glenohumeral joint.

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NOTE: Slide out only as wide as you feel comfortable. The wider you go on the offset the more challenging the movement becomes.

Offset barbell leverage training is very similar to offset barbell loading in terms of the effects and benefits. The primary difference is that rather than placing more weight on one side of the bar to produce the offset stimulus, you’ll simply shift to one side of the bar. This places one side into a more biomechanically disadvantageous position and the other side into a biomechanically strong position. For instance if I shift to the right, I’ll have more of the weight on the left side of my body and visa versa. Although the effects are similar this tends to produce even greater rotational forces the lifter will have to resist both on the barbell and their body. Although it’s difficult to overload these the level of core stability, anti-rotation, full body tension, anti-lateral flexion, and rotary stability are through the roof.

Although you can use a moderate load (i.e. 50-70% your typical load) and simply shift several inches to one side, you can actually perform these with just an empty barbell by shifting all the way to the outside of the bar near or at the collar as I show here on the overhead press. Just remember the farther over you shift the exponentially more physically demanding these become. And yes even though it was just an empty 45 lb bar, this was without a doubt one of the most brutal overhead presses I’ve ever performed as it felt like more core and abs were going to burst. This same strategy can also be employed on chest presses, rows, squats, and other traditional barbell movements.

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NOTE: Anchor band to dumbbell on floor if no partner available.

This next exercise is a pullup/chinup using a unique form of RNT (reactive neuromuscular training) via posterior band resistance. This provides 4 benefits.

1. It teaches the athlete how to engage their core & eliminate excessive lumbar extension. Many lifters have trouble creating proper t-spine extension without over-arching their low back. This helps remedy that.

2. One of the keys to focus on with proper pullup & chinup for is to pull slightly away from the bar at the top to help you squeeze your back & lats rather than leaning forward towards the bar. By driving the legs forward and engaging the abs it automatically helps reinforce an upper body position where the lifter is pulling away and using their back rather than crowding the bar (i.e. chin to bar). This creates enormous upper back & lat activation while also reducing stress to the shoulder joint.

3. This RNT pullup variation produces a very upright position that has incredible transfer to improving overhead pressing mechanics since they’re reciprocal movements. Normally proper pullups involve a slightly angled torso position especially at the top.

4. Most lifters try to pull too high and use excessive range of motion during pullups. They also tend to collapse at the bottoms rather than maintaining a strong shoulder position. This variation helps reinforce an optimal stopping point of 90 degrees (which is ideal for any pullup or chinup) as well as eliminate collapsing at the bottoms & overstretching the shoulder joint.

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The Zercher lunge (front exercise) has become one of my favorite split squat variations. The combination of loading close to the center of mass combined with a reverse lunge that involves deceleration along with the acceleration & stabilization components of the finishing knee make this an incredibly joint friendly & sport specific lower body movement. Focus on keeping the hips back during the lunge & bracing the core.

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The lateral raise performed with kettlebells is a great movement for targeting the lateral deltoids as it forces the lifter to use very strict form.

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Here's a great exercise for targeting the lats, upper back, triceps, and core, while also addressing hip mobility, alignment, and core stability. Focus on keeping a braced core and not allowing the hips to laterally drift. Also focus on using the lats and moving from the shoulder joint rather than the elbow joint.

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The bent over lateral raise with kettlebells is a great movement for targeting the rear deltoids as well as the upper back. Using kettlebells makes it slightly more challenging than dumbbells due to more challenging leverage and biomechanics.

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MAIN OPTION

This next exercise is a bear crawl pushup which is insanely difficult on so many levels. This is an advanced progression of the basic ricochet pushup. If you feel it is too advanced feel free to perform the alternate/easier option listed.

EASIER OPTION

I’ve been asked quite a few questions lately about chest flyes and whether or not I recommend them. The answer is yes but only if they are done properly with very precise execution as shown here by one of my bodybuilders Ben Lai. If you’re performing chest flyes the way you see 99% of lifters on the internet doing them you’re setting yourself up for injury, ruining your shoulder stability, degrading your postural alignment, destroying shoulder mobility, and actually doing very little to stimulate size and strength gains in the chest.

Here’s the key; maintain nearly the same shoulder, scapula, and postural positioning that you would hold during a neutral grip dumbbell press, proper pushup, or proper bench press keeping the elbows pointed straight ahead and not using excessive range of motion. Focus on keeping the shoulders and scapula depressed, and retracted throughout while allowing them to medially rotate towards the spine the deeper you go into your position. Terminate the end range of motion when you feel the shoulders and traps begin to elevate and the elbows have to start pulling back.

And yes that means the optimal range of motion on a fly will be slightly more compact than what most coaches, trainers, and lifters would suggest but this represents the optimal way to perform them not only for joint health and muscle function but for maximizing the hypertrophy stimulus. In fact one factor that contributes to faulty chest fly mechanics is having the mindset of achieving as large of a stretching sensation as possible at the bottom of the movement. This is one of the most counterproductive cues as you’re essentially stretching the tendon insertion point rather than the belly of the muscle. Such a maneuver can create extreme soreness in the joints and surrounding connective tissue.

Contrary to popular belief this excessive stretch has little if any hypertrophy stimulating benefits as the muscles relax and go limp in order to allow this large amount of slack to occur. In contrast, the natural or moderate stretched position represents a lengthened yet tight and highly activated position. If you’re looking to tear a pec or ruin your joints then go for excessive stretch on flyes. If size and strength are more your thing then perform them as shown here.

On a side note I have Ben performing these with kettlebells as well as with a hollow core leg raise position. There are several reasons for this. First kettlebells provide more unique and constant tension on the chest due to the hanging and lateral pulling nature of the kettelbells. This makes them very conducive for creating abduction force vectors against the shoulder joint ultimately crushing the chest fibers through more direct stimulation.

Second, unlike dumbbells that tend to be fairly stable during flyes, kettlebells tend to be more unstable particularly as you go lower and the weights provide more of a hanging position. This instability helps to centrate and stabilize the shoulder joint thereby helping to eliminate excessive range of motion and faulty mechanics.

Lastly, the hollow body leg raise position helps keep his core engaged. As long as the core stays activated throughout the chance of losing spinal rigidity is markedly reduced. When the spine remains stable and properly aligned this directly impacts movement mechanics particularly in the shoulder joint as it becomes nearly impossible to collapse due to proper positioning of the scapula.