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The rack pull is one of the most simple yet effective movements for crushing the entire upper back and traps. Although the movement is produced through the hips, the upper back must remain incredibly tense throughout in order to support the heavy load. The combination of tension and stretch make it highly effective for inducing muscle growth in the trapezius and upper back muscles.

Here I'm performing a band resisted rack pull from above the knees with 365 pounds of free weights and 150-200 pounds of band tension. Performing rack pulls at this height with accommodating resistance is a great way to build functional strength and mass throughout the entire body especially the upper back, lats, low back, glutes, hamstrings, traps, forearms, and more. Read more HERE.

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This next exercise is a Single Leg Sprinter Hip Thrust Pivot Press. If you’ve been following my work for a few years you’ve seen me post numerous eccentric overload chest presses including the pivot press and hip thruster press. This is a combination of those while adding in the single leg sprinter hip thrust. In essence it’s like a push press but for the chest.

This is both an explosive power exercise (on the concentric phase) & an eccentric overload stimulus on the eccentric or negative phase (although we didn’t go too heavy during this particular workout).

Ideally the very steep incline position (45 deg or more) the lifter should achieve at the bottom of the movement should make the load feel as if he or she will not be able to press it out without actually having the assistance of their legs to help drive the weight up (similar to a push press). Additionally the leg drive helps place the body in a more biomechanically advantageous position (flat position) for creating force and handling heavier loads. In fact just moving from a steep incline to a flat position can be enough of an adjustment to allow the lifter to handle the concentric phase even without an explosive hip launch. As a result this can be performed as a single leg Pivot press or a single leg hip thrust press. Both variations and modifications of each as well as detailed explanations can be found in full article at link in bio.

Besides being a great functional hypertrophy & full body strength movement it also has tremendous carryover to sports as well as running mechanics as the whole body must work together to create power throughout the kinetic chain.

ALTERNATE OPTION

As for this chest press, 5 things to point out.

1.The single arm press combined with single leg glute bridge creates enormous levels of rotational torque the lifter must resist not only by firing their core & abs but also by firing their glutes, adductors, hamstrings, and feet & ankles.

2. The decline glute bridge position is a great way to perform decline chest presses which minimize shoulder emphasis & maximize pectoral recruitment. Think of this as a more functional, full body decline chest press that has tremendous transfer to sports & athletics.

3.The oblique slings are getting hammered as the knee drive combined with the single arm, single leg position wakes up just about every muscle from head to toe. The harder the knee drives into hip flexion, the harder the opposite leg fires into hip extension thereby translating to greater chest & shoulder activation of the pressing arm (contralateral activation pattern of the opposite arm & hip).

4.The decline glute bridge chest press is a great move. Unfortunately when its performed on the floor the cervical spine, head, & neck get compressed into the floor. This not only creates enormous tension on the neck but it compromises shoulder function & centration of the glenohumeral joint not to mention optimal scapulohumeral rhythm since neck position has a direct impact on shoulder function & overall postural alignment.

5. By keeping the head extended off the platform this allows cervical elongation rather than compression, ultimately leading to enhancing neck & postural positioning which produces improved shoulder mechanics. In fact this is a very therapeutic & strong position for the shoulders leading to enhanced t-spine extension.

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This next exercise is a BANA 2:1 Eccentric Overload Row. I don’t typically use the Smith machine with my clients as I tend to prefer the Olympic straight bar & other free weights predominately because they ingrain & require more functionally integrated movement. However, the one exception is the bilateral negative accentuated training method (BANA) also known as the “up with 2 down with 1 protocol”. In fact, I would argue that this is one of, if not the most effective way to use the infamous Smith machine. Here’s why.

The 2:1 BANA method is one of the most effective eccentric overload & negative accentuated protocols there is. Not only does it produce incredible gains in functional strength & hypertrophy but it’s also very effective for targeting each limb individually during the eccentric portion of the lift. Essentially what you’re doing is performing the concentric phase of the lift with 2 limbs & the eccentric phase with 1 limb thereby providing greater eccentric overload during that eccentric or negative movement.

Unfortunately this technique is often limited to machines or cable systems such as seated machine rows, lat pulldowns, leg extensions, leg curls, chest press machines or other variable resistance pieces of equipment. While it’s impossible to apply this exact technique to traditional barbell moves for obvious reasons, this same concept can be applied to a number of movements using the Smith machine. Essentially the Smith machine allows the lifter to apply the BANA method to a variety of traditional compound movements while also providing the closest thing possible to replicating compound barbell movements. For instance, using the Smith machine the 2:1 BANA method can be employed on bench press variations, bent over rows, over head presses, upright rows, & even back squats. Learn more at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/best-way-to-use-the-smith-machine

NO SMITH MACHINE OPTION

(Note: Perform Variation #1 in the video). Besides being highly conducive for a variety of deadlifts, the iron grip landmine setup is also very effective when applied to rows and horizontal pulls. The rear facing version (variation #1) really crushes the lower lats and reinforces shoulder packing and depression of the scapula since the weight is moving in a slight arch posteriorly as you move into the contracted position. If you have trouble elevating your shoulders during rows, these are the perfect solution. In contrast front facing variations (variation #3) shown by the NFL athletes targets more of the upper back, middle lower traps, and rhomboids as the weight is moving in a slight arching path anteriorly as you move into the contracted position. If you’re looking to build that desired upper back yoke these fit the bill perfectly.

The lateral rows shown by Leslie and I represent some of the most natural and easy methods I’ve ever used for overloading the back on single arm bent over rows. That’s because the plate fits so easily to the side of the body. It’s for this reason I’ve been a long time fan of plate rows. The only downside in the past has been the inability to go heavier than 45 lbs. With that iron grip landmine setup this issue is quickly remedied. And yes barbell suitcase deadlifts provide a similar stimulus however the instability and grip strength due to the balance requirements often limit how much the lifter can truly overload their upper back and lats. With this variation there’s very little instability thereby allowing the lifter to truly focus on overload with smooth mechanics.

The lateral rows can also be modified to target different regions of the upper back and focus on different rowing cues. For instance using the outside arm helps insure the lifter tucks their elbow and minimizes elbow flare which really blasts the entire lats particularly the lower region. In contrast using the inside arm helps reinforce the “wrapping the arm around the body effect” with natural elbow separation. This is very suitable for folks who have a tendency to over crowd the shoulders when rowing (i.e. keeping the elbow too close to their body) and forget to fully retract at the top. These emphasize the rear deltoids and middle upper back region near the rhomboids a bit more.

The bird dog variation also represents one of the simple ways to overload this combination core and back exercise due to the plate fitting so naturally to the sides of the bench. For instance many folks run into the common issue of the larger dumbbell or heavier kettlebell hitting the bench or their leg when rowing due to the bulky nature of the implement. This is no longer an issue with the iron grip landmine variations due to the thin nature of the plate.

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The leg raise or hollow body leg raise chest press protocol is one of my favorite modifications for horizontal pressing exercises. In fact, there are 7 reasons why this is so effective

1. Learning to drive with the hips and legs during chest presses is an essential component for maximizing force production and pressing mechanics. However, many lifters lack the ability to fully engage their upper body musculature and rely excessively on their legs to help press the weight up. As a result the stimulus to their chest, shoulders, and triceps, is minimal. Implementing the leg raise protocol during chest presses is a very effective method for resolving this as it helps to isolate the upper body by eliminating the assistance of the legs. This is also the grand equalizer of all bench press protocols as it’s truly an indication of upper body strength.

2. By using this method to periodically isolate the upper body pressing muscles this helps create a stronger muscle mind connection with the targeted musculature. Once these enhanced neural connections are grooved into your CNS, transferring these improved activation patterns back to standard chest pressing variations will inevitably result in increased pressing power.

3. With consistent use of the leg raise chest press protocol you’ll notice increased hypertrophy to the chest, shoulders, and triceps, as the amount of intramuscular tension and metabolic stress will be significantly greater than you would typically find with standard chest presses. In fact the degree of metabolic stress and mechanical tension to the local musculature will be greater than just about any chest pressing variation you’ve ever attempted.

4. With the leg raise chest protocol you’ll experience increased activation of the core and surrounding stabilizers. The increased recruitment of these areas will greatly improve your motor control, balance, and stability. Once you return to standard chest pressing variations you’ll feel unusually locked in with your mechanics as you’re CNS will be more dialed in than ever.

5. Learning to fire the core and avoid excessive lumbar arch during chest presses is something many lifters struggle with. In fact over-arching the lumbar spine during the bench press is a sure-fire way to both injure your low back and eliminate the growth-inducing stimulus of the chest press itself. Using the leg raise position eliminates this as the core must work over-time to stabilize the spine and pelvis by keeping it neutral.

6. Enhanced core stability and spinal rigidity aren’t the only stabilization components addressed during the leg-raise chest press position. Because the lifter has no firm foundation with his or her legs, their bodies are in a fairly vulnerable and unstable position while lying on the bench. Excessive momentum, shifting, asymmetrical pressing, or cheating can easily result in loss of balance. As a result the lifter is forced to eliminate compensation patterns and rely on crisp yet smooth motions to complete the exercise. This means more tension to the targeted musculature and less tension on the joints.

7. The leg raise chest press technique indirectly improves the lifter’s ability to activate the upper back and lats as well as tuck the elbows. The reasoning is a bit complex but see if you can follow. When the legs and hips are driving into the floor (during standard chest presses) this allows the lifter to set a base with their feet and another base with their upper torso. By pushing from these two points this creates an almost-coiled like, spring-loaded position making it easier to tuck the elbows, fire the lats and upper back, and depress the shoulders. This represents optimal pressing mechanics for any traditional chest press particularly when attempting to maximize strength development. Unfortunately many lifters lack the ability to recruit their upper back unless they can create tension with their legs. But even then, their upper back activation is sub par at best. By eliminating the legs from this equation, it becomes exponentially more difficult to fire the lats and depress the scapula as you’ll no longer have a solid lower body foundation to press into. However, over time, the lifter will be forced to adapt to this by mastering the ability to fire the upper back and tuck the elbows as a means of ensuring control of the load and their body. Once the lifter can harness their ability to activate the lats and create proper shoulder centration while keeping their legs elevated, the muscle-mind connection this produces in the lats, upper back, and shoulder retractors is incredibly high. After mastering this, returning to standard chest press with the legs firmly planted will feel more powerful than ever as your ability to lock the scapula in and engage your upper back will be exponentially improved.

2 LEG RAISE METHODS

There are two methods you can use during the leg raise chest press, both of which involve a straight-leg position.

• Method 1. Use a slight leg raise position with the legs elevated 4-8 inches above the height of the torso. This involves more tension on the core musculature however for lifters who suffer from low back issues this can cause stress to the lumbar spine as there can be excessive arching of the low back.

• Method 2. Use a hollowed body leg raise hold. This is essentially the same leg raise only higher as the lifter will be elevating the legs 12-18 inches above the height of the torso.

While the overall tension to the core is reduced due to better leverage, elevating the legs slightly higher allows the lifter to hollow their core and midsection. In other words they’ll be pulling the low back into the pad or floor and keeping their lumber spine in a more neutral position without exaggerated arch. Think about having more of a braced core with the abs and low back pulled-in tightly throughout the set. For lifters who struggle with excessive low back arch this can do wonders for eliminating this common yet problematic issue.

HARDER OPTION

There are multiple components here including the incline trap bar press, bottoms up grip, hollow body leg raise, reverse bands, and the eccentric isometric protocol. Here’s a brief description of each component.

The bottoms up trap bar protocol is conducive for improving shoulder stability and shoulder mechanics as the neutral grip helps pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint. In addition, the instability produced from holding the bottom handles forces the lifter to dial in their shoulder stability and body mechanics even further as the bar becomes highly volatile.

The leg raise component does wonders for increasing core activation and full body tension. It also helps minimize lumbar arch and excessive low back extension as the leg raise position helps hollow out the core. The increased core activation tends to produce improved upper body pressing mechanics as well.

The use of accommodating resistance with the reverse band protocol helps deload the weaker bottom position and overload the stronger top position. Besides minimizing joint stress, this maximizes tension to the targeted musculature as the strength curve of the movement better matches that of the muscles.

The eccentric isometric helps maximize proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. As a result this teaches the athlete how to master their body mechanics and fine-tune their positioning. In other words it teaches them how to make subtle adjustments and learn how to adhere to the sensory feedback from their muscle spindles. Also notice how Austin is using the proprioceptive feedback from the eccentric isometric to find the optimal 90 degree position rather than collapsing and going excessively deep. Oh yes and make sure to have a spotter. Stay tuned for my large book on eccentric isometrics coming soon.

NO TRAP BAR OPTION

In this video I’m using the PREP method. The PREP protocol is one of the single most effective techniques for maximizing strength and size for athletes and lifters. It's also one of the safest methods due to the safety pins catching the heavy eccentric loads. In addition the concentric phase is deloaded in comparison to the eccentric phase. As a result the lifter’s nervous system ends up being potentiated and hyper-activated from the supramaximal eccentric overload thereby causing the concentric phase to feel lighter and more powerful than normal. This can also be used on squats, incline presses, and overhead presses as shown in my article.

This is probably the single most effective method I’ve used for increasing my athlete’s bench press strength and performance as the training stimulus is one of the most intense and potent there is. With that said it needs to be used sparingly as the levels of micro-trauma and muscle damage are quite high. Several sets of 2-4 reps every 10-20 days is going to be more than enough for this incredibly effective eccentric training protocol. Read more HERE.

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Want to get more out of your shrugs while also cleaning up your form? Try performing them on one leg as I have NFL prospect Kevo Yeremin doing here on a foam pad. Besides acting as a great foot and ankle exercise as well as upper trap exercise it also helps improve shrug form and eliminate poor posture and faulty mechanics as any such aberration will cause a loss of balance.

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If you want to truly master the lunge and split squat then at some point you’ll need to become efficient performing them under eyes closed conditions. In fact any athlete who trains with me is eventually forced to do this as I’ve seen a strong correlation between the ability to perform eyes closed lunges, body mechanics, motor control, and injury prevention.

Eventually you should be capable of performing at least 50% of your bodyweight during eyes closed lunges (a 200 pound individual would use 50 pound dumbbells or 100 pound barbell). In addition these should be done under barefoot or minimalist conditions while simultaneously pausing at the bottom (1-3 inches from the floor) in an eccentric isometric fashion.

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Want to clean up your pullup and chin-up form? Try implementing the mid-pause protocol as demonstrated by my awesome client Charlene Harrison (@prepbody). Not only does this eliminate momentum allowing the lifter to dial in their form and mechanics, but it also provides incredible tension to the upper back and lats as well as the arms. The mid-pause technique is also one of the best protocols I’ve found for eliminating the very common problem of over-pulling in the top position (i.e. excessive range of motion).

In other words, most individuals pull excessively high at the top of their vertical pulling movements’ using any and all means necessary to get their chin past bar height. This is not optimal for muscle stimulation or for joint health. Instead the lifter should terminate the movement somewhere between mid-face height and lower chin level as this represents optimal range of motion on pullups and pulldowns. To read more about why this represents proper technique and mechanics for pullups and pulldowns read HERE.

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The overhead press is one of the most fundamental and important movement patterns there is. If you’re unable to perform the movement without pain or discomfort nine times out of ten it comes down to faulty mechanics, poor muscle activation, and improper positioning. In other words, a fully functional athlete with optimal body mechanics should be able to perform a proper overhead press, and variations thereof, with no issues. With that said I periodically like to employ modifications of the overhead press that are a bit more “glenohumeral joint friendly” while still placing ample tension on the musculature of the shoulders. This is particularly true for some of my overhead athletes. Some of these more “joint and mobility friendly” overhead pressing variations include landmine presses, high incline presses, scrape the rack/rolling wall presses, and one of my new personal favorites, the standing ball-to-the-wall overhead press.

I’ll still routinely employ traditional overhead pressing exercises even with my overhead athletes, however, this particular variation does provide several unique attributes that no other overhead press provides. Here here are 7 unique benefits of the ball-to-the-wall overhead press.

1. The ball-to-the-wall overhead press involves an approximately 10-20 degree angled torso position. This slight incline makes it easier to pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint into the most biomechanically sound position, similar to landmine presses and high incline presses. For individuals with shoulder injuries and overhead mobility restrictions this exercise provides the perfect features.

2. Similar to the above point, the ball-to-the-wall overhead press helps to optimize shoulder/scapular retraction and depression throughout the entire duration of the exercise. Other more traditional “joint-friendly” overhead presses such as the landmine and scrape the rack presses involve a slight forward torso lean. While this can feel quite natural and comfortable it can also reinforce slightly undesired shoulder elevation and scapular protraction (particularly during the eccentric phase) due to the gravitational effects involved with a forward torso lean. In fact, one of the most common errors I routinely witness lifters, coaches, and trainers make during landmine presses is that they fail to produce optimal shoulder retraction and depression and instead keep their shoulders and scapula overly locked and fixed. The slight backward angular torso lean involved with the ball-to-the-wall press helps eliminate this issue while still providing a very mobility-friendly overhead press.

3. Related to the topic of proper shoulder positioning is the discussion of t-spine mechanics. During the ball-to-the-wall overhead press, the combination of the ball wedged between the wall and the lumbar spine helps to reinforce the natural curvature of the low back while also optimizing thoracic extension and T-spine mobility. That’s because the upper back, neck, and head, can extend slightly back behind the ball due to the unique support and mechanics of the exercise. Additionally, because the torso is slightly angled back, this further helps extend the t-spine as the entire structure and musculature of the upper torso can naturally shift posteriorly. In contrast, landmine presses and scrape the rack presses involve the opposite body lean with a forward torso angle, making it all the more challenging to achieve optimal t-spine extension since the joint structures and targeted musculature tend to shift anteriorly.

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OPTION #1

As many of you know I’m a big advocate of using the foam roller to perform chest pressing movements on. I also frequently recommend using the “head off” protocol for many supine exercises. The foam roller combined with the head off protocol also works exceptionally well for pullovers. Besides teaching proper pullover mechanics it also helps activate the targeted musculature more so than traditional variations not to mention a host of other benefits. Here’s why the foam roller pullover with the “head-off” technique is so effective. HERE.

OPTION #2

Chinese Plank exercises are something I’ve posted articles & vids about for several years now due to their effectiveness . These take it a step further by adding a single arm or single leg element, thereby taxing the oblique slings systems which has incredible transfer to athletic & sports not to mention injury prevention & functional movement.

Performing chest presses, pullovers, chest flyes, or any other supine movement in conjunction with the Chinese plank does wonders not only for recruiting the entire posterior chain, but it literally forces the lifter to assume optimal postural alignment throughout their entire spine. In fact if you have difficulty producing enough retraction & t-spine extension on upper body moves, you’ll want to incorporate these Chinese plank variations.

The head off position further instills proper postural alignment by allowing the cervical spine to elongate rather than being compressed against the bench. This produces ideal mechanics in the glenohumeral joint as the lifter can more easily pack & centrate the shoulders into their appropriate position due to a lengthened & rigid spinal alignment.

The rotational renegade plank row can also be thought of as a reverse Chinese Plank exercise as the lifter uses their anterior core, hip flexors, & quads to maintain position while performing rows. This is one of the most brutal & effective core exercises that blasts the lats & upper back as well as smaller muscles around the lumbopelvic hip complex.

If you’re looking for functional movements that, reinforce proper body alignment, have incredible transfer to athletics, & also bulletproof the hips, low back, shoulders, neck, 7 knees, you’ll definitely want to try these 3 moves out ASAP.

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The narrow stance dumbbell squat jump is a great way to simulate a typical jump position in terms of foot placement while providing a high amount of external loading. Besides being an excellent speed and power movement for the lower body, the traps and upper back get absolutely crushed from this due to the rapid eccentric contraction produced from having to catch and delegate the dumbbells during the landing phase. Ideally the goal is to work up to handling at least half of your bodyweight when combining the weight of both dumbbells. However start with very light loads to work on mechanics and technique before increasing the weight.

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Here's one of my NFL wider receivers Larry Pinkard demonstrating his incredible upper body power as he blasts out explosive hand clap pushups very effortlessly. Hand clap pushups are a great strength, power, and explosive upper body exercise for the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core stabilizers.

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This is one of the most effective rowing protocols there is for producing incredible strength and size gains in the entire muscular of the back. It's something I use periodically with a majority of my clients and athletes. Essentially this is a modified drop. You start the set using a supra maximal eccentric isometric hold in the stretched position. The seated cable row is very conducive for this as the movement starts in the stretched position to begin with therefore it simply requires the athlete to set their spine, shoulder blades, and core then hold the position with the arms full extended. Most athletes should be able to hold 25-30% more weight than they could use for rows thereby creating an incredible amount of mechanical tension and muscle damage for maximal muscle growth. You'll literally feel every muscle in your body as you hold this supramaximal eccentric isometric. It also does wonders for posture and spinal alignment as your resist incredibly high flexion forces on the spine.

Immediately follow this with a drop set by decreasing the load by at least 40% then blasting out smooth rows with additional pauses in the contracted position and brief eccentric isometrics in the stretched position. Because the nervous system will be hyper-activated from the prior heavy loading with max effort isometric, the reduced weight for the standard rows will allow the lifter to produce smooth yet powerful and intense contraction throughout the lats and upper back as the weight will feel inordinately light. As a result this creates further metabolic stress and cellular swelling to the back musculature making it highly effective for producing functional strength and hypertrophy in the upper back as well as other supporting muscles.