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Here’s a great offset hanging band farmers walk with the trap bar. It’s pretty simple, just hang a weight from one side of the trap bar & walk as strict, as upright, & as symmetrically as possible.

This exercise is one of the most challenging loaded carries you’ll ever perform as the level of full body tension, core activation, & spinal stabilization required to dial this in is off the charts. Additionally if you have any significant imbalance in your body particularly a gait issue/misalignment this one will both help to expose & address it.

As you perform this the bar will have a tendency to want to drift laterally towards the lighter side to help compensate for the extreme offset effect. To keep it perfectly centered & aligned you’ll need to feel like your driving the weight aggressively towards the side that’s loaded which inevitably blasts the daylights out the core similar to a Pallof press.

Try super setting these with heavy squats, deadlifts, or split squats as I had Eric do at this workout allowing him to hit a new PR on his barbell Split Squat Lunges of 245 lbs for 2 slow & controlled eccentric isometrics on each side. He was surprised how locked in he felt on the lunges. This exercise likely helped get him more dialed in.

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In terms of this jump the barbell suitcase jump has several benefits.

1. First it’s very difficult to stabilize and control. Any deviation in posture, shoulder stability, or body mechanics will result in the barbel moving in an uncontrollable fashion. This teaches the lifter to maintain a tight core, rigid spine, and strict jumping mechanics.
2. Secondly, this is one of the most effective jumping variations I've ever used to expose and improve symmetrical jumping mechanics. Because most athletes tend to favor one leg and push off more with one side of their body this can produce injury and loss of power output. With this specific loaded jump any asymmetries become immediately apparent as the bars begin to tilt to one side and twist uncontrollably.
3. Third and lastly, this barbell squat jump is incredible for teaching proper landing mechanics as the unstable yet heavy loads forces the lifter to brace their core, hands, and shoulder stabilizers upon impact. Similar to the plate pinch jump method I’ve post in the past, this produces concurrent activation potentiation and ultimately greater neural drive to the working extremities thereby teaching the lifter how to properly absorb force and stick the landing rather than hit the ground like a wet noodle.

Learn more about my top 20 favorite jumping exercises HERE.

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OPTION #1

This next exercise is a Sprinter Bird Dog Row. Although the overall stimulus is similar to the other bird dog rows I’ve posted over the past several years & also target the oblique slings (see 15+ more variations in full article at link below), this one targets the hamstrings & glutes a bit differently via a 90 degree bent leg position rather than a straight leg position.

Yes the hamstrings are emphasized a bit more here than the glutes so that’s one of the main differences. Additionally many folks will find that they want to extend at their lumbar spine more so on this. To prevent that you’ll need to brace the daylights out of your core & abs to ensure the extension happens from the glutes & upper back (t-spine) not lumbar spine.

This was Ben’s last set & there’s very minor fatigue struggling to get to 90 deg with his arm. However considering he was using 90 lb dumbbell overall his form was very solid.

These are slightly more challenging than traditional bird dog rows & require a bit more focus to properly execute so start off light to dial in your form. However once you’ve mastered the technique don’t be afraid to go heavy on these & use them as a functional mass builder not only for the upper back & lats but also for the posterior chain (glutes & hamstrings).

OPTION #2

Renegade Rows with Constant Tension: The single biggest mistake I see on renegade rows is setting the weight back to the floor each rep. Use constant tension as shown here for exponentially more effective stimulus to core & back.

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Performing chest presses 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 and t-spine extension on chest presses or engaging your upper back you’ll want to incorporate these Chinese plank chest presses into your routine. You can also perform them in a head-off position as shown here which 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 and centrate the shoulders into their appropriate position due to a lengthened and rigid spinal alignment.

The ability to dorsiflex the feet and ankles during a chest press also promotes enhanced spinal rigidity and improved shoulder mechanics. There are several reasons for this. First, aggressive dorsiflexion of the ankles and feet helps to produce greater concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation and ultimately increased neural drive up the kinetic chain (greater activation to all muscles including the working extremities). The dorsiflexed ankle position also helps place a slight stretch (while simultaneously under tension) to the hamstrings and glutes thereby promoting improved spinal rigidity, which contributes to better thoracic positioning. Simply put it facilitates a more lengthened spinal position, improved postural alignment, and greater upper back activation. This helps to reinforce proper shoulder mechanics as the lifter will find it more natural to fire the lats and centrate the glenohumeral joint. So yes, dorsiflexing the ankles actually translates to improved shoulder function and upper body mechanics. To ensure excessive lumbar extension does not occur focus on keeping your stomach pulled in as you contract your posterior chain and extend your hips.

Finally, the Chinese plank chest press may look vaguely familiar to many reading this as it holds many similarities to the T-bench chest press I frequently advocate. The main difference is the lifter is holding a straight leg glute bridge rather than a 90 degree bent leg bridge. The T-bench chest press with the bent leg bridge (although one of my favorite variations) can periodically promote excessive lumbar extension as the hips can over-extend. This Chinese plank chest press variation with the legs kept straight makes it nearly impossible to overextend the body particularly when the ankle dorsiflexion and straight leg position cues are employed together.

Oh and in case you were wondering, yes you can do these single leg, but just be ready for some serious cramping in your backside.

OPTION #2

The Anti Fly Single Arm Hip Bridge Chest Press provides a brutal stimulus to the chest as you're resisting abduction forces acting on the chest similar to a fly or squeeze press. There's also additional tension on the core as you have added rotational forces you're resisting.

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Any form of weighted pullups will suffice (e.g., chains, vest, belt, bar, or dumbbell), although dorsiflexion barbell (as shown in this video) is very effective. Keep chest out throughout and shoulders pulled down and back. The key is making sure the spine and shoulders stay locked in throughout the movement. See video for further instructions.

OPTION #2

I’m a huge fan of offset training. This is another offset method that has 4 benefits.

1. As asymmetrical as the movements look, the offset angle is actually helping address asymmetries & weaknesses. That’s because you’re pulling or pushing slightly more with the higher arm, making it somewhat similar to a single arm exercise. However the lifter should still try to load as equally as possible with both sides of their body & avoid moving into an overly asymmetrical position.

2. When it comes to dialing in bodyweight exercises, learning to engage the core is always a surefire way to produce immediate improvements in form. Offset angled variations force the lifter to activate their core to a greater degree as a means of stabilizing the movement & resisting rotational forces.

3. The offset angle method requires the lifter to use stricter, slower, & smoother pulling mechanics inevitably leading to greater metabolic stress, mechanical tension, and muscle damage. As a result they’re incredibly effective as a functional hypertrophy stimulus.

4. The offset position requires greater full body tension which inevitably produces increased grip & forearm recruitment. In addition, the barbell itself has a tendency to roll on the pins creating even greater stress to the grip & forearms. Each of these grip-related components leads to greater concurrent activation potentiation & irradiation thereby producing increased neural drive & motor control throughout the kinetic chain.

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The traditional push press is one of the best full body strength and power exercises. However, adding a controlled negative on the eccentric phase of the movement further increases its effectiveness as a functional strength and hypertrophy movement particularly when using dumbbells. To read more on why this is such an effective movement read HERE.

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RDL's are one of the single best exercises for strengthening the entire posterior chain as well as targeting postural muscles of the entire body. Focus on hinging at the hips throughout and keeping a neutral arch throughout. See the Hip Hinge and RDL tutorial video for detailed instructions.

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Keep you spien properly aligned and arm fully extended. Perform a vacuum with your abdominal muscles during the movement, ensuring maximal contractino for the entire isometric hold. This is a fairly intense anti rotation core movement that challenges the muscles involved in rotary stability. The movement can be performed anywhere at anytime making it very versatile.

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The front curled squat protocol is one of my favorite ways to clean up lower body mechanics. It can also be applied to lunges and split squats as well as good mornings.

In general, the lunge or split squat exercise has been one of the most popular lower body exercises for decades. Unfortunately most individuals including many athletes and “expert trainers” perform them improperly thereby negating the various benefits associated with the movement. In fact, when performed with anything short of perfect technique lunges can be one of the most destructive movements there is, leading to knee pain, hip dysfunction, ankle issues, groin pulls, low back pain, and faulty lower body mechanics. However, when performed with proper technique the lunge may be the single most effective exercise there is not only for inducing high levels of functional strength and hypertrophy in the lower body but also for eliminating hip dysfunction and improving movement mechanics.

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This pushup variation is a great way to increase the difficulty of your pushups as these crush the upper body, core, & legs.

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Here’s one of my favorite pullover exercises that incorporates several of my go-to training protocols including the head off position, hollow body leg raise, kettlebell loading, and alternating eccentric isometric protocol. And just in case you were wondering, yes, you’ll need to summon every muscle fiber in your body to keep yourself from flipping off the bench. Besides crushing your upper back and lats, triceps, chest, shoulders, and core, here’s why this exact combination is so effective when applied to pullovers. Read more HERE.

With that said, trap bar deadlifts are one of my favorite lower body exercises not only because of the safe overload capabilities but also because they’re very conducive for combining with the eccentric isometric protocol.

Essentially you’re performing a traditional trap bar deadlift movement however you’re not placing the weight back to the floor. For most folks the 90 deg joint angle (pause position) will actually occur 1-3 inches above floor height.

Eccentric isometric trap bar deadlifts squats are arguably one of the most effective lower body exercises for athletes as the mechanics and overall body position mimic stances typically incorporated on the playing field. The transfer this has to athletic performance including jumping, running technique, landing mechanics, agility, & force absorption are significant.

They’re also incredibly effective for crushing the quads, glutes, & hamstrings. That’s because of the constant tension combined with significant overload that athletes can typically handle with the trap bar produce unprecedented levels of muscle damage & mechanical tension. These also produce significant growth in the upper back & traps due to the continuous axial loading that’s applied directly to the hands/arms. However, because the load is placed closer to the COG they’re safer than most deadlift variations.