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This first exercise is an incline dumbbell rows with a slight twist, literally. Performing these on a flat bench with the front elevated on boxes or plates allows the lifter to perform traditional incline rows with the rotational grip protocol. This rotational method doesn’t work with traditional adjustable benches as the adjustable bench apparatus (underneath the bench) tends to interfere with the rotational movement.

1. It reinforces very natural scapulohumeral rhythm & centrated glenohumeral joint mechanics (locked in shoulder joint) due to the natural rotation of the movement. As a result these tend to be very shoulder friendly.

2. The rotational movement is also very effective for stimulating significant lat activation & growth. That’s because the overhand/pronated position allows a greater lat stretch during the eccentric phase, while the neutral position produces a more forceful contraction at the end of the concentric rowing phase. These elements produce greater mechanical tension, muscle damage, metabolic stress, & local occlusion. As a result the hypertrophy to the the lats & upper back is significant.

3. Besides creating a strong hypertrophy stimulus via the enhanced stretch & contraction components, I’ve found that many lifters can handle more weight as the rotational movement creates a greater lat stretch which in turn creates greater muscle spindle activation & ultimately greater motor unit recruitment.

4. Lifters who have elbow & forearm issues oftentimes find the rotational movement more natural on the elbows, wrists & grip.

5. I’ve also find that these reinforce the optimal 90 degree position, likely due to the enhanced sensory feedback that results from the increased muscle spindle recruitment during the eccentric isometric stretch.

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OPTION #1

Looking for a protocol to improve your bench and chest press mechanics? Try incorporating horizontal band resistance to any of your favorite chest presses including barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, and bottoms up variations. Here are several variations as demonstrated by some of my awesome clients and athletes including Jullian Williams, Leslie Petch, Jake Banta, and myself. Here's why and how this technique is so effective. Read more HERE.

OPTION #2

Here is an oblique sling mini band chest press with 90 deg Eccentric Isometrics. As for the oblique sling exercises let me explain what’s happening. I’ve shown each of these exercises at some point over the last few years (without the mini band). Essentially we’re trying to create as much contralateral hip firing as possible. Simply, we want one hip or leg to drive maximally into flexion while the other drives maximally into extension.

The harder each leg drives into their respective positions, not only do the muscles around the hips fire with greater activation, but because of the way various myofascial slings in the body work, the harder the hips drive into their opposing positions, the greater tension builds up throughout the core. That’s because contralateral hip activation transfers up the kinetic chain by crossing the core & abdominal region then into the respective upper body segments.

While this is somewhat obvious, its quite common for individuals to perform these knee raise drills & single leg hip drive exercises with very low levels of activation, oftentimes not fully committing to the positions. For instance, when you examine the hip & leg positions of most folks doing knee raise drills it’s quite clear the hips are not fully engaged & driving maximally (i.e. 90 deg knee drive with dorsiflexion).

Adding the mini band helps remedy this as it not only works the hips more aggressively but it cues the athlete to maximally drive into hip flexion which in turn creates enormous full body tension as a result of taking advantage of the myofascial slings.

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OPTION #1

Want to fix your squat mechanics? The goblet squat is one of the most simple yet effective exercises for grooving proper squat technique and lower body mechanics. Unfortunately many individuals have a tendency to perform them incorrectly thereby reinforcing dysfunction and faulty activation patterns into their CNS that can negatively impact all other lower body movements. Ironically the goblet squat is frequently used as a corrective movement for the squat pattern. However, the opposite often occurs due to a variety of movement aberrations.

A very common issue many athletes including advanced lifters run into during goblet squats is neglecting to sit back into their hips and allowing excessive anterior knee drift to occur. While the goblet squat does involve a slightly more upright and quad dominant position than many other squats (due to the anterior loading protocol) it’s still just as critical that the lifter sit back into their heels, hips, and glutes. This is accomplished by incorporating a very slight hip hinge throughout without letting the chest actually tilt over.

By performing goblet squats with RNT resistance and band tension that’s attempting to drive your hips, knees, and lower body in the anterior direction you’re essentially feeding this dysfunction. As a result the lifter is required to sit back into their heels and hips to resist these forces thereby eliminating the common anterior knee drift and over-quad dominant positions.

This variation also helps eliminate the all-too-common problem of bending over at the waist excessively (i.e. chest tilting over) rather than sitting straight down. That’s because the lifter can use the band resistance to lean slightly against thereby reinforcing more vertical force vectors.

This is also an excellent variation for any individual with knee issues or low back problems as the horizontal band resistance helps alleviate pressure off both of these areas. Read more HERE.

OPTION #2

This next exercise is an overcoming isometric deadlift. Research has shown that Overcoming Isometrics produce post activation potentiation with almost immediate improvements in explosive power. Unfortunately they do very little to help proprioceptive feedback, muscle function, & body mechanics, because they typically lack an eccentric element.

By combining 90 eccentric isometrics with overcoming isometrics we get the best of both worlds. We get maximal post activation potentiation as well as enhanced body mechanics as the 90 degree eccentric isometric helps wake up muscle spindles which enhances proprioception & kinesthetic awareness. And no, going deeper than 90 does nothing except diminish proprioceptive feedback, reduce motor unit recruitment, & place undue strain on the joints, not to mention reinforcing faulty activation patterns.

So yes even when it comes to speed & power training I implement the 90 degree eccentric isometric protocol because it’s the single most potent training method I know not only for improving body mechanics & muscle function but also for building functional muscle mass, strength, power, as well as joint health & physiological function.

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OPTION #1

This next exercise is a bear crawl pushups on rings (weighted optional). Bear crawl pushups provide 7 unique benefits that traditional pushups don’t provide.

1. Most individuals don’t realize that a pushup is actually a rotational movement due to the fact that there is one pivot point and axis of rotation namely the feet. Because of the unique torso and hip angle involved in the bear pushup, the rotational component is magnified thereby reinforcing the concept of producing this proper rotational movement during pushups. Once the lifter goes back to traditional pushups they’ll understand exactly what it means to create a rotational movement during pushups.
2. The bear or anti-crawling pushup provides more constant tension to the pectorals, triceps, & shoulders, than perhaps any pushup I’ve used. In fact, there’s no rest or letup on these as both the top and bottom positions are equally as hard making it feel like the person is using accommodating resistance even though they aren’t. The rings further magnify this effect.
3. Sagging hips, lack of core activation, & excessive lumbar extension are very common problems many lifters inevitably run into during pushups. Because of the significant hip flexion and crawl-simulated position, this automatically resolves this problem as it’s literally impossible for the hips to sag or to create excessive lumbar extension.
4. If you’re looking for a pushup variation that crushes the upper chest, look no further than the bear pushup or anti-crawling pushup. Essentially the angle of the torso is inclined similar to an incline chest press.
5. The most frequent comment I receive when I first introduce the bear pushup to athletes is how it automatically forces them to tuck their elbows & produce proper shoulder mechanics. As a result, not only do these teach proper pushup mechanics but they’re also quite shoulder friendly even though the amount of tension on the targeted musculature is substantially higher than traditional pushups.
6. Another common problem seen even in many advanced athletes and trainers is allowing their heels to sag towards the ground rather than staying their toes. The bear pushup or anti-crawling pushup teaches the lifter to stay tall on their toes rather than sagging towards their heels. This not only maximizes core activation and postural alignment but it also creates increased tension on the upper body musculature.
7. The unique body positions and torso angles involved in the bear pushup necessitate a significantly larger range of motion than most pushups. Combined with the constant tension, this does wonders for inducing functional strength and hypertrophy throughout the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

OPTION #2

The weighted medicine ball squeezing pushup with the feet elevated not only crushes the upper chest similar to an incline press but it also blasts the core & abs as well as the triceps due to the closer grip. Focus on hollowing out the core by keeping the hips tall & bracing the daylights out of your abs without letting the hips sag.

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NOTE: Can be performed with trab par, barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells.

I’m a big fan of using the trap bar to perform overhead presses. The combination of a slightly wider neutral grip placement not only overloads the shoulders but it also provides a biomechanically safe position that’s very friendly on the glenohumeral joint. Performing these in a kneeling fashion as demonstrated by my awesome client Ben Lai further increases the demands not only on the upper body but also on the core and abdominal musculature. In addition, the kneeling position forces the lifter to use more precise form and boy mechanics as anything short of textbook execution will cause the lifter to loose her or her balance. In other words the individual is required to execute the movement with tall posture and ample t-spine extension as lack of these features will cause the lifter to fall forward.

With that said I highly recommend using a competent spotter your first few times through this movement as these are deceptively difficult. Try performing several sets of 4-6 reps during your next shoulder workout. I also recommend not going significantly past 90 degrees in the bottom position as this helps maximize tension to the targeted musculature while minimizing stress to the joints and connective tissue. I also recommend using a short pause in both the top and bottom positions while incorporating a brief eccentric isometric to maximize form and technique.

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Bottoms-up exercises are some of the most difficult strength training movements there are. Besides requiring full body tightness, all bottoms-up movements force the lifter to stabilize every muscle throughout the body especially in the core and upper torso. The bottoms-up lunge performed overhead is one of the best variations for improving the overhead lunge mechanics. Be sure to keep the arm pulled back throughout while hinging at the hips.

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OPTION #1

Excellent farmers walk variation for grip, forearms, and finger strength. Also provides powerful training stimulus to full body via concurrent activation potentiation (forces you to stay tight).

OPTION #2

Agility loaded carries can also be combined with just about any other protocol highlighted in this article. One of the most challenging is combining it with the longitudinal trap bar method as NFL athlete Kevin Minter shows here as he performs several eccentric isometric deadlifts beforehand.

The of level motor control, intramuscular tension, and full body stability required to successfully complete these is off the charts.

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Many bodybuilders believe that the decline-angled skull crusher is superior to the flat position when it comes to targeting the triceps. In addition the decline position produces the greatest range of motion thereby providing high levels of stretch that are critical for optimizing the muscle hypertrophy mechanism of micro-trauma and muscle damage. Add in kettlebells in conjunction with the decline angle and there’s also more constant tension placed on the triceps due to the kettlebells providing a constant angle of pull. In fact most tricep exercises performed with free weights involves little tension in the contracted (top) position however the decline kettlebell skull crusher is one of those rare exceptions. As a result this produces greater occlusion during the exercise resulting in high levels of metabolic stress, cellular volumization and overall muscle pump, all of which are key mechanisms for inducing muscular hyeprtrpohy

The decline kettlebell skull crusher particularly when performed with kettlebells also provides significant tension to all three heads of the triceps making it highly effective for eliciting growth throughout the entire musculature of tricep. In addition the decline position reduces involvement of the shoulders forcing the brunt of the work on the triceps. Finally, many lifters find the decline position to be easier on the elbow joint in comparison to other angles particularly when combined with isolateral free weights such as kettlebells or dumbbells.

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OPTION #1

The renegade position is not only conducive for blasting the biceps due to the constant tension in the top contracted position but it also crushes the core as shown by 3 of my NFL football athletes including Marquell Beckwith, Mazi Ogbonna, and Julian Williams. That’s because the farther the weight/arm moves away from our center of mass towards the head, the greater the level of extension forces that are placed on the spine and torso.

Although the core gets pummeled, don’t be surprised if you feel your biceps getting thrashed as you’ll be forced to slow the movement down while using strict mechanics to dial in your positioning. Just be forewarned, the quadruped bird dog variation shown by Julian is quite advanced, as shown by his timely tuck and roll maneuver at the end of the video.

OPTION #2

The squat & curl exercise is one of my favorite ULC’s (Upper-Lower combos) as it not only allows the lifter the chance to crush the biceps with high levels of constant tension (due to the forward lean produced from the squat) but it also reinforces full body tension. Additionally, this gives the lifter the chance to practice their squat form (on non-leg day) & reinforce strong 90 degree eccentric isometrics into their CNS. Dee could have gone a tad deeper on the squat though.

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Although it seems like a simple exercise the lateral raise is one of the most butchered isolation movements you'll see. Rather than lifting the weights straight out to the sides, the lifter should focus on using an angular movement roughly 20-30 degrees out to the sides of the torso (almost at a sight diagonal angle). In other words a proper lateral raise involves moving the arms to the sides and slightly to the front of the body. This helps to maximize recruitment of the lateral deltoids and while taking stress off the joints and connective tissue. In addition, most lifters lead with their thumbs up when performing lateral raises which is another common mistake as the thumbs should be pointed slightly down like pouring a glass of water especially at the top of the movement.

Performing landmine lateral raises as demonstrated by several of my athletes literally guides the lifter into the perfect path for performing lateral raises due to the rotational nature of the landmine device. Simply put if you start wit h the tips of the landmine at the side of your hips at the bottom of the movement, you’ll inevitably raise the arms up slightly to the front of the torso in the top position thereby appropriating the natural angular range of motion for lateral raises. In addition the rotational nature of the device angles the thumbs and palms down as you raise to the top of the movement further ingraining proper lateral raise mechanics.

Lastly, most lifters use excessive momentum, cheating, swinging, and shifting when performing lateral raises. To glean the benefits of this or any other movement particularly isolation exercises, the key is smooth and controlled motions. By incorporating the single leg stand into the movement this requires the lifter to employ smooth, strict, and controlled mechanics as anything less will result in loss of balance. Finally, if you don’t have access to a double landmine station, this movement can be just as easily be performing in a single arm fashion. Try performing several sets of 12-15 reps (or 6-8 on each leg) at the end of your next shoulder day. Just be prepared for an incredible burn followed soon after by a shapely pair of cannonball deltoids.