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OPTION #1

The barbell thruster exercise is a CrossFit staple. However, if we examine the movement closely we can see there is a significant mismatch of force vectors. For example, during the bottom of a properly performed front squat the lifter should demonstrate a slightly forward torso lean of 10-20 deg as this simply indicates optimal biomechanics with the hips set back as they should be. The resulting force vectors produced would indicate that the bar is ready to be launched up & slightly forward at that same 10-20 deg angle.

Unfortunately, due to gravitational forces & the nature of barbell movements the lifter must immediately alter the natural path of the barbell. While it’s obviously a movement that lifters can adapt to over time & learn to make adjustments, this arguably represents an unfavorable kinematic sequence. In fact, one of the reasons why the push press exercise (arguably a more functional movement) is performed with such an abbreviated squat/knee dip is because it keeps the lifter’s torso in a more upright position thereby optimizing the force vectors for the overhead launch.

With that said, one could argue that the landmine represents the optimal tool for performing the overhead thruster from either a squat or lunge position. That’s because both a proper squat and lunge involve a torso position with a slight forward lean which in this case helps produce a force vector that is perpendicular to the barbell. This allows the lifter to take full advantage of the entire lower body (glutes & quads) to launch the weight up not just the quads. As a bonus the lunge version addresses balance, hip mobility, stability, & symmetry.

OPTION #2

Offset loading is one of the most effective strategies I’ve used not only for immediately exposing asymmetries & imbalances but for eliminating them. That’s because it forces the weaker side to catch up to the stronger side particularly when it comes to neural drive, muscle activation patterns, motor control, intramuscular tension, & motor unit synchronization. It also blasts the core as you’re essentially resisting rotation & lateral flexion throughout.

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Here I have my awesome client Ben Lai performing an eccentric isometric pullup/chinup using the dorsiflexion plate loaded method. Notice Ben has 2 small 5 lb plates on his feet (1 per foot). Besides enhancing pullup technique there are several benefits of this.

1. It eliminates any degree of excessive momentum, wiggling, shifting, kipping, or jerking maneuvers as the lifter will be forced to use smooth & controlled mechanics in order to keep the plates from dropping. Essentially they’ll be required to perform pullups/chin-ups using an eccentric isometric training protocol. With that said the eccentric isometric method is the single most effective method I know of for enhancing pullup mechanics as well as any other movement patter. That’s because the emphasis on the slow eccentric phase while under high tension wakes up muscle spindles & proprioceptive mechanisms thereby providing additional levels of sensory feedback for movement modification & fine-tuning. This is a topic I discuss in great detail in my book Movement Redefined.

2. This method forces the lifter to dorsiflex their ankles. The dorsiflexion position is actually a critical component for mastering vertical pulling mechanics. More in CH 6 of my book.

3. A very common problem on pull-ups & chin-ups is lack of full body tension, motor control, and spinal rigidity. Most individuals look more like a limp fish dangling from a wire rather than a coordinated athletic human physique performing a crisp movement. The dorsiflex method eliminates this.

In fact, the significant foot & ankle activation elicits a neurophysiological response known as concurrent activation potentiation (CAP). In other words activating distal segments of the body such as the feet, hands, face, & neck increases neural drive to the working extremities thereby increasing motor unit recruitment & force production. In fact, once you master this you’ll notice that you can handle more weight. That’s because you’ll eliminate energy leaks & optimize neuromuscular potentiation through irradiation & CAP.

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While I consistently employ both the traditional neutral grip squeeze press and the pronated squeeze press, you could make the argument that the pronated version is superior to the traditional variation for reasons I’ll highlight in this article. With that said, here are 7 reasons why the pronated dumbbell squeeze press is so effective.

1. The traditional squeeze press using the neutral grip (shown below with additional band tension) involves a very close hand position typically somewhere between 8-10 inches apart. While this does produce good tension for the inner portion of the pectorals it’s also very tricep and front deltoid dominant. In fact, many folks will feel their triceps and front delts more so than their chest during the traditional squeeze press. The pronated squeeze press on the other hand involves a more natural close grip chest press position typically 12-20 inches apart thereby targeting the chest to a greater degree.

2. Generally speaking the closer the hands are to each other when performing a chest press the more the inner pectorals are targeted. In contrast the wider grip tends to target the outer fibers a bit more. Fortunately the pronated squeeze press involves a grip width that falls somewhere between the two extremes thereby maximizing muscle recruitment equally throughout the entire pectorals not just the inner or outer fibers.

3. The pronated squeeze press is one of the single most effective exercises I’ve used for teaching proper barbell bench press technique. The reason for this is that it forces the lifter to tuck their elbows and flex their lats while also using an overhand or pronated grip commonly used on barbell presses. If the lifter’s elbows flare, the bottom of the dumbbells will separate. Similarly if the lifter keeps the elbows too close to the body and crowds their shoulder joint without allowing the elbows to wrap around the sides of the body, the top of the dumbbells will separate. In essence it teaches perfect elbow positioning and shoulder mechanics.

4. While the traditional squeeze press tends to be a shoulder friendly position, I’ve periodically found that the inordinately close grip can cause shoulder crowding and impingement particularly for larger athletes. The few cases I’ve witnessed this occur, I’ve had the athlete switch to the pronated squeeze press. Inevitably the shoulder pain disappears as the shoulders are packed yet not overly crowded or crammed together.

5. The pronated squeeze press is also one of the best horizontal pressing variations I’ve ever used for reinforcing optimal 90 degree depth in the eccentric position. Collapsing at the bottom and using excessive range of motion makes it nearly impossible to keep the dumbbells pressed together.

6. The pronated squeeze press requires smooth and controlled mechanics with minimal momentum, cheating, shifting, or asymmetrical pressing. Any of these form aberrations will cause the dumbbells to separate almost immediately. To keep the overhand grip dumbbells pressed together throughout forces the lifter to dial in their mechanics.

7. Once the lifter becomes efficient with the pronated squeeze press they’ll find they can handle significantly heavier loads than the traditional neutral grip variation most likely because of the more natural grip width. The combination of overload and constant tension from squeezing the weights together makes for a potent strength and hypertrophy stimulus.

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NOTE: The 2+2+2 rep protocol indicates the lifter should perform 2 rows (per side) for every RDL. For example, one will perform 2 rows on each side followed by 1 RDL, followed by 2 rows and 1 RDL, etc. for a total of 6 rows (per side) and 3 total RDLs per set.

Here’s one of my favorite modifications for bent over rows. The alternate style bent over dumbbell row is a great back and lat exercise that also hits the core stabilizers.

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OPTION #1

Perhaps the most challenging variation of any Z press you’ll ever attempt, the leg raise z press off a bench, requires even greater levels of stability, core strength, motor control, mobility, and proper overhead mechanics in comparison to other overhead presses. The eccentric isometric protocol further adds to the difficulty and the effectiveness. Read more at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/z-press-overhead-press

OPTION #2

Here's one of the most challenging overhead presses I've ever done as I perform single leg bottoms up trap bar overhead press with single leg sprinter knee drive position which requires full body strength, stability, alignment, and mobility.

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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 I have one of my awesome athletes Ben Lai performing a brutal core & shoulder exercise as he performs rear delt renegade lateral raises on the landmine station. Besides torching the entire abdominal & core musculature this also blasts the rear deltoids & upper back quite extensively as it helps reinforce proper rear delt lateral raise mechanics. That’s because the rotational nature of the landmine station helps guide the lifter through optimal lateral raise mechanics.

When performing any lateral raise, rather than lifting the weights straight out to the sides, the lifter should focus on using an angular movement. 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 deltoids while taking stress off the joints & 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 literally guides the lifter into the perfect path for performing lateral raises due to the rotational nature of the landmine. You’ll inevitably raise the arms up slightly to the front thereby appropriating the natural angular range of motion for lateral raises. In addition the rotational nature of the device angles the thumbs & 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, & shifting when performing lateral raises. To glean the benefits of this or any isolation exercise, the key is smooth & controlled motions. By incorporating the single arm plank this requires the lifter to employ smooth, strict, & controlled mechanics to maintain a neutral spine. Try performing several sets of 5-7 reps at the end of your next shoulder or core day. Read more about my 50+ favorite renegade rows and variations thereof at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/renegade-rows-part-2

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Here's a very unique but effective bicep curl variation. There's several components going on here that allow for even greater hypertrophy stimulation to the arms. First it's impossible to swing or use your hips on this variation. I'm typically not a fan of using a bench with a back support but in this variation it produces a similar response to performing curls with you back against a wall as it's impossible to lean back or swing your body particularly when doing them in a seated position. This forces the bicep muscles to do all of the work with no ability to swing or cheat from the hips or back. Second, the mid-pause technique (pausing midway through the concentric lifting portion) further helps to eliminate momentum thereby placing increased mechanical tension, greater occlusion and metabolic stress on the biceps (important factors for triggering hypertrophy). Finally, performing a slow eccentric with and added rotation in the bottom position provides greater eccentric damage in the stretched position which further enhances the growth-inducing stimulus.

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Want to obliterate your triceps? Try this barbell band resisted skull crusher. It's also much easier on the elbow joints due to reduced tension in the stretched position.

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Although this is a combination lower body and arm exercise, the stimulus to the biceps is incredibly intense. While holding a dumbbell in each hand lower your body into the bottom of a lunge without touching your back knee to the ground. While holding the eccentric isometric (stretched position) of a lunge perform smooth and controlled reps of bicep curls while pausing in the top and bottom position of the curling motion. There are several benefits of this unique protocol including increased tension in the contracted position as well as the fact that it forces the lifter to eliminate momentum as swinging and cheating will cause the lifter to lose balance.

The eccentric isometric lunge position can also be used to perform shoulder raises such as front raises and lateral raises as the slight forward lean makes it very effective for targeting the delts and eliminating cheating or activation from the upper traps.

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Want to crush your triceps, inner chest, grip, and core with one unique yet very challenging exercise? Try this close grip bottoms-up kettlebell pushup performed in an eccentric isometric fashion as demonstrated by one of my awesome bodybuilders and powerlifting athletes Ben Lai. Besides acting as an incredible hypertrophy stimulus, this exercise is also highly effective for reinforcing proper shoulder packing and centration of the glenohumeral joint (as well as optimal pushup technique) as anything but perfect mechanics will result in a sudden collapse.

With that said I recommend doing these on a semi cushioned surface such as turf in case you do lose control. The size of the kettlebells also makes a huge difference as smaller kettlebells are significantly more unstable than larger ones making them exponentially more challenging. During this particular workout we super-setted this exercise with kettlebell skull crushers using the skull crusher prior to the prushup in order pre-exhaust the triceps and ensure maximal metabolic stress (a key hypertrophy stimulus). This also explains the quivering in arms (this was his third and final set) as his his upper body pressing muscles particularly his triceps were fried.