It’s likely that many gym-goers or home-gym lifters have done this ground-based exercise at least a few times before — holding a straight-arm plank while performing alternating dumbbell rows — to build conditioning and head-to-toe strength and stability.

If you’re going to do the renegade row, it’s time to make sure you’re performing it properly. Here’s how and when to include it in your workout routine, plus a few effective variations to take this popular movement up a notch.

Renegade Row

• How to Do the Renegade Row
• Renegade Row Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Renegade Row
• Benefits of the Renegade Row
• Muscles Worked by the Renegade Row
• How to Program the Renegade Row
• Renegade Row Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Renegade Row

The renegade row is a type of combination exercise — performing a static plank while simultaneously performing a rowing motion. So before you try the renegade row, you should have some basic experience performing both of those exercises separately. Then grab two dumbbells or kettlebells and get ready to work. 

Step 1 — Set Your Hands and Feet

Get on the ground with a dumbbell in each hand, placed just inside shoulder-width. Set your feet slightly wider than hip-width and straighten your legs. Make sure you can really push into the ground with your feet, which will help you successfully create tension in your whole body. Don’t let your hips sag down or arch high. Hold a straight line from your ankles to your neck. This stable plank position is the “base” for each repetition of the exercise.

Form tip: Placing your hands directly under shoulders would be great technique for a standard plank, but remember this is not just a plank. Having your hands a bit closer is going to help your stability by reducing the weight transfer from side to side as you switch arms during each repetition. This will make it much easier to create tension in your plank while keeping your hips nearly level.

Step 2 – Press and Pull

Squeeze both dumbbells extra-hard and actively push one arm toward the ground without bending it. This will create more stability through your upper body. (1) As you drive that arm down, lift the opposite elbow up and back, moving the weight toward your front pocket in an arching motion, not in a straight line to the ceiling. Maintain total-body tension and fight the weight pulling you off-balance.

When the dumbbell is near your torso, return it back to the floor slowly. The exercise is about control and consistency, not rushing through reps as quickly as possible. Drive your second arm toward the ground and row the first dumbbell. Repeat the movement, alternating sides with each repetition.

Form tip: As you row your elbow up and back, it’s going to be tempting to lift that same side hip and shoulder because rotating your body might assist you with the lift. Instead, move toward the challenge, literally. If you are rowing on the right side, your body will naturally want to lift your right hip. Instead, as you pull your elbow up, actively push your right hip down to resist the twist and keep your hips level. This will also help you to stay more braced through your midsection and recruit more abdominal muscles.

Renegade Row Mistakes to Avoid

The exercise involves head-to-toe coordination and stability, so there are some common mistake that can occur with such a big movement. Here are some issues to watch out for.

Keeping Your Feet Too Close

When your feet are set too narrow, it will be nearly impossible to do anything other than simply shift your weight from side to side as you move through the rep. It’s extremely difficult to maintain a plank position because close feet create a very small base of support, so you end up just doing a row in a really inefficient position.

Keeping your feet set slightly wider than your hands will put you in a powerful stance to perform the movement without sacrificing stability. If your feet are too close, you’ll be off-balance from the start and unable to generate enough force to efficiently lift the dumbbell.

Avoid it: When you get into the starting position, make sure your feet are more than hip-width apart to provide a wide enough point of contact for stability. When you row, you shouldn’t be at risk of tipping to one side or the other.

Twisting Your Body

Rotating your body to get the weight moving means you’re using momentum to help pull the dumbbell off the floor instead of using your back muscles. When this happens, you end up with a very poor row and a very poor plank. That’s a lose-lose situation.

When you shift your body to one side, you drastically reduce the need to stabilize your core, which takes away from the entire point of the exercise. You might end up doing extra reps, but each rep is less effective at building strength and conditioning.

Avoid it: Try to focus on body awareness and feel your shoulders and hips staying nearly level throughout the entire exercise, as you lift and lower the weights. Fighting to keep your body in position is what’s going to deliver the results you’re after.

Tapping the Weight to Your Chest

When you’re performing the renegade row, focus on the movement of your elbow instead of what’s happening with the dumbbell itself. If your elbow starts and finishes in the right place, the dumbbell will follow.

When the load gets too heavy or when you focus on “bringing the dumbbell to your ribs,” you lose range of motion because the focus shifts away from the most effective technique. 

Avoid it: Pay attention to each individual repetition and perform it properly, without regard to the specific weight you’re moving. Go step by step and follow the technique tips, and avoid any instinct to make the dumbbell a key player in the movement.

How to Progress the Renegade Row

Deciding how and when to progress this movement can be difficult and there need to be some special considerations because it is a combination we are not just progressing one movement. 

Technique Over Weight or Volume

The renegade row isn’t well-suited for handling heavy weights, training with extreme intensities (muscle failure), or using high volume (many sets and reps). Instead, performing the exercise with greater competency and crisp form is the real key to long-term success and results.

Gradually adding even one or two reps per set, or one or two sets, each workout would give you a great opportunity to perform some very effective, high-quality work.

Plank Shoulder Tap

One modification to the renegade row is to swap the dumbbell row for an unweighted shoulder tap, reaching one arm across your body to lightly tough the shoulder of your base arm.

This bodyweight-only exercise trains similar total-body stability and strength by teaching you how to stay tight in a plank position while alternating between single-hand support. You’ll also build core strength to keep your body level and avoid twisting as you move.

Unilateral Renegade Row

Another effective modification the renegade row would be to do all reps unilaterally (with one arm) before switching arms. This creates more localized fatigue in the muscles on the specific side you’re working.

While the unilateral renegade row emphasizes the back muscles and core stability, it can be slightly less challenging rotationally because your body isn’t repeatedly adjusting from between alternating sides.

Benefits of the Renegade Row

The renegade row is not a great exercise choice for improving absolute strength because you can’t move heavy weights. It’s also not ideal for hypertrophy (muscle-building) because it doesn’t focus a specific body part with the time under tension needed to stimulate growth. (2) However, it can be an incredibly useful exercise to address often overlooked aspects of many training plans.

Core Control

The renegade row is a complete core exercise that can build strength and stability, while also improving your ability to move your upper body limbs around the rib cage. This carries over to athletic performance and big lifts.

A stronger core may help reduce the risk of back injuries and can boost performance, especially in sports where running and change of direction are involved. (3) Training your body to maintain trunk stability while manipulating your arms can be a big factor in avoiding “strength leaks,” which can reduce power output.

Strength-Endurance (aka Conditioning)

To perform the renegade row competently, you need to take your time with a relatively moderate to light load and moderate to higher repetitions because the exercise isn’t conducive to very heavy weights or very low reps.

The duration of each set creates a stimulus that is more endurance-based, which contributes to muscle-specific endurance in the recruited body parts (especially the back, shoulders, arms, and abs). The total-body exercise also contributed to overall cardiovascular endurance — after your first set of 15 or more reps, you’ll notice what kind of cardio shape you’re really in.

Muscles Worked by the Renegade Row

The combination of the plank position and single-arm row will recruit a large number of muscle groups across the body, even though the renegade row is sometimes considered either an ab exercise or a back exercise.

Internal Obliques

These deep core muscles are responsible for controlling your pelvis and creating posterior tilt, along with the hamstrings. The internal obliques help you to create and maintain tension with the other core muscles, like the transverse abdominals and the rectus abdominis. They also work significantly to resist rotation when you raise the dumbbell on either side during the renegade row.

Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

These muscles work together during the exercise, as they are recruited in an isometric action (without any significant range of motion) as you push into the ground and keep the arms fully extended. The chest, shoulders, and triceps of your base arm fire as you row the opposite side, although the rear portion of the shoulder on the working side also assists to lift the weight.

Lats, Rhomboids, and Trapezius

This series of separate back muscles work together to put the row in “renegade row.” They are recruited during the concentric (lifting) action and they control the weight back to the ground during the eccentric (lowering) phase.

Depending on your arm length and range of motion, not all of the muscles may achieve the type of full stretch and peak contraction that contribute to major muscle growth.

How to Program the Renegade Row

The renegade row is often performed either as a standalone exercise or as part of a complex with other bodyweight or basic dumbbell exercises. It is essentially a core exercise, and fits well at either the beginning of a workout (similar to a full-body warm-up to improve movement quality) or at the end of a workout as a high intensity core finisher.

Light to Moderate Weight, Moderate to High Repetition

To maintain an emphasis on strict technique, stick with a weight that’s challenging for no fewer than 8-10 reps — if you go much heavier than that, you’re likely to compromise form to move the weight. Generally, training the renegade row with two or three sets of 12 to 20 reps can deliver a major stimulus for conditioning and muscular stimulation.

Movement Quality

One unique way to incorporate the renegade row at the start of your workout is with a quick circuit, pairing the exercise with two or three core-focused bodyweight movements. Perform three to five sets of the entire sequence, with no rest between each exercise and 30 to 60 seconds rest between each circuit.

• Renegade Row — 10 reps
• Deadbug — 10 reps
• Side Plank — 30 seconds per side
• Medicine Ball Throw — 10 reps

Core Finisher

You can also end your training session with a finisher that features the renegade row and emphasizes the abs. Repeat the series for as many rounds as possible within five minutes.

• Renegade Row — 10 reps
• Leg Raise — 10 reps
• Sit-Up — 10 reps
• Hollow Hold — 20 seconds

Renegade Row Variations

The renegade row can be pretty complete on its own, but there are a few variations that can take it even further. By adding the right movements to the basic renegade row, you can get more muscle recruitment and a bigger overall training stimulus.

Renegade Row Push-Up

One of the most challenging renegade row variations involves adding a push-up between each row. Special consideration needs to be taken here because now you need to be highly competent at three different exercises (the plank, dumbbell row, and push-up), so it’s definitely not a beginners-level movement.

This variation works very well as part of a circuit with two or three other exercises, such as mountain climbers and the dumbbell deadlift, where the renegade row could be performed with lower reps but repeated for more total sets.

Renegade Row Burpee

The burpee itself has a strong “love it or hate it” reputation with many lifters, but it can flow smoothly at the end of a renegade row because the plank also the bottom position of a burpee.

Transitioning from the renegade row to the burpee can either be done with a quick and seamless transition, for a high intensity conditioning effect, or you can briefly pause in the plank position after the second row before jumping your feet in. This can help prevent form breakdown.

FAQs

Be a Renegade

The renegade row is definitely not for beginning lifters because there are so many moving parts. Once you’re mastered form on the component exercises like the plank, dumbbell row, and even push-ups, then you’re ready to add this full-body exercise to your program and start building rock-solid stability and off-the-charts conditioning.

References

1. Gontijo, L. B., Pereira, P. D., Neves, C. D., Santos, A. P., Machado, D.deC., & Bastos, V. H. (2012). Evaluation of strength and irradiated movement pattern resulting from trunk motions of the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Rehabilitation research and practice, 2012, 281937. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/281937
2. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
3. McGill, Stuart PhD. Core Training: Evidence Translating to Better Performance and Injury Prevention. Strength and Conditioning Journal 32(3):p 33-46, June 2010. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181df4521

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Renegade Row for Conditioning and Core Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

You’ll see it performed by bodybuilders, fitness influencers, “functional fitness” athletes who wear toe-gripping shoes that look like gloves, group-fitness worshipers, and cardio enthusiasts. 

One reason why it’s so regularly used is that it lets you really feel you abdominal muscles working, almost irrespective of how well the exercise is actually performed. You can do it “wrong” and still feel some kind of burn because you’re bending and twisting. A better reason why it’s so popular is because it targets nearly every muscle in your core, including the rarely targeted oblique muscles.

Here’s how to make sure you do the Russian twist the right way to get that deep burn in your abs and obliques, not your lower back.

• How to Do the Russian Twist
• Russian Twist Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Russian Twist
• Benefits of the Russian Twist
• Muscles Worked by the Russian Twist
• How to Program the Russian Twist
• Russian Twist Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Russian Twist

The Russian twist is performed seated on the ground and looks quite simple, but there are some very important steps that often get overlooked. These small changes will make a big difference.

Step One — Find Your Feet

Sit on the ground, bend your knees, and point your feet up to dig your heels into the ground. Bring your feet and heels close to your glutes and hips, which will be your fulcrum to move your upper body. Having your feet closer to your hips is going to give you more stability. Hold your hands together in front of your chest.

Form Tip: Keep your feet flexed and pointed up during the entire movement. Pointing your feet is going to do two things: First, it’s going to keep your weight shifted backward through your hips and into the ground, giving you more stability. Second, it’s going to help engage your hamstrings, which will then help to tuck your pelvis under during the movement. This helps engage more of your lower lower abs and internal oblique muscles instead of your hip flexors. (1)

Step Two — Tuck Your Chin and Roll Back

Imagine you’re trying to hold an orange between your chin and upper chest. Tuck your chin down to hold it in place. This will stack your rib cage over your pelvis, so you can flex your abs and maintain core tension. It will also encourage your upper back to round so your lats can “wrap” around your ribs. If you try twisting your body while keeping a tall posture with your shoulders down and back, you’ll have the mobility of an elephant on a tightrope.

Be sure to roll back, not just lean back. If you quickly lean back from your hips, you’re likely going to extend your spine and lose the stable position you worked to get into. Instead, imagine you’re about to do a backwards roll and “uncurl” yourself into position. Allow your center of mass to be drawn backwards and use your feet to engage your hamstrings for stability.

Form Tip: How far should you roll back? If you’re laying on the floor, you’ve gone too far. If you can’t feel your heels digging hard into the floor, you probably haven’t rolled back far enough. Aim for a five or six out of 10 effort to hold the position.

Step Three — Look Over Your Shoulder

With control, twist as much of your torso as possible to one side. If you’re doing it right, it should feel like someone karate chopped you in the outside part of your obliques (muscles on the sides of your abs). Then, rotate all the way to the other side. Alternate back and forth between sides with each repetition.

Form Tip: Look over your shoulder behind you, trying to get your shoulders to 12 and six on an imaginary clock. Each person will have a slightly different range of motion depending on their mobility and strength, so work within your own comfortable range.

Russian Twist Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure that when you’re performing the Russian twist, it looks good and feels good. Don’t let your technique slip as you fatigue and don’t grind through painful, improper form. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for.

Extending Your Back 

If your chin and rib cage aren’t tucked when you roll back into position, then you may end up in extension with your abs are in a lengthened position. The more extended you are, the more lengthened your abs will be. This shifts stress away from your targeted ab muscles.

When a muscle contracts, it shortens, so although you might “feel” your ab muscles working, you’re not setting yourself up for success to properly train and strengthen them since they won’t be able to effectively shorten or fully contract. 

Avoid it: Don’t roll back quite as far. That way, you can maintain a better chin and ribcage tuck. Focus on making the exercise harder by using a full rotation, not by trying to lean as far back as possible.

Not Actually Rotating 

This one is one of the most common problems. Some people swing their arms from side to side like a malfunctioning lawn sprinkler, but they’re not rotating their torso or shoulders.

With this misapplied “technique,” you might feel some tension in your abdominals because they are simply resisting rotation, but there’s not much working in the obliques because they’re not moving through any real range of motion.

Avoid it: Keep your hands as close to your body as possible. You can use them to help guide the rotation to each side, but the farther your hands move away from your center, the more your arms will want to swing. Until you master the movement, keep your hands close.

Kicking Your Legs Out

When your legs are extended too far, it’s more difficult to shift your center of mass back while keeping your hips tucked under properly. This means there’s less load, tension, work sent through your abdominal muscles and obliques, and you’ll most likely feel the burn in your hip flexors and the top part of your quads (thighs).

Straight legs also make it difficult to drive your heels into the ground, which will limit your hamstring engagement and affect your abdominal activation.

Avoid it: Pay attention to your entire lower body. Bend your knees, pulling your feet and heels back towards your glutes and hips. Point your feet and dig your heels into the ground. This will help to engage your hamstrings and lengthen your quads and hip flexors so they can’t take over. 

How to Progress the Russian Twist

One general goal of training is to gradually progress each movement or exercise for consistent improvement. However, almost anyone can make an exercise “feel” more challenging. You need to make sure you’re are making it harder in a productive way.

Arms-Extended Russian Twist

Reaching your arms forward, away from your body’s center, is going to create a longer lever with increased challenge for your entire core. When you rotate, don’t let your arms take over or move separately from your torso.

Be sure to fully rotate by looking over your shoulders. The altered leverage is going to add more relative load for increased challenge, especially in the end ranges of motion.

Dumbbell Russian Twist

Adding resistance is the most common way to make a bodyweight ab exercise more challenging. By using a dumbbell, or a single weight plate, you increase the force needed to rotate your torso. Be sure to continue using a full range of motion, aiming your shoulders in a 12 and six position.

Begin holding the weight close to your chest. As you gain strength, you can hold the weight farther from your body, in the arms-extended position, before going heavier. This lets you squeeze more overall progression from relatively lighter weights.

Decline Russian Twist

Using a decline bench will shift more of your weight backwards because of the steeper angle working against gravity. Even though your legs are securely hooked into the bench, you should still actively try to dig your heels in to get your hips tucked under.

The increased angle of the decline bench should also allow each individual to get more range of motion towards the end of each rep.

Benefits of the Russian Twist

Many ab exercises train your central core muscles — the abdominals above your hips. The Russian twist incorporates rotation, which not only recruits additional muscles but creates more stimulus for a variety of results.

Good-Looking Abs

Ab training alone won’t deliver a great set of abs. You need to pay attention to calories and nutrition, too. But incorporating the Russian twist into your ab workout can give some attention to your oblique muscles, while hitting your main “6-pack” abs with a serious growth stimulus. Training your abs for muscle growth won’t create a blocky-looking stomach area, but it will play a role in creating a classic washboard look.

Athletic Ab Strength

Rotational movements are sometimes overlooked when it comes to building a strong, powerful core. (2) Training your abs with rotation, like the Russian twist, can help to build inter-muscular coordination that can carryover to the field, while building general core strength and stability that can help support heavy lifting.

Muscles Worked by Russian Twist

The Russian twist works more than just “your abs.” It emphasizes your oblique muscles, while calling much of your entire upper body into play.

Obliques

The obliques are the muscles on the sides of your abs that frame the six-pack. They run diagonally at an oblique angle, which is where they get their name. More accurately, there are two types of oblique muscles on each side of your body — the internal obliques and the external obliques. The internal obliques are found deeper in your core, while the external obliques are more visible.

When twisting your body, the external obliques are responsible for contralateral rotation — the external oblique on your left helps you rotate to the right, and vice versa. These are the prime mover in the beginning part of each rep. Once you have rotated past the midpoint, the internal oblique is recruited for ipsilateral rotation — the internal obliques on your right help you complete rotation to the right. The internal obliques are not often trained, so don’t be surprised if you feel a deep burn at the end range of each twist.

Rectus Abdominis 

The classic six-pack is actually a series of muscles known as the rectus abdominis. During the Russian twist, the rectus works to brace down and resist movement, because they’re primarily involved in traditional flexion exercises like crunches or sit-ups. This muscle works isometrically to keep your upper body stacked and stable during the twist. 

Transverse Abdominis

Like the film Inception where there’s a dream within a dream, the transverse abdominis is essentially a set of abs under another set of abs. It is a thin sheet of muscle found underneath the rectus abdominis. The transverse abdominis, or TVA, primarily works isometrically to maintain postural tension. It also increases abdominal wall pressure to stabilize the spine and pelvis when moving, including during rotation. (3)

Hip Flexors 

As their name suggests, the hip flexors are primarily involved in creating flexion (bending) at your hips. Reaching the top portion of that hip flexion, with your legs bent at an angle to your upper body, is when you can create a posterior pelvic tilt to target the lower abdominal muscles. (4)

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are deep muscles on your back that sit underneath the more well-known back muscles like the lats, rhomboids, and trapezius. The erector spinae extends your upper body backwards and creates lateral (side to side) flexion. During the Russian twist, they are involved more toward the end of each twist as your body reaches its peak range of motion.

How to Program the Russian Twist

The Russian twist isn’t just some random ab exercise. Because it trains your core in a unique way, with rotation instead of more traditional flexion, it can play a key role in your workouts.

Timed Circuits

This bodyweight ab exercise fits efficiently into a abdominal circuit performed at the end of any workout. Combine this with timed sets — performing continuous repetitions in a given time instead of counting individual reps — and you’ve got a winning pair.

Timed sets let you just focus on the quality of your work, and the clock will save you at the end. Good options are to use either 30 second of work with 30 of rest or 40 seconds of work with 20 seconds rest. Pick three to five exercises, including the Russian twist, and do two to four rounds at least twice per week.

Unweighted to Light Weight, Moderate to High Repetition

If you’re performing the Russian twist as a standalone exercise, not part of a circuit, you can burn your core using two to three sets of 15 to 25 reps. Remember that turning both to the left and right counts as one rep. You’ll reduce your workload if you count “right, one, left, two, right, three, left, four,” etc.

Russian Twist Variations

Once you’ve gotten a handle on the basic Russian twist, you can upgrade the exercise to hit your abs with more difficult movements.

Bicycle Twist

When paired with a specialized fat loss diet, this progression can be a key player in developing abs that look and feel like they have been carved from rich mahogany. As you rotate to look over your right shoulder, pull your right knee in towards your chest. But the major key is to not touch your elbow and knee together, as if you were doing a classic bicycle crunch.

To get a full range of motion using full hip flexion, your left elbow should pass your right knee as you twist. Keep the opposite foot braced and hooked into the floor. You have to go slow with this one because it involves some coordination. Try taking three seconds to reach each rotation and hold the end position for a brief pause.

Overhead Russian Twist

This movement is similar to the basic dumbbell Russian twist, but brings the arms in an overhead motion to further change the leverage and recruit the shoulders, serratus, and upper back muscles.

Don’t sacrifice range of motion. Bring the weight from one side of your body, to a straight-arm overhead position, to the opposite side of your body.

Standing Russian Twist

Sometimes called a full contact twist, this standing movement is one of the more athletic variations because it’s performed in a standing position and involves your entire lower body.

Use a barbell in a landmine unit to allow a smooth rotation from side to side. This exercise can be done with your feet stationary while moving the weight from hip to hip or, as a more advanced variation, pivoting on the balls of your feet and moving the weight from mid-thigh to mid-thigh.

FAQs

C’mon and Do the Twist

When you design your next ab workout, don’t overfocus on crunch variations and planks. Rotational exercises like the Russian twist target underappreciated muscles like the obliques and help to develop serious core power. Once you learn to perform the movement correctly, you’ll be on the way to creating a stronger core with a complete and well-developed set of abs.

References

1. Workman, Chad & Docherty, David & Parfrey, Kevin & Behm, David. (2008). Influence of Pelvis Position on the Activation of Abdominal and Hip Flexor Muscles. Journal of strength and conditioning research / National Strength & Conditioning Association. 22. 1563-9. 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181739981.
2. Stephens, J; Bacon, E; Evans, C; Locke, S; and McCulloch, R (2021) “ANTI-ROTATIONAL AND ROTATIONAL ABDOMINAL EXERCISES AND THE CONCURRENT MUSCLE ACTIVATION: A METHODOLOGY STUDY,” International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 8: Iss. 9, Article 12.
3. Urquhart, D. M., & Hodges, P. W. (2005). Differential activity of regions of transversus abdominis during trunk rotation. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 14(4), 393–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-004-0799-9
4. Takaki, S., Ms Pt, Kaneoka, K., PhD Md, Okubo, Y., PhD Pt, Otsuka, S., Ms, Tatsumura, M., PhD Md, Shiina, I., PhD Md, & Miyakawa, S., PhD Md (2016). Analysis of muscle activity during active pelvic tilting in sagittal plane. Physical therapy research, 19(1), 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1298/ptr.e9900

Featured Image: Shopping King Louie / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Russian Twist for Powerful Abs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But with so many curl variations, which movement do you pick? And how often should you do them? How do you fit curls into an already packed training program? These are the questions you need to tackle, so you can make a more informed decision and win a one way ticket to Armsville. 

To get to the bottom of it, let’s look at two classic biceps-building staples: the hammer curl, which is performed with a neutral (thumbs-up) grip and the standard dumbbell biceps curl, performed with a supinated, or palms-up, grip. By starting from square one, you’ll learn enough to begin building your arms efficiently and effectively. 

Hammer Curl vs. Biceps Curl

• Exercise Differences
• Exercise Similarities
• Technique Differences
• How to Do the Hammer Curl
• How to Do the Biceps Curl
• Knowing the Best Curl for Your Goal

Hammer Curl and Biceps Curl Differences

These two exercises may appear nearly identical, but the subtle difference in grip is responsible for a big difference in results.

Muscle Recruitment

The function of the biceps muscle is to create flexion (bending) at the elbow and supination (rotation) at the wrist. The thumbs-up position of the hammer curl eliminates supination and more specifically targets the brachialis and brachioradialis, while a fully supinated grip (palms up) emphasizes the biceps brachii. (1)

The brachialis is a strong elbow flexor, separate from the “main” biceps brachii on the front of the upper arm. The brachialis sits underneath the biceps, closer to the bone. It’s believed that targeting the brachialis will have the effect of “pushing up” the biceps to make it appear larger, not unlike wearing shoe lifts to appear taller.

This anatomical trickery may not yield significant results, because the biceps brachii is still stimulated to grow regardless of the grip used, but it’s worth a try. Hammer curls also recruit the brachioradialis, which is a relatively larger muscle running along the top of the forearm and over the elbow joint, near the lower portion of the biceps.

The hammer grip also slightly emphasizes the short head of the biceps, while a palms-up grip activates the long head of the biceps muscle more strongly. (2) Due to this, you will usually feel a difference in your arm tension when performing either movement. Both variations work both biceps heads; the different grips slightly shift the emphasis from one head of the muscle to the other.

Muscular Tension

The palms-up grip puts the biceps into a slightly longer stretched position. This is why you usually feel tightness when your arm is fully straightened in the bottom position. The neutral-grip position of the hammer curl puts the muscles into a slightly “rested” position, rather than a long stretched position.

To create more tension in the bottom position of a hammer curl, you can perform the exercise seated for an incline hammer curl, which brings your arms behind your body. You can create even more tension using a palms-up grip by bringing your arms in front of the body by performing a preacher curl or spider curl.

Exercise Similarities

These two dumbbell curls are, fundamentally, similar. They require you to move a weight with strict elbow flexion, which brings the weight from your hip level to near-shoulder height.

Targeted Biceps Training

The biceps curl and hammer curl are both isolation exercises, which creates motion at one single joint (the elbow, in this case). This type of movement is different from a compound exercise, which creates motion at two or more joints — the chin-up, for example, involves both the shoulder and elbow joints.

By restricting movement to a single joint, muscular stress is focused on the target muscle and isn’t distributed significantly across multiple muscles. This is why it’s important to use strict form and keep your elbow near your ribs when you curl.

If you swing the weight and let your elbow get away from your torso when you curl, you create movement at the shoulder joint which can take activation away from the biceps muscle.

Technique Differences

When watching a lifter performing a hammer curl and comparing them to a lifter performing a standard biceps curl, one key difference will stand above anything else.

Hand Position

A change as seemingly simple as turning your hand one way or the other might not look like a big deal, but it’s responsible for determining which arm muscles are recruited and how hard they’re worked.

With a thumbs-up hand position, your brachioradialis is put into a mechanically stronger position to move the weight. The biceps brachii, while still recruited, is moved into a less strong pulling position due to the structure of the muscle, tendons, and surrounding structures. (3)

This subtle, yet highly effective, change in grip isn’t unlike performing pull-ups (with a palm-down grip) compared to performing chin-ups (using a supinated or palm-up grip). In this case, again, a simple change in hand position shifts the muscular emphasis from your back (with pull-ups) to your biceps (with chin-ups). (4)

Because the brachialis is only responsible for elbow flexion and not supination, it’s a relatively stronger arm muscle. (5) This is why many lifters can perform hammer curls using heavier weights than they use with biceps curls. This also makes the two exercises very effective for supersetting together, performing a set of biceps curls until muscular fatigue and then immediately performing additional repetitions with hammer curls.

How to Do the Hammer Curl

Stand up holding a pair of dumbbells at arms-length, with your hands facing in to your center. Pull your shoulders back and flex your abs. Pin your elbows to your sides.

Curl the weight by driving your thumbs up to the fronts of your shoulders. Pause briefly in the top position before straightening your arms back to the starting position.

Benefits

• The hammer curl allows you to use relatively heavier weights, which can help strength gains.
• This exercise targets muscles not typically emphasized with other curl variations, particularly the brachialis and brachioradialis.

Hammer Curl Variations

The hammer curl is primarily defined by using a neutral grip or thumbs-up curling position. You can hit your arms with some variety by using the same hand position with a variety of movements.

Kettlebell Curl

This is the most common way to add biceps training to a kettlebell workout. By grabbing the kettlebell by the “horns,” your hands are put in a thumbs-up position and you get the benefits of a hammer curl using a single kettlebell.

The kettlebell curl can be easily added as a type of transition exercise between larger movements, like squats or rows, or it can be used as a finisher for extra arm training after a high intensity workout.

Cross-body Curl

This single-arm hammer curl variation, sometimes called a pinwheel curl, moves the weight across your body instead of moving directly forward. This movement reduces the range of motion, which lets you use a slightly heavier weight.

The crossbody curl is often done alternating arms with each repetition, but can be performed with one arm at a time for even more time under tension.

How to Do the Biceps Curl

Stand up holding a pair of dumbbells at arms-length, with your palms facing forward. Pull your shoulders back and flex your abs. Pin your elbows to your sides.

Keep your hands level with your palms facing up as you curl the weights toward your shoulders. Don’t allow your elbows to come forward in the top position. Lower to a full extension.

Form Tip: Use a slow eccentric (lowering phase), taking up to three seconds to extend your arms, but drive up powerfully and raise the weight in one second. This will place the biceps under tension during the lowering phase and allow strong force production when lifting the weight.

Benefits

• The biceps curl emphasizes the biceps brachii on its own, with limited involvement from other muscles.
• This staple exercise is relatively simple to learn and program, making it an efficient exercise for any biceps-training program.

Biceps Curl Variations

The classic palms-up biceps curl can be adapted to many different movements, adjusting range of motion, muscular tension, and other variables to provide a different muscle-building stimulus.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl

The preacher curl offers stability from the pad and prevents cheating by removing the ability to swing the weight. That makes this one of the most strict and most biceps-intensive exercises around.

The stretch in the bottom position can be extreme, depending on your flexibility. Reduce the risk of injury by working within your own effective range of motion and, if necessary, avoiding full lockout with this exercise to reduce strain on the biceps tendons.

Cable Curl

The cable curl is a high-tension variation that uses a cable pulley instead of free weights. This constant tension creates a greater trigger for muscle growth compared to dumbbells, which rely on leverage and gravity to produce resistance.

The cable curl can be performed with a variety of handles, as well as single-arm, for even more variety and growth stimulus.

Knowing the Best Curl for Your Goal

The great thing about this decision is that you almost can’t get it wrong. It’s not like choosing between a back squat or a front squat, which are performed very differently and yield very different results. It’s more like deciding if you’re going to put the cereal or the milk in the bowl first. The end result is basically the same, but you get to pick the order you prefer. However, there are just a few things to consider.

For Strength

If you are training primarily for strength, include more hammer curls in your program. Being able to get more training volume to the brachialis is going to give you more assistance in exercises like pull-ups, rows, and even deadlifts. Because the brachialis is a stronger arm muscle, you can use heavier weights for an even greater strength stimulus.

For Muscle Size

If your goal is physique-focused, work more on supinated-grip biceps curls. This will take the muscles through a greater range of movement, which is a major key for hypertrophy. (7) Pairing this type of training with some hammer curls using slower tempos will trigger major arm gains, while also making sure you have trouble lifting your toothbrush the next day.

Better Curls for Better Arms

Biceps training definitely doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be well-planned for maximum results. Now that you know why and when to use each exercise, you’re in a better position to design a routine that takes your arm workouts to the next level.

References

1. Naito, A., Yajima, M., Fukamachi, H., Ushikoshi, K., Sun, Y. J., & Shimizu, Y. (1995). Electromyographic (EMG) study of the elbow flexors during supination and pronation of the forearm. The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine, 175(4), 285–288. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.175.285
2. Jarrett, C. D., Weir, D. M., Stuffmann, E. S., Jain, S., Miller, M. C., & Schmidt, C. C. (2012). Anatomic and biomechanical analysis of the short and long head components of the distal biceps tendon. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 21(7), 942–948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2011.04.030
3. Kleiber, T., Kunz, L., & Disselhorst-Klug, C. (2015). Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Frontiers in physiology, 6, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00215
4. Youdas, J. W., Amundson, C. L., Cicero, K. S., Hahn, J. J., Harezlak, D. T., & Hollman, J. H. (2010). Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(12), 3404–3414. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f1598c
5. Plantz MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Brachialis Muscle. [Updated 2022 Feb 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551630/
6. Kulig, K., Powers, C. M., Shellock, F. G., & Terk, M. (2001). The effects of eccentric velocity on activation of elbow flexors: evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 33(2), 196–200. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200102000-00004
7. Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

The post Hammer Curls vs. Biceps Curls: The Battle for Bigger Arms appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

That’s not to mention the overall performance boost you get from strengthening one of the most important joints in the upper body. Your shoulders are involved, to some degree, in almost all upper body movements. The versatile joint can perform a variety muscle actions in multiple directions.

To minimize your time and maximize your effort, your need to train the shoulders with a combination of exercises and motions. This means incorporating exercises designed for strength and power, high volume training, and isolation-focused work. Here is a rundown of the most effective exercises to attack your shoulders from all angles.

Best Shoulder Exercises

• Machine Shoulder Press
• High Incline Dumbbell Press
• Seated Arnold Press
• Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Z Press
• Dumbbell Cuban Press
• Behind-the-Neck Press
• Military Press
• Push Press
• Machine Lateral Raise
• Cable Lateral Raise
• Chest-Supported Lateral Raise
• Machine Rear Delt Flye
• Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye
• Pike Push-Up

Machine Shoulder Press

In order to maximize muscle recruitment, you need to produce high levels of force. Being in a more stable and supported position allows you to direct that force into the exercise you’re trying to perform. This is why well-designed exercise machines can be invaluable.

Imagine trying to fire a cannon out of a canoe — it’s unlikely you’re going to hit your target. The machine shoulder press creates the most amount of total-body stability so you can take the muscles through a full range of motion with more focus. You can also safely take those muscles closer to failure without worrying about controlling free weights.

How to Do the Machine Shoulder Press

Adjust the seat height so that the handles are slightly below shoulder-height. This is going to make sure there is constant tension in the muscle throughout the whole range of motion. Take an overhand (palms facing away) grip. If you have limited shoulder mobility, use a neutral grip (palms facing each other).

Raise your feet with a box, step, or foot pegs if the machine includes them. Lifting your feet will elevate the knees so that you can more successfully keep your low back in contact with the bench for added support. A secure footing also makes you less likely to slide forward in the seat when the set becomes challenging.

Benefits of the Machine Shoulder Press

• This exercise allows focus on recruiting the shoulder muscles without concern for balancing and stabilizing weights.
• The seat’s back support can benefit lifters who have recurring lower back problems, by providing external torso stability.
• The shoulder press machine allows muscular failure to be reached more safely than overhead barbell or dumbbell exercises.

High Incline Dumbbell Press

This is very similar to the machine shoulder press, but dumbbells allow you to take your shoulders through a longer range of motion. Your elbows can start the movement down by the sides of your body, move upward to the mid-point of the press, and moving together as your elbows lockout towards your body’s midline, stacking above your shoulders and underneath your wrists.

Dumbbells also offer the ability to rotate your hand position as you press, which can accommodate any wrist or elbow discomfort. This dumbbell press is an ideal alternative for lifters with joint problems.

How to Do the High Incline Dumbbell Press

Set an adjustable bench one notch below 90-degrees. This high angle allows the benefits of an overhead shoulder press while further reducing joint stress. The top part of the shoulder press is the joint’s most vulnerable position. By taking the bench down one notch from fully upright, you can still take the shoulders through a full range of movement but it’s safer because your upper back and shoulders have more room to move.

Begin with the dumbbells at shoulder-height, palms facing away from you. Press upward with control, bringing your thumbs toward each other as the weights pass above your head. Maintain control of the dumbbells and don’t allow them to bounce together at lockout. Pause briefly before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the High Incline Dumbbell Press

• The high incline dumbbell press combines the upper-body support benefits of a seated press with the joint-friendly adjustability of dumbbells.
• This press variation works well as a type of “bridge” between shoulder training and chest training, due to the bench angle. A slightly lower angle would begin to emphasize the chest more than the shoulder muscles.

Seated Arnold Press

Success leaves clues and if this exercise was good enough for Arnold, then it’s good enough for you. This comprehensive movement incorporates full range of motion at the shoulders and elbows, plus coordinated movement at shoulder blades. This all combines to engage the serratus anterior, lateral and rear deltoids, trapezius, teres major and minor, plus some lats.

Sounds good to be able to hit all of those muscles in one go, right? Maybe. The problem is that you are spreading the effort, intensity, and force across so many muscles in varying amounts, so it might not be a top choice for building strength. But it’s a good pick when looking to accumulate more training volume to stimulate overall growth.

How to Do the Seated Arnold Press

Set an adjustable bench at an extremely high angle, one notch below fully upright. Elevate your feet to really lock into the seat. Start with the two dumbbells at shoulder-height in front of the body with your palms facing towards you. Start to press them up. Once your hands reach eye-level, start to rotate your arms out to the side as you continue pressing. A common mistake with this exercise is rotating your hands to early, which just makes the exercise a basic seated shoulder press.

Rotate consistently as you press upward. At the top of the press, your hands should be facing forward. If you have limited shoulder mobility, they may end up neutral (facing each other). Reverse the entire motion on the way down back to the starting position.

Benefits of the Seated Arnold Press

• The Arnold press works the shoulders through a longer range of motion than a traditional shoulder press. This can create a greater stimulus for muscle growth.(1)
• This exercise recruits more muscles throughout the shoulders and upper back, which creates greater stability, reduced risk of injury, and an increased growth stimulus.

Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

Unilateral training can be very beneficial because we have something called the bilateral deficit, or BLD. While I do share the same initials, rest assured I did not come up with this concept. The bilateral deficit is essentially the body’s ability to more efficiently recruit individual limbs compared to working both limbs together.(2) For example, if you can shoulder press two 40-pound dumbbells simultaneously, you can likely press one 45 or 50-pound dumbbell for the same number of repetitions.

You can use the bilateral deficit to your advantage with the single-arm standing dumbbell press. This will not only allow you to use a relatively greater load, for increased strength and muscle gains, but the standing position can increase the range of motion and improve shoulder mobility.

How to Do the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

Stand behind a vertical bench, holding a dumbbell at shoulder-level in one hand with your free hand on top of the bench for support. Push into the bench to create stability as you press the weight to lockout above your head. Lower the weight under control. Perform all reps with one arm before switching sides.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press

• The single-arm standing dumbbell press allows you to use relatively heavier weights than pressing two dumbbells together, which can lead to greater size and strength.
• The added bench support provides stability and can help to reduce lower back strain.
• This standing position incorporates core strength and total-body stability.

Dumbbell Z Press

This exercise has become relatively popular over the last few years. In part, possibly because it’s named after one of the greatest strongmen of all-time, Žydrūnas Savickas, also known as “Big Z.” While the Z press is often performed with a barbell, using a pair of dumbbells can further increase the core stability challenge.

The Z press requires, and can improve, mobility in your thoracic spine (upper back) and it creates tremendous core engagement because your upper body is entirely unsupported. This means you probably won’t be moving very heavy weights, but the exercise can be great for accumulating plenty of muscle-building volume.

How to Do the Dumbbell Z Press

Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight. If you lack hip mobility or if it’s too uncomfortable, sit on a very low box or step. Make sure you keep your shoulders stacked over your hips and your spine straight.

Bring two dumbbells to shoulder-level with your palms facing forward. Press both weights overhead to lockout, being sure to keep your upper body vertical as you stabilize the weights. Pause very briefly at lockout and lower the dumbbells to your shoulders.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Z Press

• The Z press builds major core strength because you’re forced to support the weight as it moves.
• The exercise reinforced strict pressing technique and eliminates the ability to swing the weights using your lower body. Leaning backward to cheat the movement also becomes much more apparent and easier to correct.

Dumbbell Cuban Press

Legend has it that this exercise was initially used by the Cuban Olympic weightlifting team to strengthen their shoulders. It was also popularized by the legendary late strength coach Charles Poliquin. The Cuban press trains the smaller internal stabilizer muscles of the shoulder and upper back, as well as the aesthetic outer shoulder muscles.

It walks the fine line between being a “prehab” movement focused on preserving and building shoulder health and being a strict muscle-building movement with a long time under tension.

How to Do the Dumbbell Cuban Press

Stand with two light dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing behind you. Lift your elbows up and out to the side with your hands hanging straight down. Once your elbows are in line with your shoulders, rotate your arms to point your hands toward the ceiling, with the weights around eye-level. Keep a roughly 90-degree angle at your elbows.

Finish by fully extending your arms and press to lockout. Reverse the process to lower the weights to the starting position. This exercise is a lot harder than it looks, so you won’t need much load or too many sets and reps. Starting with two sets of eight to 10 reps to learn the movement with very light weights.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Cuban Press

• The dumbbell cuban press strengthens shoulder stabilizers, including the rotator cuff, during the rotation movement prior to pressing.
• The exercise is typically performed slowly with an emphasis on technique, which increases the overall time under tension. This can contribute to greater muscle growth.

Behind-the-Neck Press

This exercise is performed with a barbell and, as the name suggests, the bar travels behind the neck instead of in front. This bar path makes it easier to stay in a stronger, safer position with your upper body stacked and in alignment. However, it does require good upper back mobility and it makes the initial part of the press significantly more challenging for both your shoulders and your triceps.

The biggest complaint (or fear) some lifters have is that the behind-neck position requires a good amount of shoulder mobility in order to successfully go through the full range of motion. If you don’t have the mobility to perform the movement, don’t worry. There are many other exercises you can do, this is just not one of them. But the behind-the-neck press has been a staple for weightlifters and bodybuilders for decades, so it’s not an exercise to steer away from if you can handle it.

How to Do the Behind-the-Neck Press

Set a barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width and pull your elbows forward to sit directly below your wrists. Unrack the weight and take a small step backward. Brace your core, and keep your legs and torso stable as you press the weight up. Fully extend your arms at the top.

To lower the weight, focus on pulling your elbows towards the sides of your body to load the shoulders more than the triceps. Keep your elbows beneath your wrists throughout the exercise. Depending on your mobility, the bar might gently touch the base of your neck before you press back up again.

Benefits of the Behind-the-Neck Press

• The behind-the-neck press helps to build functional mobility by training the shoulders, upper back muscles, and shoulder blades through a long range of motion.
• The bar path and body position reinforces strict pressing technique which puts emphasis on muscle recruitment instead of momentum.

Military Press

To many experienced lifters, this exercise is the end-all-be-all shoulder movement. The classic standing barbell press is a hallmark of old school weightlifting, classic bodybuilding, and all-around power and athleticism.

With this more common variation of the shoulder press, the barbell moves in front of the body. This creates two distinct challenges. First, core stability — You need to be more active in pulling your ribs down and tucking your hips under to stay stacked. Second, core control — You are unable to press straight up because the bar begins underneath your chin, so you have to move the barbell in an arching motion around your head while maintaining a strong center.

How to Do the Military Press

Set the barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width. Take a small step back with the bar resting across the fronts of your shoulders. Brace your abs and press up, staying as close to your face as possible without hitting your chin, nose, or forehead (obviously).

As you reach the lockout, “punch” your head between your arms. Your biceps should end up in-line with your ears. Maintain control of the bar by attempting to pull the bar apart as you’re pressing the weight above your head. This one small change can make a big difference in how the movement feels on your muscles and joints.

Benefits of the Military Press

• The military press is often considered a gold standard movement, on par with the flat bench press, for assessing and building upper body strength.
• This overhead press allows you to move potentially heavy weights, overloading the shoulders for greater strength and muscle gains.

Push Press

The push press has been wide-spread with the rise in popularity of things like CrossFit and HIIT-style group fitness workouts. In the push press, you are focusing on dip and drive — using your legs and hips to get the weight above your head.

Using your legs allows you to move a load that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to press with strict form for as many reps. At the top of the rep, you can really overload your shoulders and triceps as they control the weight back down with a slow eccentric contraction.

How to Do the Push Press

Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders, with a shoulder-width grip and your hands facing away from your body. Bend your knees slightly and drop your hips as if you were about to initiate a front squat. Quickly and powerfully extend your legs and drive your hips forward to get the weights moving off your body.

When the barbell is in motion, use your arms to guide it above your head to lockout. Think “legs drive, arms guide.” Don’t squat too deep before rising. You’ll only make it harder to get the weights above your head quickly. For maximum power output, be sure to get the weights moving using leg drive, not shoulder pressing strength.

Benefits of the Push Press

• This can be a great exercise for building upper body strength due to the use of heavy weights and total-body coordination.
• The strict eccentric portion of each repetition lets you accumulate significant volume and time under tension, which benefits muscle growth.

Machine Lateral Raise

The machine lateral raise is a great exercise for isolating and emphasizing the lateral, or side, part of the shoulder muscle. The lateral head of the shoulder primarily responsible for abducting the arm, or raising it away from the midline of the body.

Many very successful bodybuilders will prioritize lateral raise variations like this to help create a classic v-taper upper body. The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance compared to a dumbbell, which offers varying levels of resistance due to the changing pull of gravity throughout the range of motion.

How to Do the Machine Lateral Raise

Sit in the machine with your chest supported on the pad, if available. With most machines, you’ll perform this exercise with your elbows bent at roughly 90-degrees and the pads sitting on the outside of your upper arms.

Lift both arms until they’re parallel with the floor. Your elbows and upper arms should be in-line with your shoulders. Lower the pads with control. The bent arm position helps to focus the work on the shoulders and reduces the temptation to use your traps and upper back muscles.

Benefits of the Machine Lateral Raise

• The machine provides a controlled setup which makes it safer to take sets up to, or beyond, muscular failure.
• The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance throughout the entire range of motion, creating a longer time under tension and greater muscle-building stimulus.

Cable Lateral Raise

This version of the lateral raise is normally performed unilaterally (one arm at a time). The cable provides constant tension, so you are forced to work against the resistance throughout the whole range of motion.

The movement is also more strict because it is harder to use momentum to lift the weight due to the cable pulley. The cable setup also allows you to increase muscular stress in the lower portion of the repetition, compared to dumbbell lateral raises which have reduced resistance in the bottom of each rep.

How to Do the Cable Lateral Raise

Attach a single handle to a cable pulley set just below your knee. Stand sideways to the pulley with your non-working arm near the weight stack. Grab the handle with your palm facing the cable pulley. Begin with your arm slightly bent and your hand just below your belly button. Raise the handle sideways until your elbow is in line with your shoulder. Imagine reaching your hand out as far away from your body as you can. This should stop you from lifting your shoulders and engaging your traps.

Hold the top position for one second and initiate the eccentric portion as slowly. Pause briefly in the bottom position before starting the next rep to emphasize the stretched position.

Benefits of the Cable Lateral Raise

• The cable lateral raise provides high-tension with relatively light weights. It can be humbling and much harder than you think, making it a joint-friendly way to train without needing to move heavy weights.
• The unilateral movement allows you to concentrate on the working muscle, which can improve the mind-muscle connection and boost muscle growth.

Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

This version of the classic dumbbell lateral raise puts you in a more supported position with a greater opportunity use strict form and avoid momentum. This shifts more stress onto the side head of the shoulders.

The chest-supported lateral raise is perfect for high volume with slow repetitions. The bench support  reduces lower back strain by removing your ability to swing your torso when lifting the weights.

How to Do the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

Set an adjustable bench slightly below vertical. Straddle the bench with your chest supported on the back pad. Bring your arms slightly in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.

Raise your arms up and out to the sides. Focus on feeling tension in your shoulders and not your traps or back. Pause briefly when your hands reach shoulder-height. You can further reduce momentum and increase muscle tension by taking two seconds to raise the weights and two seconds to lower them.

Benefits of the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise

• The stabilized body position significantly reduces lower back strain, making it an ideal option for lifters with back issues.
• The chest-supported lateral raise reinforces strict exercise performance by limiting the ability to swing your body and create momentum.

Machine Rear Delt Flye

The rear deltoid is the forgotten child of the shoulder family. It gets some secondary attention during many pulling movements like pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts, but this relatively small muscle head rarely gets the attention it deserves when it comes to direct shoulder training.

The rear deltoid is not only important for building a well-rounded, well-muscled shoulder. It also plays a key role in overall shoulder joint health. Strong posterior deltoids are associated with rotator cuff health and overall shoulder mobility.(3)

How to Do the Machine Rear Delt Flye

Adjust the seat height until the handles are in-line or slightly higher than your shoulders. If the handles are too low, you’ll get a lot of help from the muscles in the upper back and triceps which are both stronger than the rear deltoids.

Face into the seat, brace against the pad, and grab the handles with a thumbs-up grip. Keep your arms slightly bent as you pull back until your elbows are even with your shoulders. Focus on separating your hands as far away from your body as possible instead of pulling your shoulders together.

Benefits of the Machine Rear Delt Flye

• The machine rear delt flye allows total-body support for focused work on the small target muscle.
• This exercise is ideal for working the rear deltoids with a high volume of work without fatiguing surrounding muscles. Performing the exercise three to four times per week with two to three sets of 10-15 can be an effective way to emphasize the rear delts.

Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt flye

The cable rear delt flye allows you to take the muscle through a very long range of motion, across your entire body, with constant tension. The adjustable pulley makes it easier to set the height of the cable appropriately for your body compared to rear delt machines with fewer seat height options.

When performed correctly and with strict technique, this is an extremely effective high-tension, isolation exercise to zone in on the rear delt with minimal contribution from other body parts.

How to Do the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye

Set the cable pulley to just above shoulder-height. You can either hold the end of the cable without a handle attachment or, if it’s uncomfortable, grab a single rope handle. Set up perpendicular to the cable and grab the handle palm-down with your outside arm. Begin with your arm straight and your hand in line with your chin.

This is where the muscle will be at its most lengthened under load. Reach your arm away from your body, keeping your hand at chin-height to avoid recruiting muscles in the upper back. Don’t twist your upper body as your arm extends to the side. Pause briefly when your arm is extended directly to your side before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye

• The cable pulley provides constant tension for improved muscle growth.
• The single-arm cable rear delt flye helps to improve the mind-muscle connection by limiting the muscles that can contribute to the movement.
• The standing position recruits your core stabilizers, particularly your oblique muscles, more than many other shoulder movements.

Pike Push-Up

The full handstand push-up is a very advanced skill, but you can use a variation to successfully improve strength and shoulder mobility, with the latter being a major benefit.

By setting your feet on an elevated platform and “piking” your body into an L-shape, you build overhead pressing strength using only your bodyweight, while improving your leverage and reducing the overall load you need to press.

How to Do the Pike Push-Up

Place your hands on the floor and your knees on a 20 to 24-inch box or bench. Hinge at your hips to bring your upper body close to perpendicular to the ground. Bend your elbows to lower your head down toward the ground.

Keep your core engaged and maintain a stable position as you press up. Keep your hips stacked over your ribcage, and your shoulders over your hands. In the fully locked out position, drive your shoulders toward your ears to engage your serratus anterior (near your chest, ribs, and abs). This will open your upper back and shoulders for more range of motion.

Benefits of the Pike Push-Up

• The pike push-up works well as a thorough upper body warm-up performing, performing several sets of three to five reps before any other pressing exercises.
• The inverted position helps to build core strength while also improving hip and hamstring mobility and stability.
• This is one of the few bodyweight exercises to emphasize the shoulders. The majority of push-up variations emphasize the chest or triceps.

The Shoulder Muscles

Because your shoulder muscles are comprised of three separate heads, each emphasized by different movements and functions, a well-designed shoulder workout recognizes and addresses their differences. This is the most efficient way to build maximum size and strength.

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid, or front delt, is located in the front section of the shoulder muscle. It, appropriately, is involved in raising the arm from your side, in front of your body, to an overhead position.

Because this is an extremely common movement, the anterior deltoid is stimulated and recruited during many common exercises including many variations of the chest press, all varieties of overhead pressing, and even many biceps curls. Specific isolation exercises targeting the anterior deltoid are not often a focus of shoulder workouts, to avoid overtraining the frequently used muscle.

Lateral Deltoid

The lateral, or side, delt is the most aesthetically important section of the shoulders because it’s responsible for most of the visible width of the muscle. When looking to dramatically change your physique, emphasizing the side deltoid using lateral raise variations is the most efficient approach, but the side delts are also heavily recruited during any overhead press movement.

Posterior Deltoid

The posterior, or rear, deltoid head is sometimes considered part of the “upper back” musculature, but it resides specifically on the shoulder itself. This muscle head attaches along the shoulder blade and is involved in moving the shoulder blades toward and away from your spine. The rear delts also play a major role in pulling your upper arm backward from an extended position.

These two functions are similar to many back muscles, like the rhomboids, trapezius, and teres. While the rear delts contribute to many back exercises, they are often “overpowered” by relatively larger muscles, which is why rear delt flye variations are needed to prioritize the muscle.

How Often Should You Train The Shoulders?

Similar to other muscle groups, training a muscle more frequently seems to be better for strength, hypertrophy, and athletic performance.(4) Most people will do well training shoulders two times per week, as you’ll get a lot of extra work from many other upper body exercises like presses and rows.

If you were going to do a short-term specialization phase, you could train shoulders up to four or five times per week with a well-planned routine that manipulates volume and intensity to allow recovery and growth.

How to Progress Your Shoulder Training

Categorize exercises into movements that focus on strength, volume, or isolation (single-joint). Pick one exercise for each of those categories. Strength exercises are programmed with relatively heavy weights and low reps. Volume movements are more efficiently trained with moderately challenging weights in the eight to 15 rep range. Isolation exercises include flye and raise variations which involve only the shoulder joint, not the elbow (which is involved in pressing exercises).

The most common mistake when it comes to shoulder training is doing too much isolation work — too many flyes and raises with less pressing. This could be a symptom of using a chest, shoulder, and triceps workout in your training split, or having an upper body workout which makes the shoulders a relatively lower priority compared to the back and chest.

However because your shoulders are involved in many movements indirectly, you can generally get away with relatively less direct volume as long as you achieve sufficient volume each week. Try to approach shoulder training with two main phases: Intensity and accumulation.

In an “intensity” phase, focus more on building strength and power. Pick either a strength movement, a volume movement, and an isolation movement or a strength and two isolation movements, and focus your shoulder training on this limited selection of movements.

In an “accumulation” phase, the focus is on performing more total volume so, appropriately, pick a volume exercise plus two isolation movements or three isolation exercises. Workouts will involve racking up the reps and piling on the muscle-building tension.

Alternating between those two phases, spending several weeks in each, can help you keep as much strength as possible during the accumulation phase while maintain work capacity and conditioning during the intensity phase, as muscle growth rolls in throughout both.

How to Warm-Up Your Shoulders

The design of the shoulder joint makes it versatile and crucial to a number of movements, but it can also be prone to injury if trained improperly. A simple and effective shoulder warm-up can mean the difference between results and nagging injuries, so take the time to get blood flowing before any session. Grab a resistance band and try this simple circuit.

• Scapular Pull-Up: Hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Keep your arms straight as you “reverse shrug” and drive your shoulders and shoulder blades toward the ground. Hold the top position briefly before reversing the motion to push your body away from the bar. Perform 10 repetitions before moving to the next exercise.
• Yoga Push-Up: Get on the ground with your feet well-beyond shoulder-width and your hands in-line with your shoulders. Descend into a standard push-up. When your chest is slightly above the floor, press up while pushing your hips back at an upward angle. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings as your torso and legs form an upside down “V” shape. Reverse the motion and perform for three to five reps.
• Band Pull-Apart: Take a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Begin with your arms extended in front of your chest. Keep your arms nearly locked while pulling your hands in line with your shoulders. The band should touch your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three circuits.

The Path to Bolder, Boulder Shoulders

“Shoulder press and lateral raise” is often the default shoulder workout for beginners. While those are two fundamental exercises, complete shoulder development requires a better thought-out approach to training. By choosing specific exercises to emphasize power, strength, or particular muscle heads, you can take your shoulder development and strength to the next-level. Rethink your approach to shoulder training, incorporate the right movements, and you’ll be on the way to a stronger, wider set of delts.

References

1. Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562
2. Nazário-de-Rezende, Fernando et al. Déficit bilateral em exercício multiarticular para membros superiores. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte [online]. 2012, v. 18, n. 6 [Accessed 26 October 2022] , pp. 385-389. Available from: <https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008>. Epub 14 Feb 2013. ISSN 1806-9940. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008.
3. Dyrna, F., Kumar, N. S., Obopilwe, E., Scheiderer, B., Comer, B., Nowak, M., Romeo, A. A., Mazzocca, A. D., & Beitzel, K. (2018). Relationship Between Deltoid and Rotator Cuff Muscles During Dynamic Shoulder Abduction: A Biomechanical Study of Rotator Cuff Tear Progression. The American journal of sports medicine, 46(8), 1919–1926. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546518768276
4. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8

Featured Image: Halfpoint / Shutterstock

The post The 15 Best Shoulder Exercises for Width and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The first is steady-state cardio training, where a single speed or intensity is maintained for the entirety of the workout without resting, The other is interval training, which alternates periods of work with periods of rest.

One unique type of interval training may actually deliver better results in less time. (1) Specifically, we’re talking about HIIT — high intensity interval training. It’s a particular training protocol that alternates periods (or “intervals”) of high effort followed by periods of recovery for the duration of the workout.

A critical element of HIIT workouts are those first two words. High. Intensity. For best results, aim to apply something close to maximum effort in each work period, not simply something that “feels hard.”

Many generic HIIT workouts you see on the internet are “intense” because of short rest periods and insufficient recovery, rather than requiring high intensity output during the work intervals. This short rest/high volume approach can have its place in a workout routine, but it’s just interval training. It’s not going to give you the same outcome as following these truly high intensity workouts.

Perform these workouts no more than three days per week. If you can perform them on consecutive days without rest, reconsider how much “high intensity” you’re really putting into each interval.

The Best HIIT Workouts

• With One Dumbbell
• With One Kettlebell
• EMOM HIIT
• With Bodyweight, Lower Body
• With Bodyweight, Upper Body

One-Dumbbell HIIT Workout

This workout is done for time using an AMRAP approach which, in this case, stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. Start a timer immediately before performing the first rep of the first exercise. Instead of performing strict “sets,” work through the series of exercises continually until the timer ends.

The full-body workout follows a specific sequence: One lower body exercise, one upper body exercise, and finally an ab exercise. This structure lets you move non-stop while also allowing the involved muscle groups to get some rest before you have to repeat an exercise. This is how you keep the overall training intensity high throughout the entire session.

Goblet Squat

• How to Do it: Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest with both hands supporting one side of the weight. Pull your shoulders back and maintain an upright torso as you squat down by bending at both the hips and the knees. The goblet position keeps your torso relatively vertical and allows you to achieve a deeper squat position. Make sure your head and shoulders rise first as you stand up. Throughout the exercise, keep your elbows near your ribs and keep the weight near your chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ben – BLD #bldapproved (@benlauderdykes)

• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Floor Press

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground holding the dumbbell in one arm. Extend that arm above your chest in a locked out position. Bend your legs and brace your feet flat on the floor. Lower the weight as if performing a dumbbell bench press. Keep your upper arm at an angle roughly halfway between your feet and shoulders. Use a controlled speed to avoid bouncing your arm off of the ground.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Alternating Jackknife Raise

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs extended straight and your arms by your sides. Raise one leg while reaching the opposite arm above your body until your hand and foot meet. This will require a total-body sit-up motion. Alternate sides with each repetition: left foot meeting right hand, right hand meeting left foot, etc.
• Sets and Reps: 4 reps per side, 8 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

One-Kettlebell HIIT Workout

Many exercises can be performed interchangeably with either a dumbbell or a kettlebell. However, the kettlebell’s unique shape and offset center of mass make it the preferred choice for certain exercises. This workout uses a kettlebell, specifically, to improve muscle recruitment and increase explosive output. It should be done for time using an AMRAP approach — as many rounds as possible.

Goblet Clean

• How to Do it: This dynamic movement brings the weight from the floor to the goblet position, near chin-level, in one powerful motion. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell set between them. Squat down and grab the top of the kettlebell with both hands using a palms-down grip. Maintain a neutral spine as you explosively stand up while pulling the kettlebell to chest-height. As the weight passes above your hips, quickly transition both hands to the “horns” of the kettlebell (the handle stems on either side). Stabilize your body in the upright position, with the weight held just below your chin, before reversing the process to lower the weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ben – BLD #bldapproved (@benlauderdykes)

• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Push Press

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hold the kettlebell in one arm, with your hand near the front of your shoulder and the “ball” of the kettlebell supported along your forearm. Dip down a few inches into a short-range squat and use your body as a spring to generate force as you stand up while pressing the weight to lockout overhead. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Repeat all reps for one arm before switching sides.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 reps total
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Straight-Arm Sit-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and your feet flat. Extend your arms overhead with the backs of your hands touching the ground. Perform a full range of motion sit-up, bringing your chest to meet your knees. As you rise up, bring your arms from overhead to straight out in front of your chest. In the top position, your elbows should be near your knees. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 8 reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

EMOM HIIT Workout

EMOM training is an intense, time-based protocol which typically requires performing one set of an exercise every minute on the minute. Generally, you have 60 seconds to complete a given number of repetitions. The only rest time is the remainder of that minute, because the next “set” will begin at the start of the next minute. This intense training method incentivizes you to work harder and faster so you can get more rest.

While the most common EMOM uses one-minute periods, you can adapt the method to almost any timeframe. This allows you to perform a higher volume of work with more reps per exercise and/or more exercises per workout. The goal is still to complete each work phase as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you can get enough rest to maintain your performance in the upcoming rounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ben – BLD #bldapproved (@benlauderdykes)

In this HIIT workout — “E4MO4M” or “every four minutes on the four minutes” — you have four minutes to complete all of the work below. You can use different weights for each exercise to keep the reps challenging, but pre-arrange the weights before starting the workout to save time.

The goal is to finish all 102 repetitions in three to three-and-a-half minutes so you can get some rest before starting the next set. Perform three to five total circuits — a 12 to 20-minute workout.

• Single-arm dumbbell row: 15 reps per arm, 30 reps total
• Single-arm clean: 12 reps per arm, 24 reps total
• Single-arm push press: 10 reps per arm, 20 reps total
• Goblet squat: 16 reps
• Alternating reverse lunge: 6 reps per leg, 12 reps total

Bodyweight HIIT Workout

Bodyweight HIIT workouts can be surprisingly effective. By removing any external load, you reduce the likelihood of raw strength being a limiting factor and you can focus on technique and straightforward effort.

Many bodyweight exercises can be programmed with speed and intensity for a HIIT workout. Here are two ways to blast your upper and lower body.

Lower Body HIIT Workout

This is a relatively advanced workout for lifters who’ve mastered basic technique and can safely perform plyometric jumps quickly, explosively, and safely. Less-experienced lifters can choose an alternative exercise like alternating lunges.

Air Squat

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Drop into a squat position, with your thighs roughly parallel to the floor. Keep your hands near your chest and upper body roughly vertical. Quickly return to the starting position. Keep your feet on the ground throughout the exercise.
• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 18 to 22 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Jump Squat

• • How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squat down partially, with your thighs above parallel. Let your hands drop down to your side. Bring your arms up near chest-height as you stand up explosively and jump into the air. Soften your landing by catching yourself in a squat and smoothly transition to the next repetition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ben – BLD #bldapproved (@benlauderdykes)

• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Squat Hold

• How to Do it: Bring your hands to chest-height and lower your body into a deep squat position. Your thighs should be at least parallel to the ground, or deeper if possible. Actively push your feet into the floor and engage your glutes and core to remain stationary. Maintain an upright torso. Don’t lean forward as you fatigue. Your muscles will be on fire as they work to hold the position. Embrace the burn.
• Sets and Reps: Hold the position for 20 seconds.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. Complete two consecutive sets. Advanced lifters can rest one minute before performing a third set. Extremely advanced lifters should aim for three consecutive sets.

Upper Body HIIT Workout — 55’s

This workout uses the countdown method for an extremely efficient HIIT workout — lots of work, minimal rest. It is often used in a circuit of two or three exercises, to give each muscle group slight recovery for optimal performance.

To perform the countdown method: Complete 10 repetitions of the first exercise, then immediately complete 10 repetitions of the second. Immediately do nine reps of the first exercise, then nine reps of the second, followed by eight reps of the first, and eight of the second, etc. Continue all the way down to one rep of each to complete a total of 55 reps of each exercise.

Be sure to time how long it takes to do the workout. The progression goal is to complete the same workout faster each time you repeat it. This also creates a competitive environment and personal challenge to keep your intensity high.

Push-Up

• How to Do it: Support your body on your toes and hands, with your hands set slightly outside shoulder-width. While keeping a straight line from your neck to your ankles during each rep, bend your elbows to lower your entire body, and press to full lockout. To reduce shoulder joint strain, aim your elbows more towards your feet than your shoulders.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Chin-Up

• How to Do it: Grab an overhead chin-up bar using a palms-up grip with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up until your chin or neck is in-line with your hands. Lower yourself under control until your arms are almost fully extended. Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug up in the bottom (stretched) position. Maintain a tight core to prevent any leg swinging.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise.

HIIT for Fat Loss, Conditioning, or Both?

HIIT Workouts are often used as part of a fat loss plan. Fat loss occurs when you create a calorie deficit by consistently burning more energy than you consume. Various types of exercise can contribute to increasing energy expenditure, but it’s much less than you think. Over-focusing on exercise has been shown to be less effective for fat loss than using a more well-rounded approach that combines goal-focused nutrition and training. (2)

The main benefit of fat loss workouts is the maintenance of muscle mass, so that when you do lose weight, the majority of that loss comes from body fat. In order to stimulate muscle preservation, you need to work your muscles close to failure, and HIIT workouts are an effective and efficient way to do that in a short period of time.

HIIT Workouts can also be used to improve conditioning or endurance, as well as general cardiovascular health. HIIT workouts have consistently been shown to be as effective as other cardio training methods when it comes to improving general conditioning and multiple cardiovascular health markers.(3)(4)

Time to HIIT It

HIIT training can be an extremely effective and (relatively) enjoyable part of any training plan. When paired with appropriate nutrition and combined with structured strength training and some low-to-moderate intensity aerobic (steady-state) training, you end up with a comprehensive training program and should be able to see improvements in performance and body composition. The key to HIIT training is to always remember what it stands for. You can’t avoid putting the high intensity into your high intensity interval training.

References

1. Ito S. High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol. World J Cardiol. 2019 Jul 26;11(7):171-188. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v11.i7.171. PMID: 31565193; PMCID: PMC6763680.
2. Johns, D. J., Hartmann-Boyce, J., Jebb, S. A., Aveyard, P., & Behavioural Weight Management Review Group (2014). Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(10), 1557–1568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.005
3. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ (2013) VO2max Trainability and High Intensity Interval Training in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE 8(9): e73182. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073182
4. Batacan RB, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, et alEffects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studiesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:494-503.

Featured Image: Teerasan Phutthigorn / Shutterstock

The post The Best HIIT Workouts With Bodyweight, With Kettlebells, and More appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Once you start training them effectively, you can end up looking better, moving better, and feeling better. These workouts may look simple, but don’t be fooled because simple does not mean easy. Get ready to build a midsection that will help you crush any workout and, if needed, anyone.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workouts

• For Strength
• For Muscle
• For Fat Loss

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Strength

If you want to get stronger, training your abs is extremely underrated. You might be more focused on heavy squats and deadlifts. While these types of big movements do require abdominal engagement, you’re limited to the amount of direct exposure to properly train those muscles with progressive overload through longer ranges of motion. (1)

To really build serious core and total-body strength, expose your abdominal muscles to a variety of challenges and stimuli when both creating and resisting movement. During compound movements, that happens through the sagittal plane when you are resisting flexion and extension (abdominal bending and straightening) using isometric contractions to create tension.

The Core Strength Workout 

This workout exposes your abdominal muscles to unique stresses that aren’t already addressed in your training program. It will challenge your abs to resist and redirect force, as well as overcome direct resistance in different directions. Perform this workout two to three times per week at the end of your other sessions.

Dumbbell Plank Pull-Through 

• How to Do it: Place one dumbbell on the ground and position yourself at arm’s length to the side. Begin with your hands, knees, and toes on the floor. Set shoulders directly over your wrists and your knees directly under your hips. Keep your arms straight and actively push your hands into the ground while reaching your shoulders down to engage your serratus anterior. With the hand farthest from the weight, reach across your body and then drag the dumbbell across the floor underneath you. Take three to four seconds to move the weight, which should allow you to feel your abdominal muscles working. Continue dragging the weight until your arm is fully extended. Don’t allow your body to tilt or rotate. Switch hands and return the weight to the starting position.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16 total reps, alternating sides each rep for 8 reps per side/per set.
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Sit-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground and hold one dumbbell by the ends, horizontally, under your chin and resting on your chest. The key is to keep the weight touching your body, which will make the initial part of the sit-up much harder (in a beneficial way). It also ensures that your abdominals, not your hip flexors, are performing the movement. (2) Dig your heels into the floor and pull them back statically to engage your hamstrings. Curl your torso toward your knees. When you successfully get to the top, slowly lower yourself down back to the start position. Keep your head and shoulders away from the floor so you don’t fully relax in between each rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Side Bend 

• How to Do it: Stand up straight with one dumbbell in the suitcase position (in one hand, at hip-level as if carrying a suitcase). Without rotating or twisting, lean your upper body down towards the weight and feel a stretch along the other side of your body. Maintain a stable base and don’t shift your entire weight over to the side. Your individual range of motion will be different based on overall mobility and strength. When you’ve reached the maximum comfortable stretch, pull yourself back to an upright position using the stretch your obliques and core. Avoid “over-correcting” or leaning too far over to the opposite side. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 reps per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 60 seconds between sets.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Muscle Gain

Many people think abs are closely associated with fat loss, and that’s a fair connection. However, the abdominal muscles are, in fact, muscles just like any other. They can be trained for growth which, just like your biceps, calves, or any other muscle group, can help them stand out and look even better.

How to Build More Muscular Abs

These three moves will make your abs look and feel like they have been carved out of rich mahogany. To really build muscle, challenge the abdominals with both more load and more volume than they’re used to. Perform this workout three to four times per week.

Dumbbell Double Crunch

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and your heels elevated on a bench, box, or stability ball. Hold a dumbbell from the sides with both hands and straighten your arms above your chest. Crunch your upper body while reaching the weight straight up towards the ceiling, not forward towards your feet. While you’re reaching up, simultaneously push your heels down into the bench and lift your hips up a few inches away from the floor. Hold the double-contracted position for a second and then slowly return yourself to the start position. This exercise gets nasty pretty quickly so get ready to embrace the burn. 
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Leg Raise

• How to Do it: Lie on a flat bench, with your body positioned towards one end, and place the dumbbell handle between your thighs. Hold the bench behind your head and extend your parallel with the floor. Bend your legs as you pull your knees towards you with control. Squeeze your legs tightly to control the weight. Focus on covering your stomach with your thighs instead of trying to bring your knees to your elbows.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Dumbbell Side Bend 

• How to Do it: Stand up straight with one dumbbell in the suitcase position (in one hand, at hip-level as if carrying a suitcase). Without rotating or twisting, lean your upper body down towards the weight and feel a stretch along the other side of your body. Maintain a stable base and don’t shift your entire weight over to the side. Your individual range of motion will be different based on overall mobility and strength. When you’ve reached the maximum comfortable stretch, pull yourself back to an upright position using the stretch your obliques and core. Avoid “over-correcting” or leaning too far over to the opposite side. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 10 per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 45 seconds rest before returning to the first exercise.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Fat Loss

Unfortunately, there are no specific ab workouts or special ab exercises that will increase the rate of fat loss or weight loss. To improve body composition, you need to maintain or increase overall activity throughout the week while adjusting your nutrition, to support a calorie deficit.

The Program to Reveal Abs

Here’s a simple and effective ab routine to increase your weekly training load, increase calorie-burning, and maintain strength and muscle as you drop body fat. Perform this workout two to three times per week at the end of your other strength training sessions.

Dumbbell Renegade Row

• How to Do it: Start in a plank position (top of push-up) with legs straight and your toes on the ground. Begin with both arms straight, with one hand on the ground and the other holding a dumbbell directly under your shoulder. Row the dumbbell towards your ribs while actively pressing the other arm into the ground. Resist any twisting at your hips or shoulders. Perform all reps with one side before switching arms.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8 reps per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides, no rest before moving to the next exercise.

Chest Press in a Hollow Hold

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground in the “hollow rock” position — both legs extended and your heels and shoulders lifted off the ground. Raise your feet slightly higher than your hips, and press your lower back into the floor to engage your core and stabilize your body. Maintain this static position throughout the exercise. Hold one dumbbell at chest-level horizontally, grabbing it at each end. Perform a repetition by pressing the weight towards the ceiling. Reach as far as possible to really engage the serratus anterior and oblique muscles.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Half-Kneeling Wood Chop

• How to Do it: Start in a half-kneeling position, holding a dumbbell with both hands near the hip of your “down” leg. Bring the weight up towards the opposite shoulder while rotating at the waist and straightening your arms. Return to the starting position. Perform all reps on one side before switching legs.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16 reps on each side. 
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 30 seconds rest between sets before returning to the first exercise.

The Ab Muscles

To some peoples’ surprise, “the abs” aren’t one single muscle. A group of several muscles —some visible on the surface and some deeper but just as important — work in coordination to control your torso position, provide stability, and offer postural support and strength.

Rectus Abdominis

This muscle gets the glory and is recognized as the main ab muscle. The rectus abdominis is divided into several “sections” depending on your unique genetic structure and tendon arrangement. This is why some people may “only” ever develop four-pack abs while others can be capable of building an eight-pack — it’s not about specific exercises or dieting, the end result is entirely genetic.

The rectus abdominis controls torso flexion (bending your upper body) and it plays a role in resisting extension (bending backwards) and resisting lateral flexion (bending sideways). 

Transverse Abdominis

The deep and powerful core muscle, your transverse abdominis is essential for serious core strength. It is heavily involved in creating intra-abdominal pressure, which stabilizes the lower back. The transverse abs are also significantly activated to resist flexion and extension, and helps to create a stable pillar throughout your upper body.

Internal and External Obliques

The obliques, found on either side of the abs, are most recognized for their rotational power and strength. Any movement which involves twisting at the hips, or which prevents the waist from rotating, will rely on well-developed oblique muscles. They are also responsible for lateral bending as well as resisting movement to the sides.

Ab and Core Warm-Up

Like any body part, a thorough warm-up is critical for optimal performance with a reduced chance of injury. When it comes to weighted ab exercises, one very efficient way to warm-up is to perform the exercises without weight before grabbing the dumbbells.

Especially since ab training is typically performed at the end of a training session, you shouldn’t need a general, total-body warm-up. Simply run through your intended exercises, without added weight, for several reps to prime the specific movement pattern and directly prepare the muscles and joints.

For example, you may prepare for the strength workout by holding a basic plank position, performing several sit-ups, and performing unweighted side bends before beginning the weight-bearing versions of the exercises.

Ab Training is Essential

Your abs play an important role in many different activities and exercises, yet including specific exercises to really challenge them is treated as less-than-important. The standard bodyweight-only ab training will only take your results so far. Just like any other muscle, the abs need be loaded and progressed overtime with either more reps, more weight or both. Make intense ab training a higher priority, and watch your performance and physique grow.

References

1. van den Tillaar, R., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2018). Comparison of Core Muscle Activation between a Prone Bridge and 6-RM Back Squats. Journal of human kinetics, 62, 43–53. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0176
2. Workman, J. C., Docherty, D., Parfrey, K. C., & Behm, D. G. (2008). Influence of pelvis position on the activation of abdominal and hip flexor muscles. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 22(5), 1563–1569. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181739981

Featured Image: Maridav / Shutterstock

The post The Best Dumbbell Ab Workouts for a Stronger, Better-Looking Core appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Many lifters overlook the seemingly simple goblet squat, presuming it’s too easy to deliver results or that the exercise is more useful for beginners than experienced lifters. Both are wrong.

The goblet squat can improve upper back strength, build hip and ankle mobility, deliver an intense core workout, and create a deep muscle-building burn in your quads and glutes that will make you equally love and hate this exercise. Here’s how to do it.

• How to Do the Goblet Squat
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Goblet Squat
• Muscles Worked by the Goblet Squat
• Who Should Do the Goblet Squat
• How to Program the Goblet Squat
• Goblet Squat Variations
• Goblet Squat Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Goblet Squat

Although this is predominantly a lower body exercise, what’s happening with your upper body is also important. Holding the weight in a strong position will allow your upper body to remain stable while your legs do the lion’s share of the work.

Step 1 — Secure the Weight and Set Your Stance

Use both hands to lift a kettlebell or use a dumbbell by holding the weight plates on one end. Bend your arms and allow the weight to sit under your chin. Pull your elbows tight into your body for a strong upper back position. Create tension in your core to ensure a neutral spine.

Position your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Turn your toes slightly outward, no more than 45-degrees, to allow a healthy knee position.

Form tip: Imagine holding a towel between your arms and torso to maintain a tight elbow position, which supports the weight and engages your upper back. To fine-tune your stance, jump before picking up the weight. Your feet will naturally find a position for a safe landing. That is a stable position for the squat.

Step 2 — Squat Straight Down

With the load in front of your body, it’s easier to keep your torso vertical during the squat, which makes it more knee-dominant than hip-dominant (this affects muscle recruitment and emphasizes your quadriceps).

Allow your hips to travel down while your knees reach forward over your toes. Your elbows will fall between your thighs as you reach the bottom position. Keep your torso stacked over your hips to achieve a longer range of motion and more core engagement. Leaning forward can stress your lower back. Keep your weight distributed over your midfoot without rising onto your toes or excessively pressing through your heels.

Form tip: In the bottom position, the forward angle from your ankles to knees should be similar to the forward angle from your hips to shoulders. This optimizes power and muscle recruitment without excessive joint strain.

Step 3 — Stand Up to Lockout

Push down into the floor with your whole foot to stand straight up. Maintain your torso stacked over your hips. Don’t exaggerate a hip thrust as you reach the top of the movement. Hold the weight securely. Don’t relax your arms as you drive with your legs and don’t press the weight up.

Exhale steadily through pursed lips as you stand up. Finish fully exhaling at the top to maintain intra-abdominal pressure and increase core stability.

Form tip: The more you push down into the floor, the more hip extension you’ll create at the top of the movement. For an extra burn, keep pressing into the floor at the top of the rep to maximize muscle tension.

Goblet Squat Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure you get the most bang for your buck when performing the goblet squat. Although this exercise may look simple, there are a few things you want to avoid.

Not Using a Full Range of Motion

Achieving a full range of motion may look different person to person, depending on their individual limb lengths and mobility, but you find the best muscle-building stimulus when utilizing the greatest range of motion possible. (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ben – BLD #bldapproved (@benlauderdykes)

One of the most common mistakes is hinging the hips far back before squatting, like you’re doing a powerlifter’s back squat. This prevents you from reaching a significant squat depth and it can short-change muscle recruitment.

You might’ve heard that your knees should never go over toes when squatting. That’s incorrect. Letting your knees move over your toes is the only way to safely get to the bottom of the squat.

Avoid it: To get a full range of motion with the goblet squat, focus on achieving a deeper knee bend instead of just pushing your hips back. You may need to gradually build up your tolerance and mobility to reach full depth because your body is building strength as it explores new ranges of motion. 

Standing with Your Butt First

A common problem when transitioning into the standing position is letting your hips rise first. When this happens, your glutes go into the air and the weight, along with your torso, tip forward. As you can visualize, this ends up looking like some kind of exotic dance maneuver and is sometimes referred to as a “stripper squat.”

This forward-body position places more stress on the lower back and turns the movement into a hip dominant movement, requiring your hamstrings and glutes to complete the lift. Not only can your lower back get strained, but your quadriceps muscles are left out of the movement.

Avoid it: Pause for one or two seconds at the bottom of each rep to make sure you’re in a good position to drive up. Focus on keeping the weight tight to your body and maintain a fully engaged upper back to stay vertical as you stand up.

Benefits of the Goblet Squat

The goblet squat trains the fundamental squat pattern which improves size, strength, and mobility throughout the lower body. Here are more details about using the goblet squat.

More Muscle

Taking muscles through a long range of motion is an important factor for muscle hypertrophy and there are not many better exercises than the goblet squat when it comes to squatting deep. This movement sets you up for leg-building success. Right now, thick thighs and well-built glutes are the new “abs and biceps” for many people, and the goblet squat can help.

Better Mobility

The goblet squat can help improve mobility in your ankles, hips, and upper back. Holding the weight in front of your body shifts our center of mass backwards. Shifting the weight back allows the ankles to work through a longer range of motion throughout each rep.

Taking any joint through more range of motion while under load is going to improve your mobility more effectively than any static drill or foam rolling.

Muscles Worked by the Goblet Squat

Like many leg exercises, the goblet squat works a number of muscle groups in the lower body including the quadriceps, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings.The unique position of the weight also works your core more significantly than other squat variations.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps are made up of separate heads that work together — the vastus lateralis, vastus intermediate, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris. The upright torso position and long range of motion at the knees and hips significantly recruits the quadriceps to straighten your legs (knee flexion).

Adductor Magnus

This muscle on the back of the thigh is recruited most when performing a large amount of hip flexion (bending at the hips). Although it primarily works when moving laterally, it’s highly activated during the goblet squat as the muscle helps to initiate hip extension from the bottom position, before the glutes come to the party closer to full extension. (2)

Glutes

One of the main functions of the glutes is hip extension, straightening the leg in line with the upper body. When performing a goblet squat through a long range of motion, your legs go through greater hip flexion. The more hip flexion performed, the greater the opportunity to work the glutes.

Core

Your core is composed of a number of different muscles including the transverse abdominals, the rectus abdominis, and the obliques. Each muscle performs a different action on the torso — creating stability, preventing rotation or collapsing, and maintaining intra-abdominal pressure to reduce lower back strain.

To successfully target and strengthen these muscles, be sure to maintain positions where your head, torso, and pelvis are all stacked. The goblet squat allows you to find and drill that position.

Who Should Do the Goblet Squat

The goblet squat can be performed by any individual whether they are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifter. It can be a great exercise for hypertrophy, fat loss and body composition changes, and also athletic development.

Training for Fat Loss and Improved Body Composition

The goblet squat can be an effective movement for improving body composition. The exercise takes muscles through a long range of motion, which is good for maintaining and/or improving lean muscle mass during a dieting phase.

This specific movement doesn’t require a lot of axial loading (compression stress on the spine) which can be more common with other squat variations. This makes it easier to perform the goblet squat more frequently and consistently with good form.

Athletic Training

For general sports athletes, strength is underrated. Some are still worried about becoming “muscle-bound.” But athletes also don’t need to become dedicated bodybuilders, so it’s important to have a good mix of exercises where they can focus on building basic strength, while also including exercises like the goblet squat where they can maintain functional positions while moving and creating force.

Athletes can also vary the programming of the goblet squat, manipulating load and volume for more strength or hypertrophy, or performing the exercise with lighter loads and a slower tempo (rep speed) for more of a core challenge.

Hypertrophy 

The goblet squat can be a good option for hypertrophy (muscle growth) because the exercise takes muscles through a long range of motion. However, the goblet squat will eventually be limited by how much weight you can hold.

If or when this happens, the goblet squat would still be useful as an “accessory” movement performed later in the workout when your leg muscles are pre-fatigued from other training, instead of using the goblet squat as main lift.

How to Program the Goblet Squat

Like many exercises, the goblet squat can be programmed differently depending on your goals. Here are a few of the most effective ways to program the goblet squat.

Moderate-to-Heavy Load, Lower Repetition

There are two very effective ways to program the goblet squat with relatively heavy loads. The first is using EMOM (every minute on the minute), where you perform five or six reps at the start of each minute and rest for the remaining time, repeated for six or seven total minutes. The accumulation of fatigue will increase the intensity significantly, especially in rounds three through six.

The other option is to use tempo training — the speed at which you perform the exercise. Tempo is normally expressed using a series of four numbers, each number representing a section of the rep. For example, 4-2-1-0 would indicate four seconds on the way down, two seconds paused in the bottom position, one second to return up, and zero seconds in the top position before the next rep.

Lighter Load, Higher Repetition 

The goblet squat can be used as a good pre or post-exhaust on a leg day, performed immediately before or after another leg exercise. Two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps work well for this. Because it only requires one weight, it can also be used as a convenient and efficient part of a circuit where you can move quickly with minimal rest in between multiple exercises. 

Goblet Squat Variations

There are a few variations of the goblet squat that you can alternate between during different phases of your training, for specific benefits beyond the basic movement, and/or to give you some general training variety.

Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat

Some gyms have a solid heel wedge device or you can place small plates under your heels. If you’re at home or in a garage gym, you could roll up an exercise mat or use a thick book. This is a really great way to learn the general movement pattern because the angle encourages you to keep your torso upright. Because it’s easier to keep your body stacked, you’ll likely feel this a lot more in your core, as well as your legs. 

The elevated heel position increases quadriceps recruitment due to the altered leg angle. The higher heel position can also act as assistance for lifters with poor ankle mobility, allowing them to reach a lower squatting position than standing flat on the floor.

B-Stance Goblet Squat

The “b-stance” is a unique position where one foot is set in pace and the other is shifted back slightly,  acting as a kickstand for balance. This is a great way to introduce single-leg training, as it offers the benefits of unilateral (single-leg) training such as addressing muscle discrepancies, but it also doesn’t require as much balance or coordination as more challenging single-leg exercises.

The B-stance goblet squat shouldn’t turn into a lunge. Instead of taking a full step backwards, set one foot very slightly back — having the toes of one foot roughly in line with the heel of the other foot.

Goblet Squat Alternatives

Front Squat

The front squat can be a highly effective alternative to the goblet squat. Holding a barbell across the front of your shoulders allows potentially heavier loads than the goblet squat, which can contribute to greater strength gains.

The front squat can be performed with a similar range of motion and develops muscle and mobility similar to the goblet squat.

Step-Up

The step-up starts from a position of hip flexion, rather than starting in a standing position and descending into a squat, which makes it a good alternative if you experience discomfort during hip flexion.

The step height can also be adjusted to accommodate any mobility limitations. It can be difficult to increase load on this exercise because of the total-body challenge and balance requirements, but it still delivers a very big bang for the buck.

FAQs

Why can’t I lift as much weight with the goblet squat compared to a barbell back squat?

This is a very common situation and it comes down to muscle recruitment and leverage. The barbell back squat is often more of a hip-dominant movement with relatively less range of motion, which allows you to move more total weight. Because the bar is supported across your upper back and shoulders during a back squat, it  removes the limitation of holding the weight in your hands.

The back squat can be a better choice specifically for strength gains, but for general improvements in body composition and athletic development, the goblet squat could be the more favorable choice.

How many times per week should I do goblet squats?

The goblet squat puts the body through less axial stress and loading (compression of the spine) compared to various barbell squats, so you could perform the goblet squat more frequently — two to three times per week.

If you are performing the exercise multiple times per week, vary the programming in each workout to get a range of training stimuli. For example, perform higher reps in one session, use different tempo in the next workout, and use a variation like B-stance goblet squats in the last workout of the week.

Life is Full of Ups and Downs. We Call Them Squats.

Maturing in fitness is realizing that there is no “best” exercise. A well-rounded lifter should eventually want to develop a list of effective movements they can perform very well. Include the goblet squat and its variations in your routine, and you should find that progressing with one movement carries over to improve other squat exercises. Never underestimate the simple goblet squat. It is simple, but not easy.

References

1. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE open medicine, 8, 2050312120901559. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559
2.  Keitaro Kubo, Toshihiro Ikebukuro, Hideaki Yata, Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31230110

Featured Image: Photology1971 / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Goblet Squat for Lower Body Size and Mobility appeared first on Breaking Muscle.