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include tutorials and detailed descriptions to give you the information you need to be able to perform the
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you will use, perform each movement correctly, get professional supervision if you’re unsure of an
exercise technique and ultimately to decide whether or not you are capable of performing the exercise/
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INSIDE
CONTENTS
05 PRINCIPLES OF MASS MECHANICS
12 FAQ
14 ABS EXERCISES
44 BACK EXERCISES
80 BICEPS EXERCISES
110 CALVES EXERCISES
124 CHEST EXERCISES
152 HAMSTRINGS EXERCISES
183 QUADS EXERCISES
212 SHOULDERS EXERCISES
258 TRICEPS EXERCISES
PRINCIPLES
OF MASS
MECHANICS
4 MASS MECHANICS: THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE EXECUTION GUIDE TO MAXIMIZE GROWTH, TENSION & LONGEVITY
INTRODUCTION INTROD
Want to know the number one reason you struggle to build experts, your body has zero idea that you’re doing a “back
muscle? exercise” and will find a way to dump tension into stron-
ger surrounding muscles that pick up the load unless you
It’s not what you think. It has nothing to do with your diet, teach and train it to selectively recruit and isolate the back
supplements, workout program, exercise selection, or fail- muscles you want to target.
ing to apply progressive overload. While all those are criti-
cal aspects to muscle growth, none of these is the number All the “progressive overload” techniques in the world don’t
one reason you can’t build muscle. And it’s not genetics mean squat. If you let your body (and ego) dictate how you
either. In my opinion, nine times out of ten, it’s ineffective lift, your strong muscles get stronger (and more developed),
movement, otherwise known as crappy lifting technique. and your weak muscles stay weak (and stay underdevel-
oped). This leaves you with an unbalanced physique.
Most people in the gym, even guys with great physiques,
have never been taught how to move. The goal is to con- The good news is that you can break crappy movement
tract the muscle you intend to grow. Most guys go to the patterns by learning my Mass Mechanics Execution Prin-
gym hoping that swinging weights around their muscles ciples—the blueprint to build your muscles as big as you
will “catch” some contractions. Due to poor movement desire.
patterns they often experience contractions in the wrong
This information is simple to apply, but you won’t find it
muscle groups.
floating around freely. The only place I’ve seen it taught
The fitness industry is completely missing the boat on is where I learned it, in Tom Purvis’s advanced exercise
optimal movement. The majority of “gurus” and personal mechanics personal training course RTS123.com.
trainers simply have you smash the muscle into oblivion by
My view of exercise completely changed when I took his
throwing at it every exercise and intensity technique known
course. I learned muscles respond to tension and torque.
to man, hoping to trigger some growth. This is a surefire
Muscles do not know weight. You must learn how to get
way to destroy your joints, keep your muscles weak and
your “mind inside the muscle” to maximize tension in mus-
small (and eventually injured). You’ve probably tried that
cles you selectively recruit throughout every single inch of
approach, which is why you’re here now. You’re looking for
the rep. No matter how much weight you put on the bar, no
something better, and smarter.
matter what diet you’re on, no matter which supplements
Did you know your body doesn’t want to build muscle? you take, you will never pack on the kind of mass you
Certainly not more than it needs or can feed. Muscle is desire and deserve until you learn how to do this.
expensive. It takes a lot of calories to feed and keep it. Your
Next up, you’ll learn the exercise execution principles that
body evolved to be fast and efficient, so it can respond to
will instantly unlock new massive growth, so you can see
danger and survive on limited food if necessary.
for yourself that there is no such thing as a “weak body
The second you pick up a challenging weight, your body is part”—just a poorly trained one.
looking for strategies to make that action as efficient and
easy as possible because it has no idea how long you’re
going to need to meet that challenge. Your body will im-
mediately recruit your strongest, most appropriate muscle
groups and when those get tired, it seeks the next best
available muscle groups.
Let’s say you desire a crazy-looking V-tapered back. Even if
you’re doing the “best back exercises” prescribed by
MASS MECHANICS: THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE EXECUTION GUIDE TO MAXIMIZE GROWTH, TENSION & LONGEVITY 5
THE PRINCIPLE OF OWNERSHIP KEY CONCEPTS TO APPLY AND GOALS TO
THINK ABOUT DURING YOUR SET
The number one component of muscle growth is time un-
der tension, which comes down to owning the weight. You »» “Initiate with the working muscle.” Top bodybuilding
maintain complete control of the tension on the intended coach Ben Pakulski brought this cue to the muscle
muscle from start to finish. and fitness world. It reminds you to create tension
before you start moving. You’ll know you’re doing
This principle is of the highest importance to muscle this properly if you initiate each movement without
growth potential to the point that beginners who learn to using momentum. Instead of swinging the weight
maintain control of the muscle tension all the way through like you’re in a circus act, to get the weight moving,
the range of motion can have an advantage over advanced contract against the resistance. Perform this same
lifters who have years of bad movement habits to break practice over and over to train your muscles to opti-
and undo. mize time under tension.
To use the Principle of Ownership properly, you must
create the greatest challenge possible (maximal tension)
»» “Beat the weight one pound at a time as you lift,”
and “Let the weight beat you one pound at a time
for the muscle. The more neuromuscular connection you as you lower.” Think about that for a moment. The
can generate in the working muscle, the higher the growth muscle should feel every single pound of tension
potential. from the beginning of the movement to the very
To do this, first learn to engage the working muscle end. This cue reminds you to slow down. If you per-
throughout the full range of motion (ROM). It’s easy to form each repetition too fast, it’s hard to keep the
control the midrange, but you’re leaving a ton of gains on tension on the targeted muscle. Instead, the tension
the table if you don’t own every single inch of the move- gets dumped into the joints, which leads to aches,
ment path, which includes both extremes of the range (the pains, and injuries.
shortened and lengthened positions). It’s at the extremes of
the ROM where you are the weakest, and anywhere you’re
»» “Squeeze the weight, don’t swing it.” Momentum
is the adversary of our hidden and untapped gains.
weak there is opportunity for growth. If you swing the weight, you can’t own it. Aim to
For muscle growth, if you can’t control it, you can’t chal- squeeze out every single rep using the targeted
lenge it, and if you can’t challenge it, you can’t grow it. muscle. You’ll know you’re doing it right if your
muscles are burning like crazy and even begin to
Want to know whether you own the weight? Imagine doing cramp. Make every effort to squeeze the weight
a squat and during the movement I yell, “STOP!” Would you through your full range of motion, including both top
be able to go into an isometric hold (no movement) at any and bottom. These are the hardest reps and where
point of the range? Most importantly, would you be able it’s most tempting to give up ownership.
to hold it at the bottom, where the weight feels heaviest?
If you can, you own that weight. If you can’t, it means the
weight is controlling you, and you’re less likely to see the
growth you want and more likely to get injured.
By using these key concepts, you can activate untapped
muscle fibers at the extreme ends of the range to build
new muscle and take your physique to the next level.
THE PRINCIPLE OF RESPECT KEY CONCEPTS TO APPLY AND GOALS TO
The technical way to say this is, “The Principle of Active
and Controllable Range of Motion” (A.C.R.O.M.). I learned »» “Don’t attempt to correct it. Just respect it.” Be-
this brilliant concept through RTS123.com. The phrase “full fore you add any weight to an exercise, go through
range of motion” is probably the most misused in body- a full ROM practice rep to determine your “active
building. It’s tossed around without considering that each and controllable’ range of motion. Never disrespect
of us has a unique body. We all have our own joint struc- these limits by adding weight and forcing yourself
ture, length/tension relationships, and neural recruitment into a dangerous position that you can’t control.
abilities. Not only that, but our bodies’ abilities can vary Remember, if you can’t control it, you can’t chal-
from day to day and even set to set. lenge it.
The principle of active and controllable range of motion »» “Listen to your body.” Your body uses this novel
means you only train through the range of motion that is sensation called pain to motivate you to take an
available to you at each moment. Range of motion should action—usually to protect body parts that your
never be determined by generic preset end points that you brain thinks are damaged, or about to be. If you feel
see someone else use. Just because someone in a video any type of sensation or discomfort, it means your
says to squat “ass-to-grass” does not mean you can or central nervous system thinks your body is under
should. The body has built-in protective mechanisms to threat. If nothing is done to remove the “threat,”
prevent injury. Some limitations are structural and set for your body turns up the “pain volume” until you must
life; others vary. do something about it.
Growing up as a long-distance runner and triathlete, I was Translated into the gym, a burning sensation in
always taught that “tight muscles are bad” and that you your muscles is the only pain that you should train
need to stretch. A tight muscle is not necessarily a bad through. If a certain grip/handle/stance/angle hurts
thing. The question is, why is it tight? your wrist, forearm, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle etc.,
or causes any pain, then abandon it and find a posi-
If a muscle is tight, it means something near it is weak, tion that allows you to lift pain free. People without
and you have to respect that (until you get it fixed). Many the ability to feel pain (yes, they actually exist) don’t
muscle imbalances can be worked through with Muscle live very long. If your body is speaking to you, listen!
Activation Techniques (MAT).
Before you begin any lift, determine what you can control
based on your structure and current abilities. Don’t lift any
weight that’s too heavy to control through your full range,
or it’s near certain you will increase wear and tear on the
joints for zero net benefit.
THE PRINCIPLE OF KEY CONCEPTS TO APPLY AND GOALS TO
DISADVANTAGES
Unlike other performance-based sports, the goal with »» “No pain, no gain.” Sometimes clichés are overused
weight training is to make every movement as hard as for a reason. When you maintain continuous tension
possible. You want to stay inefficient. through a muscle, weight training hurts. It’s sup-
posed to hurt. It’s supposed to burn! Your muscles
Building muscle is not about how much you lift or how (not joints, tendons, or ligaments) are supposed to
many reps. It’s about how well and how long you are able experience burning pain and skin-splitting pumps.
to keep the muscle under maximal tension. You’re supposed to see black spots. You’re sup-
posed to feel your heart skip across the gym floor.
The easier the movement, the harder it is to build muscle That’s normal!
because you’re giving yourself an advantage. Training ad-
vantages do not build muscle; training disadvantages do. »» “Lock it down.” Your body will always try to find a
way to make the lift easier by shifting tension to
If your goal is to lift heavier weights, use wrist straps and surrounding muscle groups as you fatigue. The next
a weight belt. Give yourself that advantage. If you want time you feel your form start to shift, think about
to do 100 reps in 5 minutes, go ahead and swing it! Take “locking it down” to avoid losing tension in the
the advantage of momentum! But to force your muscles to targeted muscle.
grow, you must make each rep, each set and each workout »» “Avoid pausing at the top and bottom.” Unless the
as challenging as humanly possible. tempo prescribes otherwise, avoid making the set
easier by pausing at the top or the bottom. The
The more disadvantages you present to the muscle, the name of the game is continuous tension from the
more you force it to grow. Here are some key concepts to first rep to the last rep.
maximize tension and disadvantage within the muscle.
»» “Fully lengthen the muscle.” A muscle is fully
lengthened when its antagonist (the opposite) is
fully contracted. For instance, when you’re doing
an incline biceps curl, contract your triceps at the
bottom of the range to ensure your biceps are fully
lengthened before you initiate a contraction with the
biceps. When doing lying leg curls, contract your
quads at the bottom end of the range to ensure your
hamstrings are fully lengthened before you engage
them. Be prepared to use lighter weights.
»» “Fully shorten the muscle.” How do you know
whether a muscle is fully shortened? It’s fully
contracted. In my experience most people are only
contracting a muscle to 60 or 70 percent of their
ability. They fail to understand that force is created
internally, which is why concepts such as “squeeze
it like it owes you money” are valuable. A great way
to teach your brain to “fully shorten the muscle” is
to pose and contract as hard as possible. the joint throughout its greatest arc, you’ll miss
out on “waking up” untrained muscle fibers at the
Posing practice will translate into better contractile extreme ends of the range, and you’ll fail to develop
efficiency and shortening during your workouts your perceived “weak” body parts.
and improve the “mind-muscle” connection. You
shouldn’t be able to hold an all-out contraction for
much longer than 10 to 15 seconds. You’ll know
you’re doing it right when your muscles cramp.
»» “Oppose the force.” Thanks to Isaac Newton, we
know that for every action, there’s an equal and op-
posite reaction. When you apply force in one direc-
tion, an opposing force will come along with it. You
can use this principle to stabilize each exercise and
prevent changes in form that would take tension off
the targeted muscle.
For example, shoving your shoulder blades into the

bench before you do a chest press and keeping that
pressure will force the back muscles to engage,
which stabilizes the lift and helps keep tension in
the chest muscles.
During a T-bar row, if you lean back, you’re using

momentum to pull the weight, but if you shove your
chest into the pad, you can lock your trunk into po-
sition, so that the target muscles get the maximum
contraction. And when you train your lower body
with squats, lunges, deadlifts and similar move-
ments, you should shove your feet into the ground
or platform.
»» “Focus on the path of the joint, not the path of the
dumbbell.” The shortest distance between two
points is a straight line. The shortest distance to
muscle growth is to use the fullest arc of the joint’s
range of motion that you can perform without pain.
With each rep, this creates maximum muscle tissue
tension at the extremes of the range. It also creates
a greater training disadvantage and delivers a more
purposeful workout.
The goal here is to make the load adjust to your

body, not to adjust your body to the load. We do this
by identifying the invisible path the joint must travel,
not the path of the dumbbell. If you just focus on
moving the weight “up and down” and not taking
THE LOGIC.
Why do we use these principles? The logic is simple –
following the mass mechanics principles maximizes results
and minimizes side effects. Following these principles
ensures longevity – you will be able to enjoy the benefits of
lifting for life.
MAXIMIZE RESULTS
»» By making every movement as challenging as pos-
sible we’re able to get the most out of the least and
don’t waste any reps – this is the most efficient and
productive way to train.
»» By implementing ownership, disadvantages and
arcs we are able to put maximum tension on the
target muscles – maximum tension means max-
imum muscle. Maximum muscular tension also
results in minimum joint stress.
»» Using your maximum available range of motion with
controlled movements will increase your flexibility –
most guys end up less flexible after weight training.
MINIMIZE SIDE EFFECTS

»» Following the principles will allow you avoid injury
and reap the benefits of lifting for your entire life.
Minimum joint stress ensures longevity. Many guys

sustain joint injuries in their thirties, forties, and
fifties that severely limit what they can do – some-
times permanently. Your joints will stay healthy so
you can continue lifting for many years – once you
damage your joints, you’re screwed.
»» So many guys damage their bodies due to poor
form and technique that many doctors, chiroprac-
tors, and physical therapists recommend completely
avoiding some of the most beneficial lifts such as
deadlifts and squats.
Done correctly, these compound exercises make

you strong and keep you healthy. Unfortunately, very
few guys know how to do them properly so injuries
are the norm. Following the principles will give you
all the benefits and allow you to avoid going down
the path to injury.
COMMON MISTAKES.
»» Not warming up properly. Chronic cervical hyperextension can lead to disc injuries
and numbness and non-functioning muscles in your arms
An appropriate warm up includes a dynamic warm- later on.
up for the muscles to be trained as well as rehearsal
sets for at least the first exercise. The more rigorous Just because you haven’t suffered an injury yet doesn’t
the training, the longer you should warm up. For mean that you won’t, nor does it mean that you aren’t
very high intensity (heavy weight) training you might damaging your tissues and skeletal system every single
perform as many as five warm-up sets leading up to time you make these mistakes.
the first working set.
»» Using momentum (which is typically a side
effect of trying to use too much weight).
Momentum is used to move the weight without

a significant contribution from the muscles and
results in unnecessary wear and tear on your joints
and connective tissues. You might impress your
friends by curling 50-pound dumbbells but nobody
is going to be impressed when your arms are still
skinny a year from now and your elbows hurt.
»» Rounding your back while your spine is
compressed by a load, as in squats and
deadlifts.
Loaded spinal flexion can result in disc injury and

potentially permanent back problems. These inju-
ries will severely limit your ability to train and make
gains, and can sideline you for weeks to months.
»» Failure to create and maintain core stability, par-
ticularly in pressing exercises (such as bench
and shoulder press), resulting in hyperextension
of the lumbar spine.
Lumbar hyperextension can result in spondylolysis

– a stress fracture on one or both sides of the spine.
This can result in nerve pressure and surgery may
be necessary.
»» Looking forward or up (instead of keeping the
chin tucked, allowing your neck to stay aligned
with the rest of your spine) during squats, dead-
lifts, good mornings, and bent over rows com-
promises the integrity of your spine and robs
you of strength and power (maximum strength
requires a neutral spine).
FAQ Fix it: Assuming your tempo and exercise form are correct,
practice with lighter weights to allow the movement to
How do I read a tempo? occur in your target muscles first. Don’t worry about the
weight! Practice fully contracting and fully lengthening your
Tempo is a prescription for how long each phase of a rep- targeted muscle through the full range of motion of the ex-
etition should last in seconds. There are four parts to every ercise without letting the tension leave the muscle. This will
repetition. Here are what the numbers mean, and which take practice, but in time you’ll train your nervous system
part of the repetition they correspond to: to work for you instead of against you.
First number: Eccentric portion (when the load is going A ‘weak’ body part is always weak for a reason; you must
towards the floor). train it to become dominant by allowing your mind to take
Second number: Pause in the stretched position between control of every movement that you perform in the gym.
eccentric and concentric portions.
Third number: Concentric portion (when the load is moving What if it hurts?
away from the floor).
Fourth number: Pause between repetitions. Feeling discomfort during an exercise is absolutely normal,
however if you find that a particular exercise or movement
Note: Any time there is an “X” in one of the four tempo causes a negative pain or impedance, follow these steps to
slots, it means you are to perform that portion of the lift as ensure your lifting safety:
explosively and powerfully as possible.
»» Analyze your lifting execution with correct form and
For example, in order to perform a bench press on a 32X0 tempo.
tempo, you would unrack the barbell from the supports,
take 3 seconds to lower it to your chest where you will Muscular pain or nerve pain is often a result of something
pause for 2 seconds, then violently explode up as hard as that can be fixed with your exercise execution. Be sure to
possible with your arms extended, and go immediately into read over the full description of the lift you are perform-
the next repetition. ing, analyzing both the time it should take you to perform
each repetition, as well as which muscle actions should be
In another example, to perform chin ups on a 4011 tempo, taking place.
you would first pull your chest up to the bar in 1 second,
then pause at the top for 1 second before lowering your »» If pain persists, seek medical attention.
body to the floor on a 4-count.
Often, potential injuries may lie dormant deep in the muscle
What if I don’t feel it? tissue and nervous system over time without making their
presence known until it’s too late. Due to overuse, over-
Not feeling your targeted muscle first when performing an compensation or simply an old injury that flares up, pain
exercise may be caused by a few different things. Chances may arise that cannot be ignored, no matter how many
are, if you’re feeling other muscles before the prime mover times it has ‘gone away’ on its own.
(muscle you’re working) as you lift, the first signal in your
mind should be: “Am I telling the prime mover to contract?” If you have experienced this before, most likely your body
adapted very quickly to the injury with the sole purpose of
When you don’t ‘feel’ your muscle working the way it protecting itself from further damage; and now, the sur-
should, this means that you are sending nerve impulses to rounding musculature may become tighter and/or weaker
the wrong muscles to contract. An example of this would to help compensate.
be using a barbell bench press for the chest, when in ac-
tuality you only feel the shoulders burning before anything Always seek out professional medical attention when a
else. negative source of unknown pain arises, before continuing
with your program.
How should my posture be? What is a full range of motion?
Postural alignment is key to maintaining safety and the The term ‘full range of motion’ will always refer back to
overall effectiveness of each lift you perform. Think about the exercise being performed and the goal of that exercise.
your posture being a chain of separate links that all work More specifically, using a full range of motion is dictated by
together for the same function. If one of those links is bro- the amount of movement that occurs at the joint or joints
ken or out of place, the entire chain becomes weaker and being used for each movement.
suffers the negative consequences.
Knowing which joints are active in a particular exercise will
Your posture with every movement you perform should provide the necessary information as to how the exercise
maintain the integrity of this chain. This means: will look. For example, a full range of motion for a Dumb-
bell Incline Bicep Curl will incorporate both the shoulder
joint as well as the elbow joint. The shoulder joint is fully
»» Your neck should stay neutral. Neither being tilted extended (backward from the torso), and the elbow joint is
backward or ‘ducking’ forward. fully extended as well. Since the goal of this exercise is to
»» Your chest should remain tall and upright, allowing maximally stretch the bicep, we are using an ideal range of
your thoracic spine to keep proper alignment. motion to execute this lift. It is important to remember that
the muscle is always strongest in the middle and weakest
»» Your hips should complement the neck and chest at the extremes (fully stretched and fully shortened posi-
alignment by remaining neutral without excess tions) of the range of motion.
movement from the pelvis (hip bone).
How do I decide how much weight to lift?
»» Your knee and ankle joints should always form a
straight alignment with your hips, regardless of the
For each exercise listed, it’s important to first incorporate
hip position of the exercise.
proper warm-up sets to evaluate strength levels before the
working sets begin. Likewise, if for example you perform 3
From your neck all the way down to the ground, be sure to
sets without reaching the desired fatigue level of a ‘work-
practice this posture with each lift you perform.
ing set,’ simply count them as warm-up sets. In the oppo-
site scenario, if you hit the desired fatigue or rep number
What is concentric/eccentric?
sooner, count this set as your first working set and continue
from there.
The concentric portion of muscular movement refers to
when the load is traveling away from the floor. To elaborate,
Be sure to track everything! The things that get measured
this is when your muscle becomes as short as possible for
are the things that can be managed. You will be able to
the lift and range of motion you are executing. For a biceps
make the decision to increase the resistance of your lifts
curl, a concentric contraction would be when the barbell
over time when you can evaluate your written progress and
travels upwards, shortening the biceps.
see gradual improvement.
The eccentric portion of muscular movement refers to
If you begin to hit fatigue on your working sets with a less-
when the load is traveling towards the floor. The eccentric
er desired amount of repetitions (which will happen from
load is simply the ‘stretching’ of your primary working
time to time), reevaluate your form, tempo and exercise
muscle. This is often referred to as the ‘negative.’ Heavy
load and make the necessary changes to complete the
negatives overload this eccentric portion of the movement,
workout correctly. Always remember that your tempo and
which is responsible for muscle tissue remodeling and
rep range will dictate the weight! The weight you choose
growth. Emphasizing the eccentric portion of lifts when
for each lift should never dictate what the set will look
training leads to an increased amount of soreness as com-
like. This also ties into allowing your ego to stay outside. It
pared to its concentric counterpart.
doesn’t belong on the gym floor!
ABS EXERCISES
LEG RAISE MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
(FOR ALL EXERCISES BELOW UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED):
»» Just before you begin the concentric, start exhaling as you contract your abs and pull your navel towards your
spine; at the top of the concentric, your lungs should be totally empty, allowing your abs to fully contract.
»» Roll your hips in an arc, bringing your thighs as close to your chest as possible at the top and retracing the same
arc on the eccentric - don’t just let your hips drop back down.
»» Maintain constant tension on the abs throughout - your abdominal wall should never relax.
»» Use your maximum available range of motion by flexing and extending your spine to fully lengthen and fully short-
en the abdominal wall.
»» Start and finish each rep with your hips at a 90 degree angle to minimize hip flexor assistance.
»» Keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle with legs rigid - avoid any movement at the knee.
»» For twisting movements, aim to bring your thigh towards the opposite shoulder (e.g., bring your left thigh towards
your right shoulder for a twist to the right).
»» Wherever possible, contract your hamstrings and glutes to reduce assistance from your quads and hip flexors -
this will put more tension on your abs.
HANGING GARHAMMER RAISE
(90 DEGREES AND UP)
(ROLL HIPS UP AND TO THE LEFT)
(ROLL HIPS UP AND TO THE RIGHT)
(LEGS STRAIGHT)
INCLINE GARHAMMER
REVERSE CRUNCH ON GROUND
FLAT BENCH REVERSE CRUNCH
WITH TWIST
CRUNCHING MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
»» Just before you begin the concentric, start exhaling as you contract your abs and pull your navel towards your
spine; at the top of the concentric, your lungs should be totally empty, allowing your abs to fully contract.
»» Crunch in an arc, aiming for maximal spinal flexion; on the eccentric, retrace that same arc.
»» Maintain constant tension on the abs throughout - your abdominal wall should never relax.
»» Use your maximum available range of motion by flexing and extending your spine to fully lengthen and fully short-
en the abdominal wall.
»» For twisting movements, aim to bring your shoulder (not your elbow) towards the opposite thigh (e.g., bring your
right shoulder towards your left thigh for a twist to the left).
»» Wherever possible, contract your hamstrings and glutes to reduce assistance from your quads and hip flexors -
this will put more tension on your abs.
KNEELING CABLE CRUNCH
KNEELING CABLE OBLIQUE CRUNCH
(TWIST TO THE RIGHT)
SWISS BALL CRUNCH
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a wide foot stance for stability.
LOW PULLEY ROPE CRUNCH
ON SWISS BALL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Don’t use your arms to pull - do all the work with your abs.
ECCENTRIC-ACCENTUATED LOW
PULLEY ROPE CRUNCH ON SWISS
BALL (5 SEC ECCENTRIC)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Perform the concentric with arms bent, then fully extend your arms and perform a controlled 5-second eccentric.
SWISS BALL ROTATIONS
SINGLE DB IN HAND
HEEL TAP CRUNCH
(STAY UP IN CRUNCHED POSITION AND PIVOT
SIDE TO SIDE TAPPING YOUR HEELS)
BICYCLE CRUNCH
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your legs off the floor for the entire duration of the set.
»» As you perform a twisting crunch to the left, bring your left knee up, and vice versa.
MED-BALL OR WEIGHT PLATE V-UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keeping your arms and legs straight, bring your upper and lower body together by forcefully contracting your abs,
balancing on your butt at the top.
MID-RANGE SIT UP
(DO THE MIDDLE 1/3 OF THE REP ONLY)
MCGILL SIT UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Do half of the reps with one knee up, then switch legs and finish the other half.
HEAVY BENCH PRESS CRUNCHES
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep arms locked out and do your best to keep the bar from moving around.
OTHER MOVEMENTS
DECLINE BENCH SIT UPS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Tighten your core by creating equal tension around your abs and lower back like a pillar.
»» Drive hips and legs into pad throughout to deactivate hip flexors.
»» On the concentric, reverse direction just before the point where your torso is vertical to maintain tension in the
abs.
»» Make sure all the air is out of your lungs at the top of the movement to allow your abs to fully contract.
»» Control the descent, maintaining tension all the way down.
»» On the eccentric, reverse direction just before the point where you lose tension in the abs.
SWISS BALL STRAIGHT LEG
JACKKNIFE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Exhaling all the air from your lungs, pull your feet towards your chest while driving your hips up towards the
ceiling.
DEAD BODY FLOAT
(BALANCE ON YOUR BUTT WITH YOUR HANDS
AND FEET OFF THE GROUND AND LEAN BACK)
FACE UP ISO HOLD ON GLUTE HAM
RAISE MACHINE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your body in a straight line and hold that position for the desired time.
SEATED RUSSIAN TWIST
WITH PLATE
(KEEP LUMBAR SPINE NEUTRAL AND MOVE
ARMS ACROSS BODY)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your arms long, locked out, and parallel to the floor.
»» Focus on rotating your torso and letting the arms “come along for the ride”; don’t think about moving your arms.
BARBELL AB WHEEL ROLLOUTS
FROM KNEES
(FROM FEET IF YOU HAVE ADVANCED AB
STRENGTH)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Lead with your hands and reach out as far as you can, keeping your body in a straight line - avoid spinal exten-
sion.
»» Keep your arms rigid, keep your core tight and return to the starting position.
»» Unlike most abs exercises, your abs don’t actually move (flex or extend) – your abs stabilize your spine through the
movement.
TRX MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep hips in line with the rest of your body - do not raise them up or allow them to sag (stay in a plank position
throughout).
»» Keep shoulders in a neutral, depressed position - don’t push them towards the ground or allow them to shrug
towards your ears.
»» Contract your abs, chest, and lats as hard as you can throughout.
»» Alternate legs and squeeze your abs each time you bring your knee into your chest.
TRX FALL OUTS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep hips in line with the rest of your body - do not push them behind you or allow them to sag.
»» Lead with your hands and reach out as far as you can while maintaining a neutral spine.
»» Keep your arms rigid, keep your core tight and shove your hands forward and down in an arc to return to the
starting position.
»» Keep the handles as far away from you as possible throughout the movement.
»» Unlike most abs exercises, your abs don’t actually move (flex or extend) – your abs stabilize your spine through the
movement.
BACK
EXERCISES
PULL UP/PULLDOWN MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
»» Tighten your core by creating equal tension around your abs and lower back like a pillar and maintain this
throughout.
»» Keep your wrists neutral, not flexed, to reduce assistance from your forearms.
»» Begin the concentric by retracting and downwardly rotating the scapula (shoulder blades), then pulling through
your elbows - don’t think about pulling with your hands.
»» On the concentric, push your sternum towards the bar (thoracic extension) to maximally shorten the lats.
»» Begin the eccentric by leading with your elbows - keep your scapula downwardly rotated and retracted through as
much of the range as possible.
»» Finish the eccentric by elevating and protracting your scapula (rolling shoulders up and forward) for a maximal
stretch in the lats.
»» For pulldowns, position yourself on the seat to maintain a vertical plane of movement (the cable should be perpen-
dicular to the floor).
Pronated (overhand) Grip

»» On the concentric, think about pulling out with your elbows (tracing an arc with them) instead of pulling yourself
up/pulling the bar down - this will emphasize the lats; retrace that same arc on the eccentric to maintain optimal
tension.
»» Finish the concentric by driving your elbows towards your lats - don’t bring them behind your body.
Supinated (underhand) and Neutral Grips
»» On the concentric, think about pulling forward with your elbows (tracing an arc with them) instead of pulling
yourself up/pulling the bar down - this will emphasize the lats; retrace that same arc on the eccentric to maintain
optimal tension.
»» Keep your elbows as close to your torso as possible - avoid flaring them out.
»» Finish the concentric by driving your elbows as far behind your torso as possible.
WIDE GRIP NEUTRAL PULL UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Finish the concentric by driving your elbows towards your lats.
WIDE GRIP PRONATED PULL UP
MID-GRIP PRONATED PULL UP
MID-GRIP NEUTRAL CHIN UP
NARROW GRIP SUPINATED CHIN UP
NARROW GRIP NEUTRAL CHIN UP
WIDE GRIP PRONATED
ECCENTRIC-ONLY PULL UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Attach an overload weight to a weight belt or place a dumbbell between ankles/knees.
»» Stand on a bench with chin above the bar and elbows tucked into hip pockets (put lats in a shortened position).
»» Keep chest high and tension through the lats as you “fight the flex,” letting the weight beat you one pound at a
time.
WIDE GRIP PRONATED
LAT PULLDOWN
MID-GRIP PRONATED
LAT PULLDOWN
NEUTRAL GRIP LAT PULLDOWN
NARROW GRIP SUPINATED
LAT PULLDOWN
NARROW GRIP PRONATED LAT
PULLDOWN TO STERNUM
(LEAN BACK SLIGHTLY)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» After grabbing the bar (with arms extended overhead), lean back about 30 degrees from vertical, then begin the
set.
»» Maintain that angle throughout; don’t allow your torso to move.
NARROW GRIP SUPINATED LAT
PULLDOWN TO STERNUM
(LEAN BACK SLIGHTLY)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» After grabbing the bar (with arms extended overhead), lean back about 30 degrees from vertical, then begin the
set.
»» Maintain that angle throughout; don’t allow your torso to move.
1-ARM NEUTRAL GRIP
LAT PULLDOWN
ROWING MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep your wrists neutral, not flexed, to reduce assistance from your forearms.
»» Keep your elbows as close to your torso as possible - avoid flaring them out.
»» Begin the concentric by retracting and downwardly rotating your scapula (shoulder blades), then pulling through
your elbows (not your hands).
»» On the concentric, push your sternum towards the bar (thoracic extension) to maximally shorten the lats.
»» Finish the concentric by thinking about pulling the bar through your body and pulling your elbows behind you as
far as possible.
»» Begin the eccentric by leading with your elbows - keep your scapula retracted and downwardly rotated through as
much of the range as possible.
»» Finish the eccentric by elevating and protracting your scapula (rolling shoulders up and forward) for a maximal lat
stretch.
WIDE GRIP PRONATED SEATED
CABLE ROW
MID-GRIP PRONATED SEATED
CABLE ROW
NARROW GRIP NEUTRAL SEATED
CABLE ROW
BILATERAL GRIP SUPINATED
SEATED CABLE ROW
BILATERAL GRIP NEUTRAL
SEATED CABLE ROW
1-ARM SEATED CABLE ROW WITH
TORSO TWIST IN CONTRACTED
POSITION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Twist slightly to finish the concentric, driving your elbow back a little further and squeezing your lat as hard as you
can.
SUPINATED BENT BARBELL ROW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Shove your feet into the floor and drive your hips behind you throughout for stability.
»» Keep your neck aligned with the rest of your spine – do not look up.
PRONATED BENT BARBELL ROW
SNATCH GRIP BENT BARBELL ROW
TO BELLY BUTTON
MEADOWS ROW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your feet into the floor and drive your hips behind you throughout for stability.
»» Keep your neck aligned with the rest of your spine – do not look up.
GIRONDA PULLEY ROW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Perform a row towards your sternum; then, extend your arms by shoving the rope straight down towards your
knees; finally, perform the eccentric phase of a straight arm lat pulldown to return to the starting position.
1-ARM STANDING LOW
PULLEY ROW
1-ARM LOW PULLEY ROW FROM
LUNGE POSITION
PRONE INCLINE 2-ARM DB ROW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Drive your feet into the floor and shove your chest into the pad throughout (to prevent leaning back).
HORIZONTAL BACK EXTENSION
WITH DB ROW TO WAIST
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Contract your abs and glutes throughout to keep your spine neutral and body in a straight line (no slumping or
hyperextension).
BODYWEIGHT INVERTED ROW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Set a bar or handles at about hip height.
»» Contract your abs and glutes throughout to keep your spine neutral and body in a straight line.
STRAIGHT ARM MOVEMENTS
DB PULLOVER ON FLAT BENCH
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your abs tight and lower back “locked down” to the bench - avoid spinal extension.
»» On the eccentric (with arms rigid but elbows slightly bent) pull your elbows down and back in an arc behind your
head - keeping the dumbbell as far away from you as possible.
»» On the concentric, retrace that same arc; reverse direction just before your upper arms reach vertical (perpendicu-
lar to the floor) to keep tension on your lats.
»» Depress your scapula (push your shoulders down towards your hips) throughout to maximally activate the lats.
»» Do your best to maintain a “lat spread” throughout.
STANDING STRAIGHT ARM LAT
PULLDOWN TO THIGHS
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Shove your feet into the floor to contract your glutes and hamstrings for stability throughout.
»» Keep your arms rigid with elbows very slightly bent (not locked out).
»» On the concentric, drive the bar down in an arc towards your quads - keeping the bar as far away from you as
possible throughout.
»» Finish the concentric by driving the bar into your thighs at the bottom to maximally contract lats.
»» Retrace that same arc on the eccentric.
STANDING STRAIGHT ARM LAT
PULLDOWN WITH LONG ROPE OR
DOUBLE ROPES
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Keep your arms rigid with elbows very slightly bent (not locked out).
»» On the concentric, drive the rope down in an arc towards your quads - keeping it as far away from you as possible
throughout.
»» Finish the concentric by driving the rope behind you at the bottom to maximally contract lats.
»» Retrace that same arc on the eccentric.
BICEPS
EXERCISES
ALL MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» With standing barbell and dumbbell curls, keep your hips behind you to tilt your torso slightly forward - this posi-
tion will allow more biceps tension at the top of the range.
»» With all standing exercises, shove feet into the floor to contract glutes and hamstrings for stability throughout.
»» Avoid flexing (curling) your wrists; keep them neutral or extend them slightly.
»» Do not allow any movement at the shoulder joint and keep your upper arms and elbows in the same position
throughout (set the pillars); all movement should occur as a function of elbow flexion and extension.
»» Curl the weight in an arc instead of thinking about moving the weight up and down; on the concentric you’ll move
the weight away from you, then towards you; on the eccentric, retrace the same arc.
»» Wherever possible, keep your shoulders neutral and biceps pointing straight ahead (this won’t be possible with
some grips) - don’t allow your shoulders to round forward; if you have difficulty maintaining this, simply think
about pulling your hands apart slightly (out away from each other) throughout.
»» Finish the concentric by driving your forearm into your biceps, thinking about crushing an imaginary finger inside
your elbow joint.
»» Finish the eccentric by contracting your triceps to achieve a maximal stretch in your biceps.
For Scott Curls
»» On the eccentric, shove your armpits down into the pad while slightly lifting your elbows up off the pad; then, drive
your elbows back down into the pad before starting the concentric.
»» Keep continuous tension on your biceps by finishing the concentric just before your forearms reach vertical (per-
pendicular to the floor).
»» Ideally, tilt your entire body forward (rather than leaning back) so you’re able to go though a full range without
reaching that vertical forearm position (putting your legs behind you can make this easier).
WIDE GRIP STRAIGHT BAR
SCOTT CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use angled scott curl pad (opposite side of the apparatus shown here).
MID-GRIP REVERSE EZ BAR
SCOTT CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your wrists neutral and rigid – do not allow them to flex or extend.
WIDE GRIP EZ BAR SCOTT CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
MID-GRIP EZ BAR SCOTT CURL
NARROW GRIP EZ BAR SCOTT CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
THICK EZ BAR SPIDER CURL
ELBOWS SUPPORTED
(FACING OPPOSITE WAY ON SCOTT BENCH)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a thick bar or Fat Gripz (or similar tool).
1-ARM DB SPIDER CURL
ELBOW SUPPORTED
PRONE INCLINE HAMMER GRIP
DB SPIDER CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep elbows slightly in front of your shoulders.
»» Shove your chest (not your abs) into the pad.
PRONE INCLINE STRAIGHT BAR
SPIDER CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Shove your chest (not your abs) into the pad.
STANDING BARBELL CURL
STANDING BARBELL DRAG CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Drive your elbows straight back while dragging the bar up your torso.
»» Finish the concentric just before your shoulders start to internally rotate (the point where your elbows begin to
flare out).
STANDING EZ BAR REVERSE CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your wrists neutral and rigid – do not allow them to flex or extend.
STANDING DB HAMMER CURL
SEATED DB HAMMER CURL
INCLINE DB CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Choose a bench angle that allows your upper arms to hang straight up and down (perpendicular to the floor) with
your shoulders maximally stretched (but still comfortable).
OFFSET GRIP INCLINE DB CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Slide your hands to the outside of the dumbbells.
»» Supinate on the concentric—the offset grip distributes the load such that the supination function of the biceps
is challenged to a greater degree than with a normal grip (i.e., your biceps have to work harder to supinate the
forearms).
INCLINE DB HAMMER CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
INCLINE DB ZOTTMAN CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» At the top of the concentric, pronate your forearms (rotate your palms forward) maximally (without any movement
at the shoulder).
»» At the bottom of the eccentric, supinate your forearms (rotate your palms forward) maximally (without any move-
ment at the shoulder).
STANDING ISO DB CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep one arm (arm 1) bent at 90 degrees while you do all the reps for the other arm (arm 2), then keep arm 2 bent
at 90 degrees while you perform the reps for arm 1.
LOW PULLEY ROPE CURL
LOW PULLEY ROPE CURL WITH
HARD SUPINATION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Supinate your forearms (rotate your palms towards the ceiling) maximally (without any movement at the shoulder)
on the concentric.
LOW PULLEY EZ BAR CURL
DUAL LOW PULLEY UPPERCUT CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Curl up and contract your biceps hard; keeping them contracted, lift your elbows to shorten the biceps even
further.
»» Don’t lift your elbows too high or you’ll lose tension in the biceps.
SEATED DUAL LOW PULLEY
INCLINE CURL
(FACING AWAY FROM APPARATUS)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Position the bench to allow a maximal (but comfortable) stretch in the shoulders.
SIDE LYING 1-ARM CABLE CURL
WITH SUPINATION
(ARM SUPPORTED ON BENCH)
DUAL HIGH PULLEY CURL
(FRONT DOUBLE BICEPS POSE)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep elbows slightly higher than shoulders.
DUAL HIGH PULLEY CURL
WITH SUPINATION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep elbows slightly higher than shoulders.
TRX OR GYMNASTIC RINGS
BODY CURL
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your elbows high, directly in front of your shoulders and aim the handles towards the top of your forehead.
CALVES
EXERCISES
ALL MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Hip width stance if not specified (ankles and knees directly below hips).
»» Driving through the balls of your feet, push your ankles forward to raise your heels as high as physically possible -
do not roll onto the outside of your foot.
»» Pull your ankles backward far enough to contract the tibialis anterior (muscle that runs along the shin) to achieve a
maximal stretch in the calves.
»» Unless performing seated or donkey calf raises, keep knees locked and quads contracted throughout.
»» For seated calf raises, angle your torso forward 20-30 degrees from the vertical by tilting from the hips.
»» Toes in = 30-45 degree internal rotation at the hip throughout.
»» Toes out = 30-45 degree external rotation at the hip throughout.
SEATED CALF RAISE
TOES TURNED IN
SEATED CALF RAISE
TOES NEUTRAL
SEATED CALF RAISE
TOES TURNED OUT
SEATED CALF RAISE
FEET NARROW AND NEUTRAL
TOE PRESS
TOES NEUTRAL
CALF RAISE MACHINE
FEET MEDIUM, TOES NEUTRAL
CALF RAISE MACHINE
FEET WIDE, TOES TURNED OUT
CALF RAISE MACHINE
FEET WIDE, TOES NEUTRAL
CALF RAISE MACHINE
FEET NARROW, TOES TURNED IN
BODYWEIGHT 1-LEG CALF RAISE
DONKEY CALF RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Position the pad on your tailbone directly above your ankles.
»» Keep your legs rigid but maintain a slight bend in the knees.
ANKLE HOPS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your ankles forward as fully and explosively as possible, jumping straight up into the air.
»» Land on the balls of your feet and immediately jump back up - spend as little time on the ground as possible.
»» Avoid movement at the knees and hips as much as possible and keep your torso upright.
CHEST
EXERCISES
PRESSING MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep your wrists directly above your elbows and keep your forearms vertical (perpendicular to the ground)
throughout.
»» Keep feet firmly planted into the ground at approximately shoulder width for stability and push your body and head
into the bench throughout.
»» Begin the eccentric by retracting your scapula (pinching shoulder blades together) then pulling your elbows out
and down towards the floor in an arc.
»» Finish the eccentric by maximally retracting your scapula and contracting everything in your back to fully stretch
the pecs.
»» Begin the concentric by depressing your scapula (pushing shoulders down towards hips) and squeezing your
elbows towards each other across your body in an arc (instead of simply pushing up), contracting your pecs hard
at the top.
»» On the concentric, keep your scapula depressed and your shoulders pushed back into the bench - don’t shrug
your shoulders up towards your ears or push them towards the ceiling.
»» With dumbbells, finish the concentric with your hands directly above your shoulders (any closer together than this
results in losing tension in the pecs).
»» Avoid spinal extension (back arch), especially when working on an incline - if the bench is too high to reach the
floor with your feet (thus preventing you from pushing your back into the bench to avoid extension), elevate your
feet with plates or a step.
»» Always move the weight in a vertical path, perpendicular to the floor, regardless of the bench angle.
For Pushups:
»» Set feet at shoulder width for stability.
»» Position yourself with your palms in line with your chest.
»» Think about pushing the floor away from you (instead of pushing yourself up).
BARBELL BENCH PRESS
CLOSE GRIP BARBELL BENCH
PRESS
(SHOULDER WIDTH)
MID-GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS
WIDE GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS
INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS
STEEP INCLINE BARBELL
BENCH PRESS
(IN RACK FROM PINS AT CHEST HEIGHT)
DB BENCH PRESS
INCLINE DB BENCH PRESS
DECLINE DB BENCH PRESS
SLIGHT DECLINE DB BENCH PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Set a decline bench at the shallowest angle; or, put a plate underneath a flat bench to create the slight decline.
INCLINE PRESS MACHINE
PUSH UP
SHOULDER WIDTH PUSH UP
DEEP STRETCH PUSH UP
(FEET ON BENCH / HANDS ON BOXES OR
AEROBIC STEPS)
FEET ELEVATED PUSH UP IN
GYMNASTICS RINGS OR TRX
DB FLAT SQUEEZE PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Shove the dumbbells together as hard as you can throughout the entire range, driving your elbows together on the
concentric and pulling them out away from each other on the eccentric
STANDING CABLE DECLINE
CHEST PRESS
HIGH TO LOW
(SQUEEZE ARMS INWARD AS YOU PRESS)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a split stance for stability.
»» Squeeze your elbows inwards across your body, bringing them as close together as possible (as a result, your
hands will be touching or very close together as you finish the concentric).
FLY MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» For maximum stability, use a wide foot stance when lying on a bench and use a split stance when standing.
»» Begin the eccentric by retracting your scapula (pinching your shoulder blades together), then pulling your elbows
out in an arc.
»» On the eccentric, near the middle of the range, bend your elbows as much as necessary to minimize the stretch in
your biceps and shoulders in order to keep maximum tension in your pecs.
»» Finish the eccentric by maximally retracting your scapula and contracting everything in your back.
»» On the concentric, squeeze your elbows (rather than the hands or handles) together in an arc across your body
without pushing your shoulders forward, fully extending (straightening) your arms near the middle of the range.
»» With dumbbells, finish the concentric with arms fully extended and hands directly above shoulders (don’t come
inside your shoulders).
»» With cables, finish the concentric by bringing your elbows together as close as possible with arms fully extended.
PEC DECK CHEST FLY
FLAT DB CHEST FLY
INCLINE DB CHEST FLY
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Maintain a vertical plane of movement (move your elbows in a straight line perpendicular to the ground).
CABLE CROSSOVER CHEST FLY
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Set cables at chest height, and finish the concentric with arms in line with chest.
HIGH TO LOW
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Squeeze elbows down and across your body, and finish the concentric with hands in front of thighs.
LOW TO HIGH
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Squeeze elbows up and across your body, and finish the concentric with elbows in line with chin..
LOW PULLEY DUAL CABLE
INCLINE FLY
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Maintain a vertical plane of movement (move your elbows in a straight line perpendicular to the ground).
OTHER MOVEMENTS
CHEST DIPS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a wider than shoulder-width grip if possible and lean forward with your chest tall and abs tight.
»» On the eccentric, retract your scapula and pull your elbows behind you in an arc, descending until your elbows
form 90 degree angles.
»» Keep scapula depressed and retracted at the bottom.
»» On the concentric, focus on squeezing your elbows together and think about pushing the bars away from you
(rather than pushing your body up).
»» Keep shoulders neutral at the top - don’t allow scapular elevation (shrugging) or protraction (rounding forward).
»» Avoid any shoulder rotation (particularly internal rotation - don’t allow your elbows to flare out).
HAMSTRINGS
EXERCISES
DEADLIFTS (BENT-KNEE)
CONTRACTION CUES
»» Tighten your core by creating equal tension around your abs and lower back like a pillar
»» Before you even move the bar, push your feet into the floor and pull a bend into the bar to take the “slack” out of
the system; at the same time, pull an arch into your lower back by pushing your hips back and puffing your chest
out.
»» Begin the concentric by driving your feet into the floor and pushing the ground away from you (rather than simply
standing up) and driving your hips forward; finish the concentric by contracting your glutes at the top
»» Begin the eccentric with knees slightly bent and push your hips back as far as possible (with a neutral spine), then
sink to the floor by bending your knees while you continue to drive your hips backward; finish the eccentric with
the weight on the floor/platform
»» Maintain an arch in your lower back and neutral pelvis – do your best to avoid spinal flexion, particularly near the
bottom of the range
»» Keep your arms long and rigid and shoulders depressed throughout – don’t pull the bar with your upper body
(instead keep everything in your upper body tight and move the weight with your legs)
»» Keep the bar directly underneath your shoulders at all times (your arms should remain perpendicular to the floor)
»» Maintain a neutral neck position throughout by keeping your chin tucked as you descend and ascend – do not look
up
»» Avoid using lifting straps unless you need them (i.e., if grip strength is a limiting factor); start with a double-over-
hand/hook grip; once that’s no longer viable use a switch/over-under grip; finally, use lifting straps when neces-
sary.
»» Do not use a switch/over-under grip when using a snatch (wide) grip (you’ll likely need lifting straps for these with
any relatively heavy weights).
CLEAN GRIP DEADLIFT
CLEAN GRIP 3” DEFICIT DEADLIFT
(STANDING ON BOX OR PLATES)
MID-SHIN CLEAN GRIP BLOCK
DEADLIFT
(PLATES RESTING ON BLOCK OR RACK PINS)
SNATCH GRIP DEADLIFT
SNATCH GRIP 3” DEFICIT DEADLIFT
(STANDING ON BOX OR PLATES)
MID-SHIN SNATCH GRIP BLOCK
DEADLIFT
(PLATES RESTING ON BLOCK OR RACK PINS)
STIFF-LEG MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» All movement should occur as a function of hip flexion and extension - simply hinge at the hips (move hips/butt
forward and back) and keep everything else in the body tight.
»» Maintain a slight bend in knees and keep legs rigid throughout - avoid any movement at the knee.
»» Begin the eccentric by pushing your feet down into the floor/platform and reaching your hips back; finish the ec-
centric in maximum hip flexion (hips as far behind you as possible) with a slight arch in your lower back - do your
best to avoid spinal flexion.
»» Begin the concentric by pushing your feet down into the floor/platform and driving your hips forward; finish the
concentric with your hips slightly behind your torso to maintain tension on the hamstrings.
»» For RDLs, keep the bar directly underneath your shoulders (arms perpendicular to floor) throughout.
up.
BARBELL RDL
BARBELL RDL
TOES ELEVATED
WIDE STANCE BARBELL RDL
DB RDL
STANDING BARBELL
GOOD MORNING
LOW PULLEY PULL THROUGH
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a wide stance.
»» Keep your arms long and rigid and reach back between your knees – don’t “crowd” your groin.
HORIZONTAL BACK EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep spine neutral throughout, finishing each eccentric with a neutral spine at the bottom (avoid spinal flexion)
and finishing each concentric with a neutral spine at the top (avoid spinal extension).
45 DEGREE BACK EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep spine neutral throughout, finishing each eccentric with a neutral spine at the bottom (avoid spinal flexion)
and finishing each concentric with a neutral spine at the top (avoid spinal extension).
LEG CURLS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Shove your pelvis and hips into the pad throughout (don’t allow your butt to come up) and avoid any torso move-
ment - pretend your entire upper body is stuck in cement.
»» On the concentric, bring your heels as close to your butt as possible without any torso or hip movement.
»» At the bottom of the eccentric, lift your knees very slightly off the pad to ensure that you can contract your quads
(with the weight stack still elevated) to allow for a full stretch in hamstrings.
»» Unless performing a toes in or toes out variation, keep your hips, knees and ankles in a straight line - avoid rota-
tion at the hip.
»» Unless one or more of the variations below is specified, keep feet and toes neutral throughout.
»» Plantarflexion = point toes away from you as much as possible.
»» Dorsiflexion = pull toes towards shins as much as possible.
»» Toes in = 30-45 degree internal rotation at the hip throughout.
»» Toes out = 30-45 degree external rotation at the hip throughout.
LYING LEG CURL
LYING LEG CURL
TOES PLANTARFLEXED AND POINTED IN
LYING LEG CURL
TOES PLANTARFLEXED AND POINTED OUT
LYING LEG CURL
ECCENTRIC FOCUSED
(LIFT WEIGHT WITH 2 LEGS, LOWER WITH 1 LEG)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Complete reps on one side, then repeat for the other side.
SEATED LEG CURL
TOES DORSIFLEXED AND NEUTRAL
STANDING LEG CURL
SWISS BALL HIP BRIDGE/
LEG CURL COMBO
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» On the concentric, pull your heels as close as possible to your butt while driving your hips towards the ceiling.
»» Keep your core tight to maintain a straight line between your shoulders and knees throughout – don’t let your
hips drop.
STEP UPS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Use only the leg on the platform to perform the movement - do not use your back leg for assistance (unless abso-
lutely necessary).
»» Keep your hips, knees and ankles in a straight line throughout - avoid rotation at the hip.
»» Begin the concentric by pushing your foot into the platform to create tension and “lock” your foot down, then exe-
cute the concentric by pushing the platform away (rather than thinking about standing up).
»» Begin the eccentric by pushing your hips back and knee forward, and think about pulling yourself toward the floor
with your hamstrings while pushing your front foot into the step to maintain optimal tension - don’t just drop back
down.
»» Finish the eccentric with your hamstrings covering your calves and your knee over your toes, keeping your weight
over your front foot (just enough weight on the back foot to keep your balance).
»» At the bottom of each rep, ensure the angle of your front shin matches that of your torso.
up.
HIGH BENCH DB STEP UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your arms long and rigid and shoulders in a neutral position.
ALTERNATING HIGH BENCH
BARBELL STEP UP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Alternate legs with each rep.
OTHER MOVEMENTS
LEG PRESS – FEET HIGH AND WIDE
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Use the handles to pull your butt into the pad and lock yourself down.
»» Pull your knees towards your shoulders and descend as far as possible without allowing your butt to lift out of the
seat to prevent any spinal flexion.
»» Keep the weight in your heels to emphasize the hamstrings.
»» Push the platform away while shoving yourself into the pad, stopping about one third of the way from the top – the
quads take over at the top of the movement.
GLUTE HAM RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start with your torso perpendicular to the floor; squeezing your hamstrings, glutes and abs, lower yourself under
control until torso is parallel to floor.
»» Off the bottom, while keeping your glutes contracted, push your toes into the foot plate and pull up explosively
with your hamstrings to return to the starting position.
»» Maintain a straight line through the knee, hip, shoulder and neck throughout by thinking about making your body
as long as possible.
up.
»» Keep your hips, knees and ankles in a straight line - avoid rotation at the hip.
GLUTE HAM ECCENTRICS ON LAT
PULLDOWN
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Squeeze your glutes and lead with your hips on the descent.
»» Use your arms to control the descent as needed and to push yourself back to the starting position.
»» Maintain a straight line through the knee, hip, shoulder and neck throughout by thinking about making your body
as long as possible.
»» Maintain a neutral neck position throughout by keeping your chin tucked as you descend and ascend – do not
look up.
QUADS
EXERCISES
SQUATTING MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Shove your feet into the floor, distributing your weight evenly over the entire foot and “locking” yourself down
throughout.
»» Begin the eccentric by pushing your hips back and knees forward, and think about your hamstrings pulling you
down to the floor to maximize control - don’t just drop down.
»» Finish the eccentric at the maximum depth you can achieve without losing the arch in your lower back - avoid
spinal flexion.
»» On the concentric, focus on pushing the floor away from you (rather than thinking about standing up) to maximally
engage your quads and glutes.
»» For front squats, goblet squats, and heels elevated DB squats, keep your torso as close to vertical as possible
throughout (vs. tilting torso forward from hips significantly as is necessary when performing back squats).
up.
BARBELL BACK SQUAT
HEELS ELEVATED BARBELL BACK
SQUAT
NARROW STANCE BACK SQUAT
HEELS ELEVATED
NARROW STANCE BACK SQUAT
HEELS ON FLOOR
MEDIUM STANCE BACK SQUAT
HEELS ON FLOOR
WIDE STANCE BACK SQUAT
HEELS ON FLOOR
BARBELL FRONT SQUAT
NARROW STANCE FRONT SQUAT
HEELS ELEVATED
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Elevate your heels approximately ½” to 1” (5 pound plates typically work best).
NARROW STANCE FRONT SQUAT
HEELS ON FLOOR
HEELS ELEVATED DB SQUAT
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Elevate your heels approximately 1.5” (10, 25 or 45 pound plates typically work best if you don’t have a slant
board).
GOBLET SQUAT
HACK SQUAT MACHINE
LUNGES
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Step forward and put all of your weight – evenly distributed – on that front foot.
»» Keeping your hips, knees and ankles in a straight line (avoiding rotation at the hip), begin the eccentric by pushing
your back knee down and front knee forward.
»» On the eccentric, think about pulling yourself toward the floor with your hamstrings.
»» Finish the eccentric by bringing your back knee as close to the floor as possible to maximally stretch the quads
and glutes.
»» On the concentric, think about pushing the floor away (rather than standing up) with your front foot (with your
weight evenly distributed through the foot) to maximize tension in your quads and glutes .
»» For walking lunges, avoid propelling yourself forward with your back leg - use only the front leg to perform the
movement and don’t push with your back leg unless absolutely necessary.
up.
ALTERNATING DB LUNGE
ALTERNATING DB DROP LUNGE
ALTERNATING BARBELL LUNGE
STEP UPS AND SPLIT SQUATS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Use only the front leg to perform the movement, distributing your weight evenly through the entire foot - do not
use your back leg for assistance (unless absolutely necessary).
»» Only place as much weight on your back leg as necessary for balance and stability - for split squats, do your best
to barely touch the ground with your back foot at the bottom of each rep.
»» Begin the eccentric by pushing your hips back and knee forward, and think about pulling yourself toward the floor
with your hamstrings (still pushing your front foot into the floor/platform to maintain optimal tension) - don’t just
drop down.
»» Unless performing step ups, bring your back knee as close to the floor as possible to maximally stretch the quads
and glutes.
»» Finish the eccentric with your hamstrings covering your calves and your knee over your toes, keeping your weight
over your front foot.
»» Begin the concentric by pushing your foot into the floor/platform step to create tension and “lock” your foot down,
then execute the concentric by pushing the floor/platform away (rather than thinking about standing up) to maxi-
mally engage your quads and glutes.
up.
DB BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
(REAR FOOT ELEVATED)
BARBELL SPLIT SQUAT
CONTRACTION CUES:
ALTERNATING HIGH BENCH
BARBELL STEP UPS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Alternate legs with each rep.
LEG PRESSES
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Use your arms to pull your butt down into the seat to lock yourself into place throughout - don’t allow your butt to
lift up.
»» On the eccentric, think about using your hamstrings to pull your knees towards your chest - don’t just let the
weight drop.
»» Finish the eccentric by stopping just before the point where your butt starts to come out of the seat (due to spinal
flexion).
»» On the concentric, focus on pushing the platform away from you while shoving your back and hips into the pad.
»» Finish the concentric by stopping just before the point where your knees lock out to maintain tension in the quads.
LEG PRESS
LEG PRESS
FEET NARROW AND LOW
LEG PRESS
FEET MIDDLE AND NARROW
LEG PRESS
FEET MIDDLE AND MEDIUM
LEG PRESS
FEET MIDDLE AND WIDE
OTHER MOVEMENTS
LEG EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Sit tall (do not lean back against the pad) and use your arms to pull your butt down into the seat to lock yourself
into place throughout - don’t allow your butt to lift up.
»» Push your shins forward into the pad until your legs are fully extended and locked out.
»» Use maximum control and contract the quad as you lock the knee to put stress on the quad, not the knee.
»» Ensure that your kneecaps point straight up toward the ceiling when your legs are fully extended – avoid any hip
rotation.
SHOULDERS
EXERCISES
OVERHEAD PRESSING
MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep your forearms vertical (perpendicular to the floor) throughout.
»» Maintain a vertical torso and do your best to keep your spine neutral throughout – avoid spinal extension (leaning
back or arching).
»» For a maximum stretch at the bottom of each rep, pull the weight down as far as you can while ensuring scap-
ular retraction and depression (pinch shoulder blades together and down towards hips) and maintaining vertical
forearms; throughout the rest of the movement, avoid any scapular retraction, protraction or elevation (keep your
shoulders in a neutral position).
»» Think about pushing your elbows in towards each other (rather than bringing the dumbbells together) on the way
up and pulling them out on the way down (trace an arc with your elbows) - don’t just push up and down.
»» Reach for the ceiling at the top of each rep without elevating your scapula (don’t shrug your shoulders).
»» For barbell presses in front, move your head around the bar rather than moving the bar around your head to main-
tain a vertical bar path, and pull the bar down to your upper chest at the bottom (or as low as your active range of
motion allows).
»» For barbell presses behind your neck, pull the bar down to the base of your neck at the bottom (or as low as your
active range of motion allows).
»» For push presses, drop into a quarter squat (by pushing your hips back and knees forward slightly) and use a
powerful drive from your legs to get the bar into the top position; then, control the eccentric with your shoulders as
with a normal press.
WIDE GRIP BARBELL SHOULDER
PRESS BEHIND NECK
MID-GRIP BARBELL SHOULDER
PRESS BEHIND NECK
WIDE GRIP BARBELL SHOULDER
PRESS IN FRONT
MID-GRIP BARBELL SHOULDER
PRESS IN FRONT
WIDE GRIP BARBELL PUSH PRESS
IN FRONT
(USE LEGS TO PUSH WEIGHT UP AND LOWER
SLOWLY)
MID-GRIP BARBELL PUSH PRESS IN
FRONT
(USE LEGS TO PUSH WEIGHT UP AND LOWER
SLOWLY)
SEATED THICK BAR SMITH MACHINE
MILITARY PRESS
(SHOULDER WIDTH)
STANDING DB SHOULDER PRESS
SEATED DB SHOULDER PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your feet into the floor and butt into the seat throughout for stability.
DB ARNOLD PRESS
1-ARM DB SHOULDER PRESS
NEUTRAL GRIP
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» If you have trouble stabilizing your body, use a split stance (one foot approximately 10” in front of the other, shoul-
der width, pushing feet into floor to contract glutes).
SEATED DB “Y” PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your forearms angled outwards throughout.
»» On the concentric, push your elbows out and up in an arc and finish in the “Y” position.
»» On the eccentric, retrace that same arc to maintain optimal tension - don’t just let the dumbbells drop back down.
SIDE LATERAL RAISE
MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep your wrists neutral and rigid throughout.
»» Keep your torso tilted about 30 degrees forward from vertical and avoid any swinging or swaying - sitting or
standing up straight will place the focus on the front delt.
»» Keep your lateral (side) delts on top throughout (directly facing the ceiling) - if more of your anterior (front) or pos-
terior (rear) delt is on the top, adjust the position of your torso.
»» Keep scapula retracted (shoulder blades pinched together) throughout to stabilize upper back, which will allow you
to isolate the delts more effectively.
»» Maintain a slight bend in elbows with arms rigid, and keep the weights as far away from you as possible through-
out.
»» No scapular elevation (avoid shrugging shoulders up), but allow for upward rotation of the scapula as the motion
progresses.
»» Focus on leading with the elbows (as opposed to the hands) and utilize the arc - on the concentric, push the
weights out away from you (think about reaching for the outer walls) until your elbows are at ear level (don’t just
lift the weights up).
»» Retrace that same arc on the eccentric - don’t just let the weights fall.
STANDING DB LATERAL RAISE
SEATED 2-ARM DB LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start and finish each rep with upper arm at about a 30 degree angle to your torso (tension in the medial delt is
lost below this position).
PRONE INCLINE DB LATERAL RAISE
PRONE 60 DEGREE INCLINE
DB LATERAL RAISE
(THUMBS DOWN)
70 DEGREE INCLINE DB
LATERAL RAISE
SIDE LYING 1-ARM DB
LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Finish the concentric just before your arm becomes perpendicular to the floor to maintain tension in the delts.
LEAN-AWAY DB LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start and finish each rep with upper arm angled slightly out from the vertical to maintain tension throughout.
»» Keep your body in a straight line; avoid generating momentum with your hips.
DUAL LOW PULLEY LATERAL RAISE
(BOTTOM HALF OF RANGE ONLY)
1-ARM BEHIND THE BACK LOW
PULLEY LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start and finish each rep with hand behind body (ensuring that you’re far enough away from the pulley that the
weight stack remains elevated and you keep tension in the lateral delt in this position).
»» Place your free hand on the apparatus for support.
ECCENTRIC EMPHASIS “L”
LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Perform a hammer curl, drive your elbows out and up to ear height and extend your arms, then really focus on a
slow, controlled eccentric.
»» Use as little energy as possible on the concentric (this is one of the rare times we want to be as efficient as possi-
ble and follow the path of least resistance) and focus all your energy on the eccentric.
REAR DELT RAISE/FLY
MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Maintain a slight bend in elbows with arms rigid, hands in line with chin, and keep the weights as far away from
you as possible throughout.
»» No scapular elevation (avoid shrugging shoulders up).
»» Protract scapula (push shoulder blades forward - opposite of retraction) throughout to emphasize rear delts and
minimize assistance from traps - even go so far as to focus on protracting at the bottom and top of every single
rep to ensure you maintain this (since it’s very likely you’ll lose some protraction during the movement).
»» Finish the concentric at the point just before your scapula begins to retract to keep tension in the rear delts, not
the traps.
»» Focus on leading with the elbows (as opposed to the hands) and utilize the arc - on the concentric, push the
weights out away from you (think about reaching for the outer walls) - don’t just lift the weights up.
»» Elbows should point towards side walls throughout (in the same direction as the plane of movement).
»» Unless using cables, start and finish each rep with upper arm angled slightly out from the vertical to maintain
tension throughout.
BENT DB REAR DELT RAISE
REAR DELT FLY MACHINE
BENT 1-ARM DB LATERAL RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Place your free hand/forearm on a bench (or something of appropriate height) for support.
»» If lower back fatigue is an issue, rest your head on the free hand/forearm.
REAR DELT CABLE FLY
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start and finish each rep with hands together.
»» Shove feet into the floor throughout to contract glutes for stability.
REAR DELT CABLE FLY
HIGH TO LOW
FRONT RAISE MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep arms locked out and wrists neutral and rigid throughout.
»» Keep the weights as far away from your shoulders as possible throughout.
»» No scapular elevation (avoid shrugging shoulders up).
»» Don’t swing the weight up - instead, focus on squeezing your front delts throughout, working through an arc in
both directions.
DB FRONT RAISE
THUMB UP
PALMS UP INCLINE DB
FRONT RAISE
PRONE INCLINE DB FRONT RAISE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Start and finish each rep with arms angled slightly forward from the vertical to maintain tension throughout
»» Finish the concentric with arms parallel to floor.
»» Keep your chest (not abs) against pad throughout.
LOW PULLEY FRONT RAISE
(LYING ON BACK ON THE GROUND)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» At the top and bottom of the range, there should be an approximately 45 degree angle between the cable and
your arm to ensure you maintain optimal tension throughout.
FACE PULLS AND REAR
DELT ROWS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» On the concentric, keep your shoulders slightly elevated and pull your elbows out (towards the side walls) and
behind you in an arc (don’t just pull the weight towards you) with the intention of bringing the implement to your
nose.
»» On the eccentric, keep your elbows high and retrace that same arc to maintain optimal tension - don’t just let the
weight drop.
»» Finish the eccentric by protracting your shoulders (allowing shoulders to roll forward and up) for a maximum
stretch.
SEATED CABLE FACE PULL
WITH ROPE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Focus on pulling the rope handles outward throughout.
PRONE INCLINE LOW PULLEY
ROPE ROW TO NOSE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Focus on pulling the rope handles outward throughout.
»» Keep your chest (not abs) against the bench throughout to avoid spinal extension (leaning back).
SNATCH GRIP BENT BARBELL ROW
TO NOSE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Shove your feet into the floor and drive your hips backwards throughout the set for maximum stability.
»» You can rest your head on the top of a bench (as shown), if necessary, to reduce lower back fatigue and make it
harder generate extraneous movement (i.e., cheat).
UPRIGHT ROWS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Keep wrists neutral and rigid throughout.
»» Push your feet into the floor to contract your glutes for stability throughout.
»» Avoid scapular elevation - don’t allow your shoulders to shrug up.
»» On the concentric, pull your elbows out and up in an arc (instead of simply thinking about pulling up).
»» Finish the concentric just before your forearms start to angle upwards towards the ceiling (avoid rotation at the
shoulders).
»» On the eccentric, retrace that same arc with your elbows - don’t just let the weight drop back down.
SNATCH GRIP UPRIGHT ROW
UPRIGHT ROW
STRAPS TIED TO BARBELL
DB UPRIGHT ROW
OTHER MOVEMENTS
CABLE OVERHEAD FLY
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Think about bringing your elbows (not your hands) together directly above your head, and finish the concentric
with your elbows at shoulder width.
LOW PULLEY EXTERNAL ROTATION
FIST AT BELLY BUTTON
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» Keep wrist neutral and rigid throughout.
»» Keep upper arm at a fixed angle throughout.
»» All movement should occur as a function of shoulder rotation.
TRICEPS
EXERCISES
EXTENSION MOVEMENTS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» Avoid scapular elevation and protraction - don’t allow your shoulders to shrug up or round forward.
»» Keep your triceps pointing straight ahead (don’t allow your elbows to flare out; maintain external rotation of the
shoulder throughout) - if you have difficulty maintaining this, simply think about pulling your hands apart slightly
(out away from each other) throughout.
»» Focus on moving the weight in an arc in both directions for optimal tension on the triceps.
»» Finish the concentric by driving the insides of your elbows backward to achieve a maximal contraction in the
triceps.
»» Finish the eccentric by bringing your forearms into your biceps and contracting your biceps for a maximal stretch
in the triceps.
EZ BAR TRICEPS EXTENSION TO
CHIN
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your elbows forward on the eccentric and push your elbows backward on the concentric (unlike the majority
of arm exercises, your upper arms will not be in a fixed position - there will be movement at the shoulder).
NOSE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your elbows forward on the eccentric and push your elbows backward on the concentric (unlike the majority
of arm exercises, your upper arms will not be in a fixed position - there will be movement at the shoulder).
TOP FOREHEAD
LOW PULLEY EZ ATTACHMENT
TRICEPS EXTENSION ON
FLAT BENCH
SEATED EZ BAR FRENCH PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Maintain a neutral spine - avoid spinal extension (arching).
»» Keep upper arms in a fixed position (set the pillars) - no movement at the shoulder.
»» Finish the concentric just short of lockout with elbows slightly bent to maintain tension in the triceps.
»» Avoid flaring your elbows out excessively (it is necessary to angle them out somewhat).
INCLINE DB TRICEPS EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» No movement at the shoulder joint; keep your upper arms angled back slightly behind the vertical (for constant
tension on triceps) throughout (set the pillars); all movement should occur as a function of elbow flexion and
extension.
DECLINE DB TRICEPS EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» No movement at the shoulder joint; keep your upper arms angled back slightly behind the vertical (for constant
tension on triceps) throughout (set the pillars); all movement should occur as a function of elbow flexion and
extension.
DB PARILLO PRESS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Treat this movement as a cross between a skullcrusher (triceps extension to top of head) and a close-grip bench
press - the eccentric is the skullcrusher, the concentric is the close-grip bench press.
»» Use as little energy as possible on the concentric (this is one of the rare times we want to be as efficient as possi-
ble and follow the path of least resistance) and focus all your energy on the eccentric.
INCLINE DB TRICEPS EXTENSION
ELBOWS POINTED OUT
(TATE PRESS)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your triceps facing toward the side walls.
»» Move the dumbbells in an arc for optimal tension in triceps - push your elbows out (away from each other) on the
eccentric and shove elbows together on the concentric.
1-ARM DB TRICEPS EXTENSION
ELBOW POINTED OUT
(TATE PRESS)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your triceps facing toward the side walls.
»» Move the dumbbell in an arc for optimal tension in triceps - push your elbow out (away from you) on the eccentric
and shove elbow in on the concentric.
LEANING HIGH PULLEY OVERHEAD
TRICEPS EXTENSION WITH ROPE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Use a split stance for stability and maintain a neutral spine - avoid spinal extension (arching).
»» Finish the concentric by driving the insides of your elbows upwards (towards the ceiling) to achieve a maximal
contraction in the triceps.
SEATED LOW PULLEY FRENCH
PRESS WITH ROPE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Maintain a neutral spine - avoid spinal extension (arching).
»» Finish the concentric by driving the insides of your elbows backwards (towards the wall behind you) to achieve a
maximal contraction in the triceps.
TRX OR GYMNASTIC RINGS BODY
SKULLCRUSHERS
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep hips in line with the rest of your body - do not raise them up or allow them to sag.
BODYWEIGHT TRICEPS EXTENSION
ON SMITH MACHINE
DIPS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» On the eccentric, retract your scapula and pull your elbows behind you and up in an arc, descending until your
elbows form 90 degree angles.
»» On the concentric, push your elbows forward and down in an arc, thinking about pushing the handles into the floor
(rather than pushing your body up); also squeeze your elbows together (towards each other) to keep them from
flaring out.
»» Don’t allow your elbows to flare out - maintain external rotation at the shoulder throughout
DIPS IN GYMNASTICS RINGS OR TRX
DIPS
TORSO UPRIGHT
DIPS
TORSO LEANED FORWARD
CABLE PRESSDOWNS
& KICKBACKS
CONTRACTION CUES
throughout.
»» No movement at the shoulder joint; keep your upper arms and elbows in the same position throughout (set the
pillars); all movement should occur as a function of elbow flexion and extension.
»» Move the weight in an arc instead of thinking about moving the weight up and down; on the concentric you’ll
move the weight away from you, then towards you; on the eccentric, retrace the same arc.
»» Keep your shoulders neutral and triceps pointing straight back behind you - don’t allow your shoulders to round
forward; if you have difficulty maintaining this, simply think about pulling your hands apart slightly (out away from
each other) throughout.
»» Finish the concentric by driving the insides of your elbows forward to achieve a maximal contraction in the triceps.
»» Finish the eccentric by bringing your forearms into your biceps and contracting your biceps for a maximal stretch
in the triceps.
TRICEPS PRESSDOWN WITH ROPE
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Keep your hands shoulder width throughout. The average length rope won’t allow this, so use a long rope or two
shorter ropes together.
REVERSE GRIP TRICEPS
PRESSDOWN WITH EZ ATTACHMENT
CABLE CROSSOVER PRESSDOWN
PLUS SHOULDER EXTENSION
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» After completing the pressdown (with arms fully extended), drive your elbows behind your body to achieve a
maximum contraction of the triceps.
1-ARM LOW PULLEY
TRICEPS KICKBACK
(PALM FACING THE CEILING IN CONTRACTED
POSITION)
CONTRACTION CUES:
»» Push your feet into the floor and drive your hips backwards throughout the set for maximum stability.
OTHER MOVEMENTS
DIAMOND PUSH UP
(FINGERS AND THUMBS TOGETHER)
CONTRACTION CUES:
throughout.
»» On the concentric, mentally shove your hands outward while simultaneously shoving your elbows inward as you
push the floor away from you for maximal triceps recruitment.
»» On the eccentric, pull your elbows out away from each other.
»» Maintain a neutral spine by not allowing the hips to sag or neck to fall forward.

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For example, shoving your shoulder blades into the

During a T-bar row, if you lean back, you’re using

The goal here is to make the load adjust to your

MINIMIZE SIDE EFFECTS

Minimum joint stress ensures longevity. Many guys

Done correctly, these compound exercises make

Momentum is used to move the weight without

Loaded spinal flexion can result in disc injury and

Lumbar hyperextension can result in spondylolysis

Pronated (overhand) Grip

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