Lifts You SHOULD Be Doing...

[musclesntx]

I just wrote this and put it in my journal, but since most people don't read there (and because others clutter it with bullsh!t) I thought I'd post it here so more eyes can see. I haven't went back over it and I wrote it while in about 10 minutes, so if something is glaring obvious that I overlooked, I apologize in advance.

Alright, I dabbled in this a few weeks ago, but it has been on my mind and I thought I'd take the time to actually write about this. I see so many threads here about "Go over my routine and tell me what you think" and usually, I'm just so disgusted that I decide not to even offer my help. I think that most people could blindly eliminate 80% of the filler sh!t they are doing and they'd be just as well off as they are now.

Gaining muscle is not about individually stimulating the muscles in the body and making them burn. The pump, DOMS, "feeling the exercise" etc have nothing to do with hypertrophy. For whatever reason, people have determined that greater muscle gains can be made by absolutely annhilating muscles. I get sick about hearing bb'ing v. pl'ing conversations. That's just f'n ridiculous. I've often said that every other elite athlete on this planet is capable of making net muscle gains of over 30lbs in a single year, yet bb'ers act as if 5-10lbs net is amazing progress.

The magazines have filled everyone's heads with the idea that the latest bb'ing workout is the way to go, when the biggest guys in every gym are usually the strongest. You can almost bet your ass they didn't get that way doing endless amounts of drop sets and isolation exercises... If you gave me two identical clones (and kept them steroid free), and told me that I have to make one of them bigger than the other one in one year, and I can have the one that gets to be trained by the 5 best powerlifters of all time or the 20 best bodybuilders and bodybuilding minds, 99 out of 100 times I'm going to send my guy to powerlifting camp. Gaining muscle is about recruiting as many muscle fibers as possible, and that is what PL'ing and Weightlifting is all about. Nothing about feeling the burn or the pump... NOTHING recruits muscle fibers better than heavy, near maximum sets.

Without further chatter, I'm going to give the exercises that I think everyone needs to be doing to gain muscle mass. I'm ignoring accessory work here - we all understand that you're only as strong as your weakest link and GHRs and such SHOULD be done. Now I'm sure some bb'ing advocate will jump on that, but accessory work isn't endless amounts of bicep curls and tricep rope work...

1. Deadlift
-Few exercises recruit as many individual muscle fibers as the deadlift, and if you have a weakness, this exercise exposes it like no other. I put this one ahead of squatting for the simple reason that it is the most elementary of any lift. You pick sh!t up off of the ground. It doesn't get any more basic. Strong upper back/traps? Check. Lower Back? Check. Quads? Hams? Hips? Glutes? Check. Check. Check. Check. Check...

2. Squats
-There are so many training protocols for the natural manipulation of natural hormones, and nearly every one of them involve squatting in some way or form. There's a reason - the weight is ON TOP OF YOU, so everything must be in tune and ready to rock. I'm not talking about those sissy 1/2 squats or knee bends. I mean ass to the grass.

If you tell me your goal is to gain muscle mass and you aren't squatting and deadlifting, I'm calling you a liar.

3. Bench Press
-The most glamorous exercise of all time, as it is probably the best indicator of upper body strength (definitely pushing). Although form can carry a long way, nothing can substitute brute strength. All of the cable and db flies in the world won't mean anything if you don't start pushing heavy ass weight. Want big arms? THIS is the most important exercise - the triceps are 2/3 of the upper arm, and nothing makes them blow like this. There are 1019 variations - do all of them for overall development.

The best of the rest...

Now, I'm not keeping these in any specific order from here on out. These are just exercises that I believe you SHOULD be doing.

Bent BB Rows
-This one barely missed the cut from above, and if not for deads, it would've been there. This is kind of like the bench press for the back, IMO. A lot of muscles come into play for this. It's basic - you and the weight. That core had better be strong if you're going to pull some weight here. This is a MUST for a thick back...

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
-THIS happens to be my favorite exercise. I don't know how many times I've had clients come in the day after SLDL and tell me that their TRAPS are sore. It's just one of those things - not only are the hams under durress, but you had better have a grip and plenty of posterior core to get strong here.

Push Press/Standing Military Press
-Want Abs? Do this. If they're weak, you'll know. Smokes the shoulders and the triceps, and again, a very elementary move - you're pushing weight over your head... I can feel the entire deltoid burning right now.

Leg Press
-This one was tough for me to include, but due to the sheer amount of weight you can do on this exercise, I couldn't leave it out in good faith. Not only a great quad exercise, it slams the hams, hips and glutes when you do it right (bury those knees in the chest). Most guys like that 2" of movement they do, but they're also walking around on legs that look like they rode an ostrich to the gym.

Pullups (or at least a type of pulldown)
-Another back exercise. BIG MUSCLE GROUPS = MORE MUSCLE FIBERS RECRUITED = MORE OVERALL GROWTH. I thought about letting this slip to the list below, but if you want width, these need to be involved.

Other Exercises You Cannot Afford To Ignore...

For whatever reason, there are a few exercises that I have left off of the above list. Some or due to the proper training/technique that must be learned. Don't get me wrong, they HAVE their place and if you don't ever do them, you need to be. Take the time to learn them and watch your physique change for the better.

-The Olympic Lifts (snatch, cleans, jerks)
-Hanging Cleans
-Heavy Lunges
-Zercher Squats
-Other Squat Variations (hacks etc)
-Any Posterior Core Work (GHR, Good AMs, etc)

Everyone has their favorite exercises and often, there is a time and a place for many of them. However, if you're looking to gain muscle mass AND EVENTUALLY BE MISTAKEN FOR SOMEONE WHO IS A WEIGHTLIFTER and not some skinny dude at the pool, you need to be doing the aforementioned lifts. It's time to stop looking for reasons to NOT bust your ass.

b

[smallfry]

this is probly one of the only "longer post's" iv ever read. and its a great post,

+1

[jproudj]

Great post. I would back up the pull up bit especially, nobody seems to do these properly yet I think they're one of the best 'back' exercises. I use a supinated grip and go all the way down on each rep. Full reps are harder than you think.

[thunder10]

Nice piece of writing; To the point, no bull****. This is something everyone here should read before making a routine.

[jlozan84]

Great article Boyd.

[musclesntx]

Thanks guys.

Originally Posted by jproudj

Great post. I would back up the pull up bit especially, nobody seems to do these properly yet I think they're one of the best 'back' exercises. I use a supinated grip and go all the way down on each rep. Full reps are harder than you think.

Yeah, that goes for everything on this damn list. Heavy does not mean INCORRECT or SLOPPY. You go strict and use the intended muscles. Army-style "get as many as possible pullups regardless of form" doesn't count. No swing, controlled, back arched and pull to the upper chest. Pinch the elbows behind the back. When you can do 15 with 100lbs hanging off of you, you won't worry about not having a wide back OR small biceps anymore.

[jennyd]

I tried to rep you...but I guess I'm stingy with reps, and it won't let me rep you again...I don't spread enough love I guess.

Edit...oh, and I suck at pull ups. I'm trying to get better. But..I still suck.

[fitme]

I can't believe I actually read that! You know me with long reads..lol
Great post.

[hrpiii]

great post. I agree 150%. I would have put 151% if you had include bb curls in the squat rack

[drugsarebad...hummmkayy]

good post. i love deadlifts. my stengths gone through the roof since i started them!!!!!!!!!!

[RJSMuscle]

the compound movements are they key to gaining muscle mass

[bencozzy]

heavy walking lunges, hell yeah im down for some of them!!

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by jproudj

Great post. I would back up the pull up bit especially, nobody seems to do these properly yet I think they're one of the best 'back' exercises. I use a supinated grip and go all the way down on each rep. Full reps are harder than you think.

Definitely true brother, I hear you.

The supinated grip you're using...wouldn't that make your pullup a chin up? Do you still have your arms placed wide on the bar?

Originally Posted by musclesntx

Heavy does not mean INCORRECT or SLOPPY. You go strict and use the intended muscles. Army-style "get as many as possible pullups regardless of form" doesn't count. No swing, controlled, back arched and pull to the upper chest. Pinch the elbows behind the back. When you can do 15 with 100lbs hanging off of you, you won't worry about not having a wide back OR small biceps anymore.

THANK YOU! I despise people who say they can do 10 or 20 pull ups and they look like they're on a swing @ a playground when they do their set!

Originally Posted by jennyd

Edit...oh, and I suck at pull ups. I'm trying to get better. But..I still suck.

Everyone does when they first start out. There's always those few exceptions that I've witnessed, but I've never seen someone who has never done a pull up in their life all of a sudden bust out 3 sets of 10 reps. It's something you get better at as time goes by, just like anything else.

I can only do 3x3 pull ups LOL. I did pullups for the first time in years just last Wednesday. Go figure.

What really sucks is you not having a good looking avatar. That's what sucks.

[thunder10]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

THANK YOU! I despise people who say they can do 10 or 20 pull ups and they look like they're on a swing @ a playground when they do their set!

So true! Then you have the guys that do a flutter kick with every rep, trying to swim their way up the bar.

[musclesntx]

Originally Posted by drugsarebad...hummmkayy

good post. i love deadlifts. my stengths gone through the roof since i started them!!!!!!!!!!

I assume you mean overall strength in pretty much every other lift, yeah? That's what it's all about man.

You just can't afford NOT to do them.

Thunder, that description made me laugh. Kind of reminds me of that old breakdancing move the "Centipede". Too many people just want to "Get over the bar" but that isn't what the exercise is about.

Dannyboy, keep the thread on target. Take that avatar sh!t to the dump where it belongs.

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by musclesntx

Dannyboy, keep the thread on target. Take that avatar sh!t to the dump where it belongs.

Just giving some support to the fellow members.

::Poker face::

[roKstar87]

you act like you know something..

jk jk

good read

[Vengeance]

You included zerchers in the others....nice


You know i'm in 100% agreement with you on this.