Trendy exercises come and go, but the exercises on this list will surely become staples in workouts all across the globe! An intelligent approach to training is sweeping the nation. Will you hop on the bandwagon?

At the very least, I use 1 of these 8 exercises in every workout:

1 – 1 Arm Dumbbell Press

Nothing makes you a manlier man than having a large chest. And that’s exactly why I put this exercise first.

Since  barbell bench press is so meathead-esque, I’ve decided to make bench day a little more…err….functional.

What does it do?

The 1 arm dumbbell bench press works:
- The chest
- Triceps
- Shoulder
- Core….core?!

Oh ya, you read that right. As you lower the dumbbell from the start position, you’ll feel an intense rotational force acting on your upper-body. I love the 1 arm bench press for this reason alone, but the list of benefits goes on.

You can isolate 1 side at a time, making muscular imbalances/a-symmetries a thing of the past, and get some ant-rotational core work in while being all meathead and stuff.

This exercise isn’t the only one that fixes imbalances. Pretty much any unilateral (1 arm or leg) exercise forces you to maintain a stable torso (read: core) to help transfer force through your hand to your shoulder, continuing on through the torso, to your hips and finally into the ground.

Unilateral training = muscle imbalance solution

Coaching Cues

Firstly, the working arm should be at a 45-degree angle (somewhere between neutral grip and one you use on a barbell). Positioning your arm this way gives you the most stability and helps pack the shoulder blade down and back. I’ve found this position to be the most shoulder friendly.

As you commence the descent, there is going to be an increasingly intense rotational load on your upper body. RESIST the urge to take either of your hips off the bench. Your shoulders should be square on the bench and your hips as well.
As for your feet, ideally they’re under your knees, but I wouldn’t complain if they were just outside. As long as your feet are flat on the floor and you maintain a slight arch in the lower back, you’re all-set.
Overarching your back or having a hip rise off the bench could mean it’s too heavy, bro.

Sets & Reps recommended – Anywhere from 2-4 sets for 6-8 repetitions

2 – Bent Over Lever Row with Rope

An old classic with a new-age twist.

It looks pretty cool when there are 4 wheels on the bar and you’re grasping the tiny v-handle rowing your little heart out. That’s a great way to get a deep burn in your lats, but to be honest, doesn’t do much in terms of performance improvement.

What does it do?

By using the rope and the smaller 25lb plates you can actually pull the bar up to your chest and get those shoulder blades down and back, where they’re supposed to be.
If you’re strong enough to get the bar to your chest, your rhomboids and low-traps will be fried!

The whole idea behind this variation is to get the smaller, posture oriented muscles in your mid-back working…in addition to the meaty lats.

Coaching Cues

Some clients complain of  feeling this in the lower back. The cue I use to remedy the problem is to tell them, ‘deadlift’ the bar up by the rope and then sit back into the heels as if you’re lowering it back to the ground. Just stop a few inches from contact.

Now pull like a champ.

Get the plates to touch your chest with every rep, and think of squeezing the middle of your shoulder blades together, that way you’ll know your rhomboids and low-traps are working.
A common mistake is to be bent over at an angle higher than parallel to the ground. This exercise can very easily turn into a shrug/high-pull row, which can do more harm than good, so keep yourself at parallel.

Sets & Reps recommended – Anywhere from 2-4 sets for 6-12 repetitions

3 – Bat Wing Row

At first I had no clue what these were, the name alone is strange enough. When I saw what they looked like, I kind of understood the concept.

They’re great for one helluva burn and a pump like no other.

What does it do?

Doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that you’re working essentially the same muscles as you would in a regular dumbbell row: Lats, rhomboids, low-traps, posterior shoulder…

By holding one dumbbell at the top of the row (shoulder extension, elbow flexion, and scapular retraction) you’ll feel a muscle contraction, while the other arm is working doing the reps. The fun really starts when you alternate arms to hold and row. You won’t have to use heavy weights, don’t turn it into an ego exercise because you will surely be humbled.

Coaching Cues

Do the rows slowly to focus on getting a effective squeeze on each rep. Avoid any shoulder rotation.
Similarly to the bent over lever row, you’re going to focus on squeezing the shoulder blade(s) to the spine at the top of every rep. If you feel your traps start to burn, you know that your shrugging and should change the angle of your torso in relation to the ground.

Sets & Reps recommended – Anywhere from 2-4 sets for 6-12 repetitions

4 – Front Squat

Front squats easily qualify as one of my favorites.

At first however, they could be  a bit of an ego killer. Knock off about 90lbs from your back squat and you’ll roughly have your weight for a front squat.

Not only are you using less weight, therefor less potential for injury, you’re also training your core in anti-flexion.

A front squat is SO MUCH better than a back squat because it’s pretty tough to mess up. If you don’t keep your elbows and torso upright it looks like crap.

I could go into a lengthy article stating the common pitfalls of a proper front squat, but my friend Eric Cressey wrote an outstanding article on front squat technique already. Check it out HERE.

Sets & Reps recommended – Anywhere from 2-4 sets for 1-15 repetitions

That’s all for part 1, stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

Some featured exercises in part 2 include: Trap bar deadlift, Front plank row,TWO shirt busting arm exercises and a surprise!

…And the list goes on. Click HERE for part 2