THE
LIFTS.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Quads · Glutes · Spinal erectors · Adductors

SETUP

Bar across the rear delts, just above the spine of the scapula. Hands slightly wider than shoulders, elbows tucked under. Walk it out in three steps, feet just outside hip width, toes flared 10–20 degrees.

EXECUTION

Brace before the descent. Break at hips and knees simultaneously. Lower until the crease of the hip drops below the top of the knee. Drive through the middle of the foot, hips and chest rising together.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Knee cave at the bottom — fix with band feedback or pause squats
• × Forward bow on the way up — load is too heavy or core is undertrained
• × Heel rise — ankle mobility or stance too narrow

PROGRAMMING

Twice a week for most lifters. One heavy day (1–5 rep range) and one volume day (8–12). Pause variations and tempo work patch leaks faster than more sets.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Quads · Upper back · Core

SETUP

Bar across the front delts, fingertips under the bar, elbows high. If wrist or shoulder mobility limits the front rack, cross-arm grip is acceptable but harder to keep tight.

EXECUTION

Elbows lead. Descend straight down — any forward lean dumps the bar. Hit depth, then drive the elbows back up first; the bar follows.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Elbows dropping under load (lost rack)
• × Knees collapsing on the ascent
• × Hyperextending at the top — soft lockout protects the lower back

PROGRAMMING

Excellent as the primary squat for athletes whose back rounds at depth. Sets of 3 to 6 for strength; sets of 8 for hypertrophy.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Pecs · Triceps · Anterior delts

SETUP

Eyes under the bar. Pull the shoulder blades down and together, plant the feet, slight arch through the thoracic spine. Grip just outside shoulder width — find where the forearm runs vertical at the bottom.

EXECUTION

Unrack with straight arms. Lower the bar to the lower sternum with control, elbows tracking at about a 60-degree angle from the torso. Touch the chest, then drive the floor away as you press.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Flared elbows — recipe for shoulder pain
• × Bouncing off the chest
• × Hips lifting off the bench at lockout (failed core brace)

PROGRAMMING

Two to three sessions per week. Top sets at RPE 7–8 build the most muscle over the long run; chasing one-rep maxes weekly is a great way to plateau.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Delts · Triceps · Upper traps · Core

SETUP

Bar in the front rack, hands just outside shoulders. Glutes squeezed, ribs down, weight in the heels.

EXECUTION

Pull the chin back to clear a path for the bar, press straight up, then push the head through at lockout so the bar finishes over the mid-foot. No leg drive — that turns this into a push press.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Lower-back hyperextension (loss of brace)
• × Pressing the bar forward instead of up
• × Soft lockout — the rep is not finished until the head is through the window

PROGRAMMING

Once a week heavy, once a week as a back-off lift after bench. The OHP responds slowly; expect three to five pounds per cycle, not per week.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Upper pecs · Anterior delts · Triceps

SETUP

Bench at 30 degrees — anything steeper turns this into a shoulder press. Dumbbells at the shoulders, palms facing forward at the bottom.

EXECUTION

Press the dumbbells up and slightly together. Pause briefly at the top, then lower under control until the upper arm is just past parallel to the floor.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Bench too steep, recruiting front delts at the expense of upper chest
• × Dumbbells clanking — that means the brace broke at lockout
• × Bouncing the bottom of the rep

PROGRAMMING

A volume staple. 3–4 sets of 8–12 once or twice a week. Smaller weight, more reps; this lift rewards the squeeze, not the load.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Lats · Biceps · Mid-back · Forearms

SETUP

Full grip, hands just outside shoulder width. Hang with active shoulders — packed down, not loose.

EXECUTION

Initiate by pulling the elbows down toward the ribs, not by curling the bar to the chin. Drive the chest to the bar. Lower under control for at least a two-second count.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Kipping into a strict set
• × Half reps from the top
• × Loose hang at the bottom — train the scap pull-up if this is leaking

PROGRAMMING

Greasing the groove works here. Three to five clean reps every time you walk past a bar will build a double-digit max faster than dedicated strength sessions.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Lats · Rhomboids · Rear delts · Erectors

SETUP

Bar over mid-foot. Hinge to a torso angle around 45 degrees, grip just outside shoulders, knees slightly bent. Brace as if for a deadlift.

EXECUTION

Pull the bar to the lower sternum, elbows tracking back, not flared. Hold a brief contraction at the top, then lower the bar back to the lockout position — not to the floor.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Torso rising on every rep (cheating the load)
• × Bar pulled to the upper chest, dumping load to the rear delts
• × Lower-back rounding at the start of the pull

PROGRAMMING

Twice a week, in the 5–8 rep range. A great accessory for the deadlift — the brace and hinge are nearly identical.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Mid-back · Lats · Rear delts

SETUP

Bench at 30–45 degrees, chest pressed firmly against the pad. Dumbbells hanging at full reach below the shoulders.

EXECUTION

Pull the elbows up and back. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top for a one-second count. Lower under control to a full stretch.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Chest lifting off the pad — that is the whole point of the exercise
• × Shrugging the weight rather than rowing it
• × Cutting the bottom range short

PROGRAMMING

Best programmed after the barbell row, in the 10–15 rep range. The forced isolation builds the mid-back faster than freestanding rows.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Hamstrings · Glutes · Erectors · Lats · Grip

SETUP

Bar over mid-foot, an inch from the shins. Hands just outside the knees. Hips higher than knees, shoulders just in front of the bar. Wedge the chest up against the bar before the pull begins.

EXECUTION

Push the floor away — do not yank. Bar travels in a straight vertical line, brushing the legs the entire way up. Lock out with the hips, not by leaning back.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Hips shooting up first (the squat-up-then-pull error)
• × Bar drifting forward in the mid-range
• × Hyperextended lockout — a stacked position is the goal, not a tilt

PROGRAMMING

Once a week heavy is enough for most lifters. The recovery cost is high and the strength carry-over from rows, RDLs, and good mornings is substantial.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Hamstrings · Glutes · Erectors

SETUP

Take the bar from the rack or off a low block. Soft knees, neutral spine, bar against the thighs.

EXECUTION

Push the hips back as if reaching for a wall behind you. Slide the bar down the legs until you feel a strong hamstring stretch — usually mid-shin to just below the kneecap. Drive the hips forward to return.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Squatting it down (knees breaking instead of hips)
• × Bar drifting away from the legs
• × Going too low and rounding the lower back

PROGRAMMING

Twice a week in the 6–10 rep range. A staple for anyone whose deadlift stalls in the bottom — the RDL teaches the hinge pattern under stretch.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Glutes · Hamstrings

SETUP

Upper back on a bench, bar across the hips with a pad. Feet flat, shins vertical at the top of the rep.

EXECUTION

Drive the hips up by squeezing the glutes — not by pushing through the toes or arching the lower back. Pause for one second at full lockout with ribs down.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Hyperextending the lumbar spine at the top
• × Shins angled forward, putting load into the quads
• × Bouncing reps off the floor

PROGRAMMING

Once or twice a week, in the 8–15 rep range. Best programmed at the end of a lower-body session — never before a heavy squat.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Quads · Glutes · Adductors · Hip stabilizers

SETUP

Rear foot on a bench, front foot a long stride out. Dumbbells at the sides, or a single goblet for less load.

EXECUTION

Lower straight down, front knee tracking over the toes. The rear leg is a kickstand, not a driver. Drive through the entire front foot to return.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Front foot too close to the bench (excess knee shear)
• × Pushing off the rear toes
• × Leaning the torso forward to shift load off the working leg

PROGRAMMING

A unilateral cornerstone. 3 sets of 8–12 per leg, once or twice a week. Single-leg work fixes asymmetries that a barbell will let you hide for years.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Quads · Glutes · Hamstrings · Conditioning

SETUP

Dumbbells at the sides or front rack. Long enough lane to take 10–20 steps.

EXECUTION

Step out, lower the back knee toward the floor without slamming it, then drive through the front heel into the next step. Continuous motion, no pause at the top.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Steps too short (turns it into a squat)
• × Slamming the back knee
• × Torso pitching forward over the front leg

PROGRAMMING

A brutal conditioning-and-strength hybrid. Once a week as a finisher; 4 sets of 20–30 steps.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Grip · Traps · Core · Whole posterior chain

SETUP

Pick up the heaviest dumbbells or trap-bar load you can hold with a vertical posture. Stand tall.

EXECUTION

Walk in a straight line for 30 to 60 seconds. Ribs down, shoulders packed, breathe through the nose. The hands and the brace fail first; the legs are along for the ride.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears
• × Lower back arching as the carry gets long
• × Quick choppy steps — the carry should look slow and heavy

PROGRAMMING

Twice a week at the end of a session. Two or three carries per session, going for distance or time. One of the best investments per minute in the entire library.

PRIMARY MOVERS

Quads · Calves · Lungs

SETUP

Hands on the upright posts, body angled around 45 degrees. Load enough that a single push run takes 15 to 25 seconds.

EXECUTION

Drive through the balls of the feet, alternating long, hard strides. Stay low. The sled should not stop until the run is over.

COMMON FAULTS

• × Standing up tall (loses the leg drive)
• × Load too light — sprinting drills a different system
• × Slowing down at the end instead of finishing the run

PROGRAMMING

Once or twice a week, 6–10 runs with a full minute of rest between. The single best conditioning tool a heavy lifter can have, because it builds without breaking down the joints.