Their recommendations will take your workout¡ªand your body¡ªfrom just average to extraordinary.

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The Body Part: Back

The Best Exercise for Width:?Wide-grip Pulldown

The Best Exercise for Thickness:?Prone Dumbbell Row

The Expert:?Jim Smith

TWO-POINT PLAN

A barn-door-size back is built with two kinds of pulling exercises: horizontal and vertical. The former encompasses all rowing variations, while the latter covers pullups and pulldowns. You must use both kinds of pulling regularly, says Jim Smith, founder of Diesel Strength and Conditioning.

WHAT TO DO

The dumbbell row focuses on your lats, traps, and rhomboids, increasing the thickness of your back. This should be your staple horizontal pulling movement. For vertical pulling, use the wide-grip pulldown. It recruits the lats and teres major muscles, which, when developed, give the appearance of greater width, says Smith.

BONUS TIP

Try this strategy from Smith, called the Diesel Mass method: Do a heavy working set (six to eight reps) of wide-grip overhand pulldowns, then 15 to 20 reps with a lighter load and a different grip, such as a wide-grip underhand pulldown.

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The Body Part: Quads

The Exercise:?Front Squat

The Expert:?Ben Bruno

A SAFER SQUAT

The back squat is widely known as the king of leg exercises, but placing the bar across the front of your shoulders hits the quads even better because it forces you to keep your torso upright, says Ben Bruno, a strength coach in Los Angeles.

WHAT TO DO

If you don¡¯t have the wrist flexibility to use a clean grip, use the ¡°cross arm¡± grip or lifting straps to serve as handles.

BONUS TIP

Keep your elbows pointing straight ahead during the set. Once they drop, your upper back will round, and the bar can fall.

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The Body Part: Hamstrings

The Exercise:?Romanian Deadlift

The Expert:?Nick Tumminello

TRUE FUNCTION

These days you hear a lot about ¡°functional¡± exercises, but there¡¯s nothing more functional than an old-school Romanian deadlift. ¡°RDLs lead to results you can see,¡± says Nick Tumminello, founder of Performance University.

WHAT TO DO

To perform an RDL, keep your knees slightly bent. Instead of thinking about lowering your shoulders toward the floor, think about driving your hips backward, which will cause them to hinge, says Tumminello. RDLs transfer to all field, court, and combat sports because the movement closely matches the force-generation patterns involved in sprinting, jumping, and rotating. They¡¯re also effective for building better-looking glutes and hamstrings.

BONUS TIP

Romanian deadlifts contribute to fat loss because they¡¯re a compound exercise, so they burn more calories as they recruit more muscles.

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The Body Part: Calves

The Exercise:?Calf Raise

The Expert:?Brad Schoenfield

DOUBLEHEADER

The calves consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles. The gastroc gets worked by standing calf raises, and the soleus bears the brunt of the load during seated raises. ¡°Optimal calf development requires bent-knee and straight-knee positions for maximal growth,¡± says Brad Schoenfeld, author of The M.A.X. Muscle Plan.

WHAT TO DO

Avoid bouncing out of the bottom of your reps on either exercise. The calves are often tight due to walking and running, so holding the bottom of your reps for a second or two builds stretching into your workout and encourages more long-term growth.

BONUS TIP

There¡¯s some evidence that turning the toes in during a standing calf raise will target the lateral head of the gastroc (it¡¯s a two-headed muscle, just like the biceps), and that turning the toes out will target the medial gastroc. You can alternate your foot placement each set or dedicate one month to training the calves using one foot position and then switching it. You can do the same with seated calf raises for the soleus.

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The Body Part: Glutes

The Exercise:?Barbell Hip Thrust

The Expert: Bret Contreras

JACKED ASS

Your glutes are the most powerful muscles in your entire body. And according to Bret Contreras, a glute-training expert in Phoenix, the majority of people neglect them. Build them up with hip thrusts.

WHAT TO DO

The barbell hip thrust maximizes gluteal muscle activation. Strengthening your backside with this movement has been shown to transfer to the squat and deadlift and make for a rounder, fuller-looking butt.

Use a load that allows you to achieve anywhere between eight and 15 reps, says Contreras. Push through your heels and raise your body to full hip extension, and hold the contraction at the top of the movement for a one-second count. Perform the movement off the floor to start and, when you can, off a bench that¡¯s about 16 inches high. (See the photo at left.)

BONUS TIP

Hip thrusts are best used as an assistance exercise on a lower-body day¡ªafter sets of squats and/or deadlifts.

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The Body Part: Chest

The Exercise:?Dumbbell Flye

The Expert:?Arnold Schwarzenegger

OAK CHEST

While the bench press is great for building strength, the dumbbell flye is a superior move for targeting pec growth. It allows you to keep tension directly on your pecs for longer periods of time, thoroughly exhausting the muscles so they have to grow and taking them through a fuller range of motion.

WHAT TO DO

The secret sauce is in the range of motion and the squeeze at the top. ¡°Take your flyes all the way down as far as you can,¡± says Arnold Schwarzenegger, ¡°and inhale to expand the chest. Feel the pain and growth.¡± Then try to accelerate up as fast as you can and decelerate as your hands come together. Squeeze your chest at the top. The combination of moving as fast as possible and then having your muscle fibers work to slow down the movement and squeeze will result in a better muscle contraction. In other words: more tension on your muscles, less tension on your tendons, and a perfect combination for growth. We can¡¯t guarantee pecs like the Austrian Oak¡¯s, but you¡¯ll definitely see an improvement over what you have now.

BONUS TIP

Use flyes at any point in your workout or at the beginning to pre-exhaust your chest before you hit the bench. Prioritizing your pecs is the first step in boosting pec gains.

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The Body Part: Shoulders

The Exercise: Barbell Overhead Press

The Expert:?Martin Rooney

HEAVY DUTY

No other shoulder exercise lets you go as heavy as the overhead press, which is exactly why it¡¯s the best way to push growth, says Martin Rooney, C.S.C.S., founder of Training for Warriors.

WHAT TO DO

Try using a ¡°false grip,¡± keeping your thumb and fingers on the same side of the bar. This will allow for a little motion at the wrist and?shoulder to make the lift more comfortable.

BONUS TIP

¡°Be sure to pay attention to the eccentric [lowering] phase,¡± says Rooney. That means controlling both the up and down parts of the lift.

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The Body Part: Traps

The Exercise:?Rack Deadlift

The Expert:?Jason Ferruggia

NICE RACK

Deadlifts from the floor are great, but rack deadlifts are more effective for building hulking traps. You don¡¯t have to lift around your knees in the eccentric (lowering) phase, so they¡¯re less stressful to your body and thus easier to recover from, says Jason Ferruggia, owner of Renegade Strength & Conditioning.

WHAT TO DO

Set the bar slightly above knee height. (Having the bar on mats, if available, or plates is better than pins.) Keep a neutral spine and get down in position by pushing your hips back and compressing your hamstrings, says Ferruggia. ¡°Don¡¯t use a belt¡ªuse a double overhand grip [to prevent a potential biceps tear], and crush the bar in your hands.¡±

BONUS TIP

You don¡¯t need to go heavy to make rack deadlifts effective. Start by using 80 percent of your one-rep max deadlift. ¡°You can still get insanely strong and set new PRs with that,¡± Ferruggia says.

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The Body Part: Biceps

The Exercise:?Chinup

The Expert:?Dan Trink

ARM YOURSELF

Curls are fine, but the advantage of chinups is that they let you work your biceps using your full body weight, says Dan Trink, C.S.C.S., founder of Trink Fitness. It¡¯s that type of overload, rather than 30-pound dumbbells, that leads to new biceps growth.

WHAT TO DO

Grasp the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing you). Start from a dead hang with your arms fully extended; drive your chest all the way up to the bar and squeeze your biceps at the top as if you¡¯re flexing. Then take four seconds to lower your body back to a dead hang. You won¡¯t be able to do many reps, but you¡¯ll see your arms grow.

BONUS TIP

Avoid excessive biceps work. You don¡¯t need to do direct arm training more than twice a week if your program already includes chinups and row variations¡ªthat¡¯s overkill. Also, curls should be done light. Never go below six reps per set. Save heavy loads for chinups. (They can handle it.)

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The Body Part: Triceps

The Exercise: Decline Triceps Extension

The Expert:?Dan Trink

CRUSH ¡¯EM

Lying triceps extensions (aka skull crushers) build the perfect horseshoe triceps, says Trink. But performing them on a decline bench takes it up another notch. The decline bench puts a greater stretch on the triceps, forcing them to contract harder and recruit more fibers. The angle also makes it more difficult for the weight to rest on your elbow joints. Having your arms point behind your head keeps the tension where you want it¡ªon the triceps themselves.

WHAT TO DO

Set the bench to a 30-degree decline and secure your feet. Have a partner hand you the bar and hold it behind your head. Keep your upper arms in this position. Lower the bar to the space between your eyebrows and hairline, taking three to four seconds to do so. (Don¡¯t sling the bar back behind your head or slam it into your forehead¡ªneither is good for your health or your performance.) Then press the weight back to the starting position and flex your triceps at the top.

BONUS TIP

Keep reps on the higher side to protect your elbows, and use an EZ-bar to take pressure off your wrists. Another option: Use dumbbells.

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The Body Part: Abs

The Exercise:?Lying Bench Hip Rollup

The Expert:?Ron Mathews

LET IT ROLL

The lying bench hip rollup strengthens your deep core muscles¡ªthe transverse abdominis and obliques¡ªsays Ron Mathews, trainer to celebs like Joe Manganiello and Hugh Jackman. The two primary functions of these muscles are pulling the ribs down and stabilizing the spine. Why is this so important? Because if your rib cage raises, it forces your back to arch excessively, which isn¡¯t efficient for transferring force and can lead to injury. Strengthening these muscles will help your posture, protect your back, and minimize lost force across the core.

WHAT TO DO

Lie down on a bench, reach over your head, and grab hold of the bench with your elbows pointing up. Raise your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your shins are parallel, creating a 90-degree angle at your hips and knees. Press your lower back flat into the bench and don¡¯t let it arch at all for the entire exercise. While keeping your back flat, extend your legs out straight. Slowly bring your legs back in to the starting position and then continue to roll your hips off the bench one vertebrae at a time. Slowly lower your hips with control. Perform 10 full reps, then another 10 with just the hip roll up and down but not the leg extension.

BONUS TIP

Place your ab training at the beginning of your workout if abs are top priority.

Enter the 6-Week Fat Loss Workout Program.

To maximally reduce your body fat percent, you¡¯re going to have to start in the kitchen. You may have heard the saying that?abs are made in the kitchen, which is true ¨C you can lose fat and not even pick up a single weight or run a single step through caloric deficit. But in order to lose weight, build muscle, increase muscular strength, and improve your cardio fitness you¡¯re going to have to start putting some effort into your weight loss goals. So, to lose fat as much as possible, your program will consist of 3 full body workouts per week (alternating between Workout A and Workout B) with 2 days of cardio and 2 days off.

Over the 6-weeks, your fat loss workout program will look like this:

What does ¡°5 reps/L/R (10RM) for X-min¡± mean?

Set your timer for the number of minutes (X) recommended and choose a weight you can perform 10 repetitions with. In this workout, you¡¯ll only be performing 5 reps. With 5 reps ¡°left in the tank,¡± you¡¯ll be able to move to the pair exercise with little to no rest. For the paired exercise, do the same: Do what the workout suggests rep-wise or choose a weight you can do 10 times, but only perform 5 reps. Go back and forth between these paired exercises with as little rest as possible. Once your timer beeps, you¡¯re done that circuit for that workout. Make sure to check the table for the suggested timeframe for the following week(s).

Edgar Artiga

Workout A: Full Body

*Barbell Complex = Bent Over Row, Hang Power Clean to Push Press, Back Squat
**add 5-10lb to the weight used the week prior
***add 5-10lb to the weight used the week prior

Hero Images / Getty

Workout B: Full Body

*Barbell Complex = Romanian Deadlift, Hang Clean to Thruster (squat to press), Good Morning
**add 5-10lb to the weight used the week prior
***add 5-10lb to the weight used the week prior

Per Bernal

Cardio Workout 1

Start with a 5-10 minute general cardiovascular warm up followed by 5-10 minute dynamic drills (stretches and skipping variations).

Next, set up a treadmill to the maximal incline and at a speed you can sprint for 30-seconds. Set up a mat beside your treadmill with an exercise ball, a 50lb dumbbell and an ab wheel.

• Perform a 30-sec hill sprint and carefully step off the treadmill (keep it running).
• Perform 30-sec Elbow Plank on the exercise ball.
• Perform another 30-sec hill sprint.
• Perform 30 reverse crunches while holding the dumbbell (which is placed on the floor above your head).
• Perform another 30-sec hill sprint.
• Perform 30 ab wheel rollouts from your knees.

Repeat this total sequence 8-10 times through.

Finish with a 5-10 minute general cardiovascular cool down.

Cardio Workout 2

Start with a 5-10 minute general cardiovascular warm up followed by 5-10 minute dynamic drills (stretches and skipping variations).

Next, set up a treadmill to the maximal incline and at a speed you can sprint for 60-seconds.

• Perform a 60-sec hill sprint and carefully step off the treadmill (keep it running).
• Perform 20 kneeling high cable crunches.
• Perform a farmer¡¯s carry with the heaviest dumbbells you can find. Walk as far as possible before putting the dumbbells down.
• Perform another 60-sec hill sprint.
• Perform 20 lateral medicine ball wall tosses per side.
• Perform another farmer¡¯s carry just as written above.

Repeat this total sequence 6-8 times through.

Finish with a 5-10 minute general cardiovascular cool down.

Losing fat and taking your body fat percent down is not as easy task. You¡¯re going to need a great support team to help you stay on track. Make sure to get enough quality sleep per night to ensure you can recovery well in between workouts ¨C shoot for 7-9 hours per night. Drink plenty of water spaced throughout the day and prepare healthy snacks just incase you¡¯re out and get hungry. Remember, diet plays more of a role in fat loss than high intensity workouts. I¡¯ll end by rephrasing a quote I read from fitness great Adam Bornstein: ¡°Eat for the body you want, not for the body you currently have.¡±

Healthy Eating

28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan

With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.

Read article

Now that that¡¯s out of the way, there are some aspects of a man¡¯s physique that catch a woman¡¯s attention. After all, it doesn¡¯t hurt to have an Adonis-like physique to go along with good listening skills, an inquisitive nature, and attention to detail. Think of yourself as a dinner plate¡ªyou might taste good (i.e. be polite and have a good personality) but if you look like crap very few diners are going to want to stick their fork into you. You eat with your eyes first.

Here¡¯s a roundup¡ªin no particular order¡ªof the features women love on a guy; and not even just the body parts, but what specifically about men appeal to women. Some of these are obvious, while others might catch you off guard. Either way, all of these have been proven by science to be irresistible to women so get your notebook out now.

You can sculpt some in the gym, but others have already been fated by genetics (sorry). Either way, this will give you some insight on what females prefer. Hint: You¡¯ll quickly find that women are not much different than men.

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Nice Set of Abs

In a (not-so-surprising) study conducted by Western Illinois University, women rated abs as the sexiest muscle on a man¡¯s body, ThePostGame.com reports. It makes sense; your abdominals are front and center¡ªwell, if you¡¯re not wearing clothes¡ªso her eyes are inevitably drawn there at first-glance (other than your face, of course). Lucky for you, you can sculpt your abs; no such luck with changing your face. And to be fair, it¡¯s not that women are completely shallow. Men with a large amount of abdominal fat have lower levels of testosterone, which translates to a lower sex drive and fertility, according to Gordon Patzer¡¯s book ¡°Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined.¡±

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Generous Posterior

Women aren¡¯t staring at the back of your head or the backs of your knees when you turn around.?Surprise!?Women like butts just as much (okay, maybe not as much) as men do, as evidenced by an?AskMen?poll. Of the 100 women surveyed,?majority expressed their adoration for strong glutes; see, your girlfriend is paying attention when you watch football and baseball.?

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Wide, Strong Shoulders

A woman¡¯s sexual satisfaction is strongly linked to her partner¡¯s attractiveness and shoulder breadth, a study from the University of Albany found. The takeaway for meek-shouldered men: hit the gym. Broad, well-defined shoulders have always been considered a sign of strength and masculinity; plus, men with a higher shoulder-to-hip ratio reported having sex at an early age and with more sexual partners, according to David Perett¡¯s book In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction.

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Ripped, Tapered Back

In a 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, back broadness (remember that shoulder-to-hip ratio?), accounted for over 79 percent of the variability in a woman¡¯s perceived attraction to a man. Having a wide V-shaped back even trumped a man¡¯s height and endowment when it came to physical attractiveness.

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Defined, Strong Arms

In a HerCampus.com?survey of over 100 college women across the country, a majority ranked arms as the biggest turn on. Women feel it¡¯s a sign that you take good care of your body and admitted they love to see a hint of a man¡¯s biceps through his t-shirt or sweater. Strong arms signify a man¡¯s ability to protect a woman¡ªand, inadvertently, his ability to lift her up¡­

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Chiseled Chest

As mentioned before in Perett¡¯s book, In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction, women show a stronger attraction toward men with a figure consistent with the ideal hunting physique: strong shoulders, narrow waists, and broad chests and shoulders. Women prefer a man to be toned, but not brawny and bulked out to the max. You want a solid chest; not man boobs or muscle boobs that rival our own, just chiseled pecs.

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Your Face

According to research from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, women are most attracted to men whose faces inspire their proclivity to nurture with their desire to mate with a sexually mature partner, the LA Times reports. What this means is they like men with large eyes and a medium-to-small nose (¡°baby face¡± features), and a strong jaw and wide cheekbones (mature man¡¯s face). Women want a compassionate-looking good guy?and a bad boy that exudes sexual power. Basically women have made up their mind to not make up their mind.

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Mysterious Mouth

Oh, the allure of bad boys. A study from the University of British Columbia found that women are less sexually attracted to happy guys than brooding men. Warning: you may become sulky after reading this. While a smile is essential to social interactions, women were more attracted to men who looked proud, powerful and yes, a little moody at first-glance. Act mysterious and aloof at first, and once you¡¯ve got her, grin away.

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Powerful Hands

Women are detail-oriented. In an AskMen poll, women said they loved a man¡¯s hands because it says a lot about him like what he does for a living, as well as his devotion to grooming and maintenance. Bigger hands also relate to masculinity, though you probably knew that already.

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The Right Amount of Facial Hair

Women find men with heavy stubble to be the most attractive form of facial hair, a 2013 study from the journal Evolution & Human Behavior finds. They find heavy beards, light stubble and clean-shaven faces to be less attractive. However, women associate full beards with good health and parenting ability¡ªsomething to think about for the future, perhaps.

The funny thing is, despite all of the hard work, very few get to display the kind of chest that you¡¯d find on the likes of Golden Age bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Frank Zane. That¡¯s because?building perfect pecs?isn¡¯t as easy as lying on a bench and mindlessly pressing humongous weights. It takes a well-thought-out, progressive, and meticulous approach that carefully avoids the following mistakes.

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Error 1: Failing to Set the Torso Correctly

This is, in my opinion, the most common reason people fail to build the kind of chest they desire. Before even beginning any set of presses or flyes, make sure to raise the ribcage, slightly arch the lower back, and shrug the shoulders down and back. This position must be held from the beginning to end of each set.

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Error 2: Utilizing Too Few Reps Per Set

For some reason, most guys worry more about how much weight they are lifting than about how they¡¯re lifting it when it comes to chest training. While it¡¯s fun to test one¡¯s strength on occasion with a single or double on the bench or incline press, this will do little to stimulate actual muscle growth. Most of the time, I advise 7-12 reps per set in perfect form if your main goal is huge pecs.

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Error 3: Too Much (Barbell) Bench Pressing

There¡¯s no doubt that the barbell bench press is an awesome pec-building exercise. After all, some of the best chests of all time were sculpted by ¡°big benchers.¡± However, I feel most trainees rely on this movement too much, which can not only hold back muscular development, but also cause overuse injuries that lead to major shoulder issues. Make sure to use a wide variety of exercises in your chest program, including flyes, dips, and pullovers, as well dumbbell and machine work.

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Error 4: Not Emphasizing the Negatives

In an effort to put up bigger weights, many guys let the barbell or dumbbells quickly drop to their chests so a nice rebound can occur from the bottom. Not only can this cause muscle tears and/or rib cage injuries, but it will also rob you of the most effective portion (as far as hypertrophy is concerned) of every rep. Make sure to emphasize the negative (eccentric) potion of every rep by lowering the weight over two to five seconds for maximum pec development.

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Error 5: Missing the Angles

If you are aware of my many articles and how I coach my students, then you know how big I am on changing up the angles of push/pull in order to hit a muscle in its entirety and recruit all sets of motor unit pools. When it comes to training the chest you can press/flye from a decline all the way to a very high incline, with so many angles in between. Vary these angles to knock off every muscle fiber and to make training more interesting.

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Best For Chest: Smith Machine Power Press

Best way to do it:?Set a flat bench in the middle of a Smith machine so that the bar lowers to your middle chest. Lie back, grasp the bar with a shoulder-width grip and unhook the latches. Slowly lower the bar to your chest just as you would during a normal bench press set. When the bar reaches your chest, explosively press it up so that you throw the bar up as high as possible, to the point that it actually leaves your hands at the top. Upon release, keep your arms extended with a slight bend in the elbows and catch the weight as it comes back down. Reset your hands so they¡¯re even before doing the next rep.

Best weight:?50-80% of your 1-rep max on bench press

Best set/rep range:?3 sets, 3-5 reps

Best time to do it:?As the first exercise in your chest workout

Why it¡¯s the best:?When you do a normal bench press, you actually have to slow the bar down at the top, meaning you decrease the force you¡¯re applying to the bar at the end of each rep, which is counterproductive for developing power. With the Smith machine power press, you don¡¯t need to slow the bar down; it can leave your hands, thus allowing you to produce the most power possible.

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Best For Back: One-Arm Smith Machine Power Row

Best way to do it:?Place the bar at the very bottom of the Smith machine and stand sideways to it with your right foot 12¨C18¡å away to provide the bar plenty of clearance when you release it. Grasp the bar with your right hand, bend your knees slightly, and keep your back flat. Using your back muscles, pull the weight up forcefully and let go of the bar as you pull your shoulder blade back. Let the weight fall to the start; it will be cushioned by the bumper springs. Repeat for reps, then switch arms.

Best weight:?40-60% of your estimated one-arm row 1RM

Best set/rep range:?3 sets, 3-8 reps

Best time to do it:?As the first exercise in your back workout

Why it¡¯s the best:?Like the Smith machine power press for chest, this version of one-arm row prevents you from having to decrease force production at the top of each rep. Because you can let the bar go and it will be guided along the guide rods, you¡¯re able to apply explosive power all the way through the range of motion. Regularly performing this explosive exercise will not only help you increase your strength on all rowing exercises, but you¡¯ll never have to pull the start cord on any lawnmower more than once.

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Best For Delts: Dumbbell Overhead Push Press

Best way to do it:?With your feet shoulder-width apart, clean a pair of dumbbells to shoulder-height, palms facing forward; this is your start position. Take a deep breath and hold it, expanding your chest and raising your shoulders while contracting your abs and lower back to keep your trunk tight. Dip straight down, bending your knees until they bend to about 120o, then drive your body up with an explosive extension of the hips and knees, similar to a vertical jump. The drive should provide enough momentum to push the dumbbells almost to the top (arms extended) position. When the leg drive is complete, press the weight the rest of the way overhead using your shoulders and arms. Slowly lower the weight back to the start position.

Best weight:?50-80% of your estimated 1RM for overhead push press

Best set/rep range:?3 sets, 3-5 reps

Best time to do it:?As the first exercise in your shoulder workout

Why it¡¯s the best:?Due to the assistance from the legs, the push press lets you drive up more weight than you¡¯d be able to do with your shoulders and arms alone. Plus, the drive from the legs supplies momentum to speed up the dumbbells. Those two factors¡ªweight and speed¡ªare the two most critical for developing power.

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Best For Legs: Jump Squat

Best way to do it:?Hold a loaded barbell on the back of your shoulders as you would for a set of regular squats. Slowly lower into a squat, keeping your chest out and back flat, until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, then explode up as fast as you can so that your feet leave the floor at the top of the motion. Land with soft knees (never land with your knees locked out), settle yourself, then go down into your next rep.

Best weight:?40% of your 1RM on squats (or bodyweight only, no bar)

Best set/rep range:?3 sets, 3-10 reps

Best time to do it:?As the first exercise in your legs workout

Why it¡¯s the best:?Because you leave the ground as you reach the top of the squat, you don¡¯t need to slow down the weight at the top. This builds maximal lower-body power and will also help you lift more on standard squats (not to mention other legs exercises) to enhance muscular strength and size.

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Best For Triceps: Close-Grip Bench Press With Chains

Best way to do it:?Perform these as you would normal close-grip bench presses¡ªhands spaced just inside shoulder-width, elbows in tight to the body¡ªwith the difference being the chains added to either end of the barbell. We suggest you order the complete set of chains from a retailer such as elitefts.com, which comes with two 3/8¡± chains and two 5/8¡± chains. The 3/8¡± chain is used to wrap on the end of the bar and hold the 5/8¡± chain. One 3/8¡± chain (5lbs) plus one 5/8¡± chain (20lbs) weighs about 25lbs. When setting up the chains on the bar, it¡¯s crucial that the 5/8¡± chains be completely on the floor in the bottom position and halfway off the ground at the top.

Best weight:?Load the bar with a weight equal to 40-70% of your estimated 1RM for close-grip bench press; the remaining resistance will come from the chains. Because only half of the 5/8¡± chains will be off the floor in the top position, you¡¯ll have about 30lbs of additional chain weight in the top position.

Best set/rep range:?3 sets, 3-8 reps

Best time to do it:?As the first exercise in your triceps workout

Why it¡¯s the best:?Using chains provides what¡¯s known as linear variable resistance¡ªresistance that increases with the range of motion. This means the resistance gets progressively heavier the further up you press the bar, which necessitates the application of more force toward the top of the lift, thus limiting the slowing down at the top of an exercise that normally occurs to stop the weight.

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Physio Ball Pushup

How to do it: Assume pushup position on a physio ball (aka Swiss ball) with your fingers pointed down the sides. Your shoulder blades should be pushed away from each other. Lower yourself until your chest barely touches the ball. Maintain control of the ball as you push as far away from the ball as possible. Keep your body straight from ear to ankle.

Why it works: As with a standard pushup, this exercise increases strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps¡ªbut the instability of the ball forces you to work your core and shoulder stability.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Pullup

How to do it: Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Hanging from the bar, pull your shoulder blades back and down to lift your body up and build momentum. Finish by pulling up with your arms.

Why it works: No other move makes you feel like you¡¯re building that V-shape torso, and with good reason. You¡¯re working the muscles of your upper back, shoulders, biceps, and forearms, along with chest.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets. If you can only do five, do five. If the pullup is too challenging at first, start with a ¡°horizontal¡± pullup by lying underneath the bar of a squat rack.

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Kettlebell Swing

How to do it: Stand holding a kettlebell with both hands in front of you with straight arms. Squat as you lower the kettlebell along an arc under and between your legs. Drive your hips, and swing the kettlebell up until your arms are parallel to the floor. Remember to keep your arms straight, and your shoulder blades drawn back and down throughout the swing.

Why it works: These don¡¯t directly target the chest, but they provide so many benefits in terms of strengthening the hips, shoulders, and core, and burning a lot of calories that you¡¯ll inevitably see results in your chest, too.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Bench Press

How to do it: Lie face-up on the bench with your feet on the floor. Your shoulders and hips should remain in contact with the bench. Grab the bar just wider than shoulder-width, and hold it with straight arms over your shoulders. Breathe in, lowering the bar to your chest, and then drive the bar back to starting position. Extend your arms and shoulders fully.

Why it works: There¡¯s a reason the NFL tests its prospects on the 225-lb bench at the combine: It tests strength and power in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. You can start with much lower weight, of course, but the effect will be the same.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do it: Lying face-up on the bench, holding dumbbells at the outside edges of your shoulders, lift the dumbbells straight up over your chest. Lower the dumbbells, touching the outside of your shoulders, then push them back up.

Why it works: This bench variation stabilizes your shoulders and helps eliminate strength imbalances, in addition to providing the same benefits of the traditional bench press.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Dip

How to do it: Position yourself above and between parallel bars, grabbing them with an overhand grip. Cross your ankles behind you. Lower yourself slowly, and push back up in a controlled manner.

Why it works: It forces you to use your chest to lift your entire bodyweight.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Burpee

How to do it: From a standing position, squat, place you hands on the ground, and ¡°jump¡± your feet out into a pushup position. Perform a pushup, and then jump your feet to your hands. Then jump as high as you can, throwing your hands over your head.

Why it works: It¡¯s a full-body pushup-like exercise that gives you all the benefits of pushups, while also challenging your cardiovascular system and ratcheting up the intensity of your workout.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Dumbbell Flye

How to do it: Lying face-up on a flat bench, hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest with elbows slightly bent, palms facing each other. Separate the hands and lower the dumbbells to the sides until you feel a stretch in your chest. At the bottom of the movement, your palms should be facing the ceiling. Reverse the motion until you reach the starting point, a movement some liken to ¡°hugging a barrel¡±.

Why it works: Few movements so effectively challenge the pecs while also hitting the shoulders and biceps.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Dumbbell Incline Press

How to do it: Lie face-up on a bench set at a 45¡ã angle. Holding dumbbells at the outside edges of your shoulders, lift the dumbbells straight up over your chest. Lower the dumbbells, touching the outside of your shoulders, then push them back up.

Why it works: It hits your chest at a different angle, forcing you to place more emphasis on your upper chest and the front of your shoulders.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Medicine Ball Chest Pass

How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, facing a brick or concrete block wall while holding a medicine ball with arms extended. Bring ball to chest, and throw as hard as possible to the wall. Catch the ball, and return to starting position.

Why it works: This builds explosive power in the chest, and can be done as fast as possible.

Prescription: 2 sets of 30 seconds with 60 seconds rest between sets.

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Work on Better Technique

Above all, you need to dial in your technique first. If you¡¯re technique is poor, it makes no sense to start adding more weight and injuring yourself further. There are three very simple cues you need to always be thinking when you squat; chest up, hips back, and knees out. Most people squat?straight?down, instead of pushing their hips back into a?hip hinge pattern?while driving their knees out, which forces them into a vertical and more quad-dominant squatting pattern. This type of squat requires great mobility at the upper back, hips and ankles and a strong core and upper back. If you don¡¯t have all of these qualities and your movement is limited, you are more likely to fall forward when the weights gets heavier.

Two drills to help you keep your chest up, push your hips back and drive your knees out are?wall squats?(which will load your posterior chain to a greater extent)¡ªwhere you face a wall with your feet about 6¡± away and squat down without hitting the wall, trying to go as deep as possible¡ªor?goblet squats¡ªwhere you hold a dumbbell vertically on one end and squat down keeping your chest out and driving your knees outward¡ªwill teach you proper positioning during the conventional squat pattern.?

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Try Different Bar Positions

Try different bar positions on your back. If you have a higher bar position¡ªright at the base of your neck¡ªyou will need to have good mobility in your upper back, hips, and ankles to be able to keep your torso vertical during?the squat. If you don¡¯t have this mobility and you are weak, you will more than likely tip forward as you descend into the bottom of the squat. It is simple physics. The longer the distance from your hips to the bar (high bar position = increased moment arm), the greater the torque at the hips. If you have a lower bar position (around mid-trap) and slightly wider stance (slightly wider than shoulder width)¡ªyou will decrease the distance from the bar to your hips (shorter moment arm) and you will have better leverage. This might allow you to stay more vertical when you squat if you have good core stability and enough hip mobility. Play around with the bar position to find the one that works best for you.?

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Gain More Core Strength

If your core is weak¡ªall of the muscles that surround your torso from the shoulders to the knees¡ªthen you will be more likely to fall forward when you squat. You need a?strong core?to stay tight and keep your torso as straight as possible when you squat. And setting the tension in the torso all starts with breathing. Before you begin the squat, you should take a full deep breath¡ªexpanding your abdomen and your chest¡ªand hold it to set intra-abdominal pressure or IAP and to help neutralize your hips. Starting the squat movement with a better position at the hips and with good intra-abdominal pressure, will be essential to moving through a great range of motion with a more vertical torso angle. After you complete one repetition, repeat this deep breath and hold before you hit the next rep. Treat each repetition in the set like its own single set. So, instead of thinking of 10 reps, think 10 singles.?

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Build Upper Back Strength

To get better at squats and to be able to squat more weight, you need a strong upper back. Every strength program should include?pull-ups, bent over rows, seated rows,?chin-ups, band pull-aparts and face pulls. If your upper back is strong, you will be able to create more core stability and stay more upright while under the bar. Also, being strong enough to drive the elbows downward when squatting, will keep your chest up¡ªespecially at the bottom of the squat¡ªand keep you from falling forward.?

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Tighten Up Your Grip

If your grip on the bar is loose, then your arms, shoulders and upper back will be loose. You need to have a?death grip?on the bar to create tension across your entire upper body. The harder you grip the bar, the more tension you¡¯ll have in your hands, forearms, biceps, shoulders, and upper back. This tension, along with a deep breath to set your intra-abdominal pressure, will create the core stability and tension you need to stay upright and safe when you squat.

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Build More Hip Strength

If your hips are weak¡ªhamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors¡ªyou will have more a tendency to fall forward and have your hips shoot upward when you come out of the hole at the bottom of a squat. Strengthening your hips with Romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, good mornings and kettlebell (or dumbbell) swings will teach you how to strengthen your hips. When we talk about strengthening the hips, we are talking about strengthening hip extension. Powerful hip extension is a fundamental movement pattern that is seen in most compound strength training exercises in the gym. And this hip hinge movement must always be done while keeping your torso in a neutral (or straight) position. That is the key. Can you maintain a straight back when you transition from hip flexion into hip extension?

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Change the Bar

Utilizing a straight barbell when you squat requires good shoulder, upper back (thoracic), hip, and ankle mobility. Mobility is defined as being able to move unrestricted through your intended range of motion.?So this means when we squat, can I maintain a good upright torso position, keep my chest up and elbows down, and do my hips and ankles bend and move freely with good stability and control, as I perform a squat pattern? Not everyone is able to remain in a good position throughout a squatting pattern with a fixed barbell on their back.?

If you can¡¯t, then you should think about regressing to wall squats and goblet squats to dial-in the squat pattern and work on your functional squat mobility.?Or, you could try a different bar to see if you can still get stronger at squats while you continue to work on your mobility and squatting better with a straight bar.?

Trying different barbells¡ªsuch as a buffalo bar, safety squat bar, giant cambered bar¡ªcan help you get a stronger squat and stay in a better position¡ªas you work on your individual limitations.

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Change Your Shoes

You¡¯ve all seen lifters who squat with their heels on 10-lb. plates. This is because it allows them to squat deeper and stay more upright, even though their have tight ankles. Ankle immobility or tightness is a major reason why most people can¡¯t squat lower and through a full range of motion. You can blame heavy workout shoes and sedentary careers.?

Squatting with your heels on 10 lb plates is a way to overcome ankle immobility and help you to squat with a more upright torso angle. Warming up barefoot (or in socks), performing various ankle mobility drills, and incorporating goblet squats are all great ways to increase ankle mobility and strengthen in new ranges of motion at the ankle.?

Weightlifting shoes¡ªthat have a firm sole and elevated heel¡ªcan also change your squat immediately. Like the 10-lb. plates, weightlifting shoes allow you to squat better and stay more upright, even when ankle mobility isn¡¯t that great.?

Here are 10 preventative steps you can take to keep you in the gym and out of the doctor¡¯s office.

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Incorrect Technique

The most common weight-training injuries are those related to the use of poor exercise technique. Incorrect technique can pull, rip or wrench a muscle or tear delicate connective tissue quicker than you can strike a match. An out-of-control barbell or stray dumbbell can wreak havoc in an instant.

Each human body has very specific biomechanical pathways. Arms and legs can only move in certain ways, particularly if you¡¯re stress-loading a limb with weight. Strive to become a technical perfectionist and respect the integrity of the exercise¡ªno twisting, turning or contorting while pushing a weight. Either make the rep using perfect technique or miss the weight. Learn how to miss a rep safely; learn how to bail out.

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Too Much Weight

Using too much weight in an exercise is a high-risk proposition ripe with injury potential. What¡¯s too much: If you can¡¯t control a weight on its downward, loading trajectory; if you can¡¯t contain a movement within its biomechanical boundaries; and if you have to jerk or heave a weight in order to lift it. An out-of-control barbell or dumbbell can have a mind of its own. The weight obeys the laws of gravity and seeks the floor. Anything in its way (or attached to it) is in danger.

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Inadequate Warm-Up

Let¡¯s define our terms: A warm-up is usually a high-rep, low-intensity, quick-paced exercise mode used to increase blood flow to the muscles. This quick, light movement raises the temperature of the involved muscles, while also decreasing blood viscosity and promoting flexibility and mobility. How? Everyone knows that a warm muscle with blood coursing through it is more elastic and pliable then a cold, stiff muscle. Riding a stationary bike, jogging, swimming, stair climbing and some high-rep weight training are recommended forms of warm-up.

Try a five to 10-minute formalized warm-up before stretching. If you choose high-rep weight training, try 25 ultralight, quick reps in the following nonstop sequence: calf raise, squat, leg curl, crunch, pull-down, bench press and curl. Do one set each with no rest between sets. This can be accomplished in fewer than five minutes and warms every major muscle in the body.

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Not Stretching

Stretching is different than warming up. Properly performed, a stretch helps relax and elongate a muscle after warm-up and before and after weight training. As a result of warming up and stretching, the muscle is warm, loose and neurologically alert¡ªat its most pliable and injury-resistant.

In addition, stretching between sets actually helps build muscle by promoting muscular circulation and increasing the elasticity of the fascia casing surrounding the muscle. Finally, if you perform muscle-specific stretches at the conclusion of your workout, you¡¯ll find that this will virtually eliminate next-day soreness.

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Bad Spotting

If you lift long enough, you¡¯ll eventually get to a point where you need to have a spotter (or spotters) for a number of exercises, including the squat and bench press. When you work as hard as you¡¯re supposed to, you occasionally miss a rep. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this. It¡¯s just a sign that you¡¯re working to your limit, which is a good thing if it isn¡¯t overdone. Yet when you work this hard, you need competent spotters.

A good spotter should conduct himself at all times as though the lifter is on the verge of total failure. Your training partner can also give you a gentle touch that allows you to complete a rep you¡¯d normally miss. A top spotter needs be strong, sensitive and ever alert to the possibility of failure¡ªnot looking around or joking with friends.

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Incorrect Cheating and Forced Reps

Cheating and forced reps are advanced techniques that allow the lifter to train beyond normal. Taken beyond the point of failure, the muscle is literally forced to grow. When incorrectly performed, a cheat or forced rep can push or pull the lifter out of the groove. The weight collapses and a spotter has to rescue the lifter.

Cheating movements work, yet cheating, by definition, is dangerous. Any time you use momentum to artificially goose rep speed, thus allowing the lifter to handle more poundage then he could using strict techniques, you risk injury. To play it safe, use the bare-minimum cheat to complete the rep. On forced reps, make sure your training partner is on your wavelength. Don¡¯t go crazy.

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Training Too Often

How does overtraining relate to injury? It negatively impacts the body¡¯s overall level of strength and conditioning. Overtraining saps energy that, in turn, retards progress. You can¡¯t grow when you¡¯re overtrained. It also interferes with both the muscle¡¯s and the nervous system¡¯s ability to recuperate¡ªATP and glycogen stores are severely depleted when an agitated metabolic status is present. In such a depleted, weakened state, is it any wonder that injury is common, particularly if the weakened athlete insists on handling big weights? The solution is to cut back to three to four sessions per week and keep session length to no more than an hour.

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Poor Nutrition

If you undereat and continue to train hard and heavy, you¡¯re likely to get hurt. Again, it relates to your overall health: Beware of heavy training when in a weakened state brought on by severe dieting or restricted eating. Best save the big weights, low reps, forced reps and negatives for nondiet growth periods. While dieting requires reduced poundage, this doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be intense in your workout, it just means you need to use lighter weight.

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Negatives

Negative (eccentric, or lowering) reps are one of the most difficult and dangerous of all weight-training techniques¡ªand very effective at stimulating muscle growth. What makes negatives so risky? The poundage you can handle in negative exercise is likely to be the highest you¡¯ll ever lift.

Normally, we only lift what we¡¯re capable of moving concentrically. In negative training, we handle a lot more weight. Most bodybuilders can control approximately 130 percent of their concentric maximum on the eccentric phase of a lift. Someone using 200 pounds for reps in the bench press, for example, would bench roughly 260 in the negative press. Because of the increased weight with negatives, you need strong, experienced spotters. Exercise extreme caution. If the rep gets away from you, the spotters need to grab the weight immediately.

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Lack of Concentration

If you¡¯re distracted, preoccupied or lackadaisical when you work out, you¡¯re inviting injury. Watch a champion bodybuilder train and one thing you¡¯ll notice is his or her intense level of concentration. This is developed over time, and the athlete systematically develops a preset mental checklist that allows him or her to focus on the task at hand. More concentration equates to more poundage. More poundage equates to more growth. More poundage can lead to getting hurt if you don¡¯t pay attention. Train smart.

In general, a superset is comprised of two movements done back to back with no rest in between. The goal is to reach momentary muscular failure on the first exercise and then to immediately move to the next ¨C again pushing until exhaustion is achieved. However, there are many different types of supersets, as well as ways to fit them into a workout. We will now explore eight, unique muscle-building supersets that will help you get supersized just in time for summer!

Workout Routines

The 4-Week Fat-Burning Superset Workout Routine

Who says lifting weights doesn¡¯t burn fat? This 4-week program comprised entirely of supersets will …

Read article

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Superset #1- The Biceps Peak Producer

Alternating DB Hammer Curl/90 Degree BB Preacher Curl: 3 x 7-9 each

Why Do It: If the goal is to increase the peal on the biceps, the only real way to do so is by building the brachialis muscle, which lies underneath. This superset utilizes two movements that put the biceps in a weaker position for elbow flexion, causing the brachialis to work much harder.

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Superset #2: The Pre-exhaust Pec-Pounder

Incline DB Flye/Smith Bench Press to Neck: 3 x 10-12/7-9

Why Do It: Pre-exhaust supersets are those in which an isolation exercise precedes a compound movement. In this case we are using the flyes to pre-fatigue the upper chest before moving to presses to the neck, which allow the anterior delts and triceps to assist in further frying the clavicular pecs.

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Superset #3: The Upper Lats Lasher

Lying DB Pullover/Stiff Arm Pulldown: 3 x 10-12 each

Why Do It: When you really wish to target the upper back, right where it ties into the armpits (to create monstrous width), this superset will get it done. One of the truly unique, and most effective, aspects of this exercise combination is that the first will produce a powerful stretch and the second an intense peak contraction. Together, this will ignite muscle growth.

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Superset #4: The Mid Back Maker

Face Down Incline DB Shrug/WG BB Bent Rows: 3 x 13-15/7-9

Why Do It: This pre-exhaust style superset will add tons of thickness all throughout the mid-back musculature, which includes the rhomboids, posterior delts and the mid-traps. When these areas are well developed it will make your back stand out in 3-D bold relief, even when standing relaxed.

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Superset #5: The Inner Quads Killer

Wide Stance Leg Press/DB Plie Squats: 3 x 7-9/16-20

Why Do It: For those of you who like more than just a little pain and nausea with your workouts, the Inner Quads Killer will certainly accommodate you. This double-compound (exercise) superset will build size and density through the adductors and down into the teardrops (vastus medialis), making your inner thighs rub together with every step. Who wants legs when they can have tree trunks?

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Superset #6: The Hamstring Hammerer

Seated Leg Curl/Stiff Leg BB Good Morning: 3 x 7-9/13-15

Why Do It: When seeking to build full, thick and sweeping hamstrings one must include both knee flexion and hip extensions exercises in their program. This superset begins with flexion, and follows with an extension movement, to completely bombard all fibers within the hamstring musculature. Additionally, the intense contractions brought about by leg curls, coupled with the powerful stretch provided by stiff leg good mornings, will create a strong anabolic signal.

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Superset #7: The Triceps Long Head Thrasher

Incline Two Arms Overhead BB Ext/Bent Overhead Cable Rope Ext: 3 x 10-12/7-9

Why Do It: The long head of the triceps is the largest, and thus will add the most mass to the upper arm. So, if you want to truly stretch the measuring tape then you want to maximize the thickness of this area. Any triceps extension movement performed with the elbows up by the ears intensifies the stretch and most strongly stimulates long head fibers. This superset gives you the perfect combination of exercises and takes advantage of both free weight and cables.

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Superset #8: The Lateral Delt Destroyer

Shoulder Wide Grip Cable Upright Row/Seated DB Side Lateral: 3 x 4-6/10-12

Why Do It: If you want to get so wide that it becomes a challenge to fit through most doorways, then it is imperative that you focus on building the lateral head of the deltoid. This post-activation superset (heavy compound exercise followed by higher rep isolation movement) forces the medial shoulder heads to work extra hard, and gets all sets of fast twitch fibers to fire until exhaustion.

However, there are a handful of exercises where particular form-points do need to be meticulously adhered to, not as much for isolation of the target muscle, but for prevention of serious injury. Here are six of them.

SEE ALSO: Training Techniques for Greater Muscle Growth

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Barbell Squat

Injury Potential: Because of the great pressure exerted on the spinal discs from holding a BB on the upper back, as well as the natural tendency to lean forward under such heavy resistance, the greatest potential for injury is to the lower back. (Other issues can include the knees and hips).

Form Points: When squatting it is important to rest the bar on a portion of the trapezius muscle where you are most comfortable. Lower yourself slowly, under full control while keeping the head up slightly, with eyes fixated on a point on the wall in front of you. Keep your scapulae tightly retracted, and your lower back somewhat arched and locked tight. Never round your back. Squat to a point of parallel, or just below, and then use your glutes, hips and thighs to forcefully push back to the standing position.

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons Your Squat Sucks

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Leg Press

Injury Potential: Because it is somewhat easy to use tremendous loads on this movement, there is quite a bit of potential to injure the lower back by over-rounding at the bottom. Knee injuries are also common because of improper placement of the feet on the platform. (Other issues can include the neck and hips).

Form Points: Set your feet about shoulder width apart with the toes pointed out just slightly so as to open up the hips. As far as height, the feet should be in a position where they are in line with the knees at the bottom of the rep. While lowering the platform, make sure to keep the torso tightly locked in place and the head in a comfortable position. Do not let your neck push forward as it is easily strained! Bring your knees slowly down to a point right before your lower back would be forced to lift and curl off the pad. Use the power of the glutes, hips and thighs to push to the top, but stop at a point just before the knees lockout.

SEE ALSO: 20-Minutes to Massive Legs

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Bentover Barbell Row

Injury Potential: Because this movement requires almost constant contraction of the lower back to remain bent forward over the bar, improper technique can easily trigger an injury. (Other issues can include the biceps, forearms and neck).

Form Points: Take a shoulder-width foot stance, bend at the knees, and with either an over or underhand grip, lift the BB off the ground. Make sure there is a bend in the knees, a slight arch in the lower back, and that the torso is over the bar at an angle of just about 90 degrees. Look straight ahead while you forcefully pull the BB into the abdomen without moving the torso. Lower the bar under control to avoid losing the arch in the low back.

SEE ALSO: The Barbell-Only Military Workout for Size and Strength

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Deadlift

Injury Potential: The deadlift is an exercise where many major muscle groups must work in concert to properly lift the load. Done incorrectly, and without engaging the needed musculature, the potential for lower back injury is great. Additionally, because the smaller muscles of the arms, i.e. the biceps and forearms, must securely hold a very heavy barbell continuously throughout the set, they can easily succumb to pulls and tears. (Other issues include the neck and abdominals).

Form Points: Plant your feet firmly on the ground about shoulder-width apart, or slightly wider, depending on the ¡°style¡± of deadlift you are performing.? Grab the bar with either a double overhand grip, or a combination over/under grip. Note: If you prefer an under/over grip, it may be best to switch hands set-to-set or workout-to-workout to avoid over-pulling on just one bicep repeatedly. I also recommend the use of wrist wraps to take some of the strain off of the forearm extensors and flexors. Bend the knees to almost 90 degrees and bend at the hips so the chest is over the bar and the torso is parallel to the ground. Begin your pull by driving through the feet, then contract the quads, glutes, hips and lower back to smoothly, but forcefully, get the bar from the ground to near the top of the lift. To straighten the torso completely, you will thrust the hips forward, tighten the glutes, lift the traps and then retract the shoulder blades. From this tightly-locked standing position, carefully reverse the process as you lower the bar back to the floor. Begin the next rep from a complete stop and not by bouncing the bar off the ground!

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons Your Deadlift Sucks

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Bench Press

Injury Potential: While many pec tears have occurred as a result of misuse of this exercise it seems that more often it causes issues to the shoulders and rotator cuffs. Not only does this manifest because of improper form and too much weight lifted, but also because many trainees perform the bench press far too often. (Other issues can include the elbows, triceps and neck).

Form Points: Begin this exercise by ¡°setting your torso for success¡±. Plant your feet firmly on the ground, arch the lower back, raise the rib cage, and shrug the shoulders down and back into the bench. Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar and lower it slowly in line with your nipples. Some of us have the shoulder flexibility to comfortably touch the bar to the chest, while others will need to stop about an inch short of this position. Never ever bounce the bar off your chest in an effort to ¡°lift more.¡± Carefully, but forcefully push the bar back to the top using the power of the pecs (primarily), anterior deltoids and triceps. Stop the bar just short of full lockout.

SEE ALSO: 10 Worst Bench Press Mistakes

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Barbell Upright Row

Injury Potential: This movement can be used to effectively target the mid-traps and deltoids when done correctly, but is quite hazardous to the rotator cuffs if the bar is raised too quickly and/or to high. (Other issues can include the neck and biceps).

Form Points: To primarily work the delts, your grip should be just outside shoulder width. When looking to hit more mid-traps, one should take a grip a couple of inches inside shoulder width. Keeping a very slight bend in the knees and your lower back tight, slowly ¡°muscle¡± (do not jerk) the bar in a straight line upward right in front of your torso. Raise the weight no higher than to a point where your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Additionally, when done correctly, the hands should be lower than the elbows at the contraction point.