Whether you’re preparing for the Mr. Olympia or tightening up following pregnancy, back day is always a big day in anyone’s workout routine. Inside today’s training video we get an inside look into Darielle Singerman’s brutal back workout with her coach and Master Trainer Neil Hill. You may know Neil as IFBB 212 Future HOFer Flex Lewis’ coach, but he’s now living in Boca Raton, Florida and is leading the charge in Dari’s post-pregnancy transformation. Watch Neil put Dari through several back exercises including dumbbell bent over rows, wide-grip lat pulldowns, seated rows, and more. Learn all of the tricks of the trade from one of the most respected coaches in the industry.

Right now, I want to challenge all of you out there who have been putting off losing those last 10lbs, struggling with the thought of changing your lifestyle, or just having a hard time in general with reaching your fitness goals. I challenge you to stick with me, a mom of 3, on a mission to lose these last 10-15lb of pregnancy weight. It’s not easy, and there are days and nights where I want to give in to the bowl of ice cream I promised my 5-year-old for finishing his dinner, give in to one of the popsicles I’m spoiling my 2-year-old with after his tonsillectomy or skip cardio because I rather get into bed at 8pm. I’m a real mom with real life mom struggles, but I don’t let these deter me from reaching my goals. There’s a difference between obsession and commitment. Obsession with fitness is not a possibility for me since I’m pretty obsessed with my kids (and hubby, won’t leave you hanging!), and I refuse to share that. Being committed is more than possible as there are many types of activities, relationships and ideas we have the ability to become committed to. Why not alter that mindset to commit ourselves to bettering our body and mind? 

I don’t lie to myself, I know that jumping right back into the workout routine is not as difficult for me mentally as it may be for someone who’s brand new to the scene. I’ve been doing this for almost 15 years, consistently for almost 10 years. Notice what I said there. That’s over 5 years of “experience” in the gym until I truly became consistent and part of my lifestyle. None of this is an overnight process, for majority of people it takes time. It’s about choosing that moment to begin and refusing to give yourself a reason to quit. Find a goal and stay focused. 

The best way to choose a goal is by the good old’ acronym SMART.

Specific – Clear & understandable. What, When, Where, Why & How.
Measurable – Add a number. Measure your progress with numbers and/or pictures.
Attainable – Not too high, not too low. Making your goal too hard can be discouraging and too easy can kill the motivation. Find something you feel can be achieved.
Relevant –  Realistic. This is personal to you and your life. It’s all about what YOU can commit to, not someone else.
Time – End points, deadlines, whatever you want to call it. We all need to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Now it’s YOUR time. If you’ve been waiting for a moment to make the change or get motivated, consider this your sign to start NOW. Sometimes you need a team to accomplish something great, so let’s do this together.

I began my post-partum transformation at 145b, with 15lb to my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m currently 3 weeks into my diet/weight loss training and while my weight has not budged much, I do notice and feel differences in my physique already. I do think numbers can tell you a lot, but sometimes it should not be the numbers on the scale, but possibly the numbers on a measuring tape and numbers in your clothing size. While weight loss should include some scale numbers to drop, it’s not always going to drop to the number you expect if you’re training smart and putting on healthy muscle. 

With that being said, it is normal to feel frustrated when you’re not seeing the scale move, as I currently am. I have been dieting for 3 weeks now, doing 20 minutes of cardio every day for 2 weeks and my weight hasn’t really moved. Something I must remind myself is that at 10 weeks post-partum, my body and hormones are still adjusting to not being pregnant. It takes time and my body has always come to a plateau in those first couple of months no matter what I do. This is when patience really is so important because our body will get back to “normal” in time. Pregnancy is 9 months, so recovery will be just as long! However, this is not a reason to stop working towards your goal because the body will click one day and start responding. This is based off of my last 2 experiences post pregnancy. 

Before I get into the specifics of what I’m doing, I just want to state that I am in no way shape or form allowing my diet and training to become priority over the love and care of my children. There are women out there (I’ve seen it on the internet) that feel the moms who are working to get back in shape/be healthy are taking away precious time from their little one. I actually wrote a blog about this and how it is possible to balance the two. Click here to read more on that. 

I have run into potential obstacles that have caused me to alter schedules, work around it or just cancel training sessions all together. For instance, my 2-year-old had to get his tonsils out earlier this week and we had to stay overnight in the hospital. I cleared out my entire week in preparation of his recovery and did not think I would get in any time to train. However, I did prepare meals and take them with me to the hospital. The diet, which is very important for weight loss, does not have to be sacrificed. Let’s be real, we have to eat anyways. Truthfully, as a mom I find it easier to pre-prepare meals anyways just to not lose our mind. I stayed on track, did not even give the gym a second thought and when I saw how well he was doing, I snuck in my workout while he napped. What I did was PREPARE. I went into the week with expectations that I would not get to train and kept my focus on the diet portion. That made the week a win-win for all of us. I spent every waking hour with my little one recovering (who happens to be a rock star with pain) and quickly got in a workout when I could. 

Diet  

Diet is important to keep in mind that you don’t want to cut calories too soon. Typically, it’s better to start off with some sort of base number. Unless you have been consistently logging everything you eat, you can’t assume how many calories you’ve been taking in. Therefore, it’s not safe to assume that you should automatically start at 1000 calories. Begin with a solid number that you feel comfortable taking calories away from. If you start at 1200 and have to take calories away once you hit a plateau, you’re going to start running on lower calories than I’d assume anyone would like. The same applies for cardio. Preferably you’ll want to start off with little to no cardio so you can see what kind of changes you can make with minimal amount. Cardio would be the other adjustment to make once you hit a plateau. 

I am currently taking in 1600 calories, and it’s hard for me to even finish some of them! Everyone has different methods of dieting that works for them as far as food sources. Some require the ability to eat what they want as long as it “fits their macros”. I personally enjoy eating whole food sources that don’t require a guessing game and constant logging. As a mom of three, I just don’t got time for that! Rather than picking apart the macros of a pizza and hoping I’m getting what I’m calculating, I prefer to get my protein from meats, eggs, fish, etc. and my carbs from rice, potatoes, oatmeal, cream of rice. Fats will be from oils, nuts, avocado or red meat. Whether I write down the meals for myself or someone else creates a diet for me, having it on paper to visually know what I’ll be eating keeps the guessing out of it and preparation easier.

Cardio

Cardio began with no cardio at all and added in 20 minutes of steady state cardio daily after the first week. Steady state meaning the same intensity throughout the 20 minutes. After two weeks of doing this, I increased the intensity within the 20 minutes to alternating levels (HIIT). So, I am not adding more time, just making my body burn more calories within those 20 minutes! Think of it as a “sprint”, even if you’re not actually sprinting. On the elliptical (we have one at the house) I will speed up very fast for 30-40 seconds and recover to normal pace for 60-90 seconds. 

Supplements

Supplements include the standard multivitamin, omega 3 & various vitamins for immune support.
On heavier days, my pre-workout of choice is 1/2 scoop of Total War 30 minutes before my workout or Double Tap fat burner.
If I don’t take a pre-workout, I will sip Breach Ballistic during my workout for aminos plus the energy.
Post workout I always take 1 scoop of Isotope protein powder (mixed with water). I will also take Isotope if I am on the run or don’t have my meat prepped and need a protein source for a meal.
Before bed I take 2 caps of Silencer, a stimulant-free fat burner, to maximize my fat burning while I sleep! 

Training

Training has included a 5-day weight training split, training each body part on its own, legs and back trained twice a week. Throughout the series I will document my workouts whether it be via writing or video. Video documentation will be a mix of instructional and entertainment for motivational purposes. To start this off, I will list off a typical back workout which will be shortly followed with the video version of this. Right now, we are focusing on higher volume meaning high reps. I’ve typically stayed in the 6-15 rep range but I am now being pushed to go to as many as 30+ reps. Getting out of your comfort zone is the first step to change and this is definitely out of mine! The main point to drive home from my workouts lately is when you begin to feel that uncomfortable burn where you want to stop, do another 10 reps.

Seated Machine Row
Lying Back Pull Down’s
Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Straight Arm Pull Down
Straight Bar Cable Bicep Curl

I have begun my transformation strong. If anything, it’s been a great beginning to get me mentally back in the swing of things. After taking a couple months off towards the end of the pregnancy and post birth, I was getting comfortable not working out for the first time in almost 10 years. Literally forcing myself back into the gym for my own sanity was my only option. That first workout sucked. But every workout would get easier and easier, mentally and physically. With a newborn on one arm, a 2 and 5-year-old on the other, I am gaining back not only my strength but my confidence as a mom, wife and woman in fitness. 

In this video, Aaron Singerman, CEO of Redcon1 talks about his personal experiences with establishing credit. He went from having a 498 credit score to well over 750 in just 5 years. He tells all the tips and secrets he’s learned along the way to build EXCELLENT credit!

Since the world’s largest bodybuilding show was recently, this conversation has come up a lot.  “He had him everywhere but the back.”  “His arms need to grow to match his chest.”  “His quads dominate his upper body.” 

Lagging body parts are frustrating, especially when it seems like you are doing everything to improve them.  When we begin training everything seems to grow at such a high clip that it takes a while before you even begin to realize that certain body parts are not growing at the same rate as others.  Larger muscle groups take longer to develop than the smaller muscle groups.  Genetics also play a critical role in where you can pack on muscle mass.  Some people just aren’t meant to have 21 inch arms.  While that is a hard reality to accept; you can still progress to where you have a muscle bound and symmetrical physique.  You must learn to train smarter, not just harder.  Let’s look at some different methods to bring up lagging body parts.

Increase Frequency

If you have been hitting the same weekly split for years and nothing is happening, why not change it up?  Increase the workload from once a week to two or three times a week.  The increased frequency and volume will elicit more muscular damage, which will hopefully in turn mean more muscle hypertrophy.  Frank Zane was a big proponent of overtraining lagging body parts to bring them up.    

By increasing frequency, overall volume within the training session may need to be taken back to ensure recovery is still optimal.  I would try to limit the overall work sets to under 10.  That means if you do three different exercises, only do three sets of those exercises.  It’s also a good idea to mix up the exercises during each session.  For example, if you do flat barbell bench press on Monday, don’t do barbell bench press on Wednesday.  Choose a different compound chest exercise such as incline dumbbell press. 

If increasing frequency is the route you take to try and bring up lagging body parts, skip the advanced training techniques such as drop sets and supersets.  The nervous system can only handle so much, and by increasing frequency it will already be taking more of a hit than normal. 

By increasing frequency, your overall recovery ability will be compromised to a certain degree.  It’s important to remember this when constructing your training program, as other areas of training need to reflect this change in frequency.  Also focus on bringing up only one lagging body part if it is a large muscle group.  You will run your body into the ground if trying to bring up both legs and back simultaneously. 

Decrease Frequency

How can decreasing frequency be a benefit, when we just talked about increasing frequency?  You could actually be training too much; not allowing your body to fully recover between training sessions.  It typically takes 72 hours after a muscle is worked before it is fully recovered, and protein synthesis starts to dissipate.  A lot of times we use muscle indirectly when targeting other muscle groups, like triceps during a chest session for example.

Typically this is much less likely of a scenario than needing to train more frequently, but nevertheless it is still a possibility.

Using Proper Form

This probably seems like a no brainer, but not using proper form to target a muscle is a surefire way to miss out on some growth.  It’s important to consciously visualize the muscle being worked.  You may need to lower the weight and focus on the contraction of the muscle. 

Working the muscle in a full range of motion will also give the greatest return when it comes to muscle hypertrophy.  Remember, we are trying to build muscle here not just move weight.  The weight is secondary to form when hypertrophy is the main goal.

Pre Exhaust

This technique could be the most important to bringing up a lagging body part, especially for those who have trouble “feeling” the muscle being worked.  Pre exhausting a muscle is the idea of pre fatiguing the muscle by isolation before any compound exercises.  This is typically done with an isolation movement like pec deck for chest or straight arm pulldowns for back.  Choose an exercise that will not exhaust any other muscle than the one you want to target. 

This will force blood into the target muscle, making it easier to feel the movement.  When setting up a program with pre exhausting incorporated, it’s crucial that the muscle being pre exhausted is not too much of a secondary muscle.  For example, do not pre exhaust the biceps before a back session.  If you do set up your training with two muscle groups being worked, always pre exhaust the larger muscle group first.

Unilateral Work

Unilateral movement is working one side of the body, and then the other.  So alternating dumbbell curls, one arm pulldowns, and one leg extensions are all examples of unilateral movement.  This is a great way to bring up a lagging body part, and bring more balance to your physique. 

Unilateral movements actually recruit more muscle fiber activation than bilateral work.  Typically if you were to add up the weight between the two sides of the body, you are stronger on unilateral work than bilateral.  Heavier weight means a heavier and bigger physique.  Unilateral training is great for repairing muscular imbalances, such as one bicep being slightly larger than the other. 

Increase Overall Volume

I am strictly talking about within the session here.  We already touched on increasing frequency, which will in turn increase volume over time.  By increasing volume within each session the muscle is being taxed further.  Recovery will be compromised to a certain degree, so nutrition and supplementation should reflect this. 

Volume does not just refer to the amount of sets and reps completed in a workout, but could also mean different advanced training techniques.  These could be drop sets, supersets, negatives, and time under tension.  Anything that puts the muscle under more stress during a session could be considered as increased work volume.  Negatives are a great way to increase volume, because the increased time under tension will recruit more motor units than a traditional rep tempo.  Pump sets are another great way to increase total volume.  Pump sets keep the muscle under tension the whole set, while not completing an entire range of motion.  Think of the difference between how a bodybuilder does the bench press compared to a powerlifter.  Now take that concept and exaggerate it even more.  This is a fantastic way to burn out the muscle at the end of a session.

Increase Carbs around Workout

Nutrition obviously plays a key role in growing any muscle group.  When a muscle group is lagging, this is especially crucial.  You will need every edge you can get to increase glycogen uptake into the target muscle group.

Start by consuming slightly higher carbs before the workout.  Make sure the meal isn’t too large, as you want blood going to the muscle and not just to the gastrointestinal tract.  Choose a carb source such as white rice or oatmeal. 

During the workout consume an intra workout carb source like Redcon1 Cluster Bomb.  This product has 25 grams of Cluster Dextrin per serving.  Cluster Dextrin is an easily digestible form of carbs with rapid gastric emptying properties.  This means that it will not weigh too heavily on the stomach, but will replenish glycogen to the target muscle group.  To bring up a lagging body part, try by increasing peri workout nutrition only on the days this muscle is being trained. 

Isolate

We all know that compound exercises are king when it comes to getting bigger, but isolation movements have their place.  This is especially true for muscles that need to be brought up. 

Complete your normal workout, but throw in some specialized isolation movements to really burn out the muscle.  This concept is like pre exhausting, but backwards.  Instead of exhausting the muscle before compounds, you will really burn it out after the heavy lifting is completed.  This is a great technique for those not wanting to lose strength before major compound lifts. 

Turn Weaknesses into Strengths

Give some of these ideas a go.  Remember that your physique was not built over night, and neither will lagging body parts.  You cannot just throw the whole kitchen sink at it and hope that it all sticks.  Try by implementing one or two of these at a time, and then move on to the next.  Give these some time and you will see your physique grow into the symmetrical statue you had always hoped.   

-Daniel Henigsmith

Who should take Boom Stick? Studies have shown most men start to decline in natural testosterone production between their late 20s and early 30s. This slow decent continues until your early 40s. This is when many start to see a decrease in muscle tone, increased body fat, fatigue, and lower sex drive. Sound like fun? I thought not. This can be prevented by adding a natural testosterone booster to your daily routine. A product like Boom Stick is the perfect answer. Let me clarify, this is a natural test booster, so for anyone worried about steroid use or bodily harm from synthetic chemicals, you need not worry. Because it is natural, Boom Stick will not convert to estrogen, nor is it liver toxic. This also makes it an ideal product to use between cycles if you are a user of anabolics. Let’s get down to ingredients and how this amazing product works.

Featuring a heavy dose of D-Aspartic acid, this ingredient is sure to ramp up your natural testosterone production. Studies have shown that taking D-Aspartic Acid, also known as DAA, can cause a significant increase in the output of testosterone via the testes.

Boom Stick also includes an awesome ingredient known as Ashwagandha. This herb is phenomenal, as it help reduce stress by minimizing the stress hormone, Cortisol.  It has also shown to have a positive effect on testosterone levels, while also increasing sperm levels in men. This, coupled with an increase in testosterone levels provided by the DAA will help maximize your exercising capabilities and your results.

Fenugreek is another cool ingredient used in this product. While studies show Fenugreek does not affect testosterone output on a significant scale, it does in fact help prevent the breakdown of testosterone, thus helping you maintain healthy hormone levels.

This next ingredient is really special, as it covers a problem not many seem to think about when it comes to boosting testosterone. Diindolylmethane, or an easier way to say it, DIM, helps to balance hormone levels by acting as an aromatase inhibitor. What does this mean? Well, aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. This can be a big problem when elevating testosterone levels. By having an aromatase inhibitor, you are allowing yourself to reap the benefits of higher levels of test, without the side effects of increased estrogen.

Nettle Extract is used in Boom Stick. This is significant as this herb has been shown to inhibit SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin). This results in higher levels of total testosterone in the body, as SHBG no longer binds with the testosterone. Once again, more test = better for you.

The last and ingredient I want to touch on is DHEA. DHEA is a precursor to testosterone, and is thus converted in the body to testosterone. This ingredient is normally produced by the adrenal glands, but has shown to decrease with aging. Having DHEA in a test boosting product is great, especially for men who may be experiencing a decline in natural testosterone production.

Add all of these ingredients up, and you are left with one hell of a natural testosterone boosting product. You see, it important to boost your testosterone, but it is even more vital to ensure you are covering all other aspects of hormone balancing. Boom Stick not only enhances your natural testosterone levels, but it also minimizes estrogen levels and frees up your natural test. Using these ingredients, and at the proper dosages, you are sure to experience elevated test levels.

The product speaks for itself. I encourage you to have blood work done and get your levels checked. After one month of taking Boom Stick, have your testosterone checked again and see the results first hand. You will not be disappointed!

You do not have to except the inevitability of declining test levels. With Boom Stick, you can get back to feeling like a young man and experience the lean muscle, metabolism, and sex drive you once did! Lift on my friends!

Garrett Skurnit

Instagram: @fit_garrett_skur

In this video, Aaron Singerman, CEO of Redcon1 talks about his personal experiences with establishing credit. He went from having a 498 credit score to well over 750 in just 5 years. He tells all the tips and secrets he’s learned along the way to build EXCELLENT credit!

THEY LOOK HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK

It’s a very simple concept that could not be truer.  How best to obtain a physique you want, then taking advice from someone who already has it?  There are all different body types in the world, which needs to be understood – it should not be a goal to obtain a physique that is a completely different body type.  But, when someone has achieved a certain level of fitness, muscle conditioning and athleticism, it really is a thing of beauty along with the physique that compliments it.  I was once told that in order to achieve success, you should find someone who already has accomplished what you want and copy what they have done.  What better way to achieve a goal than to get a road map directly from the horse’s mouth? 

However, just because the trainer has an aesthetically pleasing physique, does not always translate into them knowing how to train someone else to do what they can do.  There’s also the possibility of wanting to train with a man as a woman.  Pay close attention to how their clients look.  Being a quality trainer means that they produce results CONSISTENTLY with multiple clients.  The trainer I want will have a lot of clients in my demographic and in the physical condition that I want to be in.  On the path to success, it is essential to immerse yourself amongst the best and to train with those in the physical condition you are aspiring to have.

OMG…DID HE REALLY?!

Reputation really is important in every industry.  Part of a trainer’s job is service with a smile!  Spending an hour with a person that you basically know nothing about can be really dry and boring if they’ve got the personality of a wet mop.  Or, it could be incredibly uncomfortable because he’s constantly hitting on you as you’re between sets of squats.  Whatever the cause for the really awkward interaction during training sessions, this could have been avoided.  Ask questions about the prospective trainer!  Speak to other staff, SPEAK TO THEM and speak with his/her clients. Investigate what kind of reputation the prospective trainer has.  Learn from others what to expect when you train with that person and speak with them directly to see if there are any personality conflicts.

This investigation is warranted because going to the gym does not need to be miserable or something that is to be dreaded.  It might help inspire some motivation to have a smiling face to greet and good times to be had while lifting.  Point being, make sure that the trainer you are interested in working with will not only give you a way to achieve goals, but have fun throughout the process.  Feeling comfortable with a trainer with allow for open communication, which will help to tweak training plans, achieve goals and hopefully surpass what the client ever thought was possible.

WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT MOVE?

My favorite cardio is the stair mill, the revolving staircase, because it is one of the tallest machines in the gym and I sweat so much I look like I jumped in a pool when done.  This gigantic torture device makes me perched up on a throne to view all the peasants below still lifting.  During my forty-five-minute climb to no-where, every trainer in the gym gives me a presentation of what they’ve got.  I STRONGLY suggest this tactic because watching those while they don’t know they are being watched is true show of character.  While ‘people-watching’ the trainers and clients, there are several questions to mull over:

• Are they training hard or talking more?
• Is there a set training plan for the session or does the trainer look like he/she is winging it?
• Are they having a good time together?
• Why is the trainer trying to reinvent the wheel with that move? (small joke…)
• Is there a healthy ratio of machine work as well as free weights?
• Can the trainer teach me new workouts and skills?
• Does the client seem motivated and challenged by the workout?
• Could you see yourself doing the same workout?
• Is the trainer paying more attention to his phone than his client?
• Has the trainer designed a specific workout for each client or are they running each client through the same circuit?

Essentially, hiring a trainer is completely subjective.  Hire someone you like as a person because being at the gym and the fitness journey should be an enjoyable experience.  Be sure they have a track record clients getting the results that you want.  And, at the end of the day, this isn’t an irreversible decision.  Do the homework, investigate and try some training sessions.  The only way to know you have chemistry with a trainer is to actually start sweating and lifting heavy things together – happy hunting!

By: Samantha DiSabello

Ever heard that one?  I know I have countless times on various podcasts, forums, and articles.  But, why?  Why does this question come up so often? 

I think that it’s poor phrasing for a different question that wants to be asked: “what is the singular greatest exercise that exists?”  Could a more subjective question be asked?  Ask 10 different people this same question and you are bound to get answer variance within each person.  What exactly constitutes the best exercise anyways?  Is it the exercise that recruits the most amount of muscle fibers, makes you strongest, makes you the most fit, or most functional?

For the purposes of this article let’s find out the best exercise for bodybuilding (because well… muscle bro).

Squats

By default it seems fitting to open up this discussion by talking about the squat.  If you polled a group of fitness enthusiasts, the majority will more than likely agree that the squat is the king of all exercises.  Start typing in “squat” into a search engine and a few slots down it will begin to auto populate with “squats the best exercise.”  Understandable, so let’s look at why this may or may not be the greatest exercise of them all. 

First off, the squat does work the largest muscle group in the body.  This alone gives the squat some merit as the best exercise out there.  They also provide a systematic metabolic stimulation, which means they even can cause hypertrophy in the upper body as well as other muscle groups not being worked directly.  This is actually pretty cool.  Squats are also probably the most functional bodybuilding movement, as they strengthen not just muscles, but ligaments, bones, and increase flexibility. 

Squats are also one of the most difficult exercises to complete, and they tax not only the muscles, but also the central nervous system and cardiovascular system.  This can aid those looking to burn extra calories, especially in a caloric deficit. 

Because squats are so difficult to complete, they are thought more of as a skill, comparable to other sports type movements.  For this reason, squats are not for everyone, as this movement is difficult for some to learn.  Movement patterns are also person dependent with people with longer limbs having a difficult time squatting, especially squatting for muscular hypertrophy.

For those with knee issues, the squat may also pose some issues.  This is especially the case as the load grows heavier.        

Squats also play a key role in building core strength.  Many people who squat regularly claim they do not need to do any direct core work.  While yes, squats do a great job in engaging the core, direct core work is still important.  This is especially true for competitors, as they diet down you want to ensure the core is worked from multiple angles, as with any muscle group. 

Deadlift

Deadlifts: probably second on the list if you were to poll a group of people on the best exercise.  The deadlift is a tremendous full body exercise, mainly targeting the largest muscle groups in the body; the legs and back.  When it comes to working the most amount of muscle groups in the body, the deadlift is second to none.  Although the deadlift is inferior to the squat as far as overall metabolic systemic effects, it directly targets more muscle than the squat.  The deadlift is also probably the greatest mass gainer of all the exercises. 

As far as heavy compound exercises go, the deadlift is the safest.  For one, there is no risk of being pinned under a large load of weight.  Another reason is that the deadlift uses the least amount of joint flexion, much less in the knee over the squat.  This is obviously very dependent on proper form being utilized and performed. 

An often overlooked benefit of the deadlift is grip strength.  There is a very strong relationship between grip strength and forearm and bicep mass.  Even if wrist straps are used, there is still some muscle engagement and activation in the forearms and biceps. 

Deadlifts are also great for cardiovascular endurance and metabolic stress, but not quite to the same degree as squats.  For some, it may actually become difficult to breathe from the diaphragm while performing deadlifts. 

While yes, the deadlift is probably the safest compound exercise, it can still be bothersome to those with low back issues.  Deadlifts are the most common exercise to cause low back injuries in the gym.  For those able to handle the lower back stress, the deadlift is the greatest exercise for aiding in spinal stabilization and spinal posterior chain musculature.  So, just like with the squat, not everyone is suited to perform this movement.

Barbell Bench Press

Every gym bro’s favorite exercise could make a case for the king of all exercises.  While you might not think of it as a full body exercise, it can be.  If performed properly the shoulders, chest, core, legs, and back are all used to a certain degree.  Obviously the chest is the main muscle being targeted, but the other secondary muscle groups are also taking some of the load.  The bench press typically aids in the performance of other exercises, although I guess that isn’t the point of this discussion.

Interestingly, compared to the deadlift and squats, limb length and body structure do not have as much bearing on the bench press.  “But short arms and a stocky frame are best for benching.”  This is true, if you are talking about who is suited to lift the most amount of weight for the most amount of reps.  Truthfully even those with long limbs can still bench correctly, they just may need to switch up their technique slightly.  With a squat you are somewhat stuck with what you have: you can either do the movement or you cannot. 

Now, just like with the squat and deadlift there are certain factors that may limit the effectiveness and safety of this movement; the main one here being shoulder joint pain or impingement.  Take myself for example; I cannot do barbell bench press.  I can however safely and effectively do dumbbell bench press. 

The major downfall to the bench press when discussing the king of all exercises is the lack of overall stimulus to different muscle groups.  While yes, you are engaging your core and back in the movement, there is not a huge catalyst of force being placed on these muscle groups.

The barbell bench press is excellent for building tremendous upper body mass……and ego!

Pull Ups

The forgotten exercise when it comes to discussing the greatest exercises.  Dave Palumbo once chose the pull up as the one exercise he would choose if he could not do anything else.  Pull ups take a fairly good amount of upper body strength to perform, making this an excellent exercise choice for moderate to advanced lifters. 

While yes, the back is mainly being targeted during pull ups, so are the arms, core, traps, and forearms.  You will notice I left off legs, making this a very difficult argument to be the king of all exercises. 

Push Press

Another exercise that is not typically thought of when you discuss the best exercises out there.  The push press is an exercise that looks like a standing version of the military press.  It is, however, much more than that.

One unique aspect of the push press is that initiation begins from the floor and ends overhead.  This allows muscle activation through the entire body from the legs, to the core and back, and then through the arms and shoulders. 

Just like the squat is a skill, so is the push press to a certain degree.  This movement is more for strength than it is muscular hypertrophy, although it will elicit some.  Once again, shoulder joint issues will become a concern with push presses.

Verdict

So we have looked at five different exercises.  Each exercise has its own unique advantages and disadvantages.  Once again, the goal here is to find the king of all exercises, the one that is second to none.

If you could only perform one exercise for the rest of your life and you still wanted to grow muscle, what would you choose?  After everything is weighed out and analyzed, where do we stand?

…..Drum roll please…..

Whatever works for you and your individual body.  Anticlimactic isn’t it?  I agree, however it’s dangerous to give blanket statements like the squat is the best exercise when someone has had two knee replacements.  Or the deadlift is the best exercise to someone with a bulging disk in their lower back. 

As much as a letdown as this is to the two people still left reading this article, I assure you that if you were to incorporate all of these compound movements into your routine you will undoubtedly see positive results in your physique.

The king of all exercises is what you want it to be.     

-Daniel Henigsmith

GET EDUCATED

I remember the first time I stepped into a gym after college when the sports, classes, coaches, boyfriends and all other structure I otherwise had in the gym was gone.  I had just broken up with my college boyfriend, my job went out of business and I was newly healed from my wisdom teeth being pulled.  Seeing as I was single, swollen and had nothing better to do, I went to the gym.  Walking in I smelled the sweat, heard the familiar sounds of weights being dropped, saw the elliptical and took off in a damn near sprint for it!  This is because I realized I had no clue what I was doing.  Not to say I was completely inept in the gym – I knew how to squat, bench and most fundamentals from being involved in sports and enjoying being active – but, I had no idea how to put a workout together. 

I always had coaches telling me what they wanted or boyfriends making me train whatever they were doing.  I had never gone to the gym by myself and said, “I’m going to lift today!”  Well today was that day and I had a true rude awakening.  Why hadn’t I taken notice of what my coaches asked of me?  You know, really looked at the entirety of the workout and tried to appreciate what they were designing for me to achieve a certain goal.  I should have asked more questions about methodology, rational and learned why I was training in the manner I was.  Same concept applies, showing up to the gym is not enough when random exercises are performed in hopes the goal will be achieved.  A goal without a plan is called a dream. 

Ladies, let’s try to be less dreamers and more achievers.  Pick a goal – Big Booty Gains in 2017 – and know exactly how you want to get there.  Speak with as many people as possible, ask professionals questions, hire a quality trainer, look on YouTube, read articles, blogs and books.  LEARN! Learn which methods give the best results you want, try different methods, walk into a gym with confidence knowing exactly what you will be doing and how hard you are willing to work to get there. 

BE AN ATHLETE

I was never allowed to walk away from practice without having been physically exhausted – regardless of the sport.  Subpar effort was unacceptable.  May I ask, why is it deemed ok to walk out of the gym without sweating?  The workout at the gym should be treated like the practice we used to have for athletics.  Maximum effort possible should be exerted every day.  That’s not to say that some days will be better than others; and, you might be really feeling it one day and not so much another.  What shall remain consistent is the effort expenditure should be in line with the attitude of ‘all in, all the time,’ regardless of how much there is to give. 

Women should demand excellence from themselves and require progress.  One key attribute that has helped me to achieve fitness goals was keeping a log book of my workouts. When I rolled up to the gym with my log book, I didn’t run for the cardio machines any longer.  I calmly walked over to the squat rack.  Ahead of time, I would write in the book what to train, how many reps, the weights and number of sets…I’d even write down what kind and how long to do cardio for!  This book I began to refer to as my bible.  Although slightly compulsive, the book gave me a very clear picture of exactly what I had been doing, what I will be doing, what has worked for me and what I was going to try next.  Progress in the gym take time and it’s easy to get lost in the thick of it.  To avoid feeling like progress is too slow and painstaking, I’d review my book.  Believe it or not, the book helps remind where you came from and how far you have gotten.  When using the log book, it is easy to pinpoint what is yielding results and what isn’t.  And, it helps inspire new workouts when I have writers block!  What was done before helps inspire new challenges and workouts for myself. 

BUT, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

When scanning the horizon around a random corporate run gym, the group fitness classes are mainly filled with women; and, there are the few brave men, very secure with their sexuality, in the back row of the salsa aerobics class.  It is time to expand horizons.  To achieve goals faster, it is essential to do workouts and training be specifically designed to achieve your individual goals.  Ask other women questions, talk and have fun while at the gym.  I can almost guarantee another lady there is trying to achieve a Brazilian booty too!  Inspire and motivate each other, don’t be in competition. However, if you are on the shyer side, then hire a trainer to only train you.  One-on-one workouts with a quality trainer will teach a huge amount to a woman trying to achieve fitness goals and possibly help her push herself past what she thought possible.  Similarly, smaller groups, such as one or two women training together, can make workouts more fun and still have the training achieve the specific goals you all seek.  HIIT cardio and super sets can easily be done with two, three or even four women together.  Alternate planning the workouts amongst the training partners and be sure to train all muscle groups.  The point of ‘small group fitness’ is to make the process of starting to train alone easier with the ideas of multiple people and feel less overwhelming.

Ultimately, it should be a goal to feel confident as you walk into a gym.  It should be refreshing to feel the sweat dripping down your cheeks and the physical exhaustion of a completed workout. However, a sense of accomplishment and determination should never be fully satisfied.  Constantly strive for greatness, if for no other reason, then to challenge yourself. Be in the know constantly, ask professionals for advice, work with experienced trainers and take yourself out of your comfort zone (aka out of group fitness).  Keep track of what you have been doing with a log book, make adjustments when needed and never stop because bodybuilding is not a sport to be conquered.

By: Samantha DiSabello