Personal Training Secret #5 Top 10 Exercises of all Time!
Below I have listed my "Top 10 Exercises" at this time of writing. Not all of the exercises will be suitable for everyone and a good Biomechanical Movement Assessment will reveal strengths and weaknesses and where your focus should lie. The exercises have been chosen for their overall efficiency and greatest "Bang for your Buck".
Single Leg Deadlift
I love the regular Deadlift but the single leg variation tests asymmetry as well as activating the cross body sling systems. You can use less weight than the regular Deadlift to create the appropriate overload, as well as holding weight in one hand or two.
Bulgarian Lunge
Hugely cardiovascular as well as single leg strength building, this is my choice over the regular squat. Having one leg raised behind on a bench puts large emphasis on the front Quad and Glute. Holding a weight down and on the opposite side forces an internal rotation that emphasises the activation of the front Glute. I also like the fact that you don't have to load and compress the spine like with regular squats.
Push Up
The perfect horizontal pressing movement but with added core work. I always favour the press up over the bench press because it gets more done. Many people have great bench presses but poor push ups due to the lack of core strength. Think of the push up as a moving plank and pull yourself down into the movement to activate the lats too! With great progressions like weighted, raised feet, one arm, plyos, there is no need to look anywhere else for this movement pattern.
Inverted Row
Often unknown or ignored because it's too difficult. The inverted row is like an upside down push up. Massive core engagement and excellent for scapular retraction, so good for office workers. Best performed under a Smith Machine bar with your feet up on a bench.
Turkish Get Up
When it comes to injury proofing the body and working the stabilising muscles then this is the exercise. Ancients believed that if you couldn't take the weight from floor to the standing position with the Turkish Get Up then you weren't ready to train with that weight. Makes huge sense but today we tend to cheat this step and get injured as a result.
Pull Up
The only dubious exercise here that I was not sure whether to add. Powerful vertical pulling exercise that also works the core very hard. I love the exercise but many people engage their Traps too much and can end up over facilitating the muscle. Keep the shoulders down and back. You can perfect the exercise by using bands to help reduce your weight or work on the negative phase to build strength.
Woodchop
I love the Woodchop from both a kneeling and a standing position. The main emphasis is to rotate the cable around a vertical spine. Often misunderstood. The core muscles are engaged to prevent any excess rotation of the spine not to rotate the torso. So think about the core as preventing movement rather than instigating it.
Clean & Press
A big, powerful and explosive exercise and my only choice with a vertical pressing movement. I don't agree with too much vertical pressing as it often causes injury and the trade off just isn't worth it. Try a powerbag to mix things up!
Side Lunge
As we spend so much time training in the sagittal plane it's always good to go sideways especially for sports. The Side Lunge is one of my favourites as it develops huge strength and flexibility. Use it as a warm up with just your bodyweight or hold a weight to really get things moving. Using a Slide Board or a Val Slide are also amazing options.
Snatch
A full body, explosive movement that connects the bottom half of the body to the top. You can use Dumbbells, Kettlebells, or a Barbell. If you want a full body workout and have little time then this could be the choice for you.
Now imagine what a workout that incorporated all these exercises would do :-)
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