The single biggest advantage I have as an athlete training for size and strength is my environment. I’m fortunate enough to train at Unreal Fitness in Michigan – a gym fully outfitted with Elitefts equipment and packed with serious competitors who push me to be my best.
However, a strength-focused gym like Unreal does present some challenges when it comes to training for muscular growth.

The big one: the lack of a variety of machines. I’m not a guy who believes you need to hit every muscle group from every possible angle to build a balanced physique. However, I do believe building muscle and strength simultaneously requires choosing movements that address your needs perfectly. In many cases, machines can help to do that.

For example, I had a shoulder injury that prevented me from training my delts heavily for many years. However, the Hammer Strength behind-the-neck press puts me in a safe, comfortable position that I can load heavily. So, for me, that’s a pretty valuable piece of equipment.

If you’re sufficiently creative, however, you can usually create even better movement patterns using free weights than with machines. Take these seal rows, for example, performed using the Elitefts Leg Curl/Extension combo and American press bar:

The key points of execution for the seal row are:

  • Keep your chest pressed against the pad for the entire duration of the set.
  • Use a full ROM for each rep. I gauge this by listening to the bar clang against the bench at the top.
  • Think about driving your elbows back, not up, to better engage the lats.

While you could, of course, perform any sort of row – like barbell rows, dumbbell rows, or the like – I believe that this take on a chest-supported row is the best option because it does not load the lower back, it allows you to keep consistent technique even during difficult reps, and can be loaded quite heavily.

If you have similar creative movements you like for adding size with limited equipment, please share them in the comments below!