How can we create the damage and nastiness required for a productive leg workout while sparing our backs?
The five exercises I have chosen will not cause overuse injuries as the heavy compound movements can. In fact, if you keep them in weekly, you’ll prevent injuries.
Here is a list of my top-5 exercises that I use to train lats, hamstrings, abs, and glutes. These exercises not only target the intended muscles but they also give the spine ways to recover and stay healthy. For some context, I have severe disc degeneration.
This article will focus on the spinal erectors, when one needs to place a focus on them, the exercises/equipment used to strengthen them, and how the variations should be used, progressed, and changed throughout the training process.
Through the use of unconventional movements (or awkward movements), you can really force yourself to utilize better form and recruit numerous additional muscle fibers. Here are a handful of Big 3 variations you can try out.
If you have a garage gym, you want equipment that is reliable and will outlive you. That’s why elitefts equipment is the gold standard. But you’ll want equipment that’ll give you the bang for your buck. Enter the elitefts Back Raise…
Toss that budget sheet into the trash and max your credit card at elitefts.com. Alternatively: Ask Mom for her credit card.
There are many versions of such misanthropes around (with home gyms of their own), and while this list will make their days, months, and years, it will make any true appreciator of strength training happy.
The glute ham raise has been lauded as one of the best exercises for posterior chain development for lifters and athletes of all kinds. Are you using it correctly?
This week Dave answers the question: If you could only pick one exercise as a secondary movement for squats, what would it be and why?
This is one of the best and most popular articles to ever be posted on the site. After you read this you will understand what it means to Live, Learn and Pass On.
The glute-hamstring raise is one of the best exercises for lower body development. Don’t ruin it by making any of these three common mistakes.
We have known for years that the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) was regarded as one the best movements for the posterior chain (lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves).
Don’t let a substandard equipment setup ruin your best asset for posterior chain strength.
Whichever GHR you opt for, it’s clear that this is a necessary exercise to optimize your performance.
Try this glute-ham raise variation to strengthen your entire posterior chain and provide injury prevention for your ACL.
If your glute ham raises aren’t increasing your squat or deadlift, chances are you’re cheating. Clint gives you a few variations to try,
Two variations of the Glute Ham-Raise to increase difficulty without drastically increasing the load
Three Variations of Overload Eccentrics on the Elitefts™ Deluxe Glute-Ham Raise
No matter what your athletic goals, you need an in-depth understanding of this under-rated movement.
Instead of rehabing, think about prehabing. It’s less painful and you certainly won’t regret it, unlike the alternative.
This is an old school exercise index clip that was either taken from some of the very early (now discontinued) Westside Barbell Videos or from Dave Tate’s early Westside Seminar Slideshows.
If you were to ask any coach, trainer or lifter “What’s the most important muscle group in sports?” The posterior chain will always come out on top.
This is a great movement for those dealing with lower back pain or have a hard time keeping their back arched while squatting and/or pulling.
This is yet another exercise that was conjured up due to lack of equipment at a commercial gym.
To do a GHR, you’ll start with your body in a horizontal position on the bench with your toes pushed into the toe plate.
Work the entire posterior chain. Lifter performs a back hyper extension and then rows the barbell to their midsection.
This is a great ab exercise. It works really well on a glute ham raise because of the curved pad, but if you can find another piece of equipment to do it on, by all means, get creative!
We don’t know the guys who run EliteFTS.com. What we do know from reading the articles and asking questions is that they have helped us become better strength students.
Since I started the “Sick of Your Gym” concept we have received hundreds of emails and posts in regards to the many challenges you all face when training in commercial, private and school weight rooms.