shepard/james

The lying cable pullover produces constant tension similar to a variable resistance machine. It's also an excellent option for individuals who have excessive lordotic curvature throughout their spine. Even if that doesn't describe you, the movement is a great core and upper body movement for thoroughly taxing the targeted musculature. The key is to keep your core fully engaged throughout by trying to minimize the amount of arch produced in your lumbar spine and keeping the low back pushed into the floor, particularly in the contracted position. – Joel Seedman, PhD

Make the dumbbell heads touch during the set, and try to push the dumbbells together – while at the same time squeezing and contracting the biceps. Pushing the dumbbells together really helps to enforce this. At the top of the lift, pause for a second before beginning the eccentric (lowering) phase. A great way to extend the set once you fatigue is to change the force angle by moving the elbows further back and shortening the range of movement. This will allow you to get a few extra reps. –Michael Warren

Taking a page out of Charles Poliquin's book and applying tempos and pauses will make you forever change your perspective on what weight training should be. In the video, my true max triple at the time was around 440 pounds, but I made a lighter weight feel heavy. Doing this, and "breaking the muscles down" is not only safer and smarter training, it's also a good way to keep your mind in it 100% for the duration of the workout. And it can be applied to virtually any exercise, but especially for the big compound movements that you could potentially load to oblivion. It's going to be a huge vehicle for training as you age. Instead of looking at your true PR, re-imagine your PR's by seeing how much you can lift using a 4-second negative and full pause at the bottom. – Lee Boyce

The decline position tends to produce the largest range of motion of any pullover variation. It also provides more constant tension, similar to how a cable or machine would. If you really want to notch up the intensity and levels of intramuscular tension, try combining kettlebells with the decline position. Yes, they're brutal but the resulting growth is well worth the momentary pain. – Joel Seedman, PhD

This curling classic is one everybody knows. The elbow flexor stressed most with this movement is the bicep brachii. Allowing your palm to start off neutral and rotating your palm upward will help take excessive strain off and your allow you to get more torque during the movement, which will lead to greater muscle activation. – TJ Kuster

Besides providing a unique stimulus to the upper back, shoulders, chest, triceps, and abs, there are multiple reasons why performing pullovers with the trap bar are so effective:

• The unique and semi-awkward leverage incorporated when performing trap bar pullovers (with much of the weight hanging behind the lifter) forces the individual to terminate the range of motion at the ideal stopping point.

• Pullovers performed with the trap bar allow the lifter to use a wide, neutral grip, thereby placing enormous tension and stretch on the lats, particularly in the stretched position. It's also shoulder friendly.

• Because the lifter is forced to slow down the movement -- particularly in the stretched position -- it takes additional stress off the shoulder joint while providing incredible stress to the surrounding musculature.

• Due to the excessive pulling force, particularly at the bottom stretched position, the stimulus to the core and abs is higher than almost any pullover variation you'll ever perform.

• The trap bar also provides a less stable version of pullovers in general. As a result, it improves motor control by forcing the lifter to hone in on mechanics.

Trap bar pullovers can be performed using the standard grip or with a longitudinal method using the outside frame for handles. Although they're somewhat similar, the longitudinal method is more challenging and less stable due to the length of the loading instrument and decreased leverage. – Joel Seedman, PhD

Going deep in the squat can be stressful for the knees over time, but the use of a high box will alleviate most of the stress. When using a high box, there's a tendency to increase the weight on the bar, but it can defeat the purpose. If you substitute the regular back squat for a high box squat because of knee issues, please keep your ego in check to get the intended benefit of the exercise. There are several ways to perform the high bar box squat. You don't have to use a crazy wide stance as often used by Westside lifters, but wider than "regular" is often a good choice. If you want to continue with your regular squat form, simply use the box as a measure of depth. Just touch the box; don't sit down on it fully like in a regular box squat. Use a regular bar if your shoulders are fine, but if you have shoulder pain from squats or a lot of bench pressing, the safety bar is your best choice. In the video I perform more of a touch and go version with a semi-wide stance. The chains are attached for loading the top portion of the movement while alleviating some of the weight in the bottom position. – Erik Sandvik

• Starting with the dumbbells down by your side, alternate between leading one rep with your thumbs, then the next rep with your pinkies.

• For roughly the first half of the set, keep your form strict, then allow it to loosen as your shoulders fatigue to keep the weight moving.

• Aside from a quick flex in the peak contraction, there's no pausing whatsoever during the set. The purpose here is to maintain an obscene amount of tension in your delts and drive large amounts of blood in your shoulders.

• An even, methodical tempo is best for overhead dumbbell laterals. – Alex Mullan

The decline pullover is one of the most effective pullover variations. Unfortunately, when performed on a traditional decline bench, it minimizes one of the key benefits of pullovers, which is core and abdominal recruitment. Although the core is still working during traditional decline pullovers, the intensity of activation to the core is less than in other variations where the legs are free, predominantly because the legs are simply hanging from the decline support pads. Shown in the video is NFL athlete Jarius Wynn. – Joel Seedman, PhD

My best tip for those struggling to build strong glutes is prioritization. Start every leg workout with something which engages and pre-fatigues the glutes. When quads and other leg muscles are pushed to the max, the glutes kick in to assist. If you prioritize glute work at the beginning of every workout then you'll notice their recruitment much more throughout the rest of the training session. So here are a few of my best suggestions for glutes:

1. Hip thrusts or glute bridges: Hold the contracted position for a 2-second count on each rep.

2. Bulgarian split squats: Do a drop set with iso-holds. (Shown in video.)

3. Prowler Push: Take long, slow, deliberate strides with a moderate amount of weight loaded on the sled.

Try beginning each leg workout with one of those exercises. Rotate between each because they all activate glutes differently. – Mark Dugdale

Fair warning: You won't need much weight here.

• Lay face down on a 45-60 degree incline. Lock down your shoulder blades, and keep them there.

• Press the dumbbells out and "up" forming a rough "Y" shape.

• Your arms are going to want to internally rotate and collapse, so fight to get as much external rotation happening as you can. – Alex Mullan

Besides promoting optimal spinal alignment and shoulder mechanics, the instability of the foam roller forces the lifter to use strict form and eliminate momentum. Simply put, the foam roller has a tendency to roll and move unless the lifter remains tight and locks the core in. This creates significant rotational forces that the lifter must resist to keep from falling off the foam roller. Any wiggling, cheating, asymmetrical movement, or shifting will cause the lifter to lose balance. Pullovers are already known for their effectiveness in targeting the abs, but this variation takes the core activation up several notches. – Joel Seedman, PhD

Most individuals allow their shoulders to over-elevate when performing the eccentric phase of a pullover (when moving into the overhead shoulder flexion position) because they don't pack their shoulder joints. This also tends to lead to excessive range of motion rather than a crisp and more compact position. Fortunately, the "bottoms-up" protocol helps to correct this as excessive range of motion will cause the lifter to lose leverage and grip on the kettlebells, causing them to fall out of their hands. – Joel Seedman, PhD