| After writing about the crucial benefits of my top five | | | | The face pull basically takes the lower back and |
| favorite exercises, I've decided to write about my top | | | | posterior chain out of the lift in comparison to a barbell |
| five favorite accessory exercises. | | | | row, but once a row stalls the face pull can help keep |
| Accessory exercises have their place in a persons | | | | overload added to the muscle and can at times cause |
| routine when the individual has established a baseline in | | | | the row to begin to progress again. |
| strength development on their six basic exercises. | | | | 3) Cuban Rotations: |
| After training for so long, the use of accessory | | | | Cuban rotations are a rotator cuff exercise. I prefer |
| movements becomes vital. "Accessory" referring to | | | | having clients do this before their exercise session, so |
| compound movements that are basic, but not a | | | | that the external rotators are fresh during this phase. If |
| requirement. Weighted dips being on the list, and a | | | | you start out with 10 lb dumbells and perform this |
| prime example. | | | | movement consistently, a total of 15 lbs per month can |
| "Accessory" does not refer to isolation in this case; it | | | | be added to this and the external rotators become |
| refers to selective compounds. Think of barbell rows, | | | | much stronger. I suggest adding cuban rotations to |
| squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pullups, and presses | | | | target those external rotators and keep them fresh. |
| as your main classes for college, and think of these | | | | Whenever you hit about 1.5x your body weight in |
| five exercises as your selective exercises that are | | | | bench presses is the time to begin considering them. |
| just to give you more credits and help you get where | | | | 2) Hanging Leg Raises: |
| you need to be. Not a requirement, but still useful. | | | | Hanging leg raises are the superior abdominal and core |
| Here are the top five a program should contemplate: | | | | exercise that involves concentric movement. Hanging |
| 5) Weighted Dips: | | | | there can be done through grip or through a captains |
| Weighted dips are very misunderstood. Many people | | | | chair. When you raise your leg - two groups of |
| categorize them as an "tricep exercise". They get this | | | | muscles contract: the hip flexors and the ab muscles. |
| opinion through massage triceps coming out of the lift. | | | | Often, this exercise can cause lordosis, but if you |
| The triceps are targeted in any exercise in which the | | | | squeeze the glutes at the bottom of the concentric |
| arm must flex against the resistance of gravity. Other | | | | phase it will take the hip flexors out of the lift and allow |
| movements like barbell rows and pullups the arm | | | | more focused abdominal training. |
| extends too, but it is moving with gravity in the | | | | 1) Front Squats: |
| eccentric phase. The weighted dip, when performed | | | | This is the number one accessory exercise. No |
| with parallel bars, specifically targets the chest, but a lot | | | | movement hits your quads like front squats do. It is in |
| of people come out with huge triceps. Excellent lift to | | | | theory that the front squat hits the core harder than |
| incorporate when your bench stalls. | | | | back squats do. I noticed my quads exploded in size |
| 4) Face Pulls: | | | | when I developed my front squat. If you're not doing |
| Face pulls are great. They hit the external rotators and | | | | this exercise you're missing out! |
| scapulae retractors better than most barbell rows do. | | | | |