Key Takeaways

– The kettlebell goblet squat is often used to teach good squat technique, as it helps you to keep an upright torso and sit back with your hips.

– The goblet squat trains the core and upper back in addition to the lower body.

– If you have trouble doing the kettlebell goblet squat, a landmine squat could be a more effective alternative. Adding a curl at the bottom of the movement, or doing it as more of a lunge pattern at a 45-degree angle may help too.

We’ll start by showing you how to execute the kettlebell goblet squat with great form, tell you all the muscles it works and how, and then provide some alternative exercises you can use to become a sound and strong squatter.

Let the game begin!

How To Perform The Kettlebell Goblet Squat

(See 02:00 in the video.)

Step 1. Hold a kettlebell in front of your chest by the sides of its handle. Draw your shoulders back and downward (think: “proud chest”), and tuck your elbows in close to the bell—try to get your forearms as vertical as you can. Stand with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out a bit—up to 30 degrees if you need to.

Step 2. Tuck your tailbone and draw your ribs down so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Take a deep breath into your belly, and brace your core. Actively twist your feet into the floor, but don’t let them move. Think of your legs as screwdrivers, or that you’re standing on grass and trying to twist it up beneath you. You should feel the arches in your feet rise and your glutes tighten, creating tension in the lower body.

Step 3. Keeping a long spine from your head to your pelvis, push your hips back and squat down, as if sitting down into a chair. Squat as low as you can while keeping your head, spine, and pelvis aligned. Push your knees apart as you descend. You should feel most of your weight on your heels to mid-foot area. If you feel your lower back beginning to round, stop there, and come back up. Keep your torso as vertical as possible—you shouldn’t have to lean forward or work extra hard to hold the bell upright. Avoid bending or twisting to either side.

Step 4. Drive through your feet as you extend your hips and knees to come up.

Benefits of the Kettlebell Goblet Squat

(See 01:00 in the video above.)

First and foremost, the goblet squat is an excellent teaching tool for learning the classic squatting movement pattern correctly. When most people begin squatting, whether with their bodyweight or a barbell on their back, they have trouble sitting back on the descent and activating the muscles of their hips. They tend to lean forward excessively to maintain balance, and that can lead to a range of problems: squatting too shallow, rounding the lower back, letting the knees collapse inward, allowing the heels to rise off the floor, etc.

In the goblet squat, you hold a load in front of your body, and it acts as a counterbalance. As a result, you’ll feel more comfortable opening your hips and sitting back with them—you don’t feel like you’re going to fall backward when you begin the descent, because the weight of the kettlebell is gently pulling you forward. This allows you to squat deeply with an upright torso, and that makes it possible to activate the greatest amount of muscle throughout your legs, while minimizing shear forces on the spine. As you descend, your elbows naturally travel inside your knees, which is a reminder to push your knees out to make room for the elbows. Doing so helps your knees to align with your toes, and that prevents the knee pain so often associated with knees that collapse inward.

Positioning the kettlebell in front of the torso makes your core brace your spine more or less automatically, so you can argue that the goblet squat builds strong abs as well. Furthermore, holding the weight in front of the chest asks a lot of the shoulder and upper back muscles, and fighting to maintain good shoulder alignment strengthens your posture. This can pay big dividends if you go on to train more challenging types of squats, such as the back squat and front squat. It can also help make you stronger at presses and pullups/rows too.

Due to the vertical torso position, the goblet squat is much easier on the lower back than a back squat is. If you recently injured your low back doing back squats, or just can’t get the hang of them, the goblet squat is a great squat variation to regress to in order to clean up your form. In this regard, it has a lot in common with the front squat, and goblet squats are often used to build up to training front squats. With the lighter loads used, however, the goblet squat is more user-friendly and easier to master.

Because the goblet squat is relatively easy to master, it works well in circuits and other fast-paced workouts that train the whole body. You can pick up a kettlebell, knock out a set, and move on to the next thing. Only the most advanced athletes or lifters could be as efficient with back squats and other barbell variations, so it’s no wonder why the goblet squat is popular in exercise classes and for home-gym training.

Muscles Used In the Kettlebell Goblet Squat

(See 06:45 in the video.)

The kettlebell goblet squat is really a full-body exercise, but it’s treated mainly as a lower-body lift. Here are the muscles it recruits, from the top down.

Upper back (traps, rhomboids)

Deltoids

Lats

Wrist flexors and extensors

Rectus abdominis, and deep core muscles

Spinal erectors

Quadriceps

Glutes

Hamstrings

Calves

While the goblet squat does work a lot of muscle, it’s not a great choice for someone looking to make big muscle gains—at least not long-term. It will certainly help to improve your squat technique and strengthen your back, legs, and core, but as you progress your loading on the goblet squat, you will reach a point where your upper body can’t support the weight anymore, while your legs still feel strong. At this stage, it’s wise to advance to front squats or back squats, which will let you go heavy enough to ensure that your quads gets trained to the fullest.

However, that isn’t to say that goblet squats can’t be done with heavy weight, especially if kettlebells or dumbbells are all you have to train with. Some lifters have done reps with well over 100 pounds, which makes for an impressive test of overall body strength. But the difficulty and awkwardness of getting such heavy weight into position makes moving on to a different type of squat a more practical progression.

How To Stretch Before Doing The Kettlebell Goblet Squat

(See 07:39 in the video.)

The kettlebell goblet squat is as beginner-friendly a squat as there is, but it still requires mobility in some key muscle groups to perform correctly. You can loosen up your ankles, hips, and quads beforehand with these drills from Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education. Perform one round of each movement below in sequence. Do reps of each move for 30 seconds, and then repeat for 3 total rounds.

Ankle Roll On Edges of Feet

Step 1. Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your knees. Begin circling your knees outward (left knee counter-clockwise; right knee clockwise) while rolling on the outer edges of your feet. Raise  your heels as your knees come forward, and move slowly and smoothly.

Step 2. Perform your reps in one direction, and then repeat in the opposite direction. If you have trouble keeping your balance, hold onto a sturdy object for support.

Bent-Knee Hip Circle

Step 1. Hold onto a sturdy object for support. Tuck your tailbone under and draw your ribs down, so that your pelvis is level with the floor, and brace your core. Raise one leg in the air in front of you with your knee bent. Allow a soft bend in the leg that’s supporting you. 

Step 2. Rotate your leg 90 degrees out to your side, and then begin turning your toes toward the floor as you draw the leg behind your body. Return your foot to the floor. That’s one hip circle.

Step 3. After 30 seconds, switch legs.

Kneeling Hip Extension

Step 1. Kneel on the floor in a tall position—shoulders and hips stacked over your knees. Your toes can be pointed into the floor. Place your hands on your ribs and pelvis and draw your ribs down so that the two areas pull closer together. Your pelvis should be level with the floor. Brace your core, and squeeze your glutes.

Step 2. Keeping a long spine, begin leaning back slowly, so that you feel tension in your quads. Go as low as you can control, and then extend your knees to kneel tall again. Over time, work to lower yourself a little further.

Kettlebell Goblet Squat Variations

(See 13:09 in the video.)

If you have a tough time maintaining an upright torso while you squat, or your squat lacks depth, try the 45-degree goblet squat, which uses more of a lunge pattern to stretch out your hips and train a tall posture.

45-Degree Goblet Squat

Step 1. Hold the kettlebell in the goblet squat position and place one leg 45 degrees out and behind you, as if stepping back into a deep lunge.

Step 2. Squat, driving your front knee over the center of your foot and lowering your body as far as you can. Complete your reps and repeat on the opposite side. Aim for 3 sets of 5 on each leg. Then test out your goblet squat and see if it feels better.

Kettlebell Goblet Squat With Curl

This movement helps you get more comfortable in the bottom position of the squat. At the bottom, you extend your arms in front of you and then curl the weight back up. No, it won’t build your biceps, but it will get you more time in that deep squat position so you can focus on keeping your torso upright, your knees out, and your pelvis neutral.

Step 1. Set up as you did to perform the regular kettlebell goblet squat.

Step 2. Squat down. When you’re as low as you can safely go, hold the position. Extend your elbows, lowering the weight until it’s just above the floor.

Step 3. Curl the kettlebell back up to your chest, and come back up out of the squat. That’s one rep. Do 3 sets of 5 reps.

Kettlebell Goblet Squat Alternatives

(See 16:35 in the video.)

If you don’t have a kettlebell, a barbell and plates will allow you to get a similar effect to the goblet squat, and offer some other advantages as well.

While the goblet squat is ideal for beginners, some people will find that they still have trouble keeping their torso upright while performing it. In this case, using a barbell in a landmine unit can be a great solution. With a landmine squat, the load is held in front of the body the same as it is with a goblet squat, but the bar is anchored to the ground and travels on an arc. This all but guarantees that you’ll stay tall while you squat, because if you bend too far forward, the bar will poke you in the chest.

Step 1. Load one end of a barbell into the cylinder of a landmine. (If you don’t have a landmine, the corner of a room can suffice; just protect the walls with a towel.) Hold the opposite end of the bar with both hands and stand in your squat stance. Twist your feet into the floor to create tension in the lower body as described in the goblet squat directions above.

Step 2. Lower into the squat as deeply as you can, and then extend your hips and knees to come back up.

Read more about safe, user-friendly squatting in our guide to the landmine squat.

The post Kettlebell Goblet Squat: How To Do It & Get Ripped appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Key Takeaways

1. The rack pull is a barbell deadlift performed with a shortened range of motion. The strength you gain from the rack pull transfers to the standard deadlift.

2. The rack pull strengthens the lockout (or top half) of your deadlift by allowing you to pull heavy weights in that specific range of motion.

3. The shortened range of motion ensures your torso stays more vertical, reducing the stress placed on your lower back compared to full-range-of-motion deadlifts. 

4. Remember these cues when performing rack pulls: Keep your chest up, don’t round your back, and drive your hips forward—hard—to complete the lift. 

What Are Rack Pulls and What Are Their Benefits?

(See 00:27 in the video.)

The rack pull is a deadlift performed from the safety bars of a power rack in order to shorten the range of motion (ROM). The lifter starts the pull with the barbell set just below his or her knees, as opposed to the bottom of the shin, as would be the case with a deadlift done from the floor. Basically, you’re doing the top half of a regular deadlift.

Because the range of motion is shorter, and you begin the lift in a stronger biomechanical position, you’re able to use a heavier weight than you could deadlifting from the floor. Rack pulls, therefore, let you acclimate to handling more weight, and they train you to extend your hips more powerfully, strengthening the lockout portion of your deadlift. If you have a sticking point in your normal deadlift—that is, trouble getting the weight over your knees and to lockout—rack pulls can be beneficial. Using heavier than normal weights can also build up your grip, and that can translate to stronger deadlifts from the floor as well.

Additionally, the rack pull can be a friend to folks with an achy lower back, as the shorter range of motion allows you to stay more upright and takes some pressure off your lumbar region versus the more bent-over position of a conventional deadlift. If you’re trying to train around a back injury, you could use the rack pull in place of a deadlift for a while. This would allow you to train the same basic movement pattern and muscles, but with less risk of further injury.

How to Do Rack Pulls: Correct Form to Avoid Injuries

(See 01:55 in the video.)

Step 1. Set the safety bars of a power rack to just below knee level. The barbell should sit just below your knees when laid across the bars.

Step 2. Stand in front of the barbell with your shins touching it and your feet about hip-width apart. Tuck your chin and push your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and you can reach the barbell. Think: “long spine” from your head to your tailbone. Grip the bar firmly with your hands placed right outside of your knees. (If you perform conventional deadlifts regularly, set up just as you would for a conventional deadlift.) 

Step 3. Take a big breath into your belly, and contract your abdominal muscles. 

Step 4. Keeping your spine long and your core braced, pull the barbell off the safety bars, driving your hips forward until your hips are completely locked out and you’re standing tall. Squeeze your butt at the top of the rep. Slowly lower the barbell back to the safety bars by reversing the motion—don’t let it just crash down. 

Common Mistakes and How To Correct Them

(See 02:59 in the video.)

Mistake #1: Using different form than your deadlift.

“One of the most common mistakes I see with the rack pull is people altering their deadlift mechanics to perform it,” explains CJ McFarland, CSCS (@cjmcfarland17 on Instagram), a competitive powerlifter and the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football program at Temple University in Philadelphia.

In an effort to lift as much weight as possible, people will often incorrectly treat the movement as a kind of shrug, or even try to squat the weight up by overbending their knees, when all they have to do is think of the exercise as a deadlift done from the halfway point.

“Replicate the position your body is in during the deadlift, where your shoulders end up over or slightly in front of the bar,” says McFarland, and begin the pull from there. That’s the strongest position and will help you lift the most weight possible.

Mistake #2: Choosing the wrong weight.

Go too light, and you defeat the purpose of performing the rack pull, which is (typically) for you to pull heavier weights than you can deadlift. By the same token, if you lift too heavy, you’ll round your back and risk injury to your lower and/or upper spine. McFarland suggests starting out with 100–110% of your deadlift max for one to three reps. (I.e., use the most weight you can deadlift from the floor, full range.) Take your sets to failure, or close to it (the point at which you can’t perform another rep with good technique, or stop one rep shy of that point).

Mistake #3: Not creating enough tension.

Before you begin the lift, screw your feet into the floor without actually moving them. Think of your legs as screwdrivers and tighten them down into the floor. If you do it right, you’ll feel the arches in your feet rise and you’ll feel very rooted into the ground. Your butt, hamstrings, and quads will tighten. This cue creates more tension in the active muscles, helping you produce more force when you begin the pull while maintaining good form. 

Mistake #4: Letting the bar drift away from you.

Keep the barbell tight against your shins and thighs as you lift and lower it. Maintaining a consistent bar path ensures your form stays intact. If the bar strays from your body, you’ll round your upper back and potentially tweak something in your spine. 

Muscles Worked By Rack Pulls

(See 06:59 in the video.)

The primary movers in the rack pull are the glutes and hamstrings. Secondarily, the traps, spinal erectors (lower back), forearms, and core will work hard.

Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips as you lift the barbell from the safety bars to the lockout position, while your traps and lower back work to keep your back from rounding during the movement. Even if you’re wearing lifting straps (which improve your grip), your forearms will still get strong under the immense load of the barbell. And while rack pulls won’t chisel out a six-pack, you’ll develop a stronger core through the bracing required during every repetition.

Professionals’ Instructions For Setting Up The Rack

(See 07:45 in the video.)

The classic rack pull is performed inside a power rack with the bar set below your kneecaps. However, you can use various setups to mimic the rack and shorten or lengthen the movement’s range of motion.

“The closer to the ground the rack pull is, the stronger it correlates to your actual deadlift max,” says McFarland, but the harder it will be to perform. “The higher the height of the rack pull, the more weight you will be able to lift,” but the less it may transfer to your deadlift max.

Be sure to lift inside the power rack from the safety bars. If you set the bar on J-hooks outside the rack, you’ll risk banging the bar against the posts, interfering with your lift. Another tip is to check the weight capacity of the power rack that you’re using. Some power racks can only handle loads up to 500. If you’re a competitive powerlifter who can pull above 700 pounds (or you aspire to be one soon), you must ensure the rack can safely support the weights you’re using. 

It’s also worth mentioning that many gym owners and gym goers may frown upon you performing rack pulls on safety bars inside a power rack. For one thing, gym equipment is expensive, and repeatedly slamming a barbell against a power rack can damage the bar and the rack and wear down the barbell’s knurling (the cross-hatch pattern you hold on to that enhances your grip on the barbell). Also, depending on how crowded the gym is, people may not appreciate you hogging a rack that might otherwise be used for squatting.

Alternatively, you can elevate a loaded barbell to knee height by placing one or two 45-pound bumper plates under each end. Some strongman and powerlifting gyms offer 26-inch-diameter plates, which place the bar around the middle of your shins when loaded onto the barbell. (See below for more information about those variations.)

If your gym has stackable rubber mats, they provide another option for performing the rack pull movement with the added advantage of being movable and usually more adjustable when it comes to choosing a height. Rubber mats can also absorb the force of the bar when you lower it so that there’s less rattling and noise. Another option is wooden blocks, which work the same way.

How To Warm Up For The Rack Pull

(See 09:00 in the video.)

Use these exercises to warm up your hips and back before performing the rack pull in your workouts.

1. Bodyweight Hip Hinge

Step 1. Stand with feet parallel and bend your knees slightly.

Step 2. Now drive your hips back as far as you can while keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, or you can’t push your hips back any further without losing your spine position, come back up to standing. Do 2–3 sets of 5–15 reps.

2. Table Top With Reach

Step 1. Sit on the floor and plant your hands under your shoulders; place your feet flat. Extend your spine so it’s long from your head to your tailbone. Drive your shoulders down away from your ears.

Step 2. Raise your left hand in front of you as you extend your hips to lockout. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your hips (brace your core so you don’t hyperextend); keep your hips square as you squeeze your glutes.

Step 3. Reach your arm across your body to your right side, allowing your torso to twist but keeping your hips square and locked out. Feel your upper and middle back stretch. Reverse the motion and repeat on the opposite side.

Alternatives To The Rack Pull

(See 11:30 in the video.)

The rack pull has two main limitations: it can damage the equipment you’re using (the barbell and power rack), and it can be difficult to set up when the gym is crowded (good luck getting a free rack at 6:00 p.m. on a weekday). Try these two variations to reap benefits similar to rack pulls. You can do them when a rack isn’t available, or sub them into your program for four to six weeks for variety’s sake.

Trap Bar Deadlift

Why Do It: The trap bar features elevated handles. This means you don’t have to bend over as far to reach the bar as you would deadlifting with a straight bar, and the reduction in range of motion is similar to what you get with a rack pull (for the sake of saving your low back). And, like the rack, the trap bar puts you in a stronger position so you can lift heavier loads.

How To Do It:

Step 1. Step into the center of a loaded trap bar (aka hex bar). Ensure that you’re using a trap bar with elevated handles. Place your feet in your normal deadlift stance.

Step 2. Keeping a long spine, bend your hips back and then bend your knees until you can reach the handles. Your chest should face forward. 

Step 3. Brace your core by squeezing your abs and imagine crushing some oranges in your armpits—drive your shoulders back and down. Now drive through your heels to stand up with the bar, pushing your hips forward. 

Step 4. Lower the weight back to the floor by bending your hips back. Maintain a straight back with your chest up. 

Banded Deadlift

Why Do It: Attaching a resistance band to a barbell helps strengthen your deadlift lockout similarly to the rack pull. As you pull the bar off the floor, the band will stretch, increasing the resistance where the deadlift is normally easiest—when your hips are approaching lockout.

How To Do It: 

Step 1. Drape a loop resistance band evenly over the loaded barbell so both strands lie flat on the floor at the middle of the bar. Place each foot over both strands of the band at hip width (or your normal deadlift stance). Make sure the center of your foot pins the band down. If you cover it with only your heel or toe, the band may pop up while you’re pulling.

Step 2. Bend your hips back and hinge your torso over just like you’re doing a regular deadlift until you can grasp the bar just outside of your knees.

Step 3. Keeping your chest up and back flat, drive through your heels to lift the bar. Thrust your hips forward explosively to fight through the band tension and complete the rep.

Step 4. Drive your hips back and lower the weight to the floor under control.

Rack Pull Variations

(See 14:23 in the video.)

You can modify the training effect you get from the rack pull by adjusting how far off the floor the bar sits. The closer the barbell is to the ground, the more you’ll engage your glutes, hips, and lower back. The higher off the floor you start, the stronger the position you’ll be in and the more weight you can use, but the strength you build may not translate to your deadlift lockout as powerfully.

If you want to strengthen your deadlift lockout as directly as possible, set the barbell to just below the knees as we explained above; this is where most people run into issues finishing their deadlifts, and you can work to bring up this weak point. If you want to train your body to deadlift heavier weights, experiment with rack pull variations that have you start with the barbell closer to the middle of your shins. 

Sumo-Stance Rack Pulls

Why Do It: “Doing the rack pull with a sumo deadlift technique will allow you to train other muscles that will aid in building your conventional deadlift,” says McFarland, such as the adductors (inner thighs). Of course, if you do your deadlifts sumo style rather than conventional, the carryover to your sumo deadlift is obvious. Note, however, that because you’re pulling with a wide stance, you may need to lower the safety bars of the power rack even further to ensure the barbell continues to sit just below your knees.

How To Do It: 

Step 1. Set the safety bars of a power rack so the barbell sits just below your knees. 

Step 2. Assume a sumo stance by setting your feet wide, near the plates on the bar, and turn your toes slightly outward. Sit back into a quarter squat so you can get low enough to grasp the barbell with a shoulder-width grip, hands inside your thighs.

Step 3. Squeeze your butt and drive your hips forward to stand up with the barbell.

Step 4. Bend your hips back and lower the weight back to the safety bars under control. 

Who Should Do Rack Pulls?

(See 16:09 in the video.)

Anyone can perform rack pulls, but whether you should or not depends on your goals. Strength athletes—powerlifters and strongmen—or anyone looking to increase their one-rep maxes on deadlift variants will benefit the most from including rack pulls in their programs (see below for more details on how to do that).

Bodybuilders (competitive or hobbyists) can probably skip the rack pull. While it can build muscle in the glutes, hamstrings, and back, there are better exercises for targeting these muscles individually for maximum growth. The rack pull’s limited range of motion is one hindrance that makes it suboptimal for building muscle, as muscles seem to grow best when trained through a full range of motion, and possibly with specific emphasis on lengthened positions.

A 2023 systematic review published in the International Journal of Strength and Conditioning studied the effects of full and partial range of motion training on various outcomes (muscle hypertrophy, i.e. muscle growth, and muscular strength and power). The researchers found that training with a full range of motion was more effective than using a partial range of motion. 

Another 2023 study published in Sports had 19 women perform biceps curls in two different ranges of motion—from full extension to partially flexed (bottom-half reps), and partially flexed to fully flexed (top-half reps). After eight weeks, the bottom-half rep group saw greater biceps hypertrophy and strength gains, leading the researchers to believe that more muscle growth occurs in ranges of motion where the muscle is most stretched.

Another problem with the rack pull is the lack of focus on the eccentric, or lowering phase, of each rep. Muscles are stronger when they’re lengthening under load than when shortening (ever notice how you can control the weight easier on the way down than you can lifting it up?). That means that they don’t have to work as hard. So, in order to work the tissue maximally, you need to slow down the speed and emphasize tension as you lower the weight, so it gives your muscles the same stimulus on the way down as it did on the way up. This is why you often see bodybuilders lowering weights more slowly than they raise them up. While you can try to control your descent on a rack pull, the fact is that using heavy weights makes it impractical and dangerous to try for eccentrics that are two to three seconds long. Therefore, keep your rack pull reps controlled, but emphasize getting the weight up fast and explosively.

How and When To Incorporate Rack Pulls Into Your Training

(See 16:54 in the video.)

“Rack pulls are one of my favorite exercises to perform as a main movement, so perform them immediately following your warm-up,” says McFarland.

If you want to hit a new PR on your deadlift and have determined that your lockout is holding you back, McFarland recommends replacing your deadlift with rack pulls in three-week cycles. Gradually add weight for a series of warm-up sets, keeping your reps under 5, and work up to 100% of your deadlift max for a single rep. In Week 2, work up to a single rep with 105%, and then perform a single with 110–115% in the third week. For example, if you can currently deadlift 405 from the floor for one rep with good technique, use 405 on the rack pull in Week 1, 425 in Week 2, and 445 or more in Week 3.

In Week 4, deload by going back to your regular deadlift and working up to a single rep at 80–85% of your deadlift max. This will give your body a little break and keep your regular deadlifting skills sharp. The next week (Week 5), try for a new deadlift PR.

“Programming rack pulls closer to when you’re looking to max out will give your body the stimulation needed to prime the central nervous system [for greater strength],” says McFarland, “without fatiguing the muscles as much as the standard deadlift.”

The post How To Do Rack Pulls Like An Expert (The Complete Guide) appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Pendlay row is a bent-over row where you let the bar settle on the floor for a moment at the bottom of each rep.

2. The Pendlay row builds starting strength, and develops the lats and upper back.

3. Make sure you keep your hips and torso in the same position throughout the whole set.

4. The Pendlay row can be done first in your workout or as an assistance lift after deadlifts or cleans.

What Is A Pendlay Row and What Are Its Benefits?

(See 00:21 in the video above.)

The Pendlay row looks something like a deadlift, but is executed more like a bent-over row. The bar is on the floor, you bend your hips back to reach it, row, and then return the bar to the floor each rep. Because you have to reset the bar on the floor, your lower back gets a bit of a break, at least compared to doing the basic bent-over row, where you hold the flexed-hip position throughout the set and lower the bar to arm’s length. This reset also allows you to lift heavier weights, which makes the Pendlay row a great strength exercise for the lats, upper and lower back, core, and grip.

The Pendlay row is named for the late weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay, who unwittingly invented the exercise in an effort to get his students to train bent-over rows more efficiently and with stricter form. It also carries over well to developing the explosive back strength needed for weightlifting and powerlifting movements such as the clean, snatch, and deadlift.

How to Perform Proper Technique For The Pendlay Row

(See 01:07 in the video.)

Step 1. Set up as you would to deadlift, placing your feet at about hip-width and just behind the barbell on the floor. Keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone, bend your hips back as far as you can, and bend your knees until you can reach the barbell with your hands about shoulder-width apart or a little wider. Your hips should be bent about 90 degrees so that your torso is parallel to the floor, and you must maintain this angle throughout the set.

Step 2. Draw your shoulders back and down, as if pushing your chest out and closer to the bar beneath you. You should feel your lat muscles contract. Now brace your core. Your neck should be neutral, with your eyes focused on the floor in front of you.

Step 3. Keeping the rest of your body as still as possible, row the bar—explosively—to the bottom of your chest/upper abs. Remember to maintain your hip position so your lower back stays neutral and flat.

Step 4. Lower the bar quickly, but under control, until it touches the floor again. Take a moment to reset the bar (especially if it wobbles), and begin your next rep.

Make sure the bar touches down in the same place it started. It’s OK to let the bar come down fairly quickly, as the movement is supposed to be explosive with an emphasis on the concentric (upward phase of the lift), but for the sake of safety and control don’t just let it drop.

The Pendlay row works well when programmed for lower reps, with sets of 5–8 reps being the sweet spot.

Muscles Worked In The Pendlay Row

(See 02:26 in the video.)

The key players here are:

– Lats (drawing the arms back)

– Rhomboids (retracting the shoulders)

– Rear deltoids (pulling the arms back)

– Lower and mid traps (retracting the shoulder blades)

– Spinal erectors (stabilizing your spine in the bent-over position)

– Biceps (bending the elbows)

– Core (the various ab muscles brace your spine)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

(See 02:50 in the video.)

#1. Changing torso and hip position.

Coach Pendlay offered his version of the row to correct a problem he often saw in others rowing: raising the torso. A set might start off strict, but as the lifter tires, he/she tends to bounce the upper body, heaving the weight up with more of the low back than is necessary and pulling the weight to the stomach (thereby cutting off the range of motion).

In a proper Pendlay row, you must keep your hips bent 90 degrees and your torso locked in place. Only the shoulders and arms move.

#2. Rounding the spine

In any bent-over exercise where the chest is unsupported, there’s a greater demand on your trunk to stabilize the torso and spine. Rounding the back is the enemy here, and it invites the risk of lower-back injury. Remember to think “long spine” and keep your lower back in its natural arch. As you bend over into position, think about trying to touch your butt to the wall behind you, as opposed to folding over at the waist.

#3. Not letting the weight touch the floor between reps.

If you don’t touch the weight down between reps, you’re just doing a bent-over row. At the same time, if you bounce the weight off the floor too quickly, you’re likely to break form. The whole value of the Pendlay row comes from beginning each rep from a dead stop. By eliminating momentum, you develop more of what coaches call “starting strength”—the ability to get the weight moving. Relying on momentum to keep the bar in motion is a way to cut corners and miss out on the full benefit.

If you have trouble disciplining yourself to reset between reps, try counting to two after you touch the bar down and before you begin the next rep. Treat each rep like its own set.

#4. Pulling the bar to the wrong place.

Rowing the bar too high or too low on the torso can throw off the target muscles being used. For example, pulling the bar up toward the collarbone can end up working the arms and upper traps a bit more than the upper and mid back. Alternatively, pulling the bar to the waist can reduce the activation of the upper back.

Note the proximity of your body to the bar in your setup. Lining up the bar so it’s just over your shoelaces is a good starting point. Once you bend over the bar to pick it up, aim for your shoulder blades to be in line with the bar—not your deltoids or belly button. This will encourage you to pull in a straight line.

Pendlay Row Exercise Variations

(See 04:47 in the video.)

The Pendlay row can be customized for your needs and goals with a few simple tweaks.

Elevated Pendlay Row

If you’re especially tall, or lack the hip mobility to reach the bar when it’s on the floor without rounding your lower back, it’s OK to do a Pendlay row with the bar elevated on some blocks, mats, or weight plates. This will shorten the range of motion some so you can focus on rowing without worry about the safety of your spine position. An elevation of anywhere from 3 to 12 inches can be a game-changer.

Paused Pendlay Row

For variety, you can add an isometric hold at the top of each rep. That is, a pause when the bar is pulled to your chest. Most people have a habit of bouncing the bar off their chests, and the top of the rep is the weakest biomechanical position in the movement. Therefore, it’s a good idea to force yourself to hold the weight there from time to time, and it will not only strengthen your row but also help to clean up your form.

Pauses are also a good strategy to use if you’re injured or don’t have access to much weight. Taking an extra second or two to hold the top position with your back fully contracted will make lighter weight feel much heavier, and see that you get the best training effect from the weights you have access to or can handle.

Alternatives To The Pendlay Row

(See 06:15 in the video.)

Fisherman Row

While the Pendlay row requires only a barbell and plates, you may work out at home with just a bench and dumbbells. In this case, you might consider doing a single-arm dumbbell row variation. A fisherman row is a dumbbell row done with two benches. This creates a lot of stability and helps you keep your hips square to the floor, which encourages a long, straight spine.

Step 1. Place two benches parallel to each other, and rest a dumbbell on the floor in between them. (If you don’t have two benches, use a step or box to substitute for one.)

Step 2. Place your knees on one bench, shoulder-width apart. Rest one hand on the bench in front of you, and grasp the dumbbell with the other. Your hips should be square to the floor.

Step 3. Row the dumbbell to your side, straight up from the floor. Return it to the floor, pause, and repeat.

Using a dumbbell also allows you to train the row through a slightly greater range of motion, as well as utilize a higher rep range than would be practical with the barbell version.

Inverted Row

The inverted row is ideal for home workouts or anyplace else you have very limited equipment. In this case, you’re moving your own bodyweight and not a barbell, although you can set it up with a barbell on a power rack, or a suspension training system like a TRX or gymnastics rings. The inverted row spares the lower back and enables the lifter to pause at the top and/or bottom of each rep.

Step 1. Set the bar or suspension handles to around waist height, and hang from the handles with your feet on the floor. Extend your hips and position yourself so that you’re suspended above the floor and your body forms a straight line. Draw your shoulders back and down to engage the lats.

Step 2. Pull your body up to the bar or handles, and lower yourself back under control. It’s important that your body moves as a unit. That means no hiking the hips or bending the knees to help yourself out.

How To Warm Up For Pendlay Rows

(See 07:50 in the video.)

Hip Hinge

Step 1. Stand with feet parallel and bend your knees slightly.

Step 2. Now drive your hips back as far as you can while keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, or you can’t push your hips back any further without losing your spine position, come back up to standing. Do 2–3 sets of 5–15 reps.

Cat Camel

Step 1. Get on all fours and brace your core. Your arms should be directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.

Step 2. Press your arms into the floor while you round your upper back toward the ceiling, spreading your shoulder blades. Hold for a second.

Step 3. Now retract your shoulder blades while you arch your upper back and drive your solar plexus toward the floor. Hold for a second. That’s one rep. Imagine the motion as having a string running through your solar plexus with someone pulling it up and then down—try to move at the upper back and not the lower back. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Who Should Perform the Pendlay Row?

(See 09:48 in the video.)

Lifters who want a break from the conventional barbell row, as well as those whose lower backs bother them, may have an easier time doing the Pendlay row. Resting the bar between reps can be a saving grace for the lumbar region. Pendlay rows are also a great way to check your form and ensure your torso stays in the correct position, so you could consider them a good pre-requisite to master before returning to regular bent-over rows.

They’re also a perfect accessory lift done after deadlifts, cleans, snatches, or other movements that some lifters compete in. The Pendlay row trains you to keep your hips and torso braced while you pull explosively—a huge component to all of the aforementioned lifts.

Additionally, any lifter who wants to build a strong back from the base of the neck down to their sacrum can benefit from working on the Pendlay row from time to time, especially if they train at home or in a gym where equipment is sparse.

Differences Between the Pendlay Row and Other Rows

(See 10:36 in the video.)

As we explained above, letting the bar settle on the ground is a key difference between the Pendlay row and the conventional bent-over row. Resting momentarily between reps gives the lower back and core muscles a break. Plus, having to explode the weight up from a dead-stop position builds power that can translate to weightlifting and other sports. It also lets you train heavier than a bent-over row and make it a more strength-focused movement.

Both Pendlay and bent-over rows require plenty of trunk stability, and that sets both movements apart from machine and chest-supported rows, which allow you to isolate the lat and upper-back muscles more completely. Subsequently, supported rows are probably better overall choices for pure muscle gains, while Pendlay and bent-over rows are, arguably, more functional movements that involve the whole body and build strength that more readily applies to other lifts and real-life activities.

The T-bar row, in which you straddle the barbell while one end is fixed against the floor, is another barbell-based rowing movement. The T-bar setup allows you to stand more upright and is a little easier on the lower back than both the Pendlay and bent-over row, and also lets you go heavier than these lifts, but it doesn’t offer the full-body challenge of the Pendlay or bent row.

Choose the row that’s most appropriate for your goals, and feel free to experiment with each variation over time. For instance, people who are interested in greater strength and power for weightlifting or powerlifting competition may choose to make Pendlay and bent-over rows their mainstay, while muscle-seekers may opt for chest-supported or T-bar rows. Furthermore, if you’re dealing with a back injury, Pendlay rows are a better choice than bent-overs, and chest-supported rows would probably be better still.

How to Fit Pendlay Rows Into Your Workout

(See 12:15 in the video.)

The Pendlay row is a demanding lift that offers the potential to move a lot of weight. For those reasons, it will ask a lot of the nervous system and grip strength of the lifter. Placing the Pendlay closer to the beginning of your back (or pull day) workout would be a smart choice to maximize the amount of weight lifted and the stimulus (it can also come second in line behind deadlifts, if you do those on pull day).

Performing Pendlays later in your workout will mean you’ll have to go lighter and may not get as much out of them, but it’s a good strategy if you want to use less weight so as not to aggravate a back injury or cheat form.

In general, it’s good to keep the reps on the lower end (5–8). You can complement Pendlays with other lower-back intensive lifts done for higher reps (10 and above), like the back extension, good morning, and bird dog.

The post How To Do the Pendlay Row for a Bigger Back appeared first on Onnit Academy.

and suddenly he collapses, as if picked off by a sniper at long range, clutching the back of his thigh. The crowd goes quiet. The announcers turn somber. It’s another hamstring tear.

What Are Hamstrings And How To Train Them?

The hamstrings—a collection of three muscles extending from your sit bones to the backs of your knees—are among the most frequently injured muscles in sports. A study on NFL players reported 1,716 hamstring injuries over a 10-year period, which breaks down to roughly five or six injuries per team, per season. The numbers are similar in pro soccer, basketball, and among regular people in recreational sports (1, 2).

If you’re a desk jockey who spends most of his/her day sitting at a computer, you may be even worse off, especially if you’re planning to get in shape or be more active again. A 2017 study of college students found that 82% of the subjects had tight hamstrings due to prolonged sitting—and these were young adults with a mean age of 20.

Finally, if you’re a gym rat who’s long made the mistake of focusing your leg training on the fronts of your thighs—hitting the hammies as an afterthought—you’ve already lit the fuse that can lead to a hamstring blowout. A study in Isokinetics and Exercise Science showed that imbalances in quad and hamstring strength were associated with non-contact leg injuries.

The problem lies in the hamstrings’ design; they’re much more complex than most other muscles. They cross two major joints—the hip and the knee—and shorten at both ends. At the top end, the hamstrings work with your glute muscles to extend your hip (picture the movement of standing up out of a chair). At the lower end—near the back of your knee—the hammies bend your knee joint, pulling your heel up and back. When you use the hamstrings’ two functions at once, such as when you’re sprinting and you drive one leg behind you, they do double duty: the two ends of the muscles pull toward one another, like the ends of a stretched-out exercise band. That’s a lot of tension passing through a single muscle group, and one reason the hamstrings cramp and tear with relative frequency.

The remedy: train both major hamstring functions—hip extension and knee flexion—with good form and appropriate loads. Workouts for hamstrings make these muscles less susceptible to injury, and more capable of producing force and power, so you’ll end up a better lifter and athlete, and less likely to become a statistic.

The 8 Best Hamstring Exercises

A hamstring exercise will require you to either extend your hips or bend your knees—and some of the most effective movements will actually combine both actions, training the glutes as well as the hammies. The following are the best hamstring builders, organized by their primary function.

HIP EXTENSION

In these movements, the hamstrings work with the glutes to push your thigh bones from a flexed position (knee pulled up in front of you) to an extended one (knees moving away from your body). The movement is known as a hinge, and it helps you run faster, jump higher, and maintain a pain-free back. “Most of us can’t get enough hinging,” says Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., owner of Core Fitness in Brookline, MA.  

1) Stiff-Legged Deadlift

Target: hamstrings, glutes, adductors

You should feel a deep stretch in the back of your thighs from your butt to your knees

Step 1: Set a barbell on a rack at about hip level (if you’re very mobile, you can start with the bar on the floor). Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width grip and take it off the rack. Step back and plant your feet hip-width apart. Draw your shoulders back together and downward (think: “proud chest”).

Step 2: Take a deep breath, draw your ribs down, and brace your core. Push your hips backward and, maintaining a long spine from your head to your pelvis, lower your body until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Allow your knees to bend only slightly.

Step 3: Squeeze your glutes as you extend your hips and come back up.

The stiff-legged deadlift can also be performed with dumbbells/kettlebells.

2) Back Extension

Target: hamstrings, glutes

You should feel tension in the center of the back of your thighs

Step 1: Adjust the pad on the back extension bench so that when you lie on it the top edge lines up with the crease in your hips. Using the handles for support, set up on the bench so your hips rest on the pad and your ankles are braced by the ankle pads and your feet rest against the foot plate about hip-width apart.

Step 2: Turn your toes outward slightly. Interlace your fingers behind your head, spread your elbows wide, and keep them there throughout the movement. Bend at the hips to lower your torso toward the floor, stopping before your lower back rounds. Your head, spine, and pelvis should form a straight line.

Step 3: Take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Now squeeze your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips to raise your torso up until your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.

If bodyweight alone is too easy for you, add resistance by holding a dumbbell (as shown above).

3) Kettlebell Swing

Target: hamstrings, glutes, quads, adductors, core

You should feel a stretch in the back of your thighs as you swing the weight back between your legs.

Step 1: Place a kettlebell on the floor and stand about two feet behind it with feet shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Draw your shoulder blades together and downward (think: “proud chest”). Draw your ribs down and tuck your tailbone slightly to make your pelvis level with the floor. Brace your abs.

Step 3: Bend your hips backward to lower your torso and grasp the handle of the kettlebell with both hands, overhand.

Step 4: Keeping a long line from your head to your pelvis, and your shoulder blades pressing downward toward your back pockets, shift your weight to your heels. Bend your knees slightly and lift the kettlebell off the floor and hike it back between your legs.

Step 5: When your arms make contact with your inner thighs, forcefully contract your hamstrings and glutes and thrust your hips forward, coming into a standing position and swinging the kettlebell forward and up to about eye level. Allow the kettlebell to swing back between your legs, folding at the hips and bending your knees slightly as the kettlebell swings down and back to begin the next rep.

Do not lift the kettlebell with your upper body, as if performing a front raise shoulder exercise. The swing is an explosive movement and the glutes and hamstrings must perform almost all of the work.

4) Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Target: hamstrings, glutes, adductors

You should feel a deep stretch in the back of your thigh and butt.

Step 1: Hold a dumbbell in one hand and stand on the opposite leg with your foot facing straight forward.

Step 2: Bend the knee of the working leg slightly. Keeping a long spine and your core braced, drive your hips backward as far as you can, so that your torso lowers toward the floor. Stop when you feel your hamstrings are fully stretched and you can’t go any lower without losing your lower back position (it should be straight).

Step 3. Squeeze your glutes to come back up. If you have trouble keeping your balance, you can rest the non-working leg on the floor with your heel raised. Place the toes of that foot right behind the heel of your working foot. Your feet should be hip-width apart. This is called a B-stance Romanian deadlift, and it will provide stability so you can better isolate the hamstrings and glutes.

KNEE FLEXION

These moves (virtually all variations of a machine leg curl) minimize the action at the hip joint while dialing it up at the knee. “I prefer knee flexion isolation moves for beginners and those coming off injury,” says Gentilcore. “There’s more external support so it’s easier to perform and less intimidating.” Isolating a muscle can also help you feel its action more precisely—an essential skill for the novice lifter or athlete.

5) Machine Lying Leg Curl

Target: hamstrings

You should feel tension in the center of the back of your thighs

Leg curl exercises require machines, making them moves to include in any hamstring workout at the gym. If you don’t train in a public gym, we’ll show you some approximations you can do at home further down.

Step 1: Adjust the ankle pad of the machine so that when you lie down on the support pad your knees will line up with the lever arm’s axis of rotation. Lie facedown on the machine with the backs of your ankles against the ankle pad. If your machine has a support pad that bends upward, position yourself so that your hip joints rest directly over that point.

Step 2: Firmly grasp the machine’s handgrips, lengthening your spine and contracting your lats (the muscles on the sides of your torso). Set your feet so they are parallel and about six inches apart, and flex them hard at the ankles (bend your feet back so your toes are closer to your shins).

Step 3: Keeping your neck and torso long, your hips pressed down into the bench, and your feet parallel throughout the movement, squeeze your hamstrings and slowly bend your knees, drawing the lever arm as close as possible toward your butt.

Step 4: Hold the contracted position for a one-count, squeezing your hamstrings as hard as possible. Slowly reverse the movement, fully straightening your legs at the knees.

6) Machine Seated Leg Curl

Target: hamstrings

You should feel tension in the center of the back of your thighs

Step 1. Sit in a seated hamstring curl machine and line your knees up with the axis of rotation. Extend your knees and rest your lower legs on the ankle pad just above your ankles. Secure the knee pad at the bottom of your thighs.

Step 2. Hold the handles for stability and bend your knees, driving your heels back behind you until your hamstrings are fully flexed. Slowly extend your legs again under control.

If you can, try to hinge your hips and bend forward a bit and hold this position throughout the exercise (while keeping your back flat). This will help you put a greater stretch on the hamstrings and activate more muscle.

HYBRID HIP EXTENSION/KNEE FLEXION

These moves combine the hamstrings’ two functions, making them somewhat more complex than the exercises in the other categories. “Multifaceted movements are great for athletic populations,” says Gentilcore. “They emulate sport and real life to a high degree.” But that doesn’t mean you should skip the other types of hamstring moves, he says, no matter what your goals. “All three categories serve a purpose, and when trained in concert, will likely lead to the best results and more bulletproof hammies.”

7) Glute-Ham Raise

Target: hamstrings

You should feel tension all throughout the back of your thighs

Step 1: Adjust the foot plate of the glute-ham bench back far enough so that when you lie on it the top edge of the pad will line up with the crease in your hips.

Step 2: Using the handles for support, set up on the bench and place your feet on the foot plate, bracing the backs of your ankles against the ankle pads.

Step 3: Set your feet so they are parallel and about hip-width apart. Once your lower body is locked in place, release the handles and extend your hips until your torso is perpendicular to the floor and your knees are bent 90 degrees. This is your starting position.

Step 4: Draw your ribs down and tuck your tailbone under slightly so your pelvis is level. Brace your core. Now lower your body toward the floor under control until it forms a straight line, from head to feet. Your heels will come off the foot plate, and that’s OK. Drive your toes down hard. If that’s too difficult, you can bend slightly at the hips, or use a stick for support (see the Elite Hamstring Workout below).

Step 5: Push your toes into the foot plate and contract your glutes, hamstrings, and calves to pull your body back up to vertical (again, if you need an easier version, keep the bend in your hips). Pause for a moment, and then slowly begin the next rep.

8) Swiss-Ball Leg Curl

Target: hamstrings and glutes

You should feel tension in the center of the back of your thighs and glutes

Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor with your heels elevated on a medium-sized Swiss ball. Your feet should be about six inches apart and your hands placed beside you on the floor, palms down.

Step 2: Flex your feet, brace your core, and drive your heels into the ball to raise your hips off the floor. Try to keep your neck relaxed, but squeeze your glutes and hamstrings as you bridge up.

Step 3: Bend your knees as in a machine leg curl, rolling the ball toward you. Be sure to keep your core braced so you don’t hyperextend your lower back.

Step 4: Hold the contracted position, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings as hard as possible for a two-count. Then slowly reverse the movement, extending your legs and returning to the starting position.

Best Bodyweight Hamstring Exercises That Can Be Done at Home or On The Road

If you don’t have a gym membership or are limited to only the most basic equipment (and a little imagination), you can get a great hamstring-focused workout with these exercises.

1) Slider Leg Curl

(See 00:41 in the video above)

Target: hamstrings, glutes

Sets: 2  Reps: 6–12

You should feel tension in the center of the back of your thighs and glutes

This lift is a variation on the Swiss-ball leg curl and uses exercise sliders, but furniture sliders from a hardware store work too, and even paper plates can suffice—if you can train on a waxed or hardwood floor. Ideally, you can perform this move on a smooth surface that won’t create too much friction for the sliders.

Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor. Rest your heels on a pair of sliders and place your hands beside you on the floor, palms down. Set your feet parallel and about six inches apart. Now bend your knees, sliding your feet back close to your butt.

Step 2: Tuck your tailbone under slightly, draw your ribs down, and take a deep breath into your belly. Brace your core. Contract your glutes and hamstrings and press your heels into the sliders, elevating your hips and lower back to full extension. In other words, bridge your hips up. Be sure to keep your core braced to prevent hyperextending your lower back. This is your starting position.

Step 3: Slowly extend your legs, sliding your heels away from you until your butt and legs are just above the floor. When they’re straight, bend your knees and curl the sliders back toward your butt.

If that’s too tough, start by performing only the negative portion of the movement, lowering your body slowly from the bridge position. Take five seconds to straighten your legs, and then rest your butt on the floor if you need to when you reset your legs.

2) Bulgarian Split Squat

(See 01:37 in the video)

Target: quads, glutes, adductors

Sets: 1  Reps: 8–12

You should feel your thighs and butt, especially at the bottom of each rep

Step 1: Stand lunge length in front of a bench, step, or box that’s six to 12 inches high.

Step 2: Step your left foot back and rest the top of your left foot on the bench so that your knee is bent 90 degrees. Your right foot should point straight forward.

Step 3: Hinge your hips back a bit so you feel like you’re leaning forward, but keep your spine straight and tall. Slowly bend your right leg until your left knee is just above the floor. Your front leg should be bent about 90 degrees. Pause, and reverse the movement, squeezing your glutes as you come up.

You can perform the movement with your bodyweight, dumbbells/kettlebells, or a barbell.

3) Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift

(See 02:34 in the video)

Target: hamstrings, glutes, adductors

You should feel a deep stretch in the back of your thighs from your butt

Sets: 2  Reps: 8–12

Step 1: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides and stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Draw your shoulders back together and downward (think: “proud chest”).

Step 2: Take a deep breath, draw your ribs down, and brace your core. Now push your hips backward and, maintaining a long spine from your head to your pelvis, lower your body until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Try to keep your knees nearly straight, but not locked. Your range of motion may not be great, and that’s OK. Go for the stretch, but be safe, and don’t go lower than you feel you have the mobility for. Keep your lower back flat the whole time, and actively pull the weights back to keep them close to your body.

Step 3: Extend your hips and come back up and stand tall.

At first glance, this routine may not seem like enough work, but consider how you should be performing it. Take each set to within one rep of failure—that is, the point at which your form is about to break down. So if you get 8 reps for an exercise and it’s very hard, to the point where you felt yourself slow down, and you don’t think you can get a ninth rep with good form, STOP the set there. Done in this fashion, the Bulgarian split squats are very challenging (even at only one set apiece).

Complete Hamstring Workouts

Find the workout that suits your experience level and goals.

Beginner Hamstring Workout

(See 00:55 in the video above)

Just starting out on your quest for unbreakable hamstrings? This is step one: three moves that will blitz the muscles from both ends. Take it easy your first few times in this workout. The moves are entry-level—but if you’re not used to working your hamstrings, they can cramp up when you do too much work too soon. Perform this workout twice a week on nonconsecutive days, either in the same workout that you train your quads and calves, or tacked onto an upper-body day.

1) Back Extension

(See 01:15 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 15–20

2) Machine Leg Curl or Banded Leg Curl

(See 01:54 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 12–15

If you don’t have access to a lying leg curl machine, use a band around your ankles while you lie on a bench, as shown in the video.

3) Swiss-Ball Leg Curl

(See 02:30 in the video)

Sets: 1–2  Reps: As many as possible with good form

Intermediate Hamstring Workout

(See 03:14 in the video)

Been working out for a while? Below is a leg workout that will give your hamstrings—and the rest of your lower body—a going-over that you might need a few days to recover from. Perform it once or twice a week (do not do any other leg training).

Alternate sets of the paired exercises (marked A and B). So in Superset 1, for example, you’ll perform a set of Bulgarian split squats (one leg and then the other), rest 60–90 seconds, and then a set of slider leg curls. Rest 60–90 seconds, return to the first move, and continue alternating the two moves until you’ve completed three or four sets of each exercise. Then perform the exercises in Superset 2 in the same fashion (do exercise 3 as normal straight sets after you’ve finished all sets for 2A and 2B).

Superset 1:

1A) Bulgarian Split Squat

(See 03:38 in the video)

Sets: 3–4  Reps: 8–12 (each leg)

1B) Slider Leg Curl

(See 04:00 in the video)

Sets: 3–4  Reps: As many reps as possible with good form

Superset 2:

2A) Walking Lunge

(See 04:35 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 20–30 (each leg)

2B) Stiff-Legged Deadlift

(See 04:54 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 8–10

3) Swiss-Ball Leg Curl

(See 05:37 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: As many as possible with good form

Elite Hamstring Workout

(See 05:44 in the video)

Feel like your hammies are lagging behind your quads and want to add a little extra work to your leg program? The two mini-workouts below work well as end-of-workout hamstring finishers that you can do after a full-body workout, cardio session, or an upper-body day. You could also add them in on an off day. As in the intermediate workout, alternate sets of each exercise.

Hamstring Finisher Superset #1:

1A) Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

(See 06:10 in the video)

Sets: 2–3 sets  Reps: 8–12 (each leg)

1B) Slider Leg Curl

(See 06:50 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: As many reps as possible with good form

Hamstring Finisher Superset #2:

2A) Glute-Ham Raise

(See 07:34 in the video)

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 12–15

2B) Kettlebell Swing

(See 08:38 in the video)

Sets: 2–3 sets  Reps: 15–20

Pre-Workout Hamstring Stretches

Warm up your hips and hamstrings before any lower-body workout with the following moves, courtesy of Onnit-certified Durability Coach Cristian Plascencia (@cristiangplascencia on Instagram).

Lying L Sit

Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees and rest your feet close to your butt. Extend your arms by your sides and press your palms into the floor.

Step 2: Tuck your tailbone under slightly so that your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor and your lower back flattens into the floor. Take a deep breath and brace your core.

Step 3: Extend your legs overhead and pull your toes back toward your face. You’ll feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings. Continue to actively pull your toes down and fight to keep your legs straight for 30 seconds. Don’t let your lower back break off the floor. Repeat for 3 total rounds.

Kneeling Half-Mountain Climber Bow Draw

Step 1: Get on all fours with your knees directly under your hips and your hands underneath your shoulders.

Step 2: Step your left foot forward so it lands just outside your left hand. Drive your knee in toward your left arm while pushing your arms apart (left arm toward the left knee, so the two press against each other).

Step 3: Draw your shoulder blades back together and downward. Think: “proud chest.” Tilt your butt up to the ceiling, flattening out your lower back as much as you can, and brace your core. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your tailbone.

Step 4: Begin extending your left knee, pushing your pelvis back toward your right heel. Fight to keep your spine extended and your proud chest position the whole time. Push your foot into the floor so your heel and toes don’t rise up. Finally, bend the knee slowly to come back, and repeat on the opposite side. Perform 5 reps on each side, and repeat for 3 rounds.

Lying Warrior

Step 1: Sit on the floor and spread your legs.

Step 2: Lock out your left leg and twist your torso to the left. Plant your left hand behind your hips and use it to help pull you deeper into the twist. Reach your right arm past your left foot. Allow your right leg to roll inward as it follows you and turn the hip into the ground as much as you can.

Step 3: Plant both your hands on the floor behind your hips and extend your spine, drawing your shoulder blades together and downward—think: “proud chest.”

Step 4: Reverse the movement and repeat on the opposite side. As you repeat for reps, try to twist a little deeper, and even bend forward at the hips and rest on your forearms if you can. Perform 5 reps on each side, and repeat for 3 rounds.

FAQs

How can I target my hamstrings effectively?

Include exercises that flex the knee and extend the hip in your program. Knee flexion exercises—seated leg curls or lying leg curls—are a good idea to start your lower-body workouts, as they pump blood into the legs and prepare them for more complex and riskier exercises that follow, such as squats and deadlifts. Training them first also makes the hamstrings a priority, so you’ll be able to hit them hard with your full effort and focus, and that will lead to better gains.

Do stiff-legged deadlifts or RDLs later in your workout when you’re fully warmed up. These muscles put the hamstrings under a big stretch, so it’s safer to do them when you’re warm and ready. Perform both exercises for a variety of rep ranges, but sets of 5–10 are good to start. Add weight and reps as you’re able.

Are hamstrings important to train?

The hamstrings perform hip extension and knee flexion, meaning that they draw your leg underneath and behind you and bend the knee. Think about it… it’s exactly the motion you perform when running, bounding, jumping, or doing any other explosive, athletic movement that begins with the lower body. Many people focus on their quads and train squats, leg presses, and leg extensions hard, but that’s only because you can see those muscles in the mirror. The hamstrings are often an afterthought, but you’ll never reach your full potential for strength or athleticism until you bring them up.

Do squats effectively train the hamstrings?

No. As you descend in a squat, the origin point of the hamstring muscles (the hips) gets stretched, but the insertion point (the back of the knees) shortens as the knee bends. As you come up, the reverse happens. What this means is that the hamstrings are never really lengthened under load, so they don’t experience sufficient tension or receive much of a growth stimulus from squatting. Compare the squat to a movement like the stiff-legged deadlift or lying leg curl, where the hamstrings are lengthened fully and then shortened fully against resistance, and you can see that they must work much harder. The squat is a great exercise for the quads and adductors and, depending on how it’s performed, can also recruit the glutes heavily as well, but it does not constitute a hamstring workout on its own.

How can I strengthen my hamstrings at home?

Exercises like the slider leg curl and Swiss-ball leg curl can be done at home and train the hamstrings’ two functions—hip extension and knee flexion—simultaneously. All you need is a pair of furniture sliders or a Swiss ball, and even a set of paper plates can work if you have a smooth, waxed floor to train on. If you have dumbbells, you can do deadlift variations like the RDL and stiff-legged deadlift as well.

How often should I train my hamstrings each week?

Aim to train your hamstrings twice in a seven-day period, or as many as three times if you consider them a major weak point. You can train them on Monday and then again on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, depending on your split, or train them Monday, Wednesday, and Friday if following a full-body routine. (If you’re doing full-body, limit yourself to one hamstring exercise each session and one to three hard work sets, to allow for recovery).

Will bigger hamstrings make my glutes look bigger?

The hamstrings share a job with the glutes—hip extension—and there aren’t many exercises that work the hams and won’t train the glutes to a degree at the same time, so focusing on your hamstrings may allow you to add some size to your glutes as well. However, because they’re separate muscles, you’ll see better results training them with exercises that are more targeted for each muscle. So, if you want bigger glutes, emphasize glutes in your training.

What exercises specifically target the hamstrings?

Leg curls done both lying down and seated along with stiff-leg deadlifts, slider leg curls, and glute-ham raises are all very good choices.

What are the benefits of strong hamstrings?

Strong hamstrings help you run faster, jump higher, and generally perform more explosively in athletics. They’ll also help you lift heavier weights on deadlifts and other weightlifting exercises.

If you’re interested in more leg workouts you can do with your bodyweight alone, check out The Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises & Workouts for Strength.

The post Strengthen Your Hamstrings With These 8 Exercises and 4 Workouts appeared first on Onnit Academy.

While Zabka became infamous for his many turns as a WASPy jock bully, the truth is, he isn’t really a jerk. But he does actually know karate. And when it was time to dust off his gi and black headband to reprise his role as Johnny Lawrence for the Netflix series Cobra Kai (now in its sixth season), he called Hollywood trainer Chad Landers to help him get in shape.

We talked to Landers about how he trained the then 52 year-old Zabka to kick ass again after nearly 40 years, and the techniques he uses to help his other celebrity clients steal the show in nude scenes.

“I Trained William Zabka for Cobra Kai”: Q&A With Chad Landers

Onnit: First off, we have to know: Did Zabka wear the black headband during your workouts?

Chad Landers: No [laughs], but the very first time he came into the gym, I played the montage song from the first Karate Kid movie, “You’re The Best.” I had that playing in the background when he walked in. So I set the tone for everything right there. He thought that was hilarious. But I had known him for a while before I started training him. I probably wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t known him beforehand!

What kind of shape was Zabka in when he started with you?

He was in good shape. A lot of people don’t realize that Billy wrestled in high school and had trained karate for real for years after Karate Kid, so it’s not like he had let himself go for the last 30 years. It’s just that when you’re going to be on camera, the requirements are a little different. The camera lies to a degree. So you’re always better off being a little bit leaner than not when you’re shooting a movie or TV show. Billy just wanted to make sure he was putting his best foot forward.

In an interview with Men’s Health, Zabka said you helped him lose 20 pounds in two weeks.

Billy was being generous [laughs]. I only had four to six weeks to train with him, and I guess he lost the bulk of that weight in the first two or three weeks.

How was the training set up?

We trained three to four days a week, which is about as much time as I get with any actor. Most of them pay for training themselves, and they don’t have a lot of time to spare. In that case, I usually do full-body workouts that cover a push exercise, a pull, and some leg exercise. I’ll intersperse the strength training with interval cardio, and then do some assistance exercises at the end—like curls, lateral raises, and other isolation lifts. For instance, I’ll have them do bench presses for maybe 5 sets of 5, resting two to three minutes between sets, and then do a 400-meter run on the treadmill. Then go on to hex-bar deadlifts followed by sprints on the Airdyne bike. I don’t like to do strength and cardio exercises as a circuit. I like the strength training to be done as heavy as possible, so I let them recover between sets, and then do the cardio afterward. That really works well for getting people cut up.

Did you have to make any modifications due to Zabka’s age?

Not really. He didn’t have any injuries, luckily. He came in ready to rock. If there’s a safe alternative to a risky exercise, I always take it, because if I hurt somebody in the gym and the movie they’re making has to shut down production as a result, my reputation is done. A lot of trainers try to hit an actor with hours of training a day for six days a week, but there’s no way Billy could have recovered from that. Most people couldn’t.

Did you do any training to specifically prepare him for his fight scenes?

Yes. One thing we did quite a bit of was single-leg training, because I knew he was going to do a lot of kicking. So we did stepups, reverse lunges. Also, I didn’t know how the camera crew was going to set up their shots. I didn’t want him to only be able to kick with his right leg if they needed him to kick with his left to get a certain shot. I didn’t want to risk him being weak on one side or in any way that that could hurt his performance, so we worked a lot on muscle balance. But I’m sure they worked on that in his karate training too, which I wasn’t a part of.

Did you oversee his diet as well?

Not really. I just asked him to eat as much lean protein and vegetables as he could. I always warn clients to avoid liquid calories as well, because they’re easy to overdo. Billy wasn’t drinking Coors Banquet to start and end every day like his character was [laughs].

So, what’s Zabka like in real life?

He’s great. He was a model client. There was nothing I threw at him that he couldn’t do. Like his character, he’s a pretty athletic guy, but he’s not a jerk at all. I was one of those children of the 80’s who grew up on Karate Kid, and I was a scrawny dude when that movie came out. I WAS Daniel-sahn! So, to me, Billy was always the quintessential 80’s bully. I didn’t like him at all. To meet him many years later and find out that he’s one of the nicest guys on the planet and really funny is hilarious. Just to illustrate that for you, he gave me a shout-out in that Men’s Health article he was interviewed for and I didn’t even know it. There are many actors that I’ve trained for years who never mention that they even have a trainer, let alone that it’s me. Billy didn’t have to do that.

In general, what do older people who want to get into martial arts need to work on?

Getting stronger. Strength is the great equalizer. You have to have that foundation of being strong to build any other qualities. And you have to be strong in all three planes [moving forward and backward, side to side, and in rotation] and unilaterally. But, that being said, guys who are around 50 tend to be carrying around extra body weight too. You’ll greatly reduce your chances of injury if you can lose five or 10 pounds. The less weight you have pounding on your joints the better.

And strong is relative. You can’t go super heavy right away. With somebody like Billy, who I hadn’t trained before, I stay mostly in the 12–15 rep range. Older guys can work up to heavy triples and doubles, but you have to do it gradually. If you’re just coming off the bench, stay in the 8–15 range with your exercises to build a base.

The core is also important. When guys fail on the squat and deadlift, it’s often not because they don’t have strength in their legs and glutes—it’s because their cores give out before they can come out of the hole on the squat or lock out the deadlift. Work your core any way you can, even if it’s just doing more exercises standing. For example, standing up doing curls works your core more than doing them seated or on a machine. Controlling free weights in multiple planes is the way to go.

People want to know how actors get that dry, shrink-wrapped look they show off in shirtless and nude scenes. What’s the secret?

The finishing touch is done in the last week before the shoot. We’ve already done our work with the strength and conditioning and the diet at that point, and that’s important to remember. No amount of weight cutting at the end is going to make up for that. Once we’ve got the body fat off, I use some methods borrowed from the MMA and bodybuilding worlds to get that dry, cut look.

We’ll ramp up the water intake the last week. The guy is probably already drinking close to a gallon of water a day already, and I’ll take it up to one and a half or two gallons for the whole week. Then, the day before the shoot, I’ll have him stop drinking at 4 p.m. That night, around eight o’clock, I make him take a really hot bath with Epsom salts and rubbing alcohol for 15–20 minutes. Then, if he has a sauna available, he will sit in there for another half hour. The point is to sweat to get as much water off as he can. That takes six to seven pounds of water off him by the morning. That’s all I feel safe taking off. These MMA guys might cut 20 pounds but they also get to rehydrate before they compete. Actors don’t get to rehydrate till after they shoot the scene, so I don’t risk getting them any drier. Provided they already have abs showing by then, they’ll look pretty shrink-wrapped afterward.

To be clear, you’re NOT recommending this to people who just want to look good on the beach.

Right. It’s not pleasant and I don’t recommend doing it by yourself either. Dehydrating yourself is dangerous—you can pass out in that bathtub. You need to have somebody watching you. But that’s what we do when somebody has to be naked on camera for a movie. The stakes are pretty high, so you have to be willing to do things you wouldn’t do in everyday life. But no, I wouldn’t use this process to look good for a wedding or a beach party. You might look great but you’d feel miserable.

Watch Cobra Kai, available exclusively on Netflix, and visit Landers at pushprivatefitness.com.

The post “I Trained William Zabka for Cobra Kai”: Q&A With Chad Landers appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Key Takeaways

1. The Larsen press is a bench press done with the legs extended.

2. The Larsen press takes the legs out of benching, which forces the upper body to work harder, strengthening it over time.

3. The Larsen press also removes much of the arch from the lower back, which can help relieve irritation if you’re injured in that area.

4. Make sure you set up with your feet on the floor first to get the proper arch in your upper back. Then extend your legs.

What Is The Larsen Press?

(See 00:23 in the video.)

A Larsen press is a bench press done with the legs extended. Your feet are off the floor and your whole body is relatively straight from head to heels.

The Larsen press takes its name from its innovator, Adrian Larsen, an American powerlifter and former world bench-press record holder in the 220-pound weight class. Most powerlifters use their legs to get extra stability and strength in their benching—after the bar touches their chest on the descent, they drive their legs hard into the floor to help press the bar back up—but due to being born with dislocated hips, resulting in multiple surgeries, Larsen wasn’t able to do this. Instead, he had to bench with his legs elevated. It didn’t seem to cost him strength, as he went on to press a motorcycle—and its rider—while lying on the ground on multiple occasions.

How to Do the Larsen Press Correctly

(See 01:04 in the video at the top.)

Step 1. Lie on the bench and set up for a normal bench press with your feet on the floor. Position yourself with your eyes directly under the bar.

Step 2. Grasp the bar with hands about shoulder-width apart and lift your body up off the bench so you can retract your shoulder blades and arch your back. Now lower yourself onto the bench. You should feel like your upper back has been pulled together tightly and your chest is pushed out—upward and closer to the bar.

Step 3. Unrack the bar and pull it into position directly above your shoulders. Now lift your legs off the floor and extend them with straight knees. This will flatten your ribcage and lower back against the bench.

Step 4. Gripping the bar firmly, pull it down to your chest, touching the middle of your pecs. Take a second or two to do this, so you lower with control. (Don’t let the weight free fall or bounce off your ribs.) Pause for a second or two, and then press the bar to lockout.

If you do it right, the bar won’t take a straight up-and-down path. Instead, it will drift slightly down your body as you lower it, and slightly toward your face as you press, following what’s called a J-curve. The bar should always stack directly above your wrists and elbows, but will only stack directly above your shoulders at lockout.

Perform your set to within one or two reps of form failure—the point at which you don’t think you can do another rep with good technique. As you get more experienced with the Larsen press, you can occasionally take your last set of the exercise to failure, under the supervision of an experienced spotter. Note that it’s best to have a spotter for Larsen pressing, and any other type of bench pressing in general, for the sake of safety.

Additional tips:

Make sure you set up with your feet on the floor, and don’t just skip ahead to raising your legs. “When you set up for the bench your upper back and lats need to be tight,” says Dave Tate, a former elite powerlifter and the founder of elitefts.com. “This is done by lifting your body up off the bench and tucking the shoulder blades down and tight.” This must be done on the Larsen press even more so than a normal bench press, because you don’t have the benefit of your legs providing stability.

When you raise your legs, your core should engage naturally, but don’t feel that you have to hold a hollow-body position like you were doing some ab exercise. Adrian Larsen actually let his legs dangle passively. If you find that holding your legs out is distracting or uncomfortable, you can rest them on a bench or box.

How To Stretch Before Doing The Larsen Press

(See 02:35 in the video at the top.)

Use these exercises to warm up your torso, shoulders, and elbows before performing the Larsen press in your workouts.

1. Cat-Camel Stretch

(See 02:40 in the video at the top.)

Step 1. Get on all fours and brace your core. Your arms should be directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.

Step 2. Press your arms into the floor while you round your upper back toward the ceiling, spreading your shoulder blades. Hold for a second.

Step 3. Now retract your shoulder blades while you arch your upper back and drive your solar plexus toward the floor. Hold for a second. That’s one rep. Imagine the motion as having a string running through your solar plexus with someone pulling it up and then down—try to move at the upper back and not the lower back. Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

2. Kneeling Elbow Circle

(See 03:21 in the video at the top.)

Step 1. From the same all-fours position as the cat-camel, turn your elbows to point out to the sides and then bend them, lowering your body to the bottom of a pushup.

Step 2. Turn your elbows toward your body and extend your arms to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Alternate directions each rep, and do 2–3 sets of 6–12 reps.

What Muscles Does the Larsen Press Work?

(See 02:23 in the video at the top.)

The Larsen press is meant to strengthen your upper-body pushing muscles: the pecs, triceps, and front delts. Here’s a quick anatomy and biomechanics lesson to break it down. 

Pectorals 

Your pec major muscle flexes your shoulder and adducts your humerus toward the midline of your body. As you bench press, your shoulders flex and your upper arms converge toward each other. This is a little easier to visualize if you imagine a flye motion or a dumbbell press, but it happens when pressing a barbell too. 

Triceps

Your triceps’ primary action is to extend your elbow, straightening your arm. The upward portion of the bench press starts with a flexed elbow at your chest and your triceps extend your elbows to move the load toward a fully locked out elbow position at the top of the lift. 

Anterior Deltoids

Your front delts flex your shoulder, taking your humerus (upper-arm bone) from a position at your side (or behind your back) and elevating it toward the overhead position. If you think about your shoulder and humerus position and movement throughout a bench press, your arm goes from parallel to your torso to being pointed directly perpendicular from your torso. This motion is flexion of your shoulder, created by your front delt.

Though all three major pressing muscles work together through the entire range of motion of a bench press, your triceps dominate the top portion at lockout, while the pecs and front delts dominate the bottom portion when you’re getting the bar off your chest.

Numerous other muscles work to stabilize your shoulders and overall body position during a Larsen press, including but not limited to your obliques, serratus anterior, and rotator cuff, but we aren’t focused on targeting them directly here. If you want to target more of your upper chest vs. the middle of the pecs, see our guide to upper-chest workouts.

What are the Benefits of Doing the Larsen Press?

“The Larsen press can be great for intermediate to advanced lifters,” says Tate, “as it takes the legs out of the lift and will force them to keep tension through their core.” As much as the bench press is dominated by pecs, front delts, and triceps, a skilled powerlifter can squeeze extra force production from leg drive—the coiled tension of a low back arch and bucking the hips while elevating the ribcage. But as Larsen himself proved, training your body to press without the assistance of your legs makes your upper body take on all the load and learn to better stabilize itself on the bench. Do it for a few weeks and then go back to normal bench pressing. You’ll probably find that now that your upper body is much stronger, you can produce more force overall when you use your legs again.

“The Larsen press can also be a great diagnostic tool for powerlifting coaches,” adds Tate. Without the assistance of the legs, you can see how a lifter’s upper-body mechanics influence their pressing, and can troubleshoot any technique issues.

Here are some other reasons you may want to add the Larsen press to your routine.

Novelty

If you’ve been using the same limited array of basic exercises for months and you feel physically and mentally stale, making a small tweak like swapping out a regular bench press for a Larsen press can get you to re-engage with your training, as well as help you break through a plateau. As it’s similar to the bench press, the Larsen press will allow you to continue working the same muscles in a way that’s specific to bench press gains, but different enough to give your muscles, joints, connective tissues, and nervous system a bit of a break, as well as reduce the risk of injury due to repetitive use.

Reduced lower back stress

An aggressive bench press arch can stress and fatigue your low back tissues and structures. If you’re a powerlifter, you’re also doing other exercises that are hard on this area, such as squats, deadlifts, and good mornings, so it’s a good idea to get away from lifts that wear on the low back whenever you can. 

By keeping your legs straight, the Larsen press won’t let you arch your lower back while you’re pressing, neutralizing any stressful forces in the lumbar spine. If your pressing workouts take it easier on your lower back for a while, you leave more room for recovery and potentially better performance on squats and deadlifts.

Increased range of motion

The primary benefit of arching the back on a bench press is to elevate the base of your ribcage, shortening the distance the bar has to travel from chest contact to lockout. Shaving off some of the range of motion allows you to lift heavier weight, but it isn’t ideal for building muscle. The Larsen press demands that you lower the bar with only a minimal back arch, and that recruits more muscle in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

(Incidentally, search for videos of small, hyper-flexible female powerlifters and you’ll see many of them using absurd, horseshoe-backed arches that let them lift enormous weights—the bar only travels a few inches from chest to lockout. This is within the regulations of many powerlifting federations, though due to controversy, some have begun to crack down on this “abuse” of the rules.)

Flattening out your arch and ribcage also means more time spent moving and controlling the weight at the weakest point of your bench press, when the bar is at your chest. Therefore, you will get stronger at pressing the bar up from the bottom.

Training with reduced weight

Though benching as much weight as possible is the goal of every powerlifter and motivated gym bro, you can’t bench with max weights all the time and stay injury-free. Because of its mechanics, the Larsen press will certainly force you to use lighter weight than your conventional bench press, to which your shoulders, elbows, and wrists will say “thanks.” Managing your loads over time will reduce your risk of injury and keep you from getting overwhelmed by fatigue, and that in turn should help you max out heavy weights when you choose to.

Larsen Press Alternatives

(See 04:20 in the video at the top.)

The goal of the Larsen Press is to take the legs out of the exercise and better isolate the pressing muscles. A secondary purpose is to preserve the low back, which is done by keeping the spine in a more neutral position. The biggest drawback to the Larsen press, as you may have guessed by looking at it, is the potential to fall off the bench. Without the balance and stability that comes from foot placement, you’re depending on your back and core to hold you in position, and that won’t work well for everyone. Fortunately, you can get most of the benefits of the Larsen press with less risk by doing one of these alternatives or variations.

Larsen Floor Press

(See 04:53 in the video at the top.)

Doing a Larsen press while lying on the floor takes away the effort of holding your legs out in front of you. They’re still extended, so you can’t arch your back much and your lumbar spine gets a break, but you won’t get the stability challenge that you would pressing on a bench. You may also find that your elbows touch the floor before the bar touches your chest. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it will shift more of the load onto your triceps, so it’s a good way to work lockout strength. Also, if you want to continue to press through a full range, you could stack some mats on the floor and rest your back against them, essentially raising the floor for your torso but not your arms and restoring the range of motion.

Feet On The Bench Press

(See 05:20 in the video at the top.)

Putting your feet up on the bench retains the spirit of the Larsen press while offering a little more stability. You may also get a little more lumbar arch and ribcage elevation. This is a great option for shorter lifters who have trouble keeping their feet flat on the floor anyway. Feet on the bench is often an ideal substitution for people who aren’t training for powerlifting but want to bench press without low-back tension. 

Dumbbell Larsen Press

(See 05:40 in the video at the top.)

Not everyone has a barbell and rack in their home, and some people only have access to gyms that ban compound barbell lifts—you know, the kind of place where an alarm goes off if you let out a grunt. While the dumbbell version may not be ideal for competitive powerlifters, it’s fine for the serious enthusiast who prefers to skip their gym’s pizza party and train hard. Find other ideas for training chest in our at-home chest workout guide.

How to Fit the Larsen Press Into Your Workout

(See 06:15 in the video at the top.)

The Larsen press can be incorporated into your training in two main ways.

1. As a primary strength lift

You can start your bench press/push/chest day with the Larsen press, training it the same way you would a regular bench press. Work up to 3–5 work sets of 3–5 reps, resting three minutes or more between sets.

2. As a chest-builder

If you want to train your chest with a bench press but take your legs completely out of the equation, the Larsen press is a fine substitute. Do 2–3 work sets of 6–12 reps, resting two to three minutes between sets.

Why The Larsen Press May Not Be For You

We like the Larsen press for its back-friendly feature and its ability to strengthen the pressing  muscles, but we don’t want to give you the impression that it’s a trendy new lift that you just HAVE to try.

Remember that Adrian Larsen used the Larsen press out of necessity. Those who have healthy legs and hips don’t need to.

Jen Thompson, an 11-time IPF world powerlifting champion and world-record holder in the bench press at 145.5 kilos says that the Larsen press makes a lifter unnecessarily unstable. “In my opinion, it’s not worth the injury risk, and I do not practice it,” says Thompson. The injury risk, in this case, being a shift out of position during the lift or outright falling off the bench due to the lack of stability. “If your goal is to build up your bench press, you should bench heavy in the most stable position.”

Many of the potential benefits of Larsen pressing, like upper-body isolation, low-back safety, and training through a greater range of motion can be gotten pressing with other exercises that don’t place you at risk of falling off the bench with a heavy load over your face.

The type of bench you have access to should also play a role in your decision of whether to Larsen press. Most gym benches are narrower than the ones used in powerlifting competition (competitors usually lift on benches that are 11.5 to 12.5 inches wide). Benching on a narrower surface makes you more likely to lose position, especially under heavy loads. It may be wise, then, to Larsen press only if you have a competition bench to practice on. The pressing skill you build also will transfer better to benching in competition.

The bottom line: the Larsen press isn’t a cure-all for a mediocre bench press, but it’s a good alternative for those who can access the right equipment and want to strengthen their pressing with a novel exercise. Furthermore, if you have lower body injuries or ailments like Larsen himself, the Larsen press may prove to be your ticket to amazing feats of strength that you may have previously thought impossible.

For more bench-press building tips, see our guide to the bench press.

The post How To Do The Larsen Press Like A Pro appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Are The Benefits of Doing The Zercher Squat?

(See 00:25 in the video above)

The Zercher squat gets its funny name from a strongman named Ed Zercher. The rumor is that Zercher didn’t have a squat rack in his gym, so, rather than squat with a bar on his back, he had to place the barbell on the floor and then bend down and hook his arms under it to lift the bar into position at his belly. Today, many lifters do Zercher squats using a squat rack, but they perform the same basic movement, holding the bar in front of their body, in the bend of their elbows.

A Zercher squat is very similar to a kettlebell goblet squat or a barbell front squat, in that it allows you to squat with a very upright torso, and therefore squat very deep. Because the weight is loaded on the front of your body, your core and upper back have to work really hard to stabilize you. The Zercher squat is much easier on the lower back than a back squat is, so it’s a good alternative if you’re dealing with an injury. In a back squat, your torso inevitably will bend a little toward the floor, and that places shear forces on the spine. If you have back problems already, this can make things worse. The Zercher squat allows you to keep your joints stacked, minimizing stress on the low back.

You could also argue that Zercher squats are a good choice for wrestlers and other combat athletes who have to pick people up from time to time, as they mimic that movement. They’re also applicable to strongman competitors who have to perform events like the Conan’s Wheel, or stone carries, as they more closely resemble those movements than other types of squats.

Of course, if you don’t have a squat rack but you want to do barbell squats at home, you can do what Zercher did and get the bar up to your chest from the floor—that is, IF you have the mobility to pick the bar up safely.

How To Do The Zercher Squat Correctly

(See 02:02 in the video.)

The safest way to perform a Zercher squat is to take the bar out of a squat rack.

Step 1. Set the bar in the rack at about stomach height. Now hook your arms underneath it so that the bar rests in the bend of your elbows. This can be very uncomfortable, so it’s a good idea to wear a long-sleeve sweatshirt when you do these, or wrap a towel around the bar to cushion your arms.

Step 2. Scoop the bar out of the rack, step back, and stand with your feet between hip and shoulder width, just as you would for a normal back or front squat. Turn your toes out about 30 degrees. Make sure your arms are close to the center of the bar, so it’s balanced. You can cup one hand over the other, or have your forearms parallel to each other with your hands in fists—whichever is more comfortable. In either case, your arms should look like they’re in the top position of a curl. Your biceps are fully shortened, but they aren’t really working against the resistance of the bar. You’re just using your arms as hooks to hold the bar in place. You shouldn’t feel your shoulders working. If you do, your elbows are probably too high.

Step 3. Take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Keeping your torso very tall and straight, squat as deeply as you can without losing the arch in your lower back (in other words, don’t let your pelvis tuck under). Think of the movement as being like a goblet or front squat. Push your knees apart as you descend so that your elbows fit between them.

Step 4. After you’ve descended to your safest squat depth, come back up and stand tall.

If you don’t have a squat rack, you can deadlift the bar off the floor and into your lap, and then hook your arms underneath the bar and stand up to get into position. Note that this approach will require a lot of hip mobility so that you don’t round your lower back, so it’s not appropriate for most people. However, if you’re sure you can do it safely, make sure you use a very light weight at first.

In strongman competition, the Zercher squat and similar exercises (such as Zercher carries, or the Conan’s Wheel) are typically done with an axel rather than a conventional barbell. Axel bars are available in some gyms, and their diameter is much thicker than that of a standard barbell. If you have access to one, the axel bar is a good choice for Zercher exercises, as it not only better mimics how you would do them in strongman but also offers the biceps and elbows some relief. The thickness of an axel spreads the load across your elbows, so it doesn’t bite into them the way a narrower bar does.

What Muscles Does The Zercher Squat Work?

(See 04:20 in the video.)

The Zercher squat works the same muscles that virtually every other squat works, including the quads, glutes, and adductors. Because the weight is loaded in front of you, it’s going to be even more demanding on your abs and obliques—your core muscles—than a back squat would be. Your upper back will also have to work really hard to keep the bar from falling. Yes, your biceps will help out as well just keeping the bar in place, but it’s an exaggeration to say that they really get trained by Zercher squats. If you want to get bigger, stronger arms, you’re better off doing curls!

The Zercher Squat Vs. Front & Back Squats

(See 04:55 in the video.)

The Zercher squat is very similar to a front squat. You’re just holding the bar in a different place, but it will work the same muscles and feel similar. If you have trouble doing Olympic-style front squats because they bother your wrists, the Zercher squat could be a good alternative. The Zercher squat is also easier on your lower back and shoulders than a back squat would be, but because you have to rely on your arms to hold the bar in front of you, you’re not in as strong of a position doing Zercher squats as you would be doing either the front or back squat. You will be limited by your core and back strength, as well as your arms’ ability to hold the weight. Therefore, you won’t be able to train Zercher squats as heavy as those other lifts.

How To Stretch Before Doing Squats

Try out these warmup and mobility moves from Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education, Shane Heins, before attempting a Zercher squat workout.

Alternatives To The Zercher Squat

(See 05:38 in the Zercher Squat video at the top.)

Again, because the Zercher squat is so similar to front squats and goblet squats, try those movements if you want to get the feel of Zercher squats but don’t feel up to actually doing them just yet.

Front Squat

(See 05:53 in the Zercher Squat video.)

Step 1. Grasp the bar with hands shoulder-width apart and point your elbows forward so that you can position the bar over the tips of your fingers (palms face up). As long as you keep your elbows pointing forward, you will be able to balance the bar.

Another way to do it is to cross your arms in front of you, holding the bar on the front of your shoulders (left hand in front of right shoulder, right hand in front of left). To do the classic front squat with the bar on your fingertips, you need a reasonable amount of flexibility through your shoulders and wrists to position the barbell correctly. If you don’t have it, the cross-arm version may be the better option for you at the moment.

Step 2. Lift the bar out of the rack and step back, setting your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out slightly. Pull your ribs down and take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Your head, spine, and pelvis should form a long line—your pelvis should also be perpendicular to your spine, and not tilted toward the floor. Focus your eyes on a point straight in front of you.

Step 3. Squat as low as you can while keeping alignment and maintaining your upright torso position. Remember to point your elbows forward, and raise them up if you feel them slipping downward. Ideally, you’ll be able to descend to where the crease of your hips is below the top of your thighs.

Step 4. Extend your hips and knees to return to standing, pushing through the middle of your feet and squeezing your glutes.

Goblet Squat

(See 07:30 in the Zercher Squat video.)

Step 1. Hold a kettlebell in front of your chest by the sides of its handle. Draw your shoulders back and downward (think: “proud chest”), and tuck your elbows in close to the bell—try to get your forearms as vertical as you can. Stand with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out a bit—up to 30 degrees if you need to.

Step 2. Tuck your tailbone and draw your ribs down so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Take a deep breath into your belly, and brace your core.

Step 3. Keeping a long spine from your head to your pelvis, push your hips back and squat down, as if sitting down into a chair. Squat as low as you can while keeping your head, spine, and pelvis aligned. Push your knees apart as you descend. You should feel most of your weight on your heels to mid-foot area. If you feel your lower back beginning to round, stop there, and come back up. Keep your torso as vertical as possible—you shouldn’t have to lean forward or work extra hard to hold the bell upright. Avoid bending or twisting to either side.

Step 4. Drive through your feet as you extend your hips and knees to come up.

How To Fit The Zercher Squat Into Your Workout

(See 09:26 in the video.)

The Zercher squat can be a good alternative to front squats, especially if you want to train more like a strongman or prepare your body for heavy carrying of any kind. It’s also a good substitute for back squats if you’re having lower-back issues. Understand, however, that you won’t be able to train as heavy with the Zercher squat as with other squat variations, and that can be detrimental if you want to build maximum strength or leg muscle. With that said, Zerchers have been around 100 years or more for good reason: they build very functional, real-world strength throughout your whole body.

Do them toward the beginning of your leg or full-body workout when you’re at your freshest. Since the Zercher squat has you squatting so upright, it’s going to let you squat very deep, and that places most of the emphasis on your quads. Be sure to balance it out with other exercises that work the hamstrings and glutes just as hard. Two to three sets of 5–10 reps is good to start, progressing the weight and rep numbers over time.

Try another front-loaded squat that saves the low back and strengthens the quads: the landmine squat.

The post How To Do The Zercher Squat Like A Pro appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Here, we present some of the most common and effective kettlebell deadlift variations.

What Is The Kettlebell Deadlift and What Are The Benefits of Doing Them?

(See 00:31 in the video above.)

“The deadlift itself is a hinge movement,” says Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education. “You fold at the hips to pick objects up from down below.” If that motion looks familiar to you, it should—you probably do it every day, from picking up your gym bag to lifting your little brother/sister, or son/daughter, into the car seat. The point is, few exercises prepare you for the sport of life like the deadlift does.

That’s not to say it can’t prepare you for actual sports too. The deadlift trains the muscles that extend the hips—the glutes and hamstrings—which are the source of speed and power for virtually all explosive movements (yes, the quads get some work too, extending the knees in concert with the hips). Deadlifting also involves the upper and lower back, as well as the forearm and gripping muscles, so deadlifts of any kind are really full-body exercises.

When you swap out a barbell for a kettlebell, things get even more interesting. Deadlifting with a barbell is hell on your grip, but the challenge increases with a kettlebell, both because the diameter of the handle is thicker and the weight’s center of gravity is lower. That makes the kettlebell much harder to control, upping the strength requirement from both your hands and your core. Another point: the shape and length of a barbell makes it only suitable for lifting right in front of you, with your palms facing your body. A kettlebell, however, can be positioned between your legs, to the outside of one leg, or at varying heights depending on your goals. You can also grip it with your hands at a 45-degree angle or palms facing in, so the kettlebell is a bit more versatile.

Heins argues that the kettlebell is “much more closely related to the types of objects you’ll deadlift, and how you’ll deadlift them, in your day-to-day life.”

How To Do The Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

(See 01:17 in the video.)

The single-leg kettlebell deadlift works the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back one side at a time, which allows you to train them through a greater range of motion than you could with conventional two-legged deadlifts. We recently posted a thorough article tutorial on the single-leg deadlift and all its glory, so check that out separately.

How To Do The Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

(See 01:49 in the video.)

Prolonged bouts of sitting cause the hamstrings to shorten, reducing their flexibility. The Romanian deadlift helps to stretch them back out again, while also working the glutes through a full range of motion. Doing an RDL with a kettlebell is a good way to prepare your body for more dynamic hip hinge movements like the kettlebell swing, as it strengthens the same muscles and works you through the same range, but without the momentum that puts the lower back at some risk.

Step 1. Set a kettlebell on the floor just in front of you. Place your feet hip-distance apart. Draw your shoulders back and down (think “proud chest”), pull your ribs down, and brace your core. Unlock your knees.

Step 2. Keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone, drive your hips back as far as you can so your torso folds over. Let the movement come from your hips (do NOT round your lower back). Stop when you run out of range—your shoulders should end up above hip level. Grasp the kettlebell with both hands.

Step 3. Keeping your proud chest position, drive through your heels as you extend your hips and knees to stand up tall. Now you’re in position to BEGIN your reps.

Step 4. Bend your hips back as you did above to lower the weight to just above the floor—don’t let it rest on the ground. You may need to stand on some mats or other elevated surface to do so. The goal should be to keep constant tension on your muscles, and stopping the weight on the floor allows them a momentary rest.

How To Do The Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

(See 02:43 in the video.)

If your hamstrings are tight, you may have an easier time doing the sumo deadlift than the RDL. The sumo requires less of a hip hinge, but it also lets you work with heavier weights, and it gets the adductors (inner-thigh muscles) in on the action to a greater degree than other deadlifts.

Step 1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, and turn your toes out 45 degrees. Actively drive your knees outward. Assume a proud chest position.

Step 2. Hinge your hips back while keeping a long spine, and grasp the kettlebell with both hands.

Step 3. Drive through your feet to extend your hips to stand tall. Think about pulling through the crown of your head.

How To Do The Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift

(See 03:42 in the video.)

Lifting a kettlebell on one side of the body alone “starts to tap into that corset of core musculature from the hips to the shoulders,” says Heins, “while also challenging your grip.” Most of life and sport activities load the body asymmetrically, so it pays to train this way.

Step 1. Set the kettlebell to the side of one leg with the handle turned vertical (so you can pick up the bell as if it were a suitcase). Place your feet at hip width, get a proud chest, and draw your ribs down. Brace your core.

Step 2. Hinge your hips first and then bend your knees just enough to reach the kettlebell. Maintain a long spine as you do this. (Think about the logo on your T-shirt—it should be visible to anyone standing in front of you.)

Step 3. Drive your feet through the floor and extend your hips to stand tall. Lift the weight evenly. Because you’re loading your body unevenly, it will be difficult to keep your shoulders square and your torso straight, but avoid any twisting or bending.

Be sure to perform the exercise for an even number of reps on both sides.

How To Do A Double-Kettlebell Deadlift

(See 05:16 in the video.)

Deadlifting two kettlebells at once really forces you to brace your core and coordinate an unstable movement. It’s tough on your grip, and allows you to lift heavier than most other kettlebell deadlift variations, increasing the muscle-building potential.

Step 1. Place two kettlebells on the floor and stand with them between your legs, feet a little wider than your hips. Draw your shoulders back and put a soft bend in your knees.

Step 2. Hinge your hips to reach the kettlebells. Be sure to really push your hips back, bending your knees only as needed to grasp the bells.

Step 3. Drive your feet through the floor and stand tall. As you return the kettlebells to the floor, think about sitting your hips back rather than just bending forward.

Stretching Before Deadlifting

Perform the following mobility routine from Onnit-certified coach Eric Leija (@primal.swoledier) before you take on any of the deadlifts listed here. It will stretch out your hips, glutes, and hamstrings for the work to come, and raise your core temperature for safer training.

How To Modify Your Deadlift For Your Goals

(See 06:42 in the video.)

“It’s easy to fall into the trap of ’I see the movement being done this way and this is the only way I can ever do it,’” says Heins of the deadlifts we outlined above. But he wants to remind you that the beauty of kettlebells is their versatility—you can use them in a variety of ways that help you accomplish exactly what you want with your training at whatever level you find yourself.

For instance, if you want to improve mobility in your hips and hamstrings, Heins says you can perform the double kettlebell deadlift with a single leg. If you want to go really heavy on your double deadlift, do it with a sumo stance. Want to build rock-solid balance and stability? Do the suitcase deadlift single-leg style. And if you find that you don’t have the mobility to perform a deadlift safely, do it from an elevated surface (such as a box or mats) to cut down on the range of motion. “I’d rather see you cut range than get hurt trying to force a range you don’t have yet,” says Heins.

So get creative and play with these variations to find what suits you best. As long as you observe the basic form pointers—flat back, proud chest, moving at the hips instead of the low back—you’ll have an almost infinite number of kettlebell deadlifts to work on.

How To Incorporate These Exercises Into Your Workouts

(See 09:21 in the video.)

Deadlifts generally let you go pretty heavy, so Heins says they work well when serving as the main strength exercise in your workout. After you’ve warmed up and done any plyometric (explosive) or high-skill exercises, such as jumps or cleans, a double-kettlebell deadlift or sumo deadlift is a great movement to strengthen the lower body. Do sets of 3–5 reps if you have access to really heavy kettlebells, while 8–12 reps is fine for moderate ones.

“You can also use deadlifts for circuits for conditioning,” says Heins, or muscular endurance. “The kettlebell lets you notch back the weight you’re working with so you can do the deadlift for higher reps and with shorter rest periods,” something that isn’t so practical when using a barbell and plates. Romanian deadlifts are a good choice in this case, as are double-kettlebell sumo deadlifts done with lighter bells. Heins says that the latter is a good way to focus on opening up range of motion in the hips and adductors.

Yet another use for deadlifts is for simulating more athletic and real-world movements, like lifting uneven loads. You can place suitcase and single-leg deadlifts pretty much anywhere in your workout to train your ability to stabilize your body as well as even out muscle imbalances between sides. “These don’t need to be high repetition or heavy,” says Heins. “Work with a weight that allows you to hold structural integrity and perform reps with the utmost beauty.”

Learn about another deadlift variant that works with kettlebells, dumbbells, or a barbell in our guide to the B-stance RDL.

The post The Best Kettlebell Deadlift Exercises For Your Workout appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Are B-Stance RDLs and What Are Their Benefits?

(See 00:22 in the video above)

First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what regular old Romanian deadlifts are. The RDL is very similar to a conventional deadlift, but rather than picking the bar up off the floor, you start from a standing position with your hips locked out, and then bend your hips back as far as you can while keeping a little bend in your knees.

The RDL trains the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, making it a great exercise for building muscle in those areas, as well as a good supplemental lift for the deadlift itself. Many lifters like to progress from the RDL to a single-leg RDL, where you perform the same basic movement but on one leg. Being able to do a single-leg RDL, or single-leg deadlift, demonstrates great balance and stability, so it’s arguably a good exercise for athletes to work on, but it takes a lot of practice for most people to achieve. It’s also not really a great choice for building muscle in your glutes and hamstrings, because you expend most of your energy trying to stabilize the movement—that is, keep from losing your balance and falling over. Single-leg deadlifts can’t really be loaded heavy, so there’s a diminishing return as far as gaining muscle and strength from them.

Now here’s where the B-stance RDL comes in. By taking your normal RDL stance and sliding one foot back and using it as a sort of kickstand, you can shift the load to your front leg, making the RDL more of a unilateral movement like the single-leg deadlift, but keeping most of the stability that makes the RDL such an effective muscle and strength exercise.

Therefore the B-stance RDL is a good progression from the bilateral RDL as well as a prerequisite or alternate for single-leg deadlifts.

Also, if you suffer from lower-back pain and find that regular two-legged RDLs are uncomfortable, the B-stance RDL may be a good alternative. You can’t lift as heavy with a B-stance as you can using a normal, two-legged stance, but in this case, that can be a good thing. Using lighter weight will place less strain on your lower back, but it will still be heavy enough to train one leg at a time effectively. The B-stance will also allow you to improve the mobility in your hips, one side at a time, so it may help to relieve the source of your back pain in the first place.

How To Do B-Stance RDLs

(See 02:20 in the video)

You can perform B-stance RDLs with a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or a trap bar. We like the trap bar because it allows you to keep the weight very close to your center of gravity, which is easier on the lower back, so that’s the version that is depicted here. But the same mechanics apply to a B-stance RDL with any implement.

Step 1. Take the bar off the floor or a rack—if you’re going off the floor, you have to deadlift the bar up and into position, so be sure to do it with a flat back and lift with your legs. Now stand with your feet hip-width apart and soften your knees. From here, slide one foot back so that your toes are even with the heel of the other foot. Some people like to move the foot a little further backward or keep it more forward, but the toe-to-heel alignment seems to work best for most. Experiment and see what feels right to you.

Step 2. Brace your core, and bend your hips back as far as you can while keeping a little bend in your knees. You want your front knee to stay soft and just bend as needed to give your hips the greatest range of motion. The knee on your kickstand leg will bend a little more, but don’t try to bend either leg like you would in a squat.

Keep a long spine from your head to your tailbone as you push your hips back. You’ll feel a strong stretch in your glutes and hamstrings on the front leg. You want that stretch, because that means you’re working the muscles, but it shouldn’t be really uncomfortable. You also shouldn’t go to where you feel your lower back is beginning to round forward.

Step 3. As soon as you feel a strong stretch, and you know your hips are as far back as they can go with that stance, extend your hips to stand back up tall. Watch that you don’t hyperextend your back at the top. You want to be standing tall, not leaning back in an effort to push your hips forward even more.

Complete your reps (sets of anywhere from 5–10 reps are generally fine), rest, and repeat on the other leg.

What Muscles Do B-Stance Deadlifts Work?

(See 03:54 in the video)

B-stance RDLs will primarily target the gluteus maximus, your main butt muscle. But they will also hit your hamstrings and spinal erectors (the muscles in your lower back). Your core, of course, has to brace your spine throughout the whole movement, so you could argue that any RDL is an ab workout too.

Finally, if you go heavy on B-stance RDLs, they will demand a lot of work from your upper back and grip as well, just in supporting the load.

How Do B-Stance RDLs Compare To Other Romanian Deadlifts?

(See 04:20 in the video)

We already said that B-stance RDLs are easier on the low back than conventional RDLs. They also offer more range of motion than a bilateral RDL, so you can bend your hips back a little further and put a little bit more stretch on your glutes and hamstrings. Of course, the B-stance RDL is also more stable than a true single-leg deadlift, so you can lift more weight and provide a better stimulus for size and strength gains.

With all that said, the B-stance won’t allow you to go as heavy as conventional RDLs, so they’re not an ideal choice for building up your deadlift like regular RDLs are when done as an assistance lift. It’s good to use B-stance RDLs as an alternate exercise for the sake of variety, or if you’ve been experience low-back problems and want to train around them.

How To Stretch Before Doing B-Stance Romanian Deadlifts

(See 04:42 in the video)

The B-stance RDL is really just a hip hinge—you bend your hips back as far as you can while keeping a straight, flat back. For that reason, any hip hinge motion can serve as a warmup for it. A basic bodyweight hip hinge can do the trick.

Bodyweight Hip Hinge

(See 04:55 in the video)

Step 1. Stand with feet parallel and bend your knees slightly.

Step 2. Now drive your hips back as far as you can while keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, or you can’t push your hips back any further without losing your spine position, come back up to standing. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Another warmup move that will stretch out the muscles you’ll use on the B-stance RDL is the reverse lunge.

Reverse Lunge

(See 05:21 in the video)

Step 1. Stand with your feet parallel.

Step 2. Now step back and lower your body toward the floor until your front knee is bent 90 degrees. 

Keep your torso upright and avoid twisting to either side. Perform 2 sets of 6 reps on each leg.

B-Stance RDL Exercise Alternatives

(See 05:38 in the video)

The B-stance RDL emphasizes the glutes when they’re at their most lengthened position—a deep hip hinge with your butt pushed all the way back. A nice complement to this kind of exercise is the B-stance hip thrust, another unilateral glute exercise that emphasizes the muscles when they’re in a shortened position—that is, they contract hardest when you’re near the end of the hip hinge and about to lock your hips out. Click HERE for a full tutorial on the B-stance hip thrust.

Another alternative exercise is the braced single-leg deadlift, as recommended by Bret Contreras, PhD, a glute-training expert and author of the book Glute Lab. Here, you hold onto something sturdy for support and perform a single-leg deadlift motion. The braced single-leg deadlift is a little more challenging than using the B-stance, and a little closer to doing a real, unassisted single-leg deadlift, so consider it a progression from the B-stance once you’ve got that down.

Braced Single-Leg Deadlift

(See 06:36 in the video)

Step 1. Set up a bench or other sturdy object so it’s at about arm’s length in front of you when your arm is at your side. You will hold onto it for stability. Now stand with your feet close and a light dumbbell in the opposite hand.

Step 2. You’ll start by working the leg that’s closest to the bench. Keeping a slight bend in that knee, push your hips back and extend your other leg behind you as you bend your torso toward the floor. Try to keep your hips square to the floor and maintain a long spine.

Step 3. Extend your hips to stand up tall again.

As you get more comfortable with the movement, you can reduce the support you get from the bench. 

For example, start the single-leg deadlift unassisted and then reach out and touch the bench only if you begin to wobble.

Want to conquer the single-leg deadlift next? See our guide to the single-leg deadlift in another recent blog post.

The post How To Do B-Stance Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) Like A Pro appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Benefits Of Using Kettlebells To Work Out Your Legs

(See 00:44 in the video above)

“Kettlebells are easier to manage than barbells and plates,” says Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education. If you don’t have access to a gym, or you need to train in hotel rooms due to frequent travel, the kettlebell is the more practical option than conventional free weights. Furthermore, you don’t need a wide array of poundages to get a good workout for any body part. One 16-kilo kettlebell can make for a pretty grueling routine.

The shape and design of the kettlebell allows you to move it in ways that can’t be done with other implements. This means you can train your legs while holding the weight aloft, in front of you, while rotating, and otherwise moving in multiple planes in order to get a unique training effect that prepares you for the movements you’ll make in everyday life and sports. The offset load, however, is what made kettlebells famous. “The bell’s center of gravity is set at a distance from its handle,” says Heins, meaning that you’ll have to work much harder to control the weight than you would with a dumbbell. That raises the stakes on every exercise you do, increasing the benefit to your stability and overall body control.

Why And How To Do The Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

(See 01:27 in the video)

“Just because we have a greater sense of evenness when standing on two legs doesn’t mean both sides are doing their part evenly,” says Heins. Everyone has strength imbalances between sides, and while you’ll probably never smooth them out completely, it’s worth it to at least try to minimize the discrepancy. The single-leg deadlift strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and adductors in each leg in turn, while improving your balance and body control on one leg. Single-leg training also lets you work through a greater range of motion, and that helps with mobility. All of these things are important for preventing injury, as lopsided strength and mobility between limbs can set you up for accidents. You’ll also find that when each leg works better on its own, the two will come together to produce more force on your bilateral exercises, such as conventional deadlifts and back squats.

Here’s how to perform the single-leg kettlebell deadlift with good form.

Step 1. Hold a kettlebell with both hands at arm‘s length in front of you. Retract and depress your shoulders—think: “proud chest.” Now stand with feet hip-width apart and pick your left foot up off the floor an inch or two (just high enough so it doesn’t scrape the floor when you begin your reps).

Step 2. Soften your right knee so there’s a slight bend, and begin pushing your hips straight back as if to touch a wall behind you. This motion is called a hip hinge, and it’s the same type of movement you’d perform in any deadlift variation.

Step 3. Push your left leg back and straighten it as you hinge at the hips, and try to keep the leg moving in a straight line, as if you were aiming to touch a target that was directly behind you. If you have trouble balancing, you can gently tap your left foot to the floor as you go, but try to keep it elevated. The left leg will serve as a sort of kickstand that supports you while you train the right leg.

Keep a long spine from your head to your tailbone as you bend your hips—don’t let your back round forward. Stop when you feel a good stretch in your right glutes and hamstrings.

Step 4. Extend your hips to come back up to standing tall, touch your foot down to reset, and repeat for reps. Afterward, switch legs and do your reps on the left leg.

Heins says to grip the floor with your foot as much as possible. (If possible, do the exercise in socks or bare feet so you can make better use of your toes). “Your weight should shift to your heel as you hinge,” says Heins. “Push your foot into the floor, and that will create stability up the chain.” Also, avoid twisting your hips and shoulders to either side. Strive to keep both square to the floor at all times.

Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift Alternatives

(See 06:20 in the video)

If you’re fairly new to lifting or don’t have a lot of single-leg work under your belt, your biggest challenge may be keeping your balance. In this case, try what Heins calls the sliding single-leg deadlift, where you’ll rely more on the kickstand leg to provide stability.

Sliding Single-Leg Deadlift

(See 06:40 in the video)

Step 1. Set up as you did for the single-leg deadlift but keep the toes of your left foot on the floor and raise your heel.

Step 2. Now bend your hips back and slide your left foot gently along the floor. Maintain contact with the floor throughout the set so you keep balance.

If even the sliding single-leg deadlift feels like a high-wire act, regress the movement one step further to the staggered-stance deadlift (also called a B-stance deadlift). All you have to do is split your legs and hinge the hips. The staggered stance takes a lot of balance out of the equation but still allows you to emphasize one leg over the other, so you get the benefits of unilateral training.

Staggered-Stance Deadlift

(See 07:05 in the video)

Step 1. Stand with your left foot a bit behind the right one so your left toes are in line with your right heel.

Step 2. Perform your hip hinge as normal, using the left leg only to maintain balance.

Yet another option is to hold the kettlebell at your chest rather than at arm’s length. By keeping the weight closer to your body, you’ll have better control of it and can focus almost exclusively on the deadlift motion itself. “The chest-held single-leg deadlift is a good way to instigate sitting back deeper into your hinge,” says Heins.

Chest-Held Single-Leg Deadlift

(See 08:02 in the video)

Step 1. You know the drill… Do any of the single-leg deadlift movements described above but with the bottom of the kettlebell held tight to your sternum and your chest proud.

Sample Kettlebell Leg Workout

(See 09:30 in the video)

Here’s a workout that incorporates the single-leg deadlift with other movements that build strong, balanced, and muscular legs.

DIRECTIONS

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set of each in sequence without rest in between. Afterward, rest 2 minutes, and repeat the circuit for 3–5 total rounds.

1. Single-Leg Deadlift (Any Variation of the Above)

Reps: 10 (each side)

2. Kneeling Leg Extension

(See 10:23 in the video)

Reps: 5–10

Step 1. Get on your knees and hold a light kettlebell at chest level. Flatten the top of your feet into the floor. (You may want to put a towel or mat under you to protect your knees.)

Step 2. Keeping your hips locked out, SLOWLY bend your knees, allowing yourself to fall backward under control until you feel a big stretch in your quads. Stop before you lose control of the movement, and extend your knees to come back up.

Not only is this a challenging exercise, but it can be hard on your knees and quads if you’re not warmed up, so ease into this slowly after you’ve done a thorough warmup (see the video below!).

3. Single-Rack High-Knee March

(See 10:52 in the video)

Reps: 10 (each side)

Step 1. Hold the kettlebell in your right hand at shoulder level and stand with feet hip-distance apart.

Step 2. Drive your right foot into the floor while you raise your left knee up as high as you can. Lower it, and repeat on the other leg. After 10 reps, switch the kettlebell to your left hand.

4. Modified Sumo Squat To Figure-Four

(See 11:24 in the video)

Reps: 3 (each side)

Step 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes out as far as you can. Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest.

Step 2. Squat as deeply as you can, pushing your knees out as you descend. Keep your chest facing forward and maintain a long spine from your head to your tailbone—don’t let your pelvis tuck under (stop short of where it does).

Step 3. Extend your hips and knees to stand up tall again and then turn your body to your left, raise your right leg in front of you, and rest it against your left leg in a figure-four position. Depending on your mobility, you can rest the leg above the knee or against your shin—either is fine.

Release the right leg, return to the modified sumo stance, squat, and repeat the figure-four on the other side.

How To Stretch Your Legs Before Working Out

Perform the following mobility routine from Onnit-certified coach Eric Leija (@primal.swoledier) before you take on the workout above. It will stretch out your hips, glutes, and hamstrings for the work to come, and raise your core temperature for safer training.

How Often Should You Train Your legs?

(See 12:28 in the Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift video)

You can perform the workout outlined above three days per week on non-consecutive days. Heins says you could do it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and perform your upper-body work on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Discover more single-leg training options, such as the B-stance hip thrust.

The post A Pro’s Kettlebell Leg Workout With The Single-Leg Deadlift appeared first on Onnit Academy.