10 Highly Effective Strength Exercises That Deliver Serious Gains
2024-12-27
Just because a move isn’t trending on social media doesn’t mean you should skip it. These 10 exercises were picked out of hat because they deliver results and are not seen in many programs. Each one adds a twist, helping you build strength, muscle, and power while addressing weak points and keeping your workouts fresh.
Zercher Squat
From The Barbell Physio
The Zercher squat involves holding the barbell in the crook of your elbows rather than on your back or shoulders, forcing your upper body and core to keep it there. If you love uncomfortable exercises, you’ll love this one. It builds core and upper back strength, leg strength, and power while promoting an upright torso, making it a more quad-dominant exercise. It may have you walking funny the next day. Programming Suggestion: Start with 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps, focusing on depth, core bracing, and keeping an upright torso.
Snatch-Grip Deadlift
The Snatch-Grip deadlift’s wider grip increases the range of motion and emphasizes your upper back, traps, and grip more. It means less weight, but it will improve your regular deadlift. It strengthens the entire posterior chain, improves grip strength, and enhances pulling power for deadlift performance. This will leave your forearms and upper back wondering what happened. Programming Suggestion: Perform 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps with light to moderate weight.
Push Press
From CrossFit
The Push Press uses a slight knee dip to generate power and drive the bar overhead, blending strength and power. Strict overhead pressing is an excellent exercise, but many people don’t have the core and back strength to pull that off, which is when the Push Press steps in. It builds explosive power and upper body strength while building bigger delts. Programming Suggestion: Try 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps into your upper-body or full-body day, focusing on a smooth transfer from your legs to pressing overhead.
Jefferson Deadlift
From Testosterone Nation
The Jefferson deadlift is a unique deadlift variation in which you straddle the barbell, promoting improved muscle development and unilateral strength. While both legs are involved, the front leg plays a larger role in generating force, especially during the initial pull. It improves hip mobility and core stability and encourages a straighter pulling path, making it easier on the lower back. Programming Suggestion: Perform 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps per side, focusing on maintaining a neutral spine.
Front-Foot-Elevated Bulgarian Split Squat
From The Tailored Trainer
Front foot-elevated Bulgarian split squats elevate the front foot and increases the range of motion, putting a greater stretch on your working leg. This makes it harder to rise from the squat. You’ll love this exercise if you’re an all-pain, all-gain person. It enhances single-leg strength, improves hip mobility, and addresses muscle imbalances between sides. Don’t worry, you can thank me later. Programming Suggestion: Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per leg with dumbbells or bodyweight. Good luck.
Pendlay Row
From glennpendlay
The Pendlay row, named after coaching great Glen Pendlay, involves rowing the barbell from a dead-stop position. Your torso is parallel with the floor, not 45 degrees like with the bent-over row. Unlike the regular bent-over row, the bar starts and resets on the ground between each rep, ensuring an explosive pull. Doing that enhances the size and strength of the upper back and rear delts, improving pulling power. Programming Suggestion: Include 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps as your main pulling variation for the day.
JM Press
From SeanHCPL
The JM Press is a hybrid exercise, part skull crusher, and part close-grip bench press. It focuses on the triceps and helps improve lockout strength on the bench and overhead press. Because of the short range of motion and the involvement of the chest muscle, you can load up and build fantastic horseshoe triceps. Programming Suggestion: This exercise is tough on the elbows, so limiting it to four—to six-week cycles is advisable. For strength, try 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps or 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps for muscle.
Barbell Overhead Carry
From The Active Life
The barbell overhead carry involves holding a barbell overhead while walking. It engages every muscle from head to toe, particularly your core and shoulders. Every step is a single-leg balance, strengthening core stability, shoulder strength, and total-body coordination. If you like a bit of fear in your workouts, this one is for you. Programming Suggestion: Walk 20-40 yards for 3-4 sets, focusing on every move you make.
Kirk Shrugs
From northernhiro
Kirk Shrugs, named after world champion powerlifter Kirk Karwoski, is a shrug variation in which you slightly bend your elbows and “row” the bar as you shrug till lockout, targeting the upper back, traps, and forearms. These muscles are essential for keeping a neutral spine while performing deadlifts, providing a ‘shelf’ for barbell squats, and improving shoulder strength. And yeah, your traps will explode in size, too. Programming suggestions: These make for a great “finisher” at the end of the upper body training session. Perform three sets of eight 12 reps and flex away.
Meadows Row
From mountaindog1
The Meadows Row, named after the late bodybuilder John Meadows, is a single-arm row variation performed with a landmine. It stretches the lats and allows for a smoother rowing path. The setup will enable you to load this row heavier than a dumbbell to strengthen imbalances and add muscles to the upper back while increasing grip strength. Say hello to Wing City. Programming Suggestion: This move is best used to strengthen imbalances and improve upper back muscle. Three to four sets and six to 15 reps per side work well.