“What is your favorite exercise for…?” This is a legitimate question that comes up every so often in the gym, and I would like to share with you my all-time favorite exercises and their placement within my workouts.  I’ve also included the exercises that I would place as a close second. These exercises are based on many years of training and the overall effect they’ve had on my development.

– Legs/Quads: Squats (performed first in the workout) are numero uno here for all the obvious reasons.  A close second: Hack squats, as they allow for long drop sets in a safe, controlled manner and depending on the brand of machine you’re using, can put tremendous emphasis on the lower portion of the quadriceps.

– Hamstrings/Glutes: Walking lunges to failure (performed last in the workout). Nothing quite like it. In the past, I would perform these in the back parking lot of my previous gyms, but at my current gym, I perform these in the aerobics room with the lights off and just enough light coming in from the main gym area. I set up the industrial fan, turn it to high and lunge back and forth approximately 70’ within that column of air, going to complete failure, 6-7 passes typically does the trick. A close second: Stiff-leg deadlifts (modified style),  starting heavy then going lighter with each set.  At the bottom of the movement, I extend the bar away from my body (controlled swing out)  for added stretch.

– Calves: Standing calf raises (performed first in the workout). Pointing toes in all directions with each set. Knees locked. Tons of drop sets. Deep stretching and hard contraction with a hold at the top. A close second: Donkey calf raises, as they take a little stress off the back, but put an excellent pre-stretch in the calves.

– Back: Bent over barbell rows with an overhand grip (performed first in the workout). Absolutely the most effective exercise for thickness and width, tremendous pump. A close second (tie): T-bar rows with a v-grip handle and the olympic bar or Deadlifts.

– Chest: Dumbbell incline presses (performed first in the workout). Nothing fills up the upper chest quite like these – insane pump. A close second: Flat bench dumbbell flyes performed last in the workout, they really stretch things out and put an excellent final pump in the chest.

– Shoulders: Clean and press with barbell in the rack (performed first in the workout). No other single movement pumps as much blood into the delts and traps at one time. A close second: Barbell behind the neck press, seated.

– Traps: Behind the back shrugs with a barbell or smith machine (performed last in the workout) on either back or delt day. Close second: Dumbbell shrugs, performing drop sets down the rack.

– Biceps: Standing concentration curls in a bent over position (performed last in the workout).  Resting your non-working arm on a rack or knee (Arnold style). Excellent overall pump throughout the biceps and forearm. A close second: Standing alternating dumbbell curls.

– Triceps: Close grip bench press (performed first in the workout).  I keep my grip spaced at approximately 12”, lower the bar to bottom of my chest and press up. Hits all 3 heads beautifully. A close second: Skull crushers with the bent bar, extending way beyond my head, close to floor for a deep stretch, then all the way up for full squeeze.

– Forearms: Behind the back forearm curls with a barbell (performed last in the workout) on arm day.  A close second: Dumbbell hammer curls.

– Abdominals: Rope crunches, crunching straight down as well as to the right and left. A close second: Hanging leg raises.  All ab work is performed every other workout and at the end of each workout.

What are some of your favorite exercises, and why?…