Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Big 7

This is a quick overview of what I consider to be the "7 most important weight training exercises". Please note that the exercises listed below are not necessarily in order.

The Big 7
  • Squat
  • Deadlift
  • Chest Press/Bench Press
  • Rows
  • Chin-up/Pull-up
  • Military/Stranding Press
  • Dips

There are many variations of each of the exercises listed above. Variations consist of: dumbbells, barbells, seated vs. standing, different grips & angles, etc.

The key things about "The Big 7" are:

a) they are all compound movements, NOT isolation exercises

b) as a group, they hit every major muscle in the body (yes, they even work your abs for those of you who spend countless and useless hours doing hundreds of crunches)

c) they produce RESULTS!

d) they form the basics of any good resistance training program/routine; if your routine doesn't include each of these at least 1x per week, even if you're a beginner, it's time to get a new plan!

e) with the variations, you could do just these 7 exercises for years and never get bored; since I'm a firm believer in keeping things fresh, I suggest you add as much variation as possible which will limit your body's ability to adapt to a specific exercise program/routine.

Train hard & have fun!

-AR

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