Oct134 staple exercises in our H4 program
1. X Row- Great way to hit the back and it’s the ultimate shoulder-friendly exercise. Start thumb-down (internally rotated at the shoulder), finish thumb-up. (externally rotated at the shoulder). When you move from a thumb-down position to a thumb-up position, you have now added external rotation to the pulldown.
2. Glute Thrusters-One of if not the best glute exercises! The glutes are the largest and most powerful muscle in the human body! Actually I should say the glutes have the potential to be the most powerful muscle….most of us suffer from glute amnesia ( or lack of a butt ) these days. But if your goal is strength and size then it is a no brainer to work the glutes. Having strong glutes also will help keep your back healthy! And of course….ladies who doesn’t want a great looking butt! So work your glutes!
Before doing the thrusters you should make sure you are able to perform the basic glute bridge off the floor in order to progress to this exercise so make sure you are good with that first. I would also suggest trying to do these first without the weight across the hips and then progress to weight. The best way to set up yourself is to get a bench and place yourself perpendicular to it. Position yourself so that everything from the bottom of your shoulder blades and up is on the bench. Let your head stay relaxed and lose. Dig your heals into the ground ( very important to activate the glutes ) and point the toes to the sky. Now thrust the hips up focusing on squeezing the glutes at the top and holding them for a one second pause. That pause at the top is really when you hit the glutes!
3. RFE split squat-This exercise will ease about half the pressure on the spine compared to the traditional squat. If you do not have a split squat pad shown in the video you can easily use a bench or the bar on a Smith machine.
To begin hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand if you are ready to do so. Put one foot well out in front of the other in a staggered position. Take the other foot and put it up on a bench or box no higher than 18 inches or so. Maintain a tall and tight torso throughout the exercise and keep your front heel down into the ground. let yourself drop straight down to the floor stopping just before the back leg hits. The brunt of the work is on the front leg while the back leg maintains balanceIf you tend to be extra tight in the back you might want to use a lower bench or box for the back leg.
4. Renegade row-This move is one of the hardest and most effective abdominal exercises. Renegade rows force you to use the primary function of the abdominal muscles – stabilization. Basically the exercise teaches you how to keep your body as rigid as possible. While rowing with your one arm you have to contract your abs as hard as possible. Otherwise you won’t be able to maintain a rigid body.