Muscular Strength Exercises – 3 Great Muscular Strength Exercises

Finding good muscular strength exercises is not always easy, since it is not only important what kind of muscular strength exercise you perform, but also how you perform it.

You see, the best way to increase muscular strength is by lifting heavy weights and challenging your body to keep up with the pace. A lot of exercises that you see in the fitness media lay a great emphasis on “toning” exercises which really increase muscular endurance by performing a large number of reps on low weights.

This is fine, but it is not the way to build pure brute muscular strength. To do that we need heavy weights on low reps, around 6-8 per set. The last rep should be difficult to complete.

Below are 3 great muscular strength exercises that will work multiple muscle groups at the same time while strengthening your core, to help improve your posture and prevent injury.

Deadlifts

These can be performed with a long barbell bar or dumbbells in each hand.

I personally prefer the barbell version, since it helps you keep a better technique and lift heavier weight. Don’t cheat on this muscular strength exercise and take care to perform proper technique. You can start on a light weight with this one until you get the technique down.

Put your feet flat beneath the bar, and then squat down to grab the bar in an overhand or mixed grip about a shoulder-width apart. Keep your back and arms straight and your head looking forwards.

Lift the bar by pushing your heels into the floor and extending your hips and knees to full extension. Pull your shoulders back slightly at the top of the movement, then slowly return to the start position.

Bentover Barbell Row

This is one of the great muscular strength exercises for the shoulders, back, lats, and arms.

Bend your knees slightly and grab the bar with a wide overhand grip, making sure to keep your back straight at all times.

Now, pull the bar towards your upper waist as if you were rowing a boat (but don’t arc the motion), then slowly lower it back down to the start until your arms are straight and your shoulders pulled downwards slightly.

Standing Military Press

A super muscular strength exercise to build the upper shoulders, trapezius muscles, lats, upper chest and back.

This exercise is safer to perform with a high weights rack where you can put the bar at the start and end of the exercise, to avoid straining your back when lifting it off the floor.

Grab the bar in an overhand grip slightly more than a shoulder-width apart. Lift off the rack and start with it just above your chest, in front of you neck. Push the bar up until your arms are almost extended, hold briefly, then lower back to the start position. Repeat.

This exercise can also be done behind the neck, but make sure you have someone to spot you, and / or use a sliding weight rack.

Muscular Training Programs

Article by Prabakar S

Engage in moderate exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week, OR vigorous exercise 20 minutes a day, three days a week. Perform eight to 10 strength-training exercises, 10 to 15 repetitions of each, two to three times a week. Strength training, such as weight lifting, helps prevent muscle and bone loss. Practice balance exercises to reduce your risk for falls. Ask your doctor for suggestions to get you started. Put together an activity plan with the help of health professionals. This will ensure you stay safe and get the most benefit from your workout.

Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury, and is also an important component of a weight management program. Using dumbbells with your strength training for golf program will make it inexpensive; and you can do it right in your home. Using dumbbells allows you to work many dynamic movements nearly identical to your golf swing. This is called sport-specific training. The benefit over machine training is enormous.

Dumbbells or free-weights don’t have to be heavy either. They can range from as light as 5 pounds each, all the way up to 30’s or 40’s depending on your current strength levels. A training program for golf can be done with very little discomfort, and in 30 minutes or less. Do not make the excuse you don’t have time. You are choosing to not have time if you say this. The benefits of a golf strength training program is more power and distance; less injuries; better endurance for 18 holes of golf; better receptive muscles to produce a mechanically sound swing.

Muscular Strength is the maximum force that a muscle produces against resistance in a single, maximal effort or 1RM. From this One Repetition Maximal effort (1RM), a percentage of resistance, or weight, is calculated for the starting weight in a strength training program. Muscular strength may improve in as little as 4 to 6 weeks of consistent training. Strength gains continue to improve after 12 weeks by increasing sets and weight. Maintaining, or increasing muscular strength decreases the rate of age related loss of lean muscle mass. It also decreases the risk of injury and age related diseases such as osteporosis. For more details visit www.soundbodytrainer.com

MMA training – tempo method for muscular endurance

Article by Khurram Aziz

Increasing your ability to utilise your oxidative energy system (i.e. your aerobic capacity), efficiently, is fundamental to producing a high work rate throughout a three round or a five round fight. To that end, most of my supplemental MMA training has focused on long slow distance runs, training at a moderate pace for 60-90 minutes. At these intensities, over that length of time, my body is being trained aerobically leading to a more efficient cardiovascular system.

Another method for increasing your oxidative capacity is to increase the ability of your muscles to use oxygen as a fuel. Tempo method or continuous training, is designed to specifically target those muscle fibres which are best adapted to using oxygen – the slow-twitch muscle fibres. These muscle fibres are much more efficient at utilising oxygen for energy in comparison to fast-twitch fibres, which are better at using ATP/Creatine-Phosphate and glycogen.

Tempo method

Tempo method focuses on time under tension (TUT) to get the desired result. The protocol I’m working on in my MMA training requires lifting weights of around 60% of my 1-rep max (RM) at a slow pace – 2-0-2-0. This means lowering the weight at a slowly over 2 seconds, no pause at the bottom, then lifting the weight at a controlled pace for 2 seconds, and then repeating without any pause at the top. The muscles are in constant tension during the set, no matter how many reps you do.

I use big multi-joint movements, such as the squat, bench press and shoulder press, to target the maximum number of muscles.

In his book, Ultimate MMA Conditioning, Joel Jamieson recommends picking 3-4 strength exercises and performing 8-10 reps for between 3-5 sets. Rest periods should be limited to 45 seconds MAX between each set going up to 6-8 minutes between each exercise.

I use the “big 4” lifts – squat, bench press, dead lift and shoulder press, performing each exercise at a 2-0-2-0 pace:

Exercise Intensity Reps Sets Rest between setsSquat 60% of 1RM 8-10 3-5 45 secondsShoulder press 60% of 1RM 8-10 3-5 45 secondsBench press 60% of 1RM 8-10 3-5 45 secondsDead lift 60% of 1RM 8-10 3-5 45 seconds

6-8 minutes active rest between each exercise (shadow boxing)Effects of tempo training

After only four weeks of tempo training, it is hard to tell what effect this mode of strength training has had on my muscular endurance.

According to the literature, slow-twitch fibres which are crucial for endurance are not fully recruited during rapid explosive movements. Only slow movements, which cause the slow-twitch fibres to be under tension long enough can cause adaptation in these fibres to take place.

One article which discusses this is written by Thomas V Pipes, entitled Strength Training and Fiber Types. In it, Pipes takes muscle biopsies of an athlete before and after pre-determined training microcycles.

Pipes found that following a routine in which 8 reps (at the 8 RM) were used, the fast twitch muscle fibers of the trained muscle (in this case the quadricep via the leg press) hypertrophied.

However, he also found that the slow twitch muscle fibres atrophied (i.e., got smaller); and he also found that the number of reps the athlete could perform at 80% of his 1 RM decreased, yet his 1 RM increased. The athlete was then placed on a routine using 12 reps (at his 12 RM). This time the muscle biopsy showed that hypertrophy did in fact take place, but that this time it was in the slow twitch muscle fibres. Not only that but the fast twitch fibres atrophied and the number of reps possible at 80% 1 RM went up, while his 1 RM decreased.

What this shows is that with increased reps, i.e. an increase in TUT, using a lighter weight, slow twitch fibres are targeted preferentially to fast twitch fibres. In other words, muscular endurance increases in preference to maximum strength.

This correlates with the real-world example of bodybuilders. Bodybuilders have long used the principle of TUT to increase overall muscle hypertrophy. The result is muscles which are capable of a remarkable degree of endurance but poor maximum strength in comparison to other weight trained athletes.

Another study I found relating to this was conducted by Dr Patrick O’Shea, Professor Emeritus of exercise and sports science at Oregon State University (http://cbass.com/SLOWFAST.HTM).

He used electromyography (EMG) to study muscle recruitment order of muscle fibre types in the quadriceps of a trained athlete during execution of a one repetition squat with progressively increasing loads.

Starting with 60% of 1 RM, O’Shea found that the slow-twitch fibres contributed 60% to the effort and fast-twitch fibres 40%. At 100% maximum effort, however, the percentage of slow-twitch fibres involved was found to be only 5%, while fast-twitch fibres contributed 95%. So lighter loads have been shown to target slow twitch fibres better than heavier loads.

Conclusion

That’s the limit of my understanding at the moment. Using tempo training as part of your overall MMA training you can effectively target slow twitch fibres, increase their cross-sectional area and make your muscles better able to utilise oxygen as a fuel.

How far this contributes to the body becoming a better aerobic “machine”, however, I think is still open to debate. There may be another mechanism by which TUT leads to greater muscular endurance.

I posed this question on Joel Jamieson’s forum, where I learnt of tempo training in the first place, and got the following reply:

“The way I understand it, at least in theory, is that the hypertrophy of slow twich muscles reduces their “oxidativeness”, because mitochondrial density declines. Meaning, the same number of mitochondia have to produce energy for a larger mass of muscle. So there is less O2 energy available per unit of muscle. However, if mitochondia and capillaries also increased, which happens with aerobic training, it might not matter and O2 capabilities could potentially improve which would help reduce fatigue. Is tempo training equiv to aerobic training? Not sure!However, generally with more muscle hypertrophy (more muscle fibre protoplasm) the same workload’s lactic acid can be spread over a larger volume, and not affect PH locally as much. So performance decline should be more gradual, increasing endurance. Since muscles generally have mixed fibre composition, and faster twitch are known to hypertrophy more easily and more than slow twitch, there is a good chance this has something to do with it as well.”There are articles which I’ve seen that say that hypoxia (depriving muscles of oxygen) can lead to hypertrophy, so the continuous training, i.e. sets performed with no pauses between reps, can deprive muscles of oxygen long enough to cause hypertrophy.

Finally, Joel himself had something to say on this topic:

“The physiology of tempo training as I’ve described I’ve found pretty much only in some obscure Russian textbooks and I was first introduced to the method by Val of Omegawave. The cause of the local hypoxia has to do with the overall tempo, not pausing at the top or bottom of the rep and the overall loading. This is how slow twitch muscles are targeted, not just being you’re ‘going slow’ exactly.That’s not to say fast twitch fibres aren’t working as well, clearly they are, but from what I’ve read it is effective at increasing slow twitch hypertrophy and I can’t argue with the results I’ve seen so it’s obviously doing something. Slow twitch fibres, by their very nature, are extremely dense with mitochondria so you can’t assume that increasing their cross-sectional area is automatically going to lead to a decrease in mitochondrial density. Even if this were the case, other forms of more direct aerobic work can easily increase mitochondria within these fibres anyway.”

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Performing Muscular Strength Exercises – Weight Training for Increased Muscular Strength

Article by David Kamau

The world of weight lifting is more expansive than most people assume. However, most people perceive weight lifting from the perspective of bodybuilding. Now, there is nothing wrong with this if you are actually looking for a bodybuilding physique. But, what if you are looking to increase and enhance your physical strength?

If this is your goal, you will probably want to avoid a bodybuilding workout. Bodybuilding workouts center on developing a certain look as opposed to enhancing strength. In fact, bodybuilders are commonly referred to as “pretty boys on the beach” while weight lifters are referred to as “strong boys on the beach” (substitute the gender where appropriate).

This is not to say that bodybuilders and those seeking excellence in physical appearance should stay away from muscular strength exercises. You could integrate them into you bodybuilding routine as they will help enhance your workouts and intensity by allowing you to use heavier weights and overcome weight training plateaus.

Those wanting to enhance strength will need to employ muscular strength exercises. Are these exercises complicated? Actually, they are fairly simple to perform and do not even require a significant time commitment to achieve results from.

Many of the muscular strength exercises you perform are the exact same exercises that would be found in a bodybuilding workout. However, the approach to the exercises and the performance of the exercises will be different. Again, this is because the goal here is to enhance strength and reduce the effort needed to perform physical tasks. So, let’s take a clear look at exactly how this is to be done.

At the core of all muscular strength exercises is heavy weights and low reps. This is because you want to overload the muscle with near maximum weight and lift for a few short reps which will lead to quick failure. Failure refers to the muscle’s inability to continue with an exercise. When this occurs, the muscle will seek to grow larger during the rest stage to handle the amount of weight it failed to lift. In short, training to failure leads to the muscle seeking to grow stronger.

More often than not, you will want to work the major compound exercises such as the bench press, the military press, the dead lift, and the squat since these are the most common strength building exercises. Usually, lifting 60% to 80% of your maximum weight potential for 6 -8 reps is recommended. Keep in mind, however, that you should definitely have a workout partner with you when performing these lifts since they can lead to an injury if you lose control of the heavy weight. Dead lifts, in particular, can cause a back injury if not performed properly. So, never risk safety when performing muscular strength exercises.

Does this mean you never perform isolation exercises when looking to increase strength? Honestly, you can certainly isolate specific muscles and perform exercises that target these muscles specifically. Bicep curls, calf raises, and leg extensions would fall under the category of these types of exercises. However, the amount of weight you lift with an isolation exercise will be certainly less than what you can perform with compound exercises. You simply will have fewer muscles employed so the amount of weight you lift will have to be adjusted.

Ultimately, muscular strength exercises can deliver excellent results in terms of the ability to properly enhance human strength. They are not tough to perform and anyone can do them. So why not give them a try?

Visit www.BodyRock.Tv for Zuzana’s daily free workout videos and diet tips. No equipment is necessary to get in great shape at home! Real exercises that deliver real results.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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PNF Stretching: A Quick Workout to improve Muscular Flexibility

Article by Jacob Blackhite

Any good training program must include stretching as one of its main components. In fact, I’d argue that muscular flexibility workouts should be a part of everyone’s life, exerciser or not. A PNF stretching routine, in my humble opinion, contains the most effective stretches for flexibility that you can perform. PNF stretching is also known as isometric stretching or contract-relax stretching. “Relax Into Stretch” by Pavel Tsatsouline describes these types of flexibility stretches.

The main reason why most people can’t do a full split is because of muscle tension. To test your agility, Pavel suggests that you position each of your legs at a ninety degree angle. Your body keeps you from doing a split with both legs extended, even though it is a relatively simple task when you’re only extending one leg at a time. The nervous system only allows the stretching of muscles to a certain point in accordance to what has happened in the past. In response to this, your muscles resist which causes this lack of flexibility.

The terms that are commonly used for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Fascilitation or PNF are contract-relax and isometric stretching. You will be able to increase your muscles’ range of motion when you practice this effective stretching protocol on a regular basis. Here is how PNF stretching works: 1) Briefly contract your muscle; 2) relax it; then 3) quickly extend it a bit further. Because bodily reflexes have a slow reaction time, this method is very effective. Your muscles will keep on stretching even though you have relaxed them. And you will be able to move the muscle past its previous stretch-point, despite the fact that you don’t have a lot of time before your reflexes come into play to stop the stretch.

Isometric stretching actually improves your flexibility by making you stronger as well. This occurs because your body stretches more easily and feels comfortable doing it when it is strong. Essentially, your body realizes that it has the strength to recover from the stretched position which prevents your reflexes from kicking in, thereby allowing you to stretch further. In other words, you get more flexible.

Pavel covers three techniques to incorporate into a stretching routine. To begin you should breath deeply and then exhale the breath immediately while engaged in stretching. Your body can attain complete relaxation by doing this and will allow you more freedom of movement. 2) Forced relaxation constitutes the second method. This is really a test of mental fortitude as you hold the stretch until your muscles can’t take any more. Finally, Pavel discusses the Clasp Knife method which essentially involves canceling out your stretch reflex by aggressively applying force.

A positive aspect is that there are no limits on where you can do it. A PNF routine can even be done while watching t.v. Formulating an exercise plan using isometric stretching will aid you muscular flexibility while at the same time adding to increased strength and limberness. Workouts incorporating these stretches for flexibility only need to be done a few times per week for noticeable benefit. It may be that after three to six months of doing these exercises you may find that you are able to actually execute a full split!

www.YuriElkaim.com PNF stretch stretching flexibility range of motion tight hamstrings groins yuri elkaim muscles hamstring http
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Why Muscular Endurance is as Important as Muscle Growth

When people are training at the gym and making their routines, they most often concentrate on simply increasing their muscle mass to become bigger and stronger. Unfortunately, while some of them may have workouts that are out of this world, many simply forget about just how important muscular endurance is, especially when you are increasing your muscle mass.

What Makes Muscular Endurance Important

As you probably know it already, whenever you are moving your muscles are contracting, and to do so they require oxygen. The bigger and more developed your muscles are the more oxygen they are going to require in order to move effectively. Increasing your muscles mass might make you stronger, but it won’t actually allow you to last longer.

Whenever your muscles are pushed to their limit they start filling up with lactic acid which is basically the substance that makes you feel the burn.

If you choose not to work on your muscular endurance the lactic acid will start pouring into your muscles very soon, and as a result all the muscles that are contracting will start to bring you pain which will not allow you to keep going until you rest.

If you want to make sure that you can actually make use of your muscles for extended periods of time then you will have no choice but to work on your muscular endurance and take some time off muscle growth exercises.

A Great Way of Improving Muscular Endurance

While there are undoubtedly many ways to do this, one of the best methods for beginners is to exercise with the Shake Weight.

While it should be noted that those who have been going to the gym for a while now will probably not find any use in working out with this dumbbell, those who are just starting will benefit in many ways from the Shake Weight.

For those who don’t know what it is, the Shake Weight is basically a dumbbell that you squeeze with your hands, causing it to bounce up and down in your hands. The goal is to try and keep it as steady as possible, and surprisingly this actually provides for a very intense and rewarding workout, working out not only your upper body muscular endurance, but also your cardio.

Order this DVD at www.shopcathe.com Muscle Endurance This high rep, total body conditioning workout not only increases functional fitness gains, but it promotes nicely shaped and defined muscles. You’ll experience maximum muscular endurance gains along with strength gains as you challenge each of the major muscle groups through a wide variety of exercises. Do this workout one to three times per week and you’ll soon enjoy the benefits of improved posture, increased bone density, and an overall healthy, happier you. Equipment needed A step bench, barbell, various weighted dumbbells, and a medicine ball (we will use an 8 pound medicine ball) Muscle Endurance Format: warm-up (6 min.), weight training (45 min.), Abs (9 1/2 min.), stretch (4 min.) Total = 64 1/2 min. Muscle Endurance This high rep, total body conditioning workout not only increases functional fitness gains, but it promotes nicely shaped and defined muscles. You’ll experience maximum muscular endurance gains along with strength gains as you challenge each of the major muscle groups through a wide variety of exercises. Do this workout one to three times per week and you’ll soon enjoy the benefits of improved posture, increased bone density, and an overall healthy, happier you. Equipment needed: A step bench, barbell, various weighted dumbbells, and a medicine ball (we will use an 8 pound medicine ball) Muscle Endurance Format: warm-up (6 min.), weight training (45 min.), Abs (9 1/2 min.), stretch (4 min.) Total …
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Essential Facts On The Muscular Dystrophy Association And Summer Camp

Article by Craig Morganson

The words summer camp provide instant mental pictures of wooden docks on rich green lakes surrounded by woods, cabins filled with bunk-beds, dining halls with screens as opposed to windows and s ‘mores over a campfire. Summer camp is a rite of passage for a few, a privilege for many people and an out of reach desire for others. Most of us have heard about the MDA, you remember fondly the Jerry Lewis telethons, and the big electronic donation tally, but did you know that through the donations produced by the MDA countless MDA kids each year get to benefit from camp totally free to their families?

MDA is an abbreviation for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. MDA is a non-profit organization committed to helping fund research into muscular dystrophy, ALS and nearly 50 other similar neuromuscular diseases. MDA scientists are at the leading edge of gene therapy research as well as helping provide medical services, equipment and support groups. This is in addition to helping provide the funding for MDA summer camps.

Every summer a large number of kids attend many of the 80 camps in the United States, all for the low, low cost of 0 dollars, on account of the fund raising efforts of MDA. The magic of MDA camps is always that for 1 week a year, children enduring various types of neuromuscular diseases are just kids. Camps are fashioned around activities for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. Lifelong friendships are formed around shared ordeals and conflicts.

Many of the many fun activities might include: swimming, boating & canoeing, horse riding, karaoke, archery, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and campfires. For one week, kids get to spend some time in a world that was built just for them. Not only that, this can very well be the one week a year their parents get a rest from the constant worry that their child is being appropriately cared for. Having their child in the care of an MDA summer camp specifically designed to suit the medical and physical issues of their disease supplies a kind of peacefulness that is priceless in and of itself.

The MDA has supplied not only the financial backing to support these camps, but they are already able to reach out to create a network of people prepared to volunteer their time to make this experience a reality. By supporting the MDA, you help them make a difference in the future of the disease, but you also help make a tangible real time difference in the lives of the children and families who are living with these challenges on a daily basis.

Why Muscular Endurance is as Important as Muscle Growth

Article by David Ben Efraim

When people are training at the gym and making their routines, they most often concentrate on simply increasing their muscle mass to become bigger and stronger. Unfortunately, while some of them may have workouts that are out of this world, many simply forget about just how important muscular endurance is, especially when you are increasing your muscle mass.

What Makes Muscular Endurance Important

As you probably know it already, whenever you are moving your muscles are contracting, and to do so they require oxygen. The bigger and more developed your muscles are the more oxygen they are going to require in order to move effectively. Increasing your muscles mass might make you stronger, but it won’t actually allow you to last longer.

Whenever your muscles are pushed to their limit they start filling up with lactic acid which is basically the substance that makes you feel the burn. If you choose not to work on your muscular endurance the lactic acid will start pouring into your muscles very soon, and as a result all the muscles that are contracting will start to bring you pain which will not allow you to keep going until you rest.

If you want to make sure that you can actually make use of your muscles for extended periods of time then you will have no choice but to work on your muscular endurance and take some time off muscle growth exercises.

A Great Way of Improving Muscular Endurance

While there are undoubtedly many ways to do this, one of the best methods for beginners is to exercise with the Shake Weight. While it should be noted that those who have been going to the gym for a while now will probably not find any use in working out with this dumbbell, those who are just starting will benefit in many ways from the Shake Weight.

For those who don’t know what it is, the Shake Weight is basically a dumbbell that you squeeze with your hands, causing it to bounce up and down in your hands. The goal is to try and keep it as steady as possible, and surprisingly this actually provides for a very intense and rewarding workout, working out not only your upper body muscular endurance, but also your cardio. Like I previously mentioned it, this tool is the perfect thing for amateurs who are only beginning training, but will probably not yield impressive results if you have been exercising for some time already.

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Muscular Endurance In Sport – Sports Nutrition Health

Article by Chris Fenton

In sports, it is not only about playing the game right and being on top of the game. You must realize that you need the strength as well as the muscular endurance in sports that you truly need. If you do not have the right amount of endurance then what is there to be given?

Muscular endurance in sport is very important. You need to have this kind of endurance because if you do not have that endurance then what is there left for you to take? This is vital for those sports which require endurance, just like swimming, football, runners, rowers and many others. If you do not have this then you will truly be out of the game.

So what should a person do if he or she does not have much endurance when it comes to his or her muscles? Of course there are programs as well as training available which will help you out. Not every person is born with this endurance in them. One should work even harder in order to attain it all.

Now, a person should work hard for more power and for more strength. One should not do it drastically but slowly and surely. If one will try to get it immediately, the effects may not be good for you. Try to work in a slower pace. Make sure that you track and list down the improvements that you make from time to time.

Muscle endurance in sport is very much importance. If you will not consider this then forget about making it big or successful in any sports. Attain all of these, train, enroll in a program and of course do well. Endure whatever challenge there is. Good luck on your endeavor and grab the chance to have the muscle endurance you need.

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Muscular Strength Exercises – 3 Great Muscular Strength Exercises

Finding good muscular strength exercises is not always easy, since it is not only important what kind of muscular strength exercise you perform, but also how you perform it.

You see, the best way to increase muscular strength is by lifting heavy weights and challenging your body to keep up with the pace. A lot of exercises that you see in the fitness media lay a great emphasis on “toning” exercises which really increase muscular endurance by performing a large number of reps on low weights.

This is fine, but it is not the way to build pure brute muscular strength. To do that we need heavy weights on low reps, around 6-8 per set. The last rep should be difficult to complete.

Below are 3 great muscular strength exercises that will work multiple muscle groups at the same time while strengthening your core, to help improve your posture and prevent injury.

Deadlifts

These can be performed with a long barbell bar or dumbbells in each hand.

I personally prefer the barbell version, since it helps you keep a better technique and lift heavier weight. Don’t cheat on this muscular strength exercise and take care to perform proper technique. You can start on a light weight with this one until you get the technique down.

Put your feet flat beneath the bar, and then squat down to grab the bar in an overhand or mixed grip about a shoulder-width apart. Keep your back and arms straight and your head looking forwards.

Lift the bar by pushing your heels into the floor and extending your hips and knees to full extension. Pull your shoulders back slightly at the top of the movement, then slowly return to the start position.

Bentover Barbell Row

This is one of the great muscular strength exercises for the shoulders, back, lats, and arms.

Bend your knees slightly and grab the bar with a wide overhand grip, making sure to keep your back straight at all times.

Now, pull the bar towards your upper waist as if you were rowing a boat (but don’t arc the motion), then slowly lower it back down to the start until your arms are straight and your shoulders pulled downwards slightly.

Standing Military Press

A super muscular strength exercise to build the upper shoulders, trapezius muscles, lats, upper chest and back.

This exercise is safer to perform with a high weights rack where you can put the bar at the start and end of the exercise, to avoid straining your back when lifting it off the floor.

Grab the bar in an overhand grip slightly more than a shoulder-width apart. Lift off the rack and start with it just above your chest, in front of you neck. Push the bar up until your arms are almost extended, hold briefly, then lower back to the start position. Repeat.

This exercise can also be done behind the neck, but make sure you have someone to spot you, and / or use a sliding weight rack.

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