How many gym rats do you know who never seem to progress no matter how hard and consistently they train? The unfortunate fact is that as you acheive a certain level of fitness, physique improvements flatline and strength and size gains stall. It’s like once your body hits a certain level of fitness, that’s where it wants to stay, forever. Many lifters forget that they need to be progressing intelligently—there’s more to it than upping the weight and going to failure.
The solution: Alternate between heavy lifting one week and high-rep sets the next. Here are 16 moves that need to be in your arsenal to increase the intensity of your workouts and leave those plateaus in the dust. Follow our plan for seven weeks and you’ll be shopping for a larger shirt in no time.
Hold the bar with an outside-shoulder-width grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slightly arch your lower back. Lift the bar out of the rack, lower it to your sternum, and then push the weight up, making sure to drive with your feet.
Hold a dumbbell with your left hand at shoulder level, standing with your right foot in front of your knee. Keeping your torso upright, bend both knees and lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with a neutral grip. Dip your knees and then explosively straighten your legs and press the weights overhead using the momentum from your lower body.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and stand with your left leg in front of the right, keeping the weight on the front leg. Bend forward at the hips and row the dumbbell to your side. Repeat with your other arm.
Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and split your feet, with one foot slightly in front of the other. Rotate your torso diagonally downward until the handle is at the outside of your opposite leg.
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, bend down, and grasp the bar outside your knees. Your shoulders should be over the bar. Drive your heels into the floor and push your hips forward, lifting the bar until it’s in front of your thighs. Keep your back straight throughout the lift.
Sit at a cable station with your feet firmly planted. Keep your lower back in its natural arch and grab the handle with a shoulder-width grip. Row the weight to just below your chest and allow your torso to come slightly forward on the eccentric portion of the row. You should feel a stretch in your lats.
Set an adjustable bench to a 75-degree incline. With your elbows in and your core tight, press the weights straight up. Start with a lighter weight since the steep angle recruits more deltoids, making the lift more difficult.
Hold a D-handle attached to the low pulley of a cable station. As you balance on one foot, keeping the natural arch in your lower back, bend at your hips and lower your torso. Extend your hips to come back up and then row the cable to your side.
Sets: 3
Reps: 15
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Swiss Ball Punch
Rest your forearms on top of a Swiss ball in a plank position. Brace your core and extend your arms, rolling the ball forward out as far as you can go, and then back.
Sets: 3
Reps: 15
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Front Squat
Rest a loaded barbell across your clavicle and shoulders, crossing your arms for support. As you squat down, keep your torso upright. Also, your knees should track over your feet. If they cave inward, you need to engage your glutes and push your knees out more.
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Rear-delt Flye
Lie facedown with a dumbbell in each hand on a bench set to a 45-degree incline. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you raise the weight out to your sides with your thumbs facing downward.
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Bentover Row From Floor
Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and, keeping your lower back arched, bend over until your torso is parallel to the floor. Row the bar to your belly, pulling with your elbows. Rest the weight on the floor after every rep.
