The 10 Toughest Exercises to Master

Deadlift

1. Squat down and grasp a barbell with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your chest up, pull your shoulders back, and look straight ahead as you lift the bar. Focus on taking the weight back onto your heels and keep the bar as close as possible to your body at all times.
3. Lift to thigh level, pause, then return under control to the start position.
4. If you’re new and struggling with back pain, you may find that mobility is an issue. Not being able to squat down far enough risks putting too much strain on your lower back and you’ll need to adapt the lift to make it easier.

Barbell Bench Press

1. Lie flat on your back on a bench.
2. Grip the bar with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, so when you’re at the bottom of your move, your hands are directly above your elbows. This allows for maximum force generation.
3. Bring the bar slowly down to your chest as you breathe in.
4. Push up as you breathe out, gripping the bar hard and watching a spot on the ceiling rather than the bar, so you can ensure it travels the same path every time.

Barbell Military Press

1. Sit down on a bench with back support. Press your back firmly against the padding for support.
2. Grasp a barbell with your hands spaced a little wider than shoulder width. Keep your back and head straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
3. Take the weight off the rack and press the bar directly over your head in a vertical line. If the upright racks are above your head, simply grasp the bar with both hands and unrack the weight.
4. Slowly lower the bar to just below chin level.
5. Push the bar back up without bounding the weight. Remember to keep the back straight and flat (no arching). Repeat the movement.

Slow Negative Squat

1. Use a shoulder-width grip. This is the most comfortable grip for most men and women, and it allows them to pull their upper back and traps together. A grip that’s too wide will leave most people feeling unstable and unable to get their back tight.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades and lats together to keep your whole body tight and allow you to create a “meaty shelf” on which the bar can rest. Remember, you don’t want the bar too high on your neck or too low on your back as both of these can be unsafe for beginners.
3. Take a breath in and create pressure in your core before you pick up the bar. This is a great habit to get into because once you have an appreciable amount of weight on the bar, this will be necessary to protect your spine.
4. Your stance will depend on your height, the length of your limbs and torso, your mobility levels, and other individual characteristics. Don’t be afraid to play around with your foot position and experiment to find what feels and looks right.
5. Fill up your belly with air, then blow out hard to get your ribs down and brace hard. I fill up with air underneath my braced core to keep my core engaged and keep my spine in an optimal position.
6. Keep your head in a neutral position. Throwing your head back causes a cascade of problems down the kinetic chain. Your ribs almost instantly flare up, you go into lumbar hyperextension, and it makes it more difficult to sit back into your hips with a narrower stance. Keep your head neutral and eyes straight ahead.
7. Sit back into your hips. Many athletes are very quad dominant and tend to get pulled forward when they squat.  Make sure you sit back into your hips, and don’t be afraid to have a bit of a forward lean. To get the most out of the squat have a descent of at least three to  four seconds per rep with a one-second pause at the bottom so you’re using your muscles and not the momentum.
8. Use your core and hips to stand up. It’s very common for people to fling themselves out of the hole using their spine instead of pulling themselves up using their hips and core. Practice this with your bodyweight as well as a kettlebell to get strong in this position before putting a bar on your back.

Pause Front Squat

This may not seem like it belongs on this list, but rest assured that this movement is not only underused, it’s underappreciated. People often avoid the front squat because it’s difficult to master.

1. Before you start, make sure you have the requisite mobility and strength to perform these well.
2. The same principle for the slow negative barbell squat applies, but you’re placing the bar in the front not the back.
3. Descend for two to three seconds and pause at the bottom of each rep for one to two seconds, really stretching those leg muscles. Do your best to use a clean grip to avoid imbalances.

Clean and Press

1. Assume a shoulder-width stance with knees inside the arms. While keeping the back flat, bend at the knees and hips so that you can grab the bar with the arms fully extended and a pronated grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. Point the elbows out to sides. The bar should be close to the shins. Position the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar. Establish a flat back posture. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin to pull the bar by extending the knees. Move your hips forward and raise the shoulders at the same rate while keeping the angle of the back constant. Continue to lift the bar straight up while keeping it close to your body.
3. As the bar passes the knee, extend at the ankles, knees, and hips forcefully, similar to a jumping motion. As you do so, continue to guide the bar with your hands, shrugging your shoulders and using the momentum from your movement to pull the bar as high as possible. The bar should travel close to your body and you should keep your elbows out.
4. At maximum elevation, your feet should clear the floor and you should start to pull yourself under the bar. The mechanics of this could change slightly, depending on the weight used. You should descend into a squatting position as you pull yourself under the bar.
5. As the bar hits terminal height, rotate your elbows around and under the bar. Rack the bar across the front of the shoulders while keeping the torso erect and flexing the hips and knees to absorb the weight of the bar.
6. Stand to full height, holding the bar in the clean position.
7. Without moving your feet, press the bar overhead as you exhale. Lower the bar under control.

Hanging Leg Raise

As opposed to situps, crunch variations, or rope flexions, hanging leg raises are not only more challenging but also healthier, especially if you’re a big guy. It takes a lot to hang from a bar and use your core to pull your heavy legs up to the chest for reps. But the added benefit of choosing this move is the fact that your ribcage and thoracic region don’t lose their position of extension. It’s one of the few trunk flexion movements that works entirely from the bottom upwards, promoting the maintenance of good posture and no strain on the neck and thoracic vertebrae. If true hanging legs raises are a bit too tough, there’s no shame investing in sleeves to attach to your pullup bar to support your upper arms while performing the movement.

Full Range of Motion Wide-Grip Pullup

Most people who say they can crack out dozens of chinups or pullups in a row are lying about it, especially when reviewing good form. But whether you’re good at pullups or not, exploiting the negative reps will prove challenging mentally and physically, while delivering huge benefits for hypertrophy and strength. The fast-twitch fibers get trained a whole lot more when slowing down eccentric phases of training, especially when doing entirely full range of motion, all the way up and all the way down. So gunning for three- to five-second, negative-only pullups have many pros and very little cons. Perform these for sets of six to eight reps at any point in your workout.

Slow Eccentric Barbell Curl

Whether you’re good at barbell curls or not, exploiting negative reps will prove challenging mentally and physically, while delivering huge benefits for hypertrophy and strength. The fast-twitch fibers get trained more when slowing down eccentric phases of training, building a fuller muscle belly. Go for four- to five-second, negative-only barbell curls. Perform these for sets of six to eight reps at any point in your workout.

Pause Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

1. Lie flat on your back on a bench.
2. Grip the bar with hands a little closer than shoulder-width apart, so when you’re at the bottom of your move your hands are near the outside of your chest. This allows for maximum force generation.
3. Bring the bar slowly down to your chest as you breathe in and pause at the bottom for one to two seconds.
4. Push up as you breathe out, gripping the bar hard and watching a spot on the ceiling rather than the bar, so you can ensure it travels the same path every time.