One of the most dangerous things any iron aficionado can do is to get comfortable. Comfort is the death knell for muscle growth and strength gains. Every once in a while you have to abandon the familiar to really generate the uptick in mass that keeps your boat floated. Stepping away from the bench and trying some unconventional moves might be the best thing you ever did.Heresy, you say? Well, we wouldn’t tell you to shun those proven man-makers forever – just for a time. Or, for an even better approach, you can take these moves and sprinkle them into your existing program – a welcome complement to your lineup of cozy barbell sessions.Familiarize yourself with four – just four – moves and you could see better improvements in your overall strength and conditioning.
2 of 5
Overhead/Suitcase Carry Combo
Loaded carries have now become a common practice in the strength and performance field. But physique athletes need to take a harder look at the loaded carries for muscle growth. Loaded carries in general put the entire body under a great deal of time under tension. Keep in mind that building muscle is all about time under tension. Loaded carries improve overall work capacity and seem to thicken the whole body and add mass to just about every muscle, from the traps to the calves.Farmer’s carries can get a little mundane, so it’s important to mix it up a bit. The overhead/suitcase (waiter) carry – one up and one down, basically – provides a great mix of muscle building capabilities. The overhead carry helps improve shoulder health and stability, while building the shoulders, traps, and upper back. The suitcase carry hits the core, obliques, abs, glutes and forearms. And we haven’t even gotten to the awkward soreness your body will experience from the uneven load that the body will have to accommodate.
3 of 5
Mixed-Grip Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
The standard pull-up is an amazing muscle builder on it’s own but it does have some limitations. Those with shoulder issues tend to reduce their range of motion, load, and volume. Your grip can also fail before your back and lats do due to grip fatigue. Chin-ups are also a classic muscle builder, but don’t hit the lats as much as the pull-up and can bang up the elbows near the biceps with a lot of reps. The perfect solution is to use a mixed-grip (one hand under, one hand over).Studies show that using a mixed grip on the deadlift allows athletes to get 1-2 more reps on average. The same logic applies here. The mixed-grip allows you to hang onto the bar longer, thus increasing the amount of reps and weight that you can handle. More time under tension plus heavier loads equals more muscle.You can also increase your range of motion because shoulder mobility is less of an issue with a mixed grip, which allows you to get your chest up to the bar to hit more of your back and shoulder muscles, such as the teres minor and rhomboids.
4 of 5
Duck-Stance Deadlift
This version of the deadlift has been a staple for some the strongest Chinese Olympic lifters in the smaller weight classes. It’s mostly because that’s the way they do their cleans and snatches – feet close together with with their toes pointed out 45 degrees in the starting position.This variation of the deadlift is much better at building the quadriceps but less on the glutes because it requires greater flexion at the knee. The lower-leg angle allows you to keep the bar closer to the body because the knees are not in the way, which decreases the involvment of the lower back.These are very useful for people who are just learning the deadlift or have a troubled lower back but still want to build their quads and pulling strength.
5 of 5
Dumbbell Clean and Press
The traditional Olympic lifts are incredibly beneficial for any athlete regardless of the goal (power, strength, muscle growth). The one problem that they have is the learning curve for many to do them correctly and the low amount of time under tension. So for those who are looking for an explosive movement using heavy weight and a lot of reps, the dumbbell clean and press is a winner.
The learning curve is extremely low. You simply hinge forward at the hip with a dumbbell in each hand. Thrust the hips and bring the dumbbells to the rack position, then strict press them above your head. I still would stay around 8-10 reps with this exercise, but trust me that will be plenty. Your forearms, biceps, and shoulders will be screaming by five reps if you are using a substantial amount of weight. This also paves the way for you to graduate to other more dynamic variations such as the jerk.
Justin Grinnell, CSCS, is the owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing, Michigan. Justin received his Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from Michigan State University specializing in exercise science, fitness leadership, athletic administration, and health promotion in 2004. He is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). He also holds a certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is CrossFit Level I certified.
One of the most dangerous things any iron aficionado can do is to get comfortable. Comfort is the death knell for muscle growth and strength gains. Every once in a while you have to abandon the familiar to really generate the uptick in mass that keeps your boat floated. Stepping away from the bench and trying some unconventional moves might be the best thing you ever did.
Heresy, you say? Well, we wouldn’t tell you to shun those proven man-makers forever – just for a time. Or, for an even better approach, you can take these moves and sprinkle them into your existing program – a welcome complement to your lineup of cozy barbell sessions.
Loaded carries have now become a common practice in the strength and performance field. But physique athletes need to take a harder look at the loaded carries for muscle growth. Loaded carries in general put the entire body under a great deal of time under tension. Keep in mind that building muscle is all about time under tension. Loaded carries improve overall work capacity and seem to thicken the whole body and add mass to just about every muscle, from the traps to the calves.
Farmer’s carries can get a little mundane, so it’s important to mix it up a bit. The overhead/suitcase (waiter) carry – one up and one down, basically – provides a great mix of muscle building capabilities. The overhead carry helps improve shoulder health and stability, while building the shoulders, traps, and upper back. The suitcase carry hits the core, obliques, abs, glutes and forearms. And we haven’t even gotten to the awkward soreness your body will experience from the uneven load that the body will have to accommodate.
Mixed-Grip Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
The standard pull-up is an amazing muscle builder on it’s own but it does have some limitations. Those with shoulder issues tend to reduce their range of motion, load, and volume. Your grip can also fail before your back and lats do due to grip fatigue. Chin-ups are also a classic muscle builder, but don’t hit the lats as much as the pull-up and can bang up the elbows near the biceps with a lot of reps. The perfect solution is to use a mixed-grip (one hand under, one hand over).
Studies show that using a mixed grip on the deadlift allows athletes to get 1-2 more reps on average. The same logic applies here. The mixed-grip allows you to hang onto the bar longer, thus increasing the amount of reps and weight that you can handle. More time under tension plus heavier loads equals more muscle.
You can also increase your range of motion because shoulder mobility is less of an issue with a mixed grip, which allows you to get your chest up to the bar to hit more of your back and shoulder muscles, such as the teres minor and rhomboids.
Duck-Stance Deadlift
This version of the deadlift has been a staple for some the strongest Chinese Olympic lifters in the smaller weight classes. It’s mostly because that’s the way they do their cleans and snatches – feet close together with with their toes pointed out 45 degrees in the starting position.
This variation of the deadlift is much better at building the quadriceps but less on the glutes because it requires greater flexion at the knee. The lower-leg angle allows you to keep the bar closer to the body because the knees are not in the way, which decreases the involvment of the lower back.
These are very useful for people who are just learning the deadlift or have a troubled lower back but still want to build their quads and pulling strength.
Dumbbell Clean and Press
The traditional Olympic lifts are incredibly beneficial for any athlete regardless of the goal (power, strength, muscle growth). The one problem that they have is the learning curve for many to do them correctly and the low amount of time under tension. So for those who are looking for an explosive movement using heavy weight and a lot of reps, the dumbbell clean and press is a winner.
The learning curve is extremely low. You simply hinge forward at the hip with a dumbbell in each hand. Thrust the hips and bring the dumbbells to the rack position, then strict press them above your head. I still would stay around 8-10 reps with this exercise, but trust me that will be plenty. Your forearms, biceps, and shoulders will be screaming by five reps if you are using a substantial amount of weight. This also paves the way for you to graduate to other more dynamic variations such as the jerk.
Justin Grinnell, CSCS, is the owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing, Michigan. Justin received his Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from Michigan State University specializing in exercise science, fitness leadership, athletic administration, and health promotion in 2004. He is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). He also holds a certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is CrossFit Level I certified.
