Exercise database

A one-leg squat with the back foot resting on a bench behind you and a dumbbell in each hand. Front foot far enough forward that your shin stays roughly vertical; lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor, then drive up through the front foot. Hard, and very effective for quads and glutes; also trains balance.

S tier for the quads — best in class.

Cue: Front shin vertical for quads, torso leaned for glutes.

Does not train: rectus femoris.

Kneel facing a high cable holding a rope beside your head. Curl your torso down and forward — round the spine — pulling your elbows towards your knees, then straighten back up. Trains the abs against a weight you can add to.

S tier for the abs — best in class.

Cue: Flex the spine — that is what the muscle does.

A lateral raise done with a low cable, standing side-on to the stack and raising the arm across your body out to the side. The cable keeps tension on the muscle at the bottom, where dumbbells give it away. Side of the shoulder.

S tier for the side delts — best in class.

Cue: Cable behind the body so it is hardest at the bottom.

The lengthened alternative to the dumbbell version, and the reason to prefer a cable when one is free.

Lie face-down on an inclined bench (or use a machine with a chest pad) and row weights up towards your ribs. Because your chest is supported, your lower back is out of it and everything goes to the upper back and lats.

S tier for the upper back — best in class.

Cue: No lower back involved, so all of it goes to the back.

Kneel with your ankles anchored (a partner, a bar, or a padded machine), body upright from the knees. Keeping the hips straight, lower your body forward toward the floor as slowly as you can, using your hamstrings as brakes; catch yourself with your hands and push back up. Brutally hard and the best-studied exercise for preventing hamstring strains.

S tier for the hamstrings — best in class.

Cue: Lower as slowly as you can; the eccentric is the exercise.

Face away from a cable set high, holding a rope overhead with elbows bent and pointing forward. Straighten your arms to push the rope forward and up, then let it return behind your head. Trains the triceps in the stretched position — the best way to grow them.

S tier for the triceps — best in class.

Cue: Elbows high and still; stretch behind the head.

The long head is only loaded at length with the shoulder flexed: +28.5% growth overhead versus +19.6% neutral, at a 34-39% LIGHTER load.

Sit facing into a pec deck machine and push the handles backwards, opening your arms out to the sides. Isolates the back of the shoulders and upper back with no balancing.

S tier for the rear delts — best in class.

Cue: Rear delts respond to volume; this is the easy way to get it.

A machine: sit with the pad against your ankles and curl your heels down and back toward the seat, then return slowly. Because you are sitting, the hamstring is stretched at the hip, which is exactly what makes it grow better than the lying version. Isolates the hamstrings.

S tier for the hamstrings — best in class.

Cue: The hip stays flexed — that is what makes it the lengthened option.

Trains the hamstrings at long muscle length, which the evidence favours over the lying version where a choice exists.

A barbell rests across your upper back (on the shelf your shoulder blades make when you squeeze them), taken out of a rack. Stand with feet about shoulder-width, toes turned out a little. Take a breath, brace your stomach, and sit down and back — knees over toes — until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then stand back up. Works the quads (front of thigh), glutes and the whole trunk. The most complete leg exercise there is.

A tier for the quads — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Brace as if about to be punched, then sit between your hips.

Does not train: rectus femoris — the hip extends as the knee extends, so it never shortens across both joints. Pair with a knee extension if quad size is the goal.

Stand between two cable stacks with a handle in each hand, arms out to the sides with a slight, fixed bend in the elbows. Bring your hands together in front of your chest in a hugging arc, then let them open back out to a stretch. Isolates the chest.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Elbows slightly bent and fixed; hug, do not press.

Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest level, palms forward. Press both up until arms are straight, then lower until the dumbbells are level with — or a bit below — your chest. Dumbbells let each arm move freely and stretch the chest more than a bar. Chest, front shoulders, triceps.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Let the dumbbells travel below the chest line.

Lie across or along a bench holding one dumbbell with both hands above your chest. With slightly bent arms, lower it back behind your head until you feel a stretch through your chest and lats, then bring it back over. Chest and lats.

A tier for the lats — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Ribs down; feel the stretch, do not chase depth.

Lie on a bench holding an EZ bar over your face with straight arms. Bend only at the elbows to lower the bar just past your forehead (or behind your head), then straighten. Triceps. Keep the upper arms still.

A tier for the triceps — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Bar behind the head, not to the forehead.

A rope on a cable set at about face height. Pull the rope towards your face, spreading the ends apart so your hands end up beside your ears and your elbows high, then let it return. Trains the back of the shoulders and the small rotator muscles — the ones that keep shoulders healthy. Light weight.

A tier for the rear delts — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Pull to the forehead and rotate; light weight, no ego.

Like a back squat, but the barbell sits on the front of your shoulders, held in place with your elbows lifted high and fingertips under the bar. Squat straight down between your feet, keeping the chest up, and stand. Because the bar is in front, the torso stays more upright, so it works the quads a little more and the lower back a little less than a back squat.

A tier for the quads — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Elbows high; the bar sits on the shoulders, not the hands.

Does not train: rectus femoris, as with any hip-and-knee extension.

A dumbbell curl done with palms facing each other (thumbs up), like holding a hammer. Curl up and lower slowly. Hits the biceps plus the brachialis and forearms — good for arm thickness.

A tier for the biceps — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Neutral grip; this is the brachialis and forearm option.

A bench press on a bench set to a 30–45 degree incline. Lower the bar to your upper chest and press up. Because you are angled up, it puts more of the work on the upper chest and shoulders.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: 30-45°; steeper is a shoulder press with extra steps.

Sit back on a bench set to about 45–60 degrees with dumbbells hanging straight down behind your torso, palms forward. Curl them up and lower slowly. The arms hanging behind you stretch the biceps at the bottom, which is why it works so well.

A tier for the biceps — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Arms hanging behind the torso — that is the whole point.

Trains the biceps at long length, which the selection heuristic favours.

Set a bench to about 30–45 degrees and lie back on it with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. Press them up and slightly together until arms are straight, then lower under control to about chest level. The incline shifts the work toward the upper chest and front of the shoulders.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Stop the descent when the shoulder wants to roll forward.

Sit at the machine with your thighs under the pads, grab the wide bar overhead, and pull it down to your upper chest by driving your elbows down and back, then let it rise slowly. Same muscles as a pull-up (lats, upper back, biceps) but you choose the weight.

A tier for the lats — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Drive the elbows down and back; the bar follows.

Sit in the machine, feet flat on the big platform about shoulder-width apart, and push it away by straightening your legs, then lower it under control until your knees are bent around 90 degrees. Keep your lower back on the pad. Works the quads and glutes; you can load it heavily without balancing anything.

A tier for the quads — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Push through the whole foot; do not let the lower back curl.

Does not train: rectus femoris — measured at +1.1% growth against +13.2% for knee extension in the same trial.

Sit in the machine, grip the handles at chest level and push them forward until your arms are straight, then return slowly. The machine fixes the path, so it is a safe way to push right to your limit. Chest, front shoulders, triceps.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: The machine holds the path so you can chase failure safely.

A machine: you lean back against an angled pad with your shoulders under two pads and your feet on a platform, then bend your knees to lower the sled and push it back up. The machine holds the path, so you can focus on pushing hard. Trains the quads and glutes with very little balance required — a good place to learn to squat deep.

A tier for the quads — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Let the knees travel; that is the point of the machine.

Does not train: rectus femoris.

Sit in the machine with the handles at shoulder height and press them overhead, then lower slowly. Fixed path — useful for pushing hard safely. Shoulders and triceps.

A tier for the front delts — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Fixed path; useful when you want to push close to failure.

Sit at a preacher bench with the backs of your upper arms on the sloped pad, holding an EZ bar or dumbbell. Curl up and lower under control without bouncing at the bottom. The pad stops any cheating. Biceps.

A tier for the biceps — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Do not bounce out of the bottom.

Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a bit wider than shoulders, arms fully straight, and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, then lower all the way down. Lats, upper back and biceps. If you cannot do one yet, use the assisted machine or a band; the lat pulldown trains the same muscles.

A tier for the lats — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Start from a full hang; that bottom position is the exercise.

Start standing, holding a barbell against your thighs. With knees slightly bent and back flat, push your hips backwards and let the bar slide down your legs until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings (usually around mid-shin), then drive the hips forward to stand. The bar does not touch the floor. The best hamstring builder in the gym; also glutes and lower back.

A tier for the hamstrings — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Push the hips back until the hamstrings stop you.

Does not train: knee-flexion hamstring function.

Sit at a low cable with feet on the platform, holding the handle with arms extended. Pull it to your stomach while sitting tall, squeeze the shoulder blades together, then let it pull you forward into a stretch. Mid-back and lats.

A tier for the upper back — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Let the shoulder blades travel; do not lock the torso rigid.

Sit on a bench with a back support, a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms forward. Press them up overhead until arms are straight, then lower to your ears. Shoulders and triceps; the seat takes your lower back out of it.

A tier for the front delts — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Elbows slightly forward of the torso, not flared flat.

One hand and one knee on a bench, the other foot on the floor, a dumbbell in the free hand hanging straight down. Pull the dumbbell up to your hip, elbow close to the body, then lower until you feel a stretch. Lats and mid-back, one side at a time.

A tier for the lats — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Pull to the hip, not the armpit, if you want lats.

A bodyweight quad exercise. Hold onto something for balance, rise onto your toes, and lean back while bending your knees so they travel forward and your body stays in one straight line from knees to shoulders; go as low as you can control and come back up. Fully stretches the quads. Advanced — start shallow.

A tier for the quads — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Knees travel forward, hips stay extended.

Stand facing a high cable holding a bar or rope with straight arms in front of you. Keeping the elbows locked, sweep the bar down in an arc until it touches your thighs, then let it rise. Isolates the lats — the wide muscles down the sides of your back.

A tier for the lats — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Elbows locked; the lats do all of it.

Lets you train lats without the biceps failing first.

Support yourself on two parallel bars with straight arms, then bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor, and press back up. Leaning forward works the chest more; staying upright works the triceps more. Add weight with a belt when bodyweight gets easy.

A tier for the chest — excellent — a staple.

Cue: Lean forward for chest, stay upright for triceps.

Kneel holding an ab wheel on the floor in front of you. Roll it forward, letting your body extend towards the floor while keeping the ribs down and back flat, then pull it back to your knees. Only go as far as you can control. Whole core.

B tier for the abs — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Ribs down; go only as far as you can keep them there.

Lie on a flat bench under a racked barbell. Grip a bit wider than shoulders, unrack, lower the bar to your lower chest with elbows tucked at roughly 45 degrees, and press it back up. Feet flat on the floor, upper back squeezed into the bench. Chest, front of shoulders and triceps.

B tier for the chest — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Feet down, upper back tight, bar to the lower chest.

Does not train: the triceps long head at length — it is trained at the elbow only. Overhead extensions are not redundant with pressing.

Standing, holding a barbell with palms up at arm's length. Keeping the elbows at your ribs, curl the bar up to your shoulders and lower it slowly. Biceps.

B tier for the biceps — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Elbows stay at the ribs.

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and a padded barbell across your hips. Feet flat, knees bent; drive your hips up until your body is a straight line from shoulders to knees, squeeze the glutes hard at the top, and lower. The most direct glute exercise there is.

B tier for the glutes — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Ribs down, chin tucked, squeeze at the top.

Does not train: glutes at long muscle length — it loads them hardest where they are shortest, which is the opposite of the usual selection heuristic. Pair with a lengthened hip movement.

Bend forward at the hips with a flat back until your torso is around 45 degrees, holding a barbell with straight arms. Pull the bar to your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together, and lower it under control while keeping the torso still. Whole back — lats, mid-back, rear shoulders — plus biceps and grip.

B tier for the upper back — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Torso still; the bar comes to you, not the other way round.

A curl done with a low cable and a bar or rope. The cable keeps tension on the biceps through the whole range, including the top and bottom where dumbbells go slack.

B tier for the biceps — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Constant tension top to bottom.

Face away from a low cable with the rope between your legs, held behind you. Push your hips back and let the rope pull your hands back between your legs, then drive the hips forward and stand tall. A gentle way to learn the hip hinge. Glutes and hamstrings.

B tier for the glutes — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Hips back to the cable, then stand tall.

Stand facing a high cable holding a bar or rope, elbows pinned to your sides. Push the handle down until your arms are straight, then let it rise to about chest height. Triceps; the easy one to learn.

B tier for the triceps — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Elbows pinned; this trains the triceps short, so it is not a substitute for an overhead version.

Does not train: the long head at length.

A pull-up with palms facing you and hands about shoulder-width. Hang fully, pull until your chin clears the bar, lower all the way. The underhand grip brings the biceps in more, so it is a back and arm exercise.

B tier for the lats — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Supinated grip; this is a legitimate biceps builder.

A bench press with your hands about shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked, bar to the lower chest. The narrower grip moves the work onto the triceps while still hitting the chest.

B tier for the triceps — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Shoulder-width grip; wrists stacked.

A loaded barbell sits on the floor. Stand with your feet under it, bend down and grip it just outside your legs, flatten your back, brace, and stand up with it — the bar staying against your legs the whole way — then lower it back to the floor. Works the whole back side: hamstrings, glutes, spinal muscles, grip and upper back. The heaviest lift most people will do.

B tier for the glutes — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Push the floor away; the bar stays against the legs.

Does not train: the knee-flexion function of the hamstrings — hinges train them at the hip only. A leg curl is not redundant with a deadlift.

Standing, a light dumbbell in each hand at your sides. With slightly bent elbows, raise your arms out to the sides until they are about parallel to the floor, leading with the elbows, then lower slowly. Builds the side of the shoulder — the part that makes shoulders look wide. Light weight, strict form.

B tier for the side delts — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Lead with the elbow; stop when the arm is parallel.

Does not train: side delts at length — a dumbbell is easiest at the bottom, where the muscle is longest. A cable version fixes that.

Bend forward at the hips until your torso is near parallel to the floor, light dumbbells hanging beneath you, and raise them out to the sides like wings, thumbs slightly down, elbows soft. Works the back of the shoulder — the part that gets forgotten. Light weight, no swinging.

B tier for the rear delts — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Thumbs down, elbows soft, no swing.

Lie under a bar set at about hip height (a rack or Smith machine), grab it, and with your body straight like a plank pull your chest up to the bar, then lower. The more horizontal you are, the harder it is. A bodyweight row for the whole back.

B tier for the upper back — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Body straight; raise the feet to make it harder.

A machine: sit with your knees at the pad's pivot, shins behind the padded bar, and straighten your legs to lift it, then lower slowly. Isolates the quads, and it is the only common exercise that fully trains the rectus femoris (the quad muscle that also crosses the hip).

B tier for the quads — good, with a drawback.

Cue: This is the one that trains rectus femoris. Do not skip it because it is 'not functional'.

The only common exercise that grows rectus femoris meaningfully: +13.2% versus +1.1% for leg press in a within-subject MRI trial.

A machine: lie face-down, hook your ankles under the pad, and curl your heels up toward your glutes, then lower slowly. Keep the hips down on the bench. Isolates the hamstrings.

B tier for the hamstrings — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Hips flat; do not let them rise to finish the rep.

A machine: sit with the pads against the outside of your upper arms and raise your arms out to the sides. Same muscle as a dumbbell lateral raise, no balancing.

B tier for the side delts — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Push through the elbows.

A machine: sit with your forearms or hands on the pads and bring them together in front of you, then let them open back out to a stretch. Isolates the chest with no balancing.

B tier for the chest — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Squeeze without shrugging.

A barbell curl with palms facing down. Curl up and lower slowly. Hits the forearms and the brachialis on the outside of the upper arm; expect much lighter weight than a normal curl.

B tier for the forearms — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Pronated grip; expect small numbers.

Stand in front of a sturdy box or bench about knee height, dumbbells in hand. Put one whole foot on the box and stand up onto it using that leg (don't bounce off the back foot), then step down slowly. Quads and glutes, one leg at a time.

B tier for the quads — good, with a drawback.

Cue: Do not push off the trailing foot.

Hold one dumbbell (or kettlebell) vertically against your chest with both hands, like a goblet, elbows pointing down. Squat down between your knees as deep as you comfortably can and stand back up. The weight in front keeps you upright and teaches the squat shape. Quads, glutes and core.

C tier for the quads — situational — better options exist.

Cue: Elbows inside the knees at the bottom.

Does not train: rectus femoris.

Hands on the floor a bit wider than shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels. Lower your chest to just above the floor by bending your elbows, then press back up. Keep the hips from sagging — think of it as a moving plank. Chest, shoulders, triceps and core. Raise the hands onto a bench to make it easier, add a backpack to make it harder.

C tier for the chest — situational — better options exist.

Cue: A moving plank; the hips do not sag.

Standing, a barbell held at the front of your shoulders. Brace your stomach and glutes and press the bar straight overhead until your arms are locked out, then lower it back to your shoulders. Shoulders and triceps, with the whole trunk holding you steady.

C tier for the front delts — situational — better options exist.

Cue: Squeeze the glutes; the bar finishes over the ears.

Does not train: side delts at their hardest — pressing loads them in a shortened position. Lateral raises are not optional.

Holding dumbbells at your sides, step forward into a lunge — both knees bend to about 90 degrees, back knee just above the floor — then push off and step the other foot forward into the next lunge, walking across the room. Long steps hit the glutes more, short steps the quads.

C tier for the quads — situational — better options exist.

Cue: Step long for glutes, short for quads.

Stand over a kettlebell, hinge at the hips (push them back, flat back) to grab it, hike it back between your legs and snap the hips forward so the bell swings up to about chest height, arms straight and relaxed. It is a hip movement — the arms just hold on. Glutes, hamstrings, back and conditioning.

D tier for the glutes — poor for this muscle.

Cue: A hinge, not a squat, and not a front raise.

Sit in the machine with the pad on your knees and the balls of your feet on the platform. Lower the heels for a stretch, then push up onto your toes. With the knee bent, this hits the soleus, the deeper calf muscle under the gastrocnemius.

D tier for the calves — poor for this muscle.

Cue: Bent knee: this is the soleus option.

Does not train: gastrocnemius almost entirely — it barely grows seated (0.6-1.7%). If you only do this, you are not training your calves as most people mean it.

Lie face-down on a 45-degree padded bench with your feet hooked under the rollers and the pad at your hips. Fold forward at the hips, then raise your torso back up until it is in line with your legs. Hold a plate on your chest to make it harder. Lower back, glutes and hamstrings.

Cue: Round or stay neutral — both are trainable, neither is dangerous.

Stand with feet very wide. Shift your weight to one side and sit down into that hip, bending that knee fully while the other leg stays straight with toes up, then push back to standing and go to the other side. Bodyweight, or hold a light dumbbell. Inner thighs, glutes and quads, plus hip mobility.

Cue: Sit into one hip; the trailing leg stays straight.

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. With knees slightly bent and back flat, push your hips back and let the dumbbells slide down your legs until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, then drive the hips forward to stand. The dumbbell version of the Romanian deadlift — the best hamstring builder you can do at home.

Cue: Dumbbells slide down the thighs; hips back until the hamstrings stop you.

Does not train: knee-flexion hamstring function.

Standing tall holding heavy dumbbells at your sides, lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears, pause, and lower. Just up and down — rolling them adds nothing. Trains the traps (the muscles between neck and shoulders).

Cue: Straight up; rolling the shoulders does nothing extra.

Pick up a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and walk, standing tall with shoulders back, for a set distance or time. Grip, traps, core and everything that keeps you upright. Simple and very effective.

Cue: Tall and quiet; the grip usually gives out first.

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat near your glutes. Drive your hips up until your body is a straight line from shoulders to knees, squeeze the glutes hard at the top, and lower. Rest a dumbbell or plate across your hips to make it harder. The bodyweight cousin of the hip thrust.

Cue: Ribs down, squeeze at the top; hold a dumbbell on the hips to load it.

A barbell on your upper back like a squat, but instead of squatting you push your hips back and bow forward with a flat back — like a bow — until your torso is near parallel to the floor, then stand up. Named for the bow. Hamstrings, glutes and spinal muscles. Use light weight.

Cue: Hips back, not chest down.

Hang from a pull-up bar and raise your knees (easier) or straight legs (harder) up towards your chest, curling the hips up at the top, then lower under control without swinging. Abs and hip flexors.

Cue: Curl the pelvis; swinging the legs is a hip flexor exercise.

Sit in the machine with the pads on the insides of your knees, legs open, and squeeze them together, then let them open slowly. Trains the inner-thigh muscles (adductors), which squats only partly reach.

Cue: A real muscle group, and the squat only trains it partly.

One end of a barbell is wedged in a corner or landmine holder; you hold the other end at your shoulder with one hand and press it up and forward at an angle. The angle is friendlier to shoulders that dislike straight-overhead pressing. Shoulders, upper chest, triceps.

Cue: The angle is the point — kinder to a cranky shoulder.

In a leg press machine, place just the balls of your feet on the bottom edge of the platform, legs almost straight, and push the platform away by pointing your toes, then let the heels drop back for a stretch. A calf raise you can load heavily.

Cue: Legs near-straight to keep the gastrocnemius involved.

Lie on a bench with your head off the end and a small plate held to your forehead (or a neck harness). Nod your chin to your chest and back. Then lie face-down and lift the head up. Slow, light, controlled. Neck muscles.

Cue: Slow, controlled, small loads. Nobody needs to be heroic here.

Trained for its own sake, and because neck strength is one of the few modifiable factors in head-impact tolerance.

Stand side-on to a cable set at chest height, holding the handle at your chest with both hands. Press it straight out in front of you and hold — the cable tries to twist you, and you refuse. Anti-rotation core work.

Cue: Resist the rotation; do not produce it.

Forearms and toes on the floor, body in one straight line from head to heels, stomach and glutes squeezed. Hold. Squeezing hard for 20–30 seconds beats a slack 2 minutes. Trains the muscles that stiffen your trunk.

Cue: Squeeze everything; time is not the goal, tension is.

Lie on your side, propped on one forearm, feet stacked, and lift your hips so your body is a straight line. Hold, then switch sides. Trains the muscles on the sides of the trunk (obliques).

Cue: Hips stacked and lifted.

Stand on the edge of a step on one foot, heel hanging off. Let the heel drop for a full stretch, then rise as high as you can onto your toes and pause. Hold a dumbbell in one hand to load it. Trains the calf with no machine.

Cue: On a step, one foot, full stretch at the bottom, pause at the top; hold a dumbbell to load it.

Stand on the edge of a step or in a calf machine, balls of the feet on the edge, heels hanging. Let the heels drop below the step for a full stretch, then rise as high as you can onto your toes and pause. Trains the big calf muscle (gastrocnemius) — knees straight.

Cue: Knee straight, full stretch at the bottom, pause at the top.

The knee must be STRAIGHT to train gastrocnemius: 9-12% growth standing versus 0.6-1.7% seated in the same trial.

A deadlift done inside a hexagonal bar you stand in the middle of, holding handles at your sides. Because the weight is beside you rather than in front, the movement is halfway between a squat and a deadlift and easier on the lower back. Great first deadlift. Quads, glutes, hamstrings, back.

Cue: Somewhere between a squat and a pull; let it be.

Sit with your forearms on your thighs or a bench, palms up, holding a light dumbbell or bar with the wrists hanging past your knees. Let it roll down to your fingertips, then curl it up. Forearms and grip.

Cue: Full range through the fingers.