What Are My Top 5 Exercises?
That is a tough question! I am going to change the question around so I can list 300 exercises 🙂
I like to break down sessions into these categories…
Upper Body Push
Upper Body Pull
Lower Body
Core
Accessory Movement
I know that is vague, so I plan to break each category down later in this post.
Focus on Multi-Joint Exercises
I focus on multi-joint exercises. Exercises that work a lot of muscle groups at one time. For example, squats will work your entire lower body. Of course some areas are hit harder during squats, but they still work your entire lower body. They will even get your heart rate up a bit.
Full Body Workouts for Busy Clients
The majority of my clients get full body workouts. There is a time and place for body part splits, but it’s rare for the people I work with. My clients are not bodybuilders, most just want to get in shape for everyday life. They have busy schedules. They do not have time to be in the gym 6 days a week with long boring workouts.
The Magic of Modifications and Variations!
I hate when I see trainers get attached to exercises, and then have everyone doing the same thing. Everyone is different.
Let’s Dive Into Categories Below…
Upper Body Push
Exercises that have you pushing away from your body. Think pushups, bench press, overhead press, landmine press, etc. Pick one of these exercises, and you are working your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Then you throw in the variations of the exercises. I can have someone doing pushups from the floor, standing pushups, trx pushups, negative pushups, and the list goes on. Everyone is different.
Must read about Stronger with these 10 tips!
Upper Body Pulls
Exercises where you are pulling towards your body. Think row variations, pull ups, pull downs, etc. Hitting your back, but you also get some bicep and grip work in. We have so many variations to choose from!
Lower Body
My favorite categories under lower body are squats, deadlifts, and lunges. I like to rotate the movements so there is a different emphasis by day. With one day hitting more quads, another more hamstring and glutes, other days inside and outside of legs.
When I say squats, the variation depends on the person. A few examples…
- Bodyweight squats
- Trx supported squats
- Landmine squats
- Goblet squats
- Barbell squats
- Variations based on the range of motion
- Band squats
I hate when I see some trainers just throw everyone under a barbell squat because it works for them as a trainer. Most people don’t have the mobility, flexibility, and experience to do it safely.
Core Work
For core work, we have a million variations. I like plank variations a lot since they carry over to everyday life more than some variations.
Accessory and Isolation Work!
We can start to have a little fun with this category! We can start to throw in more isolation exercises and more exercises specific to your goals. It might be more glutes, arms, sports specific, or anything. Based on the person. Most people live in this category, which can be a big mistake. If the foundational movements above are not taken care of, then all the isolation work in the world will do nothing.
If you need help designing a program specific to your needs, text me at 757 580 7028 or email [email protected].