Lecture Notes: Effective and Underrated Exercises

Introduction

• People often imitate exercises they see around them.
• There are exercises reconsidered for their effectiveness.
  • Popular exercises: High rep leg press, chest fly.
  • Unpopular yet effective exercises.
  • Importance of exposing oneself to different exercises for growth.

Squat Variations

Pistol Squat

• A single-legged squat, helps in quad training.
• Benefits:
  • Less spinal loading compared to traditional squats.
  • Faster warm-up time and less systemic fatigue.
  • Greater depth and range of motion possible.
  • Suitable for travel or limited equipment settings.
  • Allows more volume leading to potential growth.

Quad Exercises

Sissy Squat

• Easier version of reverse Nordic curl.
• Important for stretch-related quad growth.
• Provides deep knee flexion leading to more muscle growth.
• Underrated for home or travel settings.

Reverse Nordic Curl

• Focuses on quad stretch.
• Offers benefits similar to sissy squat.

Shoulder Exercises

Dumbbell and Cable Lateral Raises

• Preference for cable lateral raise for better stretch and resistance.
• Lateral raises can be enhanced using cable or leaning techniques.

Lying Dumbbell Side Raise

• Provides stretch-focused exercise with minimal equipment.
• Allows more stretch and different resistance profile.

Dips

• Advocated to perform dips deeply for effectiveness.
• Provides stretch and growth for chest, triceps, and front delts.
• Varied technique for emphasizing chest or triceps.

Seated Leg Curl

• Modified by leaning forward to enhance hamstring stretch.
• Benefits similar to stiff-legged deadlifts without spinal loading.
• Less fatigue and better focus on hamstrings.

Deficit Push-Ups

• Elevating feet during push-ups.
• Mimics incline chest press targeting upper chest.
• More challenging and effective for overall chest growth.

Conclusion

• Highlighted exercises are both effective and often under-utilized.
• Encourages trying diverse exercises for comprehensive muscle development.
• Emphasizes the importance of deep, controlled movements for maximum benefit.