If your program is custom, why are others around you doing the same exercises?
Maybe you’ve noticed it. At the start of the session, a lot of members are doing goblet squats.
In the middle of the session, there’s almost always someone at the quad extension or the lat pulldown machine.
And at the end of the day, it seems like half the room is finishing with tricep pushdowns.
Every program we write is built for one person. But some exercises are so good that they end up in almost everyone’s plan. This is because they are easy to get into starting position, easy to coach, easy for you to execute, and highly effective.
Think of it like a day at the races.
For some muscles, there’s one horse you’d bet on every time. It’s the clear favorite.
For other muscles, there are several horses that are just as likely to win. We have more room to choose.
And even when you have a favorite, betting on the same horse every single race gets boring. So every once in a while, we try something new.
We pulled a random sample of 100 of our programs to see which exercises show up most and which show up least. Our take on why is below each one.
The ones we bet on most
1. Cable tricep pushdowns: 91%
We’d argue this should be 100 out of 100. It’s easy to set up, easy to coach, and lets you train your triceps very hard.
Most other tricep exercises are harder to get into. They also tend to bother the shoulders and elbows.
2. Goblet squats: 63%
We have six different versions of the goblet squat. Squats are one of the best things you can do for lower body strength.
3. Quad extensions: 55%
One of the easiest ways to train the front of your legs hard.
4. Single arm dumbbell rows: 48%
We were surprised this wasn’t higher. It’s one of the easiest ways to train your back hard.
All you need is a dumbbell at the right weight and the right number of reps for you.
5. Lat pulldowns: 47%
Another one we expected to see more. Like the dumbbell row, it rarely causes pain. It’s easy to set up and easy to push hard.
6. Cable face pulls: 46%
Probably the best exercise for your upper back. Easy to set up, easy to do well, and it very rarely causes pain.
The ones we bet on least
1. Trap bar deadlifts and barbell RDLs: 16%
Both are great exercises. But they’re complex, and they have to be done very well.
2. Back squats: 15%
This is an advanced exercise and hard to do well. For some people it’s great. For most, there are better ways to squat.
3. Bench press: 9%
It’s the most famous lift there is, and the classic benchmark for strength (no pun intended). But it has limits.
You need a spotter. And your arms can’t move as freely as they can with dumbbells.
4. Kettlebell swings: 1%
There’s a lot more to a swing than moving your body. You have to feel how the bell travels forward and back. You have to time when you drop to the bottom and how you explode to the top.
It all happens fast, which makes it hard to coach in the middle of a set. We keep it as an option for very advanced members, but we don’t use it much.
Every program we write is custom. But custom doesn’t mean random.
Some exercises earn their spot almost every time. Others wait for the right person. So the next time you look around and see the whole room doing pushdowns, now you know why.
James