Exercise Library
Proper form descriptions, common mistakes to avoid, and programming tips for every exercise in our training programs. Built on over four decades of real training experience.
The king of upper body pressing movements. Lie flat on a bench, grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width, lower to mid-chest, and press to full lockout. After bilateral shoulder SLAP repairs, rebuilding this movement from scratch taught that technique matters more than weight.
Proper Form
- ✓ Retract and depress shoulder blades — squeeze them together and down before unracking
- ✓ Maintain a slight arch in the lower back with feet flat on the floor
- ✓ Lower the bar to the nipple line with elbows at roughly 45-degree angle
- ✓ Drive through the feet as you press — leg drive is not cheating, it is technique
- ✓ Wrists should be stacked directly over elbows at the bottom position
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Flaring elbows to 90 degrees — this destroys shoulders over time
- ✗ Bouncing the bar off the chest instead of controlling the descent
- ✗ Lifting hips off the bench (reduces chest activation, increases injury risk)
- ✗ Uneven grip width leading to asymmetric loading
- ✗ Not using a spotter or safety bars for heavy sets
Injury Modifications
- ○ Shoulder pain: Use a Swiss/football bar to keep a neutral grip, or switch to floor press to limit range of motion
- ○ Wrist pain: Use wrist wraps and ensure wrists stay stacked over elbows — do not let them bend back
- ○ Lower back issues: Keep feet elevated on the bench to flatten the spine, or use a slight decline instead
Targets the upper chest (clavicular head of the pec) with a 30-45 degree incline. After shoulder surgery, the incline was actually more comfortable than flat pressing — a counterintuitive discovery that informed programming for years.
Proper Form
- ✓ Set bench to 30-45 degrees — steeper angles shift work to shoulders
- ✓ Grip slightly narrower than flat bench for better upper chest activation
- ✓ Lower bar to upper chest / collarbone area
- ✓ Keep shoulder blades retracted throughout the movement
- ✓ Control the eccentric — 2-3 second descent builds muscle and protects joints
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Setting the incline too steep (>45 degrees turns it into a shoulder press)
- ✗ Letting the bar drift forward toward the face
- ✗ Using the same weight as flat bench — expect 15-20% less
- ✗ Not adjusting grip width from flat bench position
Injury Modifications
- ○ Shoulder impingement: Lower the incline to 15-20 degrees and use dumbbells for a more natural arc
- ○ Neck strain: Ensure head stays flat on the bench — do not crane forward to watch the bar
- ○ Elbow pain: Reduce weight and focus on 8-12 rep range with controlled tempo
Emphasizes the lower chest with a slight decline angle. Often underappreciated, the decline press can feel more natural for lifters with shoulder issues due to the reduced shoulder flexion requirement.
Proper Form
- ✓ Use a slight decline (15-30 degrees) — extreme decline is unnecessary
- ✓ Secure your legs under the pads before unracking
- ✓ Lower the bar to the lower chest / sternum area
- ✓ Maintain the same shoulder blade retraction as flat bench
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Declining too much, causing blood to rush to the head
- ✗ Not securing legs properly before heavy sets
- ✗ Neglecting this movement entirely — it builds lower chest thickness
Injury Modifications
- ○ Blood pressure concerns: Skip decline if you have high blood pressure — the inverted position raises intracranial pressure
- ○ Shoulder issues: Use dumbbells to allow a more natural pressing arc
- ○ Lower back pain: Ensure the decline angle is gentle (15 degrees max) to minimize strain
Foundational back width builder. The wide grip targets the outer lats, creating the V-taper. Pull with the elbows, not the hands — think about driving your elbows down and back.
Proper Form
- ✓ Grip the bar 1.5x shoulder width — hands outside the bends
- ✓ Lean back slightly (10-15 degrees) and pull to the upper chest
- ✓ Squeeze shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement
- ✓ Control the return — do not let the weight stack slam
- ✓ Initiate the pull by depressing the shoulder blades, then bend the elbows
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Pulling behind the neck — this compromises the shoulder joint
- ✗ Using momentum and swinging the torso
- ✗ Gripping too tight — use a thumb-over grip to reduce bicep involvement
- ✗ Not fully extending arms at the top (shortening range of motion)
Injury Modifications
- ○ Shoulder pain: Switch to a neutral (palms facing) grip attachment — significantly less shoulder stress
- ○ Elbow tendinitis: Use a wider grip and focus on pulling with the back, minimizing bicep involvement
- ○ Neck strain: Avoid pulling behind the neck entirely — always pull to the front
Essential for mid-back thickness. The constant cable tension through the full range of motion makes this superior to many free weight alternatives for hypertrophy. Vary grip width to target different back areas.
Proper Form
- ✓ Sit upright with a slight forward lean at the start
- ✓ Pull the handle to the lower sternum / upper abdomen
- ✓ Drive the elbows past the torso and squeeze the back muscles
- ✓ Maintain a neutral spine throughout — do not round forward under load
- ✓ Wide grip emphasizes upper back; narrow grip targets mid-back
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Excessive torso swing to generate momentum
- ✗ Shrugging shoulders up instead of keeping them depressed
- ✗ Not fully stretching forward on the eccentric (limits muscle growth)
- ✗ Rounding the lower back under heavy loads
Injury Modifications
- ○ Lower back pain: Use a chest-supported row machine instead, or keep torso more upright with lighter weight
- ○ Bicep tendinitis: Use a wider, overhand grip to reduce bicep involvement
- ○ Spinal disc issues: Keep the torso completely still — any forward lean under load compresses discs
The primary compound movement for shoulder development. After bilateral shoulder SLAP repairs, the key learning was to always press in front of the face, never behind the neck, and to rebuild pressing strength gradually.
Proper Form
- ✓ Start with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward
- ✓ Press directly overhead, bringing the weights together at the top
- ✓ Do not lock out aggressively — maintain slight bend to protect joints
- ✓ Brace your core throughout to prevent excessive low-back arch
- ✓ Lower under control to ear level — do not bounce at the bottom
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Behind-the-neck pressing (extreme shoulder external rotation under load)
- ✗ Excessive lower back arch compensating for weak shoulders
- ✗ Uneven pressing (one arm higher than the other)
- ✗ Going too heavy too fast — shoulders are vulnerable joints
Injury Modifications
- ○ SLAP tear or labrum issues: Use a machine press with a fixed path to reduce stabilizer demand on the joint
- ○ Rotator cuff pain: Reduce range of motion — press from chin level instead of full depth
- ○ Lower back pain: Always use a seat with back support and brace your core throughout
The best isolation exercise for building shoulder width. Light weight with perfect form will always outperform heavy weight with terrible form on this movement. Over four decades, the lesson is: ego on lateral raises is the fastest path to shoulder impingement.
Proper Form
- ✓ Start with arms at your sides, slight bend in elbows
- ✓ Raise arms out to the sides until parallel with the floor
- ✓ Lead with the elbows, not the hands — think about pouring water
- ✓ Hold at the top for a 1-second squeeze before lowering
- ✓ Use a weight you can control for 12-15 reps with good form
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Using too much weight and swinging the body
- ✗ Raising the arms too high (above parallel increases impingement risk)
- ✗ Shrugging the traps — keep shoulders depressed
- ✗ Bending the elbows excessively, turning it into an upright row
Injury Modifications
- ○ Shoulder impingement: Stop the raise 10-15 degrees below parallel and use cables instead of dumbbells for a smoother force curve
- ○ Wrist pain: Use a neutral hammer grip or hold the dumbbell with the pinky side tilted slightly up
- ○ Rotator cuff strain: Use very light weight (3-5 lbs) and high reps (20+) as prehab rather than heavy loading
The single most important prehab exercise. Over 65 sets logged in the first four months of 2026 alone. Face pulls appear in nearly every workout as both prehab and a reminder that shoulder health is non-negotiable. This exercise has likely prevented more injuries than any other.
Proper Form
- ✓ Set cable at face height — not too high, not too low
- ✓ Use a rope attachment and pull apart as you bring it toward your face
- ✓ External rotate at the end position — hands should end up beside your ears
- ✓ Squeeze the shoulder blades together at peak contraction
- ✓ Use light to moderate weight — this is prehab, not a strength exercise
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Going too heavy and turning it into a row
- ✗ Not externally rotating at the end — missing the rotator cuff benefit
- ✗ Pulling too low (to chin or chest instead of face)
- ✗ Using body momentum instead of controlled rear delt contraction
Injury Modifications
- ○ This exercise IS the injury modification — include face pulls in every workout as prehab regardless of what hurts
- ○ Neck issues: Keep chin tucked and do not hyperextend the neck during the pull
- ○ Wrist pain: Use a band instead of a rope — the band accommodates natural wrist position better
The classic arm builder. After bilateral carpal tunnel release, rebuilding grip strength started with light curls. The key was patience — letting the wrists heal while maintaining the mind-muscle connection through controlled repetitions.
Proper Form
- ✓ Keep elbows pinned to your sides throughout the movement
- ✓ Squeeze the bicep hard at the top — do not just lift the weight
- ✓ Control the negative (lowering) for 2-3 seconds
- ✓ Do not use momentum to swing the weight up
- ✓ Full range of motion: fully extend at the bottom, full contraction at top
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Swinging the body to cheat the weight up
- ✗ Moving elbows forward during the curl (shifts load to front delts)
- ✗ Rushing through reps without controlling the eccentric
- ✗ Using a grip too wide or too narrow for straight bar curls
Injury Modifications
- ○ Carpal tunnel: Use an EZ-curl bar or neutral hammer grip to reduce wrist strain
- ○ Elbow pain: Reduce weight, slow the tempo, and avoid full lockout at the bottom
- ○ Forearm splints: Warm up forearms with light wrist curls before any curl work
The most effective isolation exercise for tricep development. Triceps make up two-thirds of arm size, making this exercise critical for arm growth. Cable pushdowns provide constant tension throughout the range of motion.
Proper Form
- ✓ Stand close to the cable stack, lean slightly forward
- ✓ Keep elbows pinned to your sides — only the forearms should move
- ✓ Push down and spread the rope at the bottom for peak contraction
- ✓ Control the return — do not let the weight pull your hands up fast
- ✓ Try different attachments: rope, straight bar, V-bar for variety
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Allowing elbows to drift forward (turns it into a pressing movement)
- ✗ Using the whole body to push the weight down
- ✗ Not achieving full extension at the bottom
- ✗ Standing too far from the machine, changing the force angle
Injury Modifications
- ○ Elbow tendinitis: Use a rope attachment and lighter weight — the rope allows natural wrist rotation that reduces elbow stress
- ○ Shoulder pain: Keep elbows slightly in front of the body rather than pinned to your sides
- ○ Wrist issues: Use a straight bar with an overhand grip instead of underhand
The workhorse of lower body training, especially after hip replacements and spinal issues. With 13 damaged discs and bilateral hip replacements, the leg press is now the primary lower body builder — it loads the legs heavily without compressing the spine the way squats and deadlifts do. Foot position changes the emphasis: higher targets glutes/hamstrings, lower targets quads.
Proper Form
- ✓ Place feet shoulder-width apart on the platform
- ✓ Lower the sled until knees reach 90 degrees (or as flexibility allows)
- ✓ Press through the full foot — not just the toes
- ✓ Do NOT lock knees at the top — maintain a slight bend
- ✓ Keep your lower back pressed firmly against the pad at all times
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Loading too much weight with minimal range of motion
- ✗ Locking out knees aggressively at the top (dangerous for knee joints)
- ✗ Letting the lower back round off the pad at the bottom
- ✗ Feet too close together or too far apart for the lifter's hip anatomy
Injury Modifications
- ○ Hip replacement: Start with bodyweight-equivalent loads and gradually increase — the leg press was the first lower body exercise post-surgery
- ○ Knee pain: Place feet higher on the platform to reduce knee flexion angle and shift load to glutes
- ○ Spinal disc issues: This IS the recommended squat replacement — no spinal compression with proper back-pad contact
A quad-dominant machine movement that became a staple post-hip replacement. The fixed path reduces balance demands while allowing heavy loading without the spinal compression of free-weight squats. Current training includes 360-pound hack squats — proof that bilateral hip replacements and 13 damaged spinal discs do not end serious lower body training when machine-based movements are selected intelligently.
Proper Form
- ✓ Position shoulders under the pads, back flat against the backrest
- ✓ Feet shoulder-width, slightly forward on the platform
- ✓ Lower until thighs reach at least parallel — depth builds quads
- ✓ Drive through midfoot, not toes
- ✓ Maintain constant speed — no bouncing at the bottom
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Not going deep enough — partial reps build partial muscles
- ✗ Heels lifting off the platform
- ✗ Knees caving inward on the ascent
- ✗ Using too narrow a stance, limiting depth
Injury Modifications
- ○ Knee pain: Limit depth to just above parallel and use a wider stance to reduce patella stress
- ○ Hip replacement: Start light and monitor for any clicking or catching — the fixed path is joint-friendly but listen to your body
- ○ Lower back: Ensure your back stays pinned to the pad throughout — if it lifts off, reduce depth or weight