But there are other benefits to biceps training beyond adding slabs of meat under your sleeves — improved strength, shoulder stability, and joint health. (1) Heck, you could even use it to shed some fat and preserve lean muscle while cutting calories.

People usually envision biceps training either as an afterthought after training a larger body part like their back or check, or they approach it as part of a pure arms-only gym session consisting primarily of single-joint (isolation) exercises.

But if you’re smart and creative, or if you’re in a situation with next to no equipment, you can bypass the weights and provide your body with a refreshing and effective workout yielding loads of benefits. Whether you don’t go to a gym, are traveling abroad, or want to spice things up, try one of these weight-free workouts to get your biceps training to the next level.

Best Biceps Workouts

• Bodyweight-Only Biceps Workout 
• Resistance Band Biceps Workout

Best Bodyweight-Only Biceps Workout

Training without weights is getting back to the roots of training — being able to master your own body. If you’re tired of lifting iron and want to get back in touch with your primal self, try this routine. It would be a shame to reduce yourself to exclusively single-joint (isolation) exercises, because the biceps are involved in a lot of movements other than simple arm flexion.

This workout uses a combination of multi-joint exercises tweaked to focus more on the biceps, as well as isolation movements. This will cover all of this muscle’s functions while providing the best stimulus for strength, muscle growth, and fat loss for your body. Indeed, multi-joint exercises are generally better for strength adaptations and calories spent, while single-joint work is great to improve the mind-muscle connection or to bring up a specific weak point.

The No-Weight Workout

Perform this workout once per week for optimal results, after a warm-up. Since you can’t increase the weight to progress, you’ll have to use other methods. When you can comfortably perform the desired numbers of repetitions per set, increase it to the upper bracket of the upper range. For instance, if an exercise calls for 12 to 15 reps, once you can do all your sets of 12, try to bump them up to 15. Then, you can try to add another set. Finally, you can also reduce rest periods progressively.

Commando Chin-Up

Position yourself under a pull-up bar and grab it with your thumbs facing you and you hands touching each other. Hang dead from the bar and brace your core to stabilize yourself. Pull your shoulder blades down to initiate the movement and bend your elbows to elevate yourself towards the barbell, and aim your head toward the left side of the bar.

Aim to touch the bar with your right shoulder. Lower yourself down with control back to the starting position and repeat, this time with your head toward the right side of the bar and aiming to touch it with your left shoulder. Repeat for the desired amount of reps. The next set, switch hands so that the one that was the closest to you on the pull-up bar is now the farthest.

• Sets and Reps: 4 x 4-8
• Rest time: Three minutes between sets.

Headbanger Chin-Up

Position yourself under a pull-up bar and grab it using a nearly shoulder-width supinated grip (palms facing towards you). Brace your core, pack your shoulder blades together and down, and pull yourself up until your arms are approximately at a 90-degree angle.

Hold that position and start moving your body towards and away from the bar by extending and flexing the arms. No other body part should move and it should look like you were trying to headbutt the bar — don’t do it, though. Repeat this movement for the target amount of time. Because this can be a challenging exercise, begin with a shorter range of motion (extending your arms only partially) and gradually work toward full extension.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 30-60 seconds
• Rest time: Two minutes between sets.

Towel Curl

Grab a sturdy towel with both hands and twist it until it forms a noodle or spiral. Sit on a chair or a bench, with your back flat and your chest high. Place the center of the towel under one foot and hold an end in each hand.

Pin your elbows to your side and start flexing your arms towards your face against resistance applied by your foot. When you’re at the top and your hands are near your shoulders, reverse the motion and slowly extend your arms, still providing tension through your foot.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: 90 seconds between sets.

Lateral Plank Walk

Get in a plank position with hands on the floor, both arms extended, and your legs straight. Brace your core, pack your shoulders, and keep your body in a straight line. Take one step to the side with your right arm and right foot. Follow in the same direction with your left hand and foot.

Repeat for a few steps in the same direction, then reverse to the move in the opposite direction. Continue for the desired duration.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 60 seconds
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Inverted Row

Position yourself under a doorway pull-up bar set low, a dip bar, under a table, or a sturdy broom positioned between a pair of chairs. Grab the bar using a shoulder-width, pronated grip (palms facing away from you). Brace your core and flex your legs so your body forms a straight line.

Bend your elbows and pull your chest towards the bar, aiming to touch it the bar with your chest. Lower yourself with control until your arms are extended and repeat for as many reps as you can. Try to beat your score each session.

• Sets and Reps: 2 x maximum reps until muscular failure.
• Rest time: Two minutes.

Best Resistance Band Biceps Workout

Bands are a very interesting lifting tool because they provide accommodating resistance — tension and force increases as the band is stretched farther. This type of resistance allows for a unique feeling and more training possibilities. It’s also an effective way to complement bodyweight training because bands allow for a wider exercise election and better focus on some muscles. Band training is also invaluable for joint and tendon health. (2)

With such a strong case in favor of resistance band training, it’s time to try this biceps workout to gain some strength, build muscle, and help to shed fat.

One-Band Biceps Workout

Perform this workout once per week for optimal results, after a warm-up. To progress, you can use a heavier band, or a combination of several smaller bands to provide enough resistance. You can also play with volume. For instance, if an exercise calls for 12 to 15 reps, when you can do all your sets of 12, try to bump it up to 15. Then, you can try to add another set. Finally, you can also reduce rest periods each week.

Band-Assisted Chin-Up

Loop a band around a pull-up bar. Hang from the bar using a supinated grip (palms facing you) with your hands close to shoulder-width. Place your feet on the band, keeping your legs straight. Brace your core, puff your chest, pull your shoulder blades down, and pull yourself towards the bar by bending your elbows until you touch the bar with your chest.

Lower yourself with control until your arms are straight. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. The band will make the exercise easier at the start of the movement, allowing you to perform more repetitions and slightly favor your arms in the movement.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Two minutes.

Single-Arm Band Hammer Curl

Stand tall and place one end of the band under your foot. Grab the other end with your working hand. Keep your elbows at your sides. Bend your elbow and flex your arm toward your face. Only your forearm should move, not your shoulder.

Contract for a second at the top, then lower with control to the starting position. Perform all repetitions on one side before switching hands. To increase the resistance, hold both ends of the band in one hand.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-15
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Band Concentration Curl

Attach a band to a sturdy object around ground-level. Sit on a chair near the band and grab the band with your closest arm, placing your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above your knee. Widen your stance to make room for your arm. Bend your elbow and flex your arm toward your face, squeezing for a second at the top.

Slowly extend your arm afterwards until it is straight again. Repeat for the desired amount of reps before switching arms. Make sure that no body part other than your forearms are moving during the exercise — don’t squeeze with your knee to assist your arm. To increase the difficulty, sit farther from the band’s attachment.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-12
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Band Reverse Curl

Step in the center of a band and grab the ends with both hands using a pronated (palms facing down), shoulder-width grip. Stand tall, brace your core, and pack your shoulder blades down. Bend your elbows by flexing your biceps to pull the band toward your face. Only move your forearms, don’t allow your elbows to move forward. Keep your palms facing down during the exercise.

Lower your hands with control until your arms are straight, and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. For a more intense exercise and a serious burn, you can immediately add several partial range repetitions, coming up only halfway to fully finish off your arms.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-20
• Rest time: 90 seconds between sets.

The Biceps Muscles

The biceps are probably the most known and most frequently flexed muscles. Developed biceps are mostly coveted for an aesthetic purpose, but they also cover an array of functions for health and performance.

Biceps Brachii

The biceps brachii is the biggest arm flexor, the ball of meat on your upper arm. Composed of two heads — hence its prefix, “bi” — the biceps is attached from the ulna (forearm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade) going through the shoulder complex.

It is mostly known as an arm flexor and supinator (rotating the palm towards your face), but also contributes to raising your arms and stabilizing your shoulder and humerus (upper arm bone). Having healthy and strong biceps is a prerequisite for having upper-body strength and health.

Brachialis

This muscle is a part of the upper arm complex, and is located directly under the biceps. It goes from the elbow to the upper humerus, and is only involved in elbow flexion (bending the arm). It’s actually the strongest arm flexor, not the biceps.

Developing this muscle will also help if you’re only interested in looks. Making it bigger can actually increase the “peak” of your biceps, by pushing it higher. When you’re lean enough, you can also see it for a truly impressive set of guns. To emphasize this muscle, assume a neutral (hammer) grip during curls.

Brachioradialis

The biceps’ other friend, the brachioradialis, is also attached from the ulna to the humerus. It’s the biggest and strongest forearm muscle. It works synergistically with the biceps and the brachialis, assisting in forearm flexion, supination, and pronation (rotating the palms away from you).

Having big and strong forearms is useful for many exercises, but can also serve as a visual illusion to compensate for shorter biceps by making them look bigger. You emphasize this muscle with a pronated (palm down) grip.

Biceps Warm-up

Warming up before a workout can improve your performance while minimizing connective tissue strain and risk of injuries. (3) It’s especially true before doing biceps, as the elbow is a notoriously sensitive joint, and some biceps exercises involve the shoulder complex — the most unstable joint in the entire body. 

A good biceps warm-up should at least mobilize your biceps and triceps, but if the exercises require other body parts, make sure to include them as well. Here’s a complete resistance band warm-up to prime your body before a biceps workout.

Biceps Band Warm-up

• Band Over-and-Back: Grab a band with both hands, using a very wide and pronated (palms down) grip. Stand tall, then hinge at the hips to slightly bend forward while keeping your back flat, and hold this position. While keeping your arms straight, raise the band over your head, then back down to your lower back. Return to the starting position by rotating your arms, still keeping them straight and under tension. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.

• Band Pull-Apart: Stand with a resistance band in your hands, palm downs. Raise your arms to shoulder level, in front of your chest. Pull the band with your hands, bringing them to your sides until it touches your chest. Keep your arms straight the whole time. Return to the starting position. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Band Row: Anchor the band to a sturdy item, just under chest-height. Stand tall with your chest high and grab it using a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Pull with your elbows and squeeze your back as hard as you can until your hands are at your sides. Revert the motion with control. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise. 
• Band Curl: Step into the band, hold it with your palms upwards, arms extended. While keeping your body braced, curl the band toward your face and squeeze your biceps. Extend your arms with control and perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Band Pressdown: Attach the band high, at least to eye-level. Hold the ends with a pronated grip. Slightly bend forward at your waist and glue your elbows to your ribs. Completely extend your arms down, only moving your forearms, and squeeze your triceps. Bring your hands back to your chest for a total of 15 repetitions, and perform the entire circuit one more time for a thorough warm-up.

Arm Yourself With Bigger Guns

No weights? No problems. You don’t need them to fill your sleeves. Performing these no-weight biceps workouts can increase your arm size, as well as your strength, and contribute to shedding some fat in the process. This body part might be eye-catching, but there’s more to biceps training than meets the eyes.

References

1. Rodosky MW, Harner CD, Fu FH. The role of the long head of the biceps muscle and superior glenoid labrum in anterior stability of the shoulder. Am J Sports Med. 1994 Jan-Feb;22(1):121-30. doi: 10.1177/036354659402200119. PMID: 8129095.
2. Kim GJ, Oh H, Lee S, Lee K, Kim K. Effects of resistance exercise using the elastic band on the pain and function of patients with degenerative knee arthritis. J Phys Ther Sci. 2020 Jan;32(1):52-54. doi: 10.1589/jpts.32.52. Epub 2020 Jan 22. PMID: 32082029; PMCID: PMC7008024.
3. Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM. Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):140-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0. PMID: 19996770.

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And the centerpiece of an aesthetic physique is the chest. Those looking to build muscle — known as bodybuilders — can and should try this efficient workout that delivers a robust training stimulus to all significant parts of the chest. This workout requires only a few dumbbells, a bench, a resistance band, and your body weight. Gather your gear and get ready for a superhuman chest pump.  

How to Train Your Chest Muscles

The visible slabs of chest muscle consist primarily of pectoralis major. This fan-shaped muscle covers several smaller muscles. Owing to its prominent location and size, the pectoralis major dominates the aesthetics of the upper torso. If you care to learn the functional anatomy underlying chest training, class is “in session” below. 

Chest Anatomy

Bodybuilders commonly divide the pectoralis major into two major parts: The clavicular head and the sternocostal head. 

The clavicular head is located just under the collar bones and comprises the “upper chest.” The sternocostal head originates from the breastbone and ribs, making up the midportion of pectoralis major. 

Although the division between these two heads is not visibly identifiable, they are distinct from developmental, neuromuscular, and functional perspectives. (1)(2)(3) 

The clavicular and sternocostal heads have different lines of action at the shoulder joint, contributing inequitably to various shoulder movements. (3) Therefore, various chest exercises train or bias different portions of the chest. 

As a general rule…

However, the upper chest is more engaged when force is directed inward and slightly upward (as in an incline barbell press, push-up, or low-to-high cable flye) (4)(5) The sternocostal head is biased when the force is directed inward and slightly downward (as in a decline press or high-to-low cable flye) or when the arm is externally rotated (as in the flat bench dumbbell flye exercise). (5)

The Workout

Altogether, a good chest workout, like the one below, hits both the clavicular and sternocostal heads of the pectoralis major. Other muscles trained during the chest workout are the triceps brachii, serratus anterior, and anterior deltoid. As a bonus, chest exercises can also hit various stabilizing muscles, such as the rotator cuff, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis minor, and trapezius. 

Incline Dumbbell Flye Press 

Incline presses primarily target the upper chest. (4)(5) So the incline dumbbell flye press is a smart variation on the traditional variation, as eccentric contractions (i.e. lengthening the muscle under load) are stronger than concentric, or “up phase,” contractions. (6) Training techniques that increase demand on the target musculature during the eccentric exploit this phenomenon. 

The  incline dumbbell flye press requires the lifter to perform the concentric as a “press” and the eccentric as a “flye” — This technique puts more demand on the chest when the muscle is stronger during lowering.

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to the incline position (i.e. 45 to 60 degrees). Perform your working sets with dumbbells lighter than you’d typically incline press, but slightly heavier than you’d normally use for a dumbbell flye. Keeping your forearms vertical, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling. At the top, ensure your palms face each other and unlock your elbows. Lower the weights by allowing your arms to drift apart. At the bottom of the movement, you should feel a stretch across your chest. Pull your elbows toward your ribcage to reset for the next repetition. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: Rest 90-120 seconds between sets

Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

• It stretches your muscles under a heavier load than you could typically use for flyes, creating more eccentric tension, a huge driver in muscle growth. (6) 
• This movement targets the upper chest, and building this portion of your chest contributes to a more complete-looking torso. 

Banded Dumbbell Bench Press with Bands

Adding a band to your dumbbell press adds more tension to the top of the lift, where lifters are typically stronger. Instead of getting to that phase of the press and “resting” the additional band resistance places your pecs under more stress, making each phase of the lift as difficult as possible. 

So, if you’re looking for an easy variable resistance setup or training with a limited dumbbell selection, try the dumbbell bench press with a band.  (7)

• How to Do it: Wrap a moderate-thickness resistance band around your back, holding an end in each hand. Ensure the band is below your shoulder blades. Pick up a pair of dumbbells while holding the bands. Lie on a flat bench. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and create a slight arch in your spine. Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until elbows are straight. Lower with control. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-10
• Rest Time: Rest 90-120 seconds between sets

Benefits of the Dumbbell Bench Press with Band

• Training with variable resistance may promote improved training effects, such as strength (8) and fatigue resistance (9) with lower perceptions of exertion. (10)
• This is a simple and self-contained variable resistance setup. Unlike traditional bench press with bands, this dumbbell version does not require a power rack with band anchors. 

Bench Dip 

Dips train the chest and triceps brachii from a position of shoulder extension. Dips performed with hands set wider than shoulder width promote adduction and bias the mid and lower pecs. (3) The bottom position of the bench dip applies a profound loaded stretch to pectoralis major, increasing mechanical tension. 

Since mechanical tension is thought to be a primary mechanism of muscle growth (11), the bench dip may prove to be among the most effective chest-building exercises. However, remember that this is a bodyweight exercise and may not be challenging for relatively strong lifters. To get the most out of the dip, perform enough repetitions to produce fatigue. (12) 

• How to Do it: Sit along the long edge of a flat bench with your legs extended. Place your hands wider than shoulder-width on the bench. Move your heels six to eight inches forward and support your body on your heels and hands. Lower your body toward the floor by allowing your elbows to bend and your upper arms to move backward and out. Return to the top position by straightening your elbows and drawing your arms toward your ribcage. 
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 12-16
• Rest Time: Rest 90-120 seconds between sets

Benefits of the Bench Dip 

• The chest experiences a “loaded stretch” at the bottom of the bench dip. This feature may promote accelerated muscle growth. (11)
• During bodyweight dips, pectoralis major activity has been shown to increase as fatigue builds, illustrating why you want to take this particular movement to failure. (12)
• The dip also trains pectoralis minor, a deep chest muscle, and the lower part of trapezius, a midback muscle. 

Push-Up Drop Set

A drop set is a resistance training technique consisting of a set taken to failure, followed by a “drop” or reduction in load, then immediately performing as many additional repetitions as possible. (13) To extend the technique, a lifter may perform multiple “drops,” but little to no rest should be taken between them. 

The push-up is a staple bodyweight exercise for building the chest and arms; however, for strong lifters, it may not be challenging enough for efficient programming. It’s not uncommon for lifters to hit multiple sets of 30, 40, or even 50-plus repetitions of push-ups per straight set. Fortunately, drop sets make training more efficient without sacrificing strength or hypertrophy outcomes. (13) Finish your chest workout strong with this push-up drop set.

• How to Do it: If you can perform 10 or more traditional push-ups consecutively, begin the push-up drop set with a resistance band wrapped around your back just below the shoulder blades. Otherwise, start with your body weight. Get into a push-up position. Lower to the floor, then push back to the top position. Perform the first banded set until failure, then immediately transition to a bodyweight push-up. Perform until failure, and then perform a push-up on your knees to failure.
• Sets and Reps: 1 set of three drop sets
• Rest Time: None.

Benefits of the Push-Up Drop Set

• Compared to straight sets, drop sets are expected to result in similar hypertrophy and strength adaptations while requiring less training time. (13)
• This drop set promotes a chest and triceps “pump,” which, for many lifters, is an undeniable sign of a quality workout.

How to Warm-Up for Your Chest Workout 

Although any warmup can set the stage for a better workout, the R.A.M.P. warmup protocol is among the most robust. Popularized by Coach Ian Jeffries, R.A.M.P. stands for “Raise, Activate, Mobilize, and Potentiate.” (14) A sample R.A.M.P. warmup for chest or upper body pushing workouts is provided.

• R: Raise your body temperature, metabolic rate, and breathing rate by performing five to eight minutes of an aerobic exercise of your choice — jogging, jumping rope, or performing jumping jacks are accessible options for at-home workouts. 

• A: Activate the muscles you’re about to train. In addition to the chest muscles, the posterior rotator cuff is highly active during pressing. (15) Various chest exercises also engage the latissimus dorsi and midback muscles.
  • Band External Rotation: Hold a light band in front of your stomach with palms up. Stretch the band by rotating your upper arms and forearms out. Perform a single set of 10 to 15 repetitions. 
  • Band Pull Apart: Hold a resistance band at shoulder height with your elbows straight and an overhand or neutral grip on the band. Stretch the band by pulling your arms apart. Perform a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions.
  • Overhead Band Pull Apart: to involve the chest and latissimus dorsi as shoulder adductors. Hold the band above your head and stretch it as you pull your arms toward your sides. Stop and return to the top position when the band touches your upper back. Perform a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions.

• M: Mobilize the wrists, shoulders, and midback.
  • Plank to Pike: Begin in a high plank position supported by palms and toes. Using your arms, push your hips back as far as you can without rounding your back or bending your knees. Return to the start position with control. Perform a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions. 
  • *Reverse Plank: Sit on the floor with your torso leaned slightly back, knees and hips bent, with heels on the floor. Place your hands on the floor beneath your shoulders. Bridge your hips toward the ceiling to mobilize your shoulders into extension. Lower to the floor. Perform a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions. 

• P: Fire up your neuromuscular system for peak performance.
  • Incline Plyo Push-Up: Assume the push up position with hands at shoulder width or slightly wider on the long edge of a flat bench. Lower your chest toward the bench then ballistically push up, launching your upper body away from the bench. Land on your palms, allowing your elbows to bend to absorb the impact. Perform two sets of three to five repetitions. 

No Need to Leave the Fortress of Solitude

In your quest to achieve a superhero physique, missed workouts are kryptonite. This efficient chest workout can be performed at home with limited equipment and can help you to maintain consistency. Better yet, advanced training techniques and functional anatomy principles will help you to build a chest worthy of a capital “S.” 

References

1. Al-Qattan, M. M., Yang, Y., & Kozin, S. H. (2009). Embryology of the upper limb. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 34(7), 1340-1350.
2. Haładaj, R., et al. (2019). Anatomical variations of the pectoralis major muscle: notes on their impact on pectoral nerve innervation patterns and discussion on their clinical relevance. BioMed Research International, doi.org/10.1155/2019/6212039.
3. Ackland, D. C., et al. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
4. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722.
5. Lee, H. M. (2019). Force direction and arm position affect contribution of clavicular and sternal parts of pectoralis major muscle during muscle strength testing. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(1), 71-79.
6. Walker, S., et al. (2016). Greater strength gains after training with accentuated eccentric than traditional isoinertial loads in already strength-trained men. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 149.
7. McMaster, D. T., Cronin, J., & McGuigan, M. (2009). Forms of variable resistance training. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 31(1), 50-64.
8. Joy, J. M., et al. (2016). Elastic bands as a component of periodized resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2100-2106.
9. Walker, S., et al. (2013). Variable resistance training promotes greater fatigue resistance but not hypertrophy versus constant resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(9), 2233-2244.
10. Baena-Morales, S., et al. (2022). Comparative analysis of a bench press using strength methods with and without intra-repetition variable resistance. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 22(3), 820-828.
11. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 136, 30-43
12. McKenzie, A., et al. (2022). Fatigue increases muscle activations but does not change maximal joint angles during the bar dip. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14390.
13. Coleman, M., et al. (2022). Muscular adaptations in drop set vs. traditional training: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 2(1).
14. Jeffreys, I. (2006). Warm up revisited–the ‘ramp’ method of optimising performance preparation. UKSCA Journal, 6, 15-19.
15. Wattanaprakornkul, D., et al. (2011). Direction-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscles during bench press and row. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 21(6), 1041-1049.

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In fact, it is a more efficient version for many sports athletes. Just like the classic flat bench press, the incline bench press allows you to increase your pressing power in a functional and athletic way. You’ll also add size to your chest, shoulders, and arms.

Does using an incline really make a difference? Yes. Here are all the reasons why.

• How to Do the Incline Bench Press
• Incline Bench Press Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Incline Bench Press
• Muscles Worked by the Incline Bench Press
• Who Should Do the Incline Bench Press
• How to Program the Incline Bench Press
• Incline Bench Press Variations
• Incline Bench Press Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is a fundamental exercise that can be beneficial to every lifter. As a multi-joint, free-weight exercise, proper technique is paramount in order to reap the many benefits while minimizing the risk of injury.

Step 1 — Set Up on the Bench

Lie on a bench set to an inclined angle. Most gyms are equipped with fixed incline bench press stations. You can also setup an adjustable bench in a rack, which can allow you to use different angles for diverse muscle recruitment.

Adjust the seat position so the bar is above your eyes. You should be able to reach the bar with nearly straight, not significantly bent, arms. “Pack” your shoulders by pulling them back and down, which should arch your chest slightly up. Put your feet flat on the ground and tense your legs for stability. Grab the barbell with a pronated (palm-down) grip, slightly wider than your shoulders, and squeeze the bar hard.

Form Tip: Your grip width will play a role in muscle recruitment. A wide grip (well-beyond shoulder width) will target the front shoulders and overall chest, whereas a more narrow grip (equal to shoulder-width) will hit the triceps and upper chest more significantly. (1) 

Step 2 — Unrack the Barbell

Maintain tension through your whole body. Without moving the bar, try to bend it like a horseshoe. This helps to engage your lats and increase upper-body stability. Push your feet into the ground, as if you’re trying to slide the bench backwards. Take a deep breath and hold it as you flex your core during the lift-off.

Straighten your arms to lift the bar off the support hooks. “Pull” the bar to line up above your shoulders with your arms fully extended.

Form Tip: Only your arms should move during the lift off. Keep your scapulae (shoulder blades) together and down to protect your shoulder joints. If the bar is set too low and you need to perform a long range of motion to unrack the bar, you’re more likely to lose a stable position.

Step 3 — Lower with Control

Lower the bar towards your upper chest or collarbones by bending your elbows. Maintain full body tension. Aim your elbows at an angle between your feet and shoulders. Keep your wrist upright, without tilting your hand forwards or backwards. Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows directly under the barbell.

Use a directly vertical bar path and lower the bar to touch the same spot on your chest with each repetition.

Form Tip: If you have stiff shoulders or upper body mobility issues, the full range of motion may be uncomfortable or even painful. If this is the case, work in a pain-free range of motion and stop a couple of inches before touching your chest. This should reduce stress on your rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizing muscles.

Step 4 — Drive the Weight Up Explosively

From the bottom position, press the bar up as explosively as you can without being reckless. Keep tension through your body. Exhale as you drive the bar with force. Push steadily through your feet until the rep is complete, because the leg drive will transfer to your upper-body stability and power.

The barbell should end up over your shoulders, where it began after being unracked. Your arms should be locked and perpendicular to the floor.

Form Tip: Do your best to hold your breath until the sticking point (hardest part) of the movement is completed. This is most often near the transition from lowering the weight to pressing it up. Releasing your breath too early might cause your chest to cave in, resulting in a loss of total-body tension.

Incline Bench Press Mistakes to Avoid

The incline bench press is a relatively less technical animal than its flat bench counterpart, but flawed form is still a common sight in many gyms. Here are the main mistakes to avoid in order to progress efficiently and safely.

Flaring Your Arms

The incline bench press can put a lot of strain on the shoulder joint and greatly stretch the chest. In order to diminish this risk, you have to ensure optimal form at all times.

Monitor your elbows. Do they flare out towards your shoulders when you press the weight up? If so, you’re putting a lot of stress on your joints. Moreover, this position is less optimal for force production and you won’t develop as much strength.

Avoid It: Keep your arms around a 45-degree angle to your body. The exact angle will depends on your individual anatomy and bone length. Be sure to imagine “bending the barbell in half” because it will engage your lats and help prevent the flaring.

Bringing the Bar Too Low on Your Chest

Unlike the flat barbell bench press, in which you lower the bar in a slight arc, the incline bench press is most effective when you keep the bar path straight and vertical. It means that the bar should stay over your upper chest at all times and never drift towards your stomach.

Using a lower bar path will not only be detrimental to force production, but it will also rotate the shoulders into a weak position, which increases the risk for injury and decreases muscle tension.

Avoid It: Keep a vertical bar path by always having the bar approach the same spot on your chest for each repetition. Your wrists should be positioned vertically over your elbows vertically.

Lifting Your Feet

Unfortunately, many pre-set incline bench stations have steps or pegs where you can put your feet. Don’t use them. Unless, of course, you have a specific lower back condition that prevents you from comfortably and securely placing your feet flat on the floor.

In order to press with power, you need a strong and stable base. Planting your feet on the ground and flexing your legs will produce more tension and stability throughout your entire body, which transfers into the lift.

Avoid It: Bring your feet almost under your hips and apply pressure into the floor for the duration of the lift. Push as hard as you can through your toes, as if you wanted to push the bench into the wall behind you. This leg drive will transfer stability to your upper-body, and ultimately the bar, allowing you to lift more weight.

Benefits of the Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press, being a slight variation of its flat counterpart, offers many of the same benefits. Both exercises load the upper body with relatively heavy weights while developing size and strength, but the incline brings its own set of results.

Whether it’s added to a later part of the workout or prioritized on its own, the incline press offers distinct advantages.

The Best Upper-Chest Builder

For a complete, aesthetic chest development, you need a well-developed upper chest. Any type of incline or overhead press will recruit the clavicular (upper) head more than the sternal (mid-chest) muscle, but nothing trumps this movement for specifically building upper chest size. If that body part is lagging, you should make the incline bench press your main pressing exercise.

The angle of the bench is hugely important. A steep angle will target more the anterior deltoid (front shoulder) as well as the clavicular portion of the chest muscle. For overall chest development, a moderate incline of 15-30 degrees has been shown to be highly effective. (2)

Improved Athletic Performance

In many cases, the flat bench press isn’t the best bet for athletes because you rarely, if ever, press in a directly horizontal motion during sports events. Take rugby or American football, for instance. Your arms have to press at an angle relative to your torso if you want maximum efficiency and power. Athletes can use the incline bench to improve their on-field performance, as well as diversify their pressing strength and address muscle weaknesses.

Increased Upper Body Size and Strength

The incline bench press is one of the best investments you can make to pack on muscle and strength. Because you recruit the chest, shoulders, and triceps, you can use heavier weights than many upper body pressing exercises. This delivers a superior stimulus and you’ll progress more quickly and become stronger than with many other pressing exercises.

Muscles Worked By the Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is not a single-joint isolation movement, so it will work all the pressing muscles of the upper body. As such, it is one of the best ways to develop these essential muscles for both beginners and experienced lifters. 

The incline bench press is sometimes seen as a “hybrid” between chest exercises and shoulder exercises because the incline angle alters muscle recruitment in the pressing muscles. This can be used to your advantage when programming the exercise for your specific goals.

Pectoralis Major

The pecs are the main and the largest chest muscles. Their function is internally rotate the humerus (the upper arm bone) as well as adduct it (bringing it closer to the body). This last function is mainly responsible for the incline bench press motion. The pectoralis has two main heads, the sternal (mid and lower chest) and the clavicular (upper chest). The incline bench press develops the chest as a whole, but will put more emphasis on the clavicular head than the flat version.

Deltoids

The deltoids are the shoulder muscles, composed of three heads: the anterior head (front of the shoulders), the lateral head (middle of the shoulder), and posterior head (rear of the shoulders). Their function is to raise and rotate the arms in their corresponding directions. Because the arms are in front of the shoulders during the movement, the anterior deltoid will be hit the most. As the pressing angle gets more steep and approached upright, your mid and rear delts will contribute more to the movement. (3)

Triceps Brachii

This is the muscle sitting on the back of your upper arm, responsible for extending and straightening it from a bent position. The triceps are essential to every pressing movement and will contribute greatly to the lockout portion of the incline bench press. They are more heavily activated if you use a closer grip width and/or a steeper angle.

Back

The lats and upper back muscles are involved in supporting the incline bench press, even though they really aren’t prime movers in this movement. They do contribute to its execution. The latissimus dorsi (lats), the largest back muscle, mainly serve as a shoulder joint stabilizer and will prevent your elbows from flaring.

The upper back muscles — the trapezius, rear deltoids, and rhomboids — support shoulder and scapular (shoulder blade) stability, allowing for proper force transfer. They are taxed more significantly during high-angle incline pressing.

Who Should Do the Incline Bench Press

This exercise is a staple for upper body pressing strength and size. It will serve experienced and beginners alike because it is as efficient and effective as the flat bench press. (4) Everyone from general athletes to strongmen and strongwomen and everyone in between can benefit from putting more emphasis on the incline than flat.

Strength Athletes

Strongmen, strongwomen, and Olympic weightlifters will benefit the most from incline benching. They need tremendous shoulder strength. Because the flat version is never seen in their competitions, the incline press is an ideal complement to direct overhead pressing. Powerlifters and CrossFit athletes can also benefit from using the incline bench press to improve weaknesses, such as the mid-range of the bench press for powerlifters or carryover to overall pressing strength for CrossFitters.

This lift will greatly build overhead stability and force production, so any athlete or lifter that wants to move heavy weights overhead should consider it.

Athletes in Contact Sports or Track and Field

Strong shoulders are a staple for these athletes and the inclined angle is more sport-specific to their activities. Whether it’s throwing punches, throwing a discuss, or throwing a ball, the incline bench press a superior and more relevant alternative to build transferable pressing strength because their sports rarely involve direct overhead or direct horizontal pressing. It’s also a good way to add variety to training, prevent overuse injuries, and shape a complete athlete.

Regular Gymgoers

Most lifters learn to prioritize the bench press, but adding a little variety certainly won’t hurt the non-competitive gymgoer and it will provide a fresh training stimulus. It’s as effective for building size and strength, and it’s typically believed that having well-developed shoulders (from the added incline training) will shape your frame in a more aesthetic way. The incline bench press will prove a fantastic variation to anybody who wants a bigger, broader, physique.

How To Program the Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is a formidable choice to improve strength and size because a variety of training schemes can be used. Low reps with heavy weight or relatively lighter weight with high volume — you decide depending on your objectives. In any case, you should perform the incline bench press when fresh in a session, as the first or second exercise of the workout, to apply the most focus and effort.

Heavy Weight, Low Repetitions

If you want to build maximum strength, this is the way to go — three to six sets of three to five repetitions. If you’re experienced, you could even use heavier weight for two or one repetitions. Keep one or two reps in the tank to ensure proper form at all times because technique is crucial in developing strength. (5) In the same spirit, use long rest periods of three to five minutes so that you can repeat the same effort and your form doesn’t degrade.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition

If you want to build size, three to four sets of six to 12 repetitions is your best bet. You should still keep perfect form at all times, but approach, or even achieve, muscular failure on each set. Rest periods should be two to three minutes long if you want maximal results. (6) Use the lower end of the rep range with a longer rest the majority of the time. But consider shortening the rest to 60 to 90 seconds with higher reps if you want to enjoy a nasty pump.

Moderate Weight, Low Repetitions

This approach should interest athletes. Roughly six to eight sets of two to five repetitions is excellent for building explosive strength and power. This is the least efficient scheme for building muscle, but it will improve your speed, power, and technique. Use a moderate weight that you can accelerate and press it as fast as you can. You should never feel fatigued or approach muscular fatigue, so keep your rest periods between one to two minutes to keep your nervous system fresh. Resist the urge to rest less.

Incline Bench Press Variations

You want to add incline pressing to your training regimen, but the barbell hurts your shoulders? You don’t feel your chest working? You crave new exercises? Don’t worry, you’re covered with these variations that can add variety while still developing incline strength and building chest, shoulder, and arm size. 

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

If you have upper back or shoulder mobility issues, the barbell incline bench press can sometimes force your shoulders into a compromised position. This can strain your joints and and potentially cause injuries if you suffer from shoulder impingement or a poor subacromial space (the area between where your humerus connects to the shoulder joint). If barbell pressing is painful, try the dumbbell version.

You won’t use as much total weight, but the freedom and range of motion allowed by the dumbbells ensures less stress on the shoulder joints. It can actually be an even more efficient way to target your chest muscles. (7) Plus, as a unilateral exercise (making each side of the body work on its own), it is a great way to address muscle imbalances.

Decline Push-Up

Let’s go back to the bodyweight basics. This push-up variation can be done anywhere, at any time, and does not need equipment other than something to prop your feet onto. It’s essentially a traditional push-up with your feet elevated, on a bench for example, to mimic the incline angle. Keep your body in a straight line. Support yourself on your hands and toes, and do not let your elbows flare out.

This is a harder variation of the standard push-up. As an unweighted bodyweight exercise, it will be best used for higher reps with shorter rest periods. It’s the same principle as with the bench: the higher your feet, the more challenging the exercise will be and the more you’ll recruit the shoulders.

Incline Pin Press 

The low end of the range of the incline bench press can be an issue for some lifters, since it’s the position where the muscles and joints are under the greatest stretch. If it’s painful or problematic, why not avoid it? Set pins in a rack so that the barbell is just a couple of inches over your chest to limit the range of motion. Lower the bar to gently contact the pins on each rep to ensure the same range of motion on every rep.

As a bonus, let the bar rest in a dead-stop for one to two seconds before pressing each rep back up. This will elicit tremendous muscle activation and help develop both tightness in the lift and explosive power.

Incline Bench Press Alternatives

If you train in a home gym without an adjustable bench, or if they are all taken because it’s Monday evening and everyone in the world is training their chest, don’t panic. Here are some alternatives to work the same muscle groups and provide almost-similar benefits. 

Bench Press

As expected. The bench press being (arguably) the king of upper body pressing exercises, it is a natural choice if you cannot perform the incline bench press. It offers many of the same benefits, though it works the middle part of the chest more and the shoulders less.

This is the pressing movement with which you’ll most likely use the most weight, so it is a fantastic overloading movement to increase strength and size, and can be a staple in many performance programs.

Floor Press

The original “bench press”, originally performed before flat benches were in gyms, is a very good substitution for the incline. It’s very simple: you lie on the floor and press from there, either taking the weight from pair of low-set safety pins or carefully hip thrusting the weight into the lockout position to begin. Lower the bar slowly so you don’t smash your elbows into the floor, pause for a second, and drive up hard to lockout.

Because it uses a partial range of motion compared to lying on a bench, it will emphasize your triceps and lockout strength while avoiding stress on your shoulders. As such, it is a great variation for experienced lifters who’ve developed poor shoulder joints over the years. It also has the particularity of not using the legs — just like on the incline, you cannot cheat.

Seated Shoulder Press

Do you want cannonball delts? Done. Take the incline to the extreme — completely vertical. This variation hits the shoulders way more as a whole, but still works the clavicular portion of the pectoralis. If you want a bit more chest activation, use a slightly-less-than-vertical angle, anywhere from 60-degrees to 85-degrees will do the job.

It is not a bad idea to rotate more shoulder-focused exercises in your routine because this muscle group is usually a weak link both in aesthetics and performance.

Smith-Machine Incline Bench Press

The Smith Machine is an often overlooked piece of equipment which can provide great muscle-building benefits. This is a nearly identical variation as the barbell incline bench press, but the Smith is more geared towards hypertrophy instead of strength because it cannot safely accommodate very heavy loads.

The Smith machine requires much less stability and can push yourself closer to muscular failure than with the barbell. Because you don’t have to recruit as many stabilizing muscles, it can be a good choice for beginners learning the movement pattern and basic technique.

FAQs

Can I do the incline bench press as my main chest exercise?

Indeed you can. It has been shown to be as efficient as the flat bench press for beginners. Many experienced lifters use the incline press as their go-to chest movement, including six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, who swears by it.

Unless you’re a powerlifter, who must prioritize the flat bench press for competition, you don’t “have to” do the flat bench press to build an impressive physique with strength to match.

What should I do if I feel pain in my shoulders in the incline bench press?

Any time you feel pain, you have to address the cause of the issue before anything else. If it’s not a diagnosed medical condition involving joint pain, switch to a different exercise at least for a while.

Most of the time, feeling pain during a specific exercise is either due to poor technique or overuse issues. So, work on your form (hire a qualified coach if needed) and decrease the training volume (number of sets) on this exercise until you figure it out or until it clears up.

Another culprit could be an anterior to posterior imbalance, meaning that your back and rotator cuff muscles are too weak compared to your chest and front shoulders. Adjusting your training program to include more pulling exercises, especially for the upper back, should help to address the imbalance.

Can I use both the flat and incline bench press in my routine?

Sure. But since they are quite similar, you have to be smart about programming because you don’t want any redundancy. It would be more effective to either use them in separate sessions (if you train your chest or shoulders twice a week) or use different rep schemes when performing both exercises in the same workout.

For instance, you could start the session with the flat bench press using heavy weight and low-rep sets and move on to the incline bench press with moderate weight, higher-rep sets. This diverse approach could also be done if you split the exercises between two sessions, as well, having one day focused on heavy weights and the second workout several days later using relatively lighter weights.

You’d Be Inclined to Get Results

The incline bench press is a fantastic addition to any lifter’s repertoire, and is one of the best upper-body size and strength builders. Use it to improve performance, get a broader chest, cap your shoulders, diversify your training, or work on your weaknesses. That’s a lot of bang for the buck, considering all it takes is tilting the bench and pressing away.

References

1. Barnett, Chris1; Kippers, Vaughan2; Turner, Peter1 Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: November 1995 – Volume 9 – Issue 4 – p 222-227
2. Rodríguez-Ridao D, Antequera-Vique JA, Martín-Fuentes I, Muyor JM. Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Oct 8;17(19):7339. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197339. PMID: 33049982; PMCID: PMC7579505.
3. Campos YAC, Vianna JM, Guimarães MP, Oliveira JLD, Hernández-Mosqueira C, da Silva SF, Marchetti PH. Different Shoulder Exercises Affect the Activation of Deltoid Portions in Resistance-Trained Individuals. J Hum Kinet. 2020 Oct 31;75:5-14. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2020-0033. PMID: 33312291; PMCID: PMC7706677.
4. Chaves SFN, Rocha-JÚnior VA, EncarnaÇÃo IGA, Martins-Costa HC, Freitas EDS, Coelho DB, Franco FSC, Loenneke JP, Bottaro M, Ferreira-JÚnior JB. Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020 Aug 1;13(6):859-872. PMID: 32922646; PMCID: PMC7449336.
5. Wilson, Gregory J., Bruce C. Elliott and Graham K. Kerr. “Bar Path and Force Profile Characteristics for Maximal and Submaximal Loads in the Bench Press.” International journal of sport biomechanics 5 (1989): 390-402.
6. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, Hester GM, Sellers J, Nooner JL, Schnaiter JA, Bond-Williams KE, Carter AS, Ross CL, Just BL, Henselmans M, Krieger JW. Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Jul;30(7):1805-12. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001272. PMID: 26605807.
7. Farias, Déborah & Willardson, Jeffrey & Paz, Gabriel & Bezerra, Ewertton & Miranda, Humberto. (2016). Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 31. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001651.

Featured Image: ARENA Creative / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Incline Bench Press for Upper-Body Size and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Enter: Deload weeks.

By incorporating an intentional week of easier training into your routine, you can avoid overtraining, allow for more optimal recovery, and push your progress further than if you keep grinding away. It’s a strategy used by some of the best strength athletes on the planet. Here’s what you need to know. 

Deload to Reload

• Deloads Explained
• How Deloads Work
• Who Should Deload
• When to Deload
• Will I Lose my Gains?
• Types of Deloads 
• Sample Deload Programs

What is a Deload?

A deload is a temporary and intentional reduction of training stress to promote recovery. While illness, injury, and other unexpected events may force a lifter to dial back training or take time off from the gym, many healthy lifters can benefit from a deliberate deload.

Progressive overload is the key feature of effective training for size, strength, and athleticism. Without progressive overload, gains may slow or stall over time. (1)(2) This is called a “plateau.” Deloading can help lifters push past these plateaus for continued progress. Think about taking one step back to take two forward.

Incorporating deloads reduces the risk of inefficient training by allowing a short period of recovery, which can be followed by hard training with renewed vigor. Intermittent deloads might help you avoid injury and overtraining. In a culture that glorifies the “hardest workers in the room,” hustle porn, and #grinding, it is not trendy to talk about balanced training. However, if you are willing to exchange a temporary feeling of effort for renewed progress, deloads are for you.

How Deloads Work

To understand the mechanism of a deload, strength and conditioning professionals lean on two guiding paradigms: Bannister’s Fitness-Fatigue Model and Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome. 

Fitness-Fatigue Model

The Fitness-Fatigue Model describes competing aftereffects of training. Fitness encompasses the positive outcomes of training, including but not limited to increased muscle size, muscle protein adaptations, and enzyme concentrations. (2) Fatigue represents the neuromuscular effects that hurt our ability to perform.

The time frames of these aftereffects are not identical; fatigue tends to be relatively short-lived and fitness more persistent. (2) The difference between fitness and fatigue can be conceptualized as preparedness — your ability to handle another training stressor. Preparedness fluctuates throughout our training routines, typically peaking after periods of recovery and reaching its lowest point following repeated, strenuous workouts.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The General Adaptation Syndrome describes three stages of response to a stressor such as training: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Immediately after a training session, the alarm stage occurs, which is characterized by reduced performance. In the resistance stage, performance returns to baseline or slightly higher, a phenomenon known as super-compensation. (2) The exhaustion stage occurs if training stress is too frequent, too long, or too intense, and results in impaired recovery, blunted fitness adaptations, and poor performance.

Putting It Together

The Fitness-Fatigue Model and the General Adaptation Syndrome help us to understand that load, volume, and frequency are essential training considerations. Rather than suffer more science, let’s use an analogy to explore how these paradigms relate to deloads.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was cursed by Zeus to roll a stone up a mountain for eternity. In this analogy, you’re Sisyphus, damned to toil in the underworld (“gym”). Think of the stone as your training status — the higher up the mountain the stone is, the better your fitness. Your task is to map a sustainable path up the mountain.

In our analogy, picking your route up the mountain is like programming workouts. If you stay on a path that is too steep for too long — if you hit challenging workouts day-after-day and week-after-week — fatigue will accumulate and the stone will back-slide down the mountain.

Here’s the good news — you can chart a path of switchbacks and detours to promote recovery. These gentle paths and valleys are deload periods, and they allow the stone to generate momentum. This momentum is your preparedness to train. With the stone rolling faster, you’re better able to push for the next summit successfully.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Deload

Owing to the super-compensation effect, a lifter should come off a well-executed deload ready to perform and look their best. Therefore, any lifter with deadline-based performance or aesthetic goals may wish to deload immediately beforehand to enjoy the fruits of their training. Suppose you don’t have a high-priority competition, photoshoot, or other event on the horizon. In that case, the decision of whether to deload comes down to training status and your current responses to training. 

Beginners — Yay or Nay?

Anecdotally, beginner lifters with less than six to 12 months of consistent training do not typically need to deload. They have not built the strength and coordination required to tax their neuromuscular systems profoundly. If you are a new lifter, enjoy the honeymoon period of robust gains by simply tracking your lifts to ensure you’re achieving progressive overload.

Practically, a beginner’s progression may look like a five to 10 percent increase in weekly volume-load (sets x reps x weight) with gradual increases in weight for your primary exercises. Plan to deload as this period of robust progress slows — typically, six to 12 months in. Recognize that if you choose to deload as a beginner, you may appear to “lose” some size. However, this is primarily due to clearance of muscle swelling, which typically persists at least three days following hard training. (3)

Advanced Trainees

Intermediate and advanced lifters not currently following a well-designed training program will benefit most from a deload.

A well-designed program incorporates periods of reduced training stress, like intermittent reductions in load (weight), volume (sets x reps), and proximity to failure (repetitions in reserve, number of sets taken to failure or past failure).

These reductions may occur between training blocks or within training blocks. Even for lifters using a well-designed training program, a deload might still be helpful in certain circumstances, such as before a high-priority event or competition.

When to Deload

A typical deload lasts approximately one week. Leading up to a high-priority event, the lifter should deload the week prior. In the absence of a major event, programming deloads is more nuanced. Some coaches insist on planned deloads, which occur regularly (e.g., every four to 12 weeks). Others prefer reactive deloads, which describes the judicious use of deloads on an as-needed basis.

Life and training are not always predictable. Therefore, the reactive approach can help ensure deloads are programmed when recovery status is poor and it can allow hard training to continue when recovery status is strong. A variety of metrics can serve as indicators of recovery status. Technology-based methods of monitoring recovery status can be great but may require sophisticated equipment, tedious monitoring, and knowledge of exercise physiology for interpretation. Instead, you can keep track of essential training performance (sets, reps, weight) and subjective indicators, such as motivation to train, sleep quality, and fatigue.

A simple method for determining when to program a reactive deload is “one to five”. Take a one-week deload after noting one or more of the following: 

• Two consecutive training sessions of reduced performance (e.g., unintentional drop in session volume-load).
• Three consecutive training sessions with poor motivation to train.
• Four consecutive nights of poor sleep quality or consecutive days of increased generalized fatigue.
• Five consecutive workouts with no ability to progress (e.g., stagnation of session volume-load).

Now that you know when it’s time to deload, let’s alleviate a common fear related to the process. 

Will Deloads Ruin My Gains?

No.

Based on our understanding of the Fitness-Fatigue Model and General Adaptation Syndrome, periodic deloads ensure meaningful progress. However, many lifters still worry about losing size and strength from a deload.

You won’t lose your gains. The typical deload lasts approximately one week. Research suggests it takes much longer to de-train.

Following eight days of abstinence from training, intermediate and advanced lifers do not lose muscle size. (4) In fact, trained lifters who take time off do not lose significant muscle size for at least three weeks and may experience an accelerated period of growth upon their return. (5) Strength may slip away slightly faster than size, with reductions reported after two to four weeks away from training. (6)(7) Remember that a deload does not necessarily mean time off. 

Types of Deloads

Deloads can be structured in many ways. At the core of each protocol is a reduction in volume, load, and/or the proximity sets are taken to failure. Select a deload protocol based on your goals and preferences.

Traditional Deload 

Best for: Planned or reactive deloads for the “set it and forget it”-type of trainee.

What it is: The Traditional Deload is straightforward. It reduces volume aggressively and decreases load modestly to leave you feeling fresh. It is appropriate for many lifters with goals ranging from strength to hypertrophy.

How to Do it: Cut the number of sets you typically perform by 50%. Cut the load you lift for each exercise by 20%. 

Autoregulated Deload 

Best for: Planned or reactive deloads for lifters with strength-, size-, and athletic-oriented goals.

What it is: The Autoregulated Deload works particularly well for strength athletes because they can continue to lift heavy while ensuring coordination and technique are maintained throughout the deload. A prerequisite is a willingness and ability to gauge your level of effort by estimating repetitions to failure or repetitions in reserve (RIR).

This model uses RIR to more precisely determine how many repetitions you should perform in each set. By doing so, we individualize the number of repetitions performed per set. The final repetitions leading to failure in each set are the most physical and neurologically taxing; this method eliminates those repetitions while allowing progressively more repetition volume as your recovery status improves.

How to Do it: First, reduce the number of sets you planned to perform (or usually perform) by 50%. For any sets you’d perform with fewer than five repetitions, perform one single rep at the weight you’d typically perform four repetitions with (e.g., one rep at approx. 90% 1RM). For all other sets, forget about your repetition target.

You will perform each of your sets until the point you feel you have four RIR or four reps left in the tank. Advanced trainees have been shown to accurately predict when they have four RIR within ±1 repetition. (8) General population trainees typically estimate with similar accuracy. (9) So, don’t worry about your accuracy; you’re more accurate at estimating repetitions to failure than you think. 

Physique Deload 

Best for: Planned deloads for aesthetics; planned or reactive deloads for those with hypertrophy goals; reactive deloads for lifters with sore joints.

What it is: The Physique Deload is modeled after peak week practices of bodybuilders. (10)(11) High-volume, moderate-load lifting is maintained at the beginning of the week to deplete stored energy in muscle called glycogen. Then, training is drastically cut to allow for super-compensation and maximization of glycogen content. Since muscle glycogen carries plenty of water, the result is bigger and fuller muscles. The final four days of the week are taken “off”. Rest assured, the volume load you completed early in the week will carry you through the deload.

How to Do it: For the first three days of the deload, training should be maintained or shifted to moderate weight (e.g., 65-80% of your one-rep max) and moderate-to-high repetition volume to ensure sets approach failure (e.g., eight to 14-plus repetitions). Don’t lift the final four days of the deload. During this time, you can perform light cardio and stretch.

Progressive Taper Deload

Best for: Planned deload for event performance. Dedicated lifters should enjoy friendly competition.

What it is: This deload will ensure your resistance training will not interfere with your ability to dominate your local 5k, obstacle course relay, or stand-up paddleboard race. This taper is shorter and less complicated than a typical pre-meet powerlifting taper, but it incorporates the same principles — maintain a high intensity and aggressively cut volume. (12) It is also applicable for athletes preparing for strength events or leading up to a one-repetition maximum (1RM) or multiple max rep attempts.

How to Do it: Maintain planned or typical load. Reduce set volume in a step-wise fashion. On days one through three, cut sets by 50%. On days four through six, cut sets by 75%, and rest on day seven.

Deload Examples

To be effective, the deload program must be individualized to your current training status and program design. This section uses general, isolated workout examples to illustrate how to use the deloads discussed above. Per the descriptions above, planned or usual programming modifications should be conducted throughout the week. 

Note: Any exercise marked with the same letter is to be performed as a superset, meaning the movements are done back-to-back with no rest between movements. 

Traditional Deload Example

*Reduce the number of sets by ≈50% **Reduce load by ≈20%

Autoregulatory Deload Example

*Reduce the number of sets by ≈50%

**Sets are performed until 4 Repetitions in Reserve (RIR)

***Load is maintained for the Autoregulatory Deload

Physique Deload Example

*Maintain set volume. Shift repetition volume to moderate or moderate-high (8-14+ reps)

**Shift load according to set volume to facilitate sets approaching failure. Notes: Some exercises from Planned or Usual may not require modification if already within range. No lifting the final four days of the Physique Deload week.

Progressive Taper Deload 

*Reduce set volume by 50% for the first three days. Reduce by 75% for days four to six. Rest Day 7.

**Planned or usual load is maintained for the Progressive Taper Deload.

Wrapping Up

As training and life stressors accumulate, fatigue begins to overshadow fitness. The solution is a deload —a light week of training that promotes recovery. Deloads are not fun, sexy, or impressive. We deload for the super-compensation effect and increased preparedness to train. If you’ve deloaded for an event, enjoy the opportunity to express your fitness or savor the feeling of achieving your best physique.

If you’ve completed a deload to prepare for the next training cycle, be sure to re-test your strength. Use this information to re-calibrate your training loads and percentages going forward. Just as Sisyphus tirelessly pushes his stone, the smart lifter must constantly seek ways to optimize training. Fortunately, the path to effective training is simple: deload, reload, overload, and repeat.

References

1. Lambrianides, Y., Epro, G., Smith, K., et al. (2022). Impact of Different Mechanical and Metabolic Stimuli on the Temporal Dynamics of Muscle Strength Adaptation. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, e-pub ahead of print. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004300.
2. Chiu, L. Z., Barnes, J. L. (2003). The fitness-fatigue model revisited: Implications for planning short-and long-term training. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 25(6), 42-51.
3. Damas, F., Phillips, S. M., Lixandrão, M. E., et al. (2016). Early resistance training-induced increases in muscle cross-sectional area are concomitant with edema-induced muscle swelling. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(1), 49-56.
4. Haun, C. T., Vann, C. G., Osburn, S. C., et al. (2019). Muscle fiber hypertrophy in response to 6 weeks of high-volume resistance training in trained young men is largely attributed to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. PLoS One, 14(6), e0215267.
5. Fisher, J., Steele, J., & Smith, D. (2013). Evidence-based resistance training recommendations for muscular hypertrophy. Medicina Sportiva, 17(4), 217-234.
6. Joo, C. H. (2018). The effects of short term detraining and retraining on physical fitness in elite soccer players. PloS One, 13(5), e0196212.
7. Sousa, A. C., Marinho, D. A., Gil, M. H., et al. (2018). Concurrent training followed by detraining: does the resistance training intensity matter?. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(3), 632-642.
8. Odgers, J. B., Zourdos, M. C., Helms, E. R., et al. (2021). Rating of perceived exertion and velocity relationships among trained males and females in the front squat and hexagonal bar deadlift. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35, S23-S30.
9. Hackett, D. A., Cobley, S. P., Davies, T. B., et al. (2017). Accuracy in estimating repetitions to failure during resistance exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(8), 2162-2168.
10. Escalante, G., Stevenson, S. W., Barakat, C., et al. (2021). Peak week recommendations for bodybuilders: An evidence-based approach. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 13(1), 1-24.
11. Alves, R. C., Prestes, J., Enes, A., et al. (2020). Training programs designed for muscle hypertrophy in bodybuilders: a narrative review. Sports, 8(11), 149.
12. Grgic, J., Mikulic, P. (2017). Tapering practices of Croatian open-class powerlifting champions. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(9), 2371-2378.

Featured Image: paul prescott / Shutterstock

The post The Science Behind Deload Weeks Explained appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Despite the confusion surrounding the front squat, it’s actually pretty easy to learn. With a few cues and some confidence, you can make this movement a cornerstone in your workouts. In this guide, we’ll show you how to nail the front squat and how to place it, well, front and center in your program.

• How to Do the Front Squat 
• Front Squat Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Front Squat
• Muscles Worked by the Front Squat
• Who Should Do the Front Squat
• How to Program the Front Squat
• Front Squat Variations
• Front Squat Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

Front Squat Technique Video

Traver Boehm explains and demonstrates basic front squat technique in this quick video. In just about 100 seconds, learn everything you need to know about the front squat. Then finish the article and learn even more.

How to Do the Front Squat

The front squat is pretty straightforward. You perform a deep squat while holding a barbell positioned across the front of the shoulders. The position of the bar affects your leverage and torso angle during the movement. This unique posture influences muscle recruitment and requires more work from your upper back, core, and lower body.

Step 1 — Get Under the Bar

Place the barbell in a squat rack at roughly upper-chest height (slightly below your collarbones), then bend at the knees until the tops of your shoulders are just below the bar. From here, grab the bar with an outside-shoulder-width grip and get into what’s known as the “rack position.”

The bar is supported on the front of each shoulder, under the chin and nearly touching the throat. Take hold of the bar and bend your arms until your elbows are aimed forward. The palms of both hands should end up pointed towards your face, with your fingers helping to keep the bar in place. The shoulder blades are retracted and the upper back is tense. The elbows should point forward or slightly upwards during each rep, never down.

Shoulder, elbow, and/or wrist mobility restrictions may prevent ideal arm position. This is a fairly common issue and we’ll later review some grip options to allow effective front squats (while you work on fixing those mobility problems, right? Right).

Form Tip: The rack position may be uncomfortable for some lifters, particularly with the bar contacting the collarbones. Rather than using a common bar pad as cushioning (which essentially thickens the bar and increases the likelihood of choking yourself), actively tense the shoulders to create a “muscle shelf” and take stress off any pointy bones. Your body will adapt to the stress quickly and the discomfort will soon become a non-issue.

Step 2 — Walk the Weight Out

With the bar securely in the rack position, it’s time to finish the setup. Engage and flex your upper back, core, and glutes before straightening your legs to lift the bar from the squat rack.

As the weight settles into position, take a moment to stabilize your entire body before taking a small step backwards with one foot, matched by the other foot, followed by one small step sideways to set your feet at a comfortable width.

Form Tip: Once you’ve set your stance, don’t fidget. Many lifters tend to shuffle their feet, wiggle their toes, or “squash cigarettes” in a little dance before beginning a set of squats, but it only prolongs the time you’re standing there holding a loaded barbell and may lead to excessive ankle or knee strain as you shift support from one leg to the other.

Avoid the bad habit of wasting time and energy (in squats, in the gym, and, really, anytime). As you gain experience, you’ll instinctively learn your individual best squat stance and the walkout will quickly become second-nature — unrack bar, set stance, get to work.

Step 3 — Squat Down 

With the bar in position, it’s time to squat. Keep the elbows aimed at the imaginary horizon line or above, while bending the legs until you’ve reached the desired depth. As a general rule, aim to squat below parallel, or with the hip joint below the knees. This range of motion provides an effective balance of muscle-building (hypertrophy), strength-building, and overall mobility.

Front squats allow the torso to remain more upright, so it’s generally “easier” and more intuitive for most people to reach a deep squat position. You may need to fine-tune your stance width and foot position, but front squats are typically performed with a relatively closer stance compared to back squats.

If your body is still unable to reach significant depth while maintaining good upper body position, there may be hip or ankle mobility issues which require more direct attention.

Form Tip: The front squat is self-correcting in the sense that if you lower the elbows any significant degree, you’re going to immediately be pulled out of position and will almost certainly drop the bar.

If you feel strain in the lower back, shoulders, or elbows, it’s a sign that you may be allowing the arms to drop as you descend. Stop that. Imagine a pair of rubber bands pulling your elbows up to the ceiling throughout the set as a constant cue to be leading with the elbows.

Step 4 — Stand Up 

After you’ve reached the bottom, it’s time for the real work — getting back up. Keeping your elbows up, stay flat-footed and press your entire body back to standing. It’s critical that your hips and shoulders rise at the same pace. If your hips come up first, your upper body (and therefore your elbows) will tip forward out of position.

Ensure that your knees don’t buckle inwards or wobble outwards as you rise. If they do, adjust your stance width and reduce the weight on the bar until you can maintain a strong knee position, roughly in the same plane as the ankles.

Form Tip: Bouncing out of the bottom position to build momentum is one of the least effective and most dangerous ways to train the squat. Because the front squat facilitates a deeper range of motion, you may feel tempted to quickly drop and rebound up. Resist the urge and focus on applying muscular force which translates into building more strength and size.

Front Squat Mistakes to Avoid

While front squat technique may be relatively simple, there are a handful of common errors which can be counterproductive and slow down progress.

Range of Motion

The cardinal sin of all squats: quarter reps. Partials. Squatting high. Call it what you will, but one of the key advantages of front squats is the ability to reach parallel or below without leaning the upper body forward, which is what shifts stress to the lower back.

While squatting to a variety of depths can have its place (competitive powerlifters, for example, only need to reach parallel, with their hips in line with their knees and not below), squatting to lower depths has been shown to build more leg size and strength compared to squatting higher. (1)

While the phrase “ass to grass” is often used as a colorful, though not necessarily helpful, guideline, aiming to reach just-below parallel is a more practical goal for the majority of lifters. When viewed from the side, your hip bone should end up slightly below your kneecap and the thigh should have a slight downward angle.

Avoid it: It comes down to intention and self-awareness. If you start the set intending to reach a certain depth, then know whether you reached it or not. If you wanted to squat below parallel and ended up with reps above parallel, you did something wrong.

If you wanted to squat high because it’s goal-appropriate and you nailed it on each rep, then it was a good set. Quarter-rep front squats with heavy weight, for example, can be a surprisingly effective technique to build core strength. The key issue is about maintaining consistent depth from rep to rep and using each set to get closer to your intended goal, not using poor technique to make training easier.

Elbows Pulling the Body Down

Elbow position plays an important role in front squat technique. Keeping the bar in proper position means your upper back is fully engaged, your core is tight, and your body is aligned for optimal power output. If the elbows point down, you’ll initiate an avalanche of potential technique errors. Inefficient training and potential injury follow soon after.

Avoid it: The “rubber bands from the ceiling” cue mentioned earlier is a simple and reliable way to remind yourself to keep the elbows high. Increasing your body awareness is another overlooked technique. If you feel stress in your forearm or biceps muscles, there’s a good chance the bar is out of position and you’re supporting the weight with your arm muscles instead of your locked-in shoulders and upper back.

Knee Shift

Wobbly knees should only happen on the walk to the car after leg day, not during the middle of a rep. Your knees should stay generally in line with your ankles during the exercise and when transitioning from the bottom position back up to lockout. Allowing the knees to cave in (sometimes called knee valgus) or shift out encourages knee instability and increases the chance of an injury.

Avoid it: The most direct solution is one you may not want to hear. Lighten the weight because it’s too heavy. Knee movement, particularly caving in, is often due to a muscle imbalance and/or weak glutes. That imbalance is causing a series of muscles to compensate, which is forcing the knee joint into a variety of unexpected and less-than-ideal positions.

Leaning Forward

Because the barbell is held close in line with the body’s center of gravity, front squats allow (and actually require) lifters to keep an upright torso during the movement. It’s a key point in creating maximal core engagement for a stable torso.

Experienced lifters more familiar with low-bar back squatting may instinctively lean forward, particularly during the concentric (up) portion, but leaning forward is a big no-no that negates the front squat’s low-back sparing benefits without improving leverage or strength. That’s lose-lose.

Avoid it: Cue the broken record cliche: Keep. Your. Elbows. Up. You cannot lean forward while keeping your elbows in the correct position. It’s just not anatomically possible. When you lean forward, your elbows go towards the ground and vice versa, so it’s a two-for-one solution.

Benefits of the Front Squat

The front squat allows you to load the lower body with significant weight without overstressing the lower back. Many lifters who have recurring lumbar pain from years of heavy back squatting find they’re able to continue hard leg training by switching to front squats.

Due to the shifted load position and increased core strength, front squats are also a staple in athletic-based workouts to build strength, speed, and power. Bodybuilders rely on front squats because of the increased quadriceps activation and hypertrophy (muscle size), while CrossFitters and Olympic weightlifters use front squats as sports-specific training, because the movement is required in their competitions.

Lower Back Safety

“I can’t squat today, my back hurts” is one of the all-time excuses for skipping leg day and, while it may occasionally be accurate, it’s more often easily ignored when you recognize that front squats place less stress on the lumbar spine, hips, and knees, (2)(3) as well as requiring increased abdominal tightness, which combine to promote a safe situation for the joints without compromising the overall training stimulus.

Increased Leg Size

Back squats are typically known for promoting glute and hamstring size, or “overall leg mass.” Front squats, comparatively, significantly increase quadriceps activation due to body position and leg leverage, making them a popular choice for bodybuilders looking to target the largest leg muscles.

Athletic Strength and Conditioning

Any effective strength and conditioning program for athletes will maximize results while minimizing risk, since an injured player doesn’t make it onto the field on game day.

For this reason, front squats are often preferred in athletic programs to train lower body strength and power without exposing the athletes to undue risk. The increased upper back and core strength are an added benefit, as they carryover to speed, agility, and durability in all sports.

Sport-Specific Training

While the front squat may appear to be a somewhat awkward lift, it’s extremely sport-specific for Olympic weightlifters and CrossFit athletes, both of whom perform the movement in competitions; Olympic lifters during the clean & jerk, and CrossFit athletes during a countless number of events.

Improving the front squat on its own has direct carryover to improving performance in these sports. Ignoring the front squat in training would be like a basketball player ignoring 3-pointers in practice.

Muscles Worked by Front Squats

The front squat is primarily a leg exercise, but multiple muscles of the upper body are required to stabilize the bar and provide support during the exercise.

Legs

The front squat, like any basic squat movement, works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. While some studies offer mixed data regarding increased quadriceps activation, an abundance of anecdotal evidence (decades-worth of bodybuilders and general lifters) have found front squats to target the quads (the front of the thighs) significantly more than many other squat variations. (4)

Upper Back

Stabilizing the bar in the rack position requires consistent work from the entire upper back including the trapezius, rear deltoids, and rhomboids.

Because these muscles are worked isometrically (not stretching/contracting throughout each rep), it’s not uncommon to feel soreness in the area after training front squats. Muscle soreness isn’t always an indicator of progress but, in this case, it’s a sign that you were most likely fully engaged and using solid technique.

Abdominals

The upright torso during front squats and the position of the load relative to the core muscles (abs and lower back) increase the stress on the abdominal wall, providing greater stability demands and requiring a significant amount of work to support the load.

Similar to the upper back, it’s not uncommon to have some ab soreness after several sets of heavy front squats. And, like the upper back, it simply means you were engaging your core properly.

Who Should Do the Front Squat

The front squat is a versatile exercise, easily learned and applicable to a number of goals. No lifter should shy away from practicing this useful lift.

Training for Muscle

Lifters seeking increased leg size should make the front squat a staple, or at least a regularly recurring movement, in their workouts. The muscle recruitment, range of motion, and overall muscle-building stimulus provide a significant and unique muscular stress compared to other exercises.

Training for Strength

Lifters looking to develop total-body strength can benefit from the front squat and its ability to blend lower body strength with upper body stability. Strength athletes including powerlifters, competitive strongmen/strongwomen, CrossFitters, and Olympic weightlifters can use front squats either as accessory work to support other lower body training or, as previously addressed, a sport-specific movement.

Training for Sport

Any athlete in any sport can benefit from getting stronger and faster, and front squats can be a key player in building those attributes without exposing the athlete to excessive wear and tear.

How to Program the Front Squat

The front squat can be programmed with a number of set/rep schemes to accommodate a number of goals.

Heavy Weight, Low Repetition

To prioritize strength, a time-tested approach would be three to five sets of three to five reps, using a weight that reaches near-muscular failure on each set. Long rest periods, up to several minutes between sets, ensures minimum fatigue and maximum power output.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition

To build leg size, a classic bodybuilder’s method of three to four sets of eight to 12 reps is optimal, reaching muscular failure at the last rep of each set. This is the type of gut-busting workout that makes lifters dread leg day, until the new-found gains make the effort worthwhile.

Important to note, it’s sometimes suggested to avoid very high repetitions (15 to 20+) with front squats, due to the static contraction of the upper back. The idea being that cumulative fatigue in the relatively smaller muscles of the upper back will impair the lifter’s ability to maximally fatigue the much larger legs.

This idea is debatable, at best, and should be taken with a generous grain or two of salt. If you want to grind out two sets of 15-20 rep front squats to see how your body handles the challenge, then attack it and experiment. There’s a good chance your lungs and conditioning, not your upper back, will be the limiting factor there.

Moderate Weight, Low Repetition

To build explosive power and speed, front squats work extremely well with submaximal weights moved at fast speeds without sacrificing form. Six to eight sets of two to four reps, using a weight that’s nowhere near muscular failure. This can be a phenomenal way to train athletes or lifters who want to move like athletes.

Front Squat Variations

The front squat can be achieved by any lifter regardless of their current ability or experience. The key, as with any exercise, is to maintain proper technique while adjusting as little as needed to accommodate any physical restrictions or strength discrepancies.

While the front squat itself can be a useful training tool, some simple adaptations can make the movement more or less challenging without any special programming required.

Front Squat to Box

While the front squat does permit a lifter to reach a deep squat position, not all lifters are physically prepared to sink into a deep squat. Depending on the lifter’s height, either a standard size bench/box or a series of mats or aerobic steps can be used as a target.

Do not slam down onto the surface, as the impact would increase stress on the hips and spine. Pretend that you’re sitting on bubble wrap and trying to not pop any bubbles. The goal is feedback, not rest. Descend until the glutes or hamstrings make contact, and then maintain position and rise immediately under control.

Pause Front Squat

Once a lifter is confident with standard front squats, the simplest way to increase challenge is to spend more time in the bottom position. This serves dual purpose to improve both strength, since the “stretch-shortening cycle” is reduced (a technical term where a muscle can “store” strength if stretched and contracted quickly), and improve mobility since spending time in the bottom of a squat can increase hip and ankle mobility.

It’s important not to relax the body in the bottom position. Maintain tension and muscle engagement throughout the pause and be ready to rise at any moment. Hold the bottom of the squat for one to three seconds.

Front Rack Lunge

Lunges are, essentially, single-leg squats. Performing any lunge variation with the bar in the rack position (as you would for the front squat) is an incredible way to challenge total-body stability and focus on building strength in one leg at a time.

These can be done statically in a split stance, stepping forward and returning upright each rep, stepping backward in a reverse lunge, or the most intense variation as walking lunges for total distance or time.

Front Squat Alternatives

The front squat has many benefits, but there are a handful of exercises that deliver comparable results and may, depending on any number of scenarios, offer unique benefits of their own.

Goblet Squat

While front squats are done using a barbell across the front of the shoulders, holding a kettlebell or single dumbbell in the hands at a similar position (at chest-level, under the chin) can offer many of the same benefits — an upright torso position, greater depth and range of motion, increased upper back activation, and decreased lower back stress.

Because kettlebells and dumbbells are more commonly found in very light weights, while barbells are rarely found below 45 pounds, goblet squats can be extremely useful for inexperienced lifters, as well as much younger or much older athletes for whom 45 pounds may be excessive.

High-Bar Back Squat

Shifting the barbell to the back while adjusting its placement higher on the neck/traps alters leverage and allows a similarly upright torso as seen in front squats. It also has more direct carryover for powerlifters, in particular, since the bar is supported through the arms, shoulders, and upper back in a much more similar position to their competitive lift.

Trap Bar Squat

Sometimes called a trap bar deadlift, this can be an extremely effective way to train the legs with minimal lower back stress. Holding a trap bar in the hands clearly increases the grip strength requirement of the lift, but because the weight is held close in line to the body’s center of gravity (as with a front squat), overall joint strain is significantly reduced.

FAQs

Do I ‘need’ to front squat if I’m already training the back squat?

While the answer technically depends on a number of variables (your specific training goal, overall workout plan, specific injuries or conditions, etc.), the short answer is, no, you don’t “need” to include both types of squats in your program at the same time.

You also don’t “need” to keep both flathead and Phillips-head screwdrivers in your toolbox, but you should realize they’re similar tools that serve different purposes, they’re not entirely interchangeable, and you may eventually want to use one to achieve something the other can’t provide.

The rack position is still uncomfortable. What should I do?

First, work on mobility in and around the joints giving the most problem whether it’s the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. Simply holding the bar and easing your way into the rack position itself until you reach the limit of your individual range of motion, and then holding that basic stretch for several sets of several seconds, is one effective approach.

As an alternative, there are two common work-arounds to the rack position. The first is to secure basic lifting straps around the bar as “handles.” This effectively reduces the range your arm needs to bend and allows a neutral grip (knuckles towards face) instead of the more flexible palms-up rack position, which drastically reduces the mobility requirement.

It’s still important to focus on keeping the elbows high while holding the straps, as the altered hand position may trick you into a more passive posture.

The second solution is to use a cross-arm, sometimes called California-style, grip. This allows the weight to be held in position not only by the front of your shoulders and fingers, but by the forearms, elbows, upper arms, and entire hand.

This grip is much more popular with bodybuilders, as it requires significantly less shoulder mobility and allows heavier weights to be used due to the increased support. The biggest compromise is that the bent-arm position doesn’t allow optimal upper back engagement, so there’s less athletic carryover and more direct leg-training focus.

Now You Know (Front) Squat

You’ve learned the why, when, and most importantly the how. It’s time to add the under-appreciated front squat to your arsenal of lower body workouts. Your leg size, upper back strength, core stability, and lack of lower back pain will thank you. But please, for the sake of all things sacred in the gym, remember to keep your elbows up.

References

1. Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019 Sep;119(9):1933-1942. doi: 10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y. Epub 2019 Jun 22. PMID: 31230110.
2. Yavuz, Hasan & Erdag, Deniz & Amca, Arif & Aritan, Serdar. (2015). Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads. Journal of sports sciences. 33. 1-9. 10.1080/02640414.2014.984240.
3. Gullett, Jonathan C; Tillman, Mark D; Gutierrez, Gregory M; Chow, John W A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2009 – Volume 23 – Issue 1 – p 284-292 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818546bb
4. Coratella, G., Tornatore, G., Caccavale, F., Longo, S., Esposito, F., & Cè, E. (2021). The Activation of Gluteal, Thigh, and Lower Back Muscles in Different Squat Variations Performed by Competitive Bodybuilders: Implications for Resistance Training. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020772

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And while most folks think hammering out close-grip bench presses and standing curls is enough to target the smaller arm muscles, there’s a science to building up your arms. But there are four fundamentals you need to wrap your head around to comprehend how to build bigger arms fully.

Arm Training Tenants

• Muscle Mechanics: That is, how your muscle move your joints. To fully develop your biceps and triceps, you must know how they move so you can select the right exercises for the job.
• Training Volume: Volume — meaning how many total reps you perform — has a dose-response relationship with hypertrophy. More training volume equals more muscle (assuming you don’t exceed your ability to recover).
• Progression: The best progression model to use if you haven’t used one before is double progression. Simply put, double progression is where you increase the weight within your exercises only when you hit the upper limit of a given rep range across all of your target sets.
• Training Frequency: A comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that twice per week is better than once per week for maximizing growth, while frequencies of three or more may or may not be better. (1) Because the biceps and triceps are two of the smaller muscle groups you can train, they’ll recover faster. Training your arms three times per week isn’t unheard of. And if you’re at a point volume-wise where you’re pumping out 15 to 20 sets per session, it may make more sense to break those sets up into two to three separate eight-set sessions.

Muscle Mechanics

It’s essential to understand the biomechanics of the arms before understanding how to train the best. So first, we need to cover their basic anatomy quickly.

The Biceps

The upper arm consists of three muscles in the anterior compartment. However, we will only need to focus on two of these muscles:

• Biceps brachii
• Brachialis
• Coracobrachialis 

Biceps Brachii

The biceps are composed of two heads: a long head commonly thought of as the “outer” and a short head referred to as the “inner.” Both muscle heads originate at the scapula and insert on the radius bone of the forearm. The biceps crosses both the elbow and the shoulder and can flex both the elbow (aka curl) and the shoulder (aka front raise).

Brachialis

The stronger of the elbow flexor is the brachialis. It originates at the upper arm’s humerus bone and inserts on the ulna bone of the forearm. The brachialis isn’t involved in shoulder movement; it only flexes the elbow.

The Triceps

There is one main muscle in the posterior compartment of the upper arm: the triceps brachii. The triceps muscle has three heads:

• Long head
• Medial head
• Lateral head 

The long head is the thicker or more dense muscle, which can be seen in poses such as a double front biceps. The lateral head or the “horseshoe” muscle is what you see most visibly in the side triceps pose, and the medial head is a deeper muscle that isn’t as noticeable on the surface as the other two.

The primary function of the triceps is elbow flexion. All three heads cross the elbow joint and insert it on the ulna bone of the forearm. The origin of the lateral and medial heads are both on the humerus bone of the upper arm, with the long head crossing the shoulder joint to originate on the scapula.

Additional Considerations

Both the biceps and triceps are involved in pulling and pushing movements, respectively. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to hear that back and chest exercises are enough to stimulate the bis and tris. And there are several studies have shown pull-ups and rows elicit high levels of biceps activation, and that horizontal presses bring the triceps into play (2)(3)(4). However, pulling and pressing exercises alone may not be enough to maximize biceps and triceps development.

When you rely on indirect movements exercises to engage the arms, the biceps and triceps only receive a portion of the tension. That said, your arms do get hit when your work the chest and back, and it’s essential to keep this in mind when training. If you train your back hard twice per week, you probably don’t need two to three dedicated biceps workouts.

Instead, it’s probably wise to focus more of your sets on moderate (8-12) and high (12-20) rep ranges for recovery purposes and for the sake of avoiding redundancy. Because the triceps are also targeted with any heavy vertical or horizontal pressing movements, it may be wise to focus more of your sets on moderate (8-12) and high (12-20) rep ranges for recovery purposes.

The Missing Link

Ok, now that you have a firmer grasp on those arm training fundamentals, let’s circle back to a big issue in arms training: exercise variance. You may think that simply curling and extending is enough to stimulate the muscles, but there’s more nuance to arm training. Your arm muscles will travel through different ranges throughout the entire range of motion.

To stimulate our muscles throughout their entire contractile range we must be challenging them at these three points:

• Mid-range: barbell curl, close-grip bench press
• Lengthened (stretched position): incline dumbbell curl, French press
• Shortened (contracted position): high-cable curl, cable pushdown

“Fine, then I’ll just make sure to lift with a full range of motion (ROM) for every movement,” you say. Well, hold up. Lifting only with a full range of motion is a great move (so kudos), but you still need to select movements that engage the muscle the most during each of the three ranges listed above. A worthwhile arm training session aims not to complete a movement using a full ROM but to be challenged throughout the entire ROM.

Putting it all Together

Ok, so where do you go from here? You’ve probably already peeped the charts below and noticed that there’s a lot of work to be done. Don’t freak out just yet. Look closer, and you’ll see that most of the movements below are done for just two high-rep sets. The program’s goal below isn’t to decimate your biceps; it’s to partition a moderate amount of work (10 sets for each muscle group) among all three ranges of motion.

Training Explained

There’s nothing complicated about this routine. First, you’ll select a primary movement for your biceps and one for your triceps. These exercises preferably target the lengthened or shortened range since these are the ranges most folks ignore. You’ll perform the primary exercise for four sets of six to eight heavy-ish reps, using a tempo of 3-0-1-0 (lowering phase-pause at bottom-lifting phase-pause at top).

After that, you’ll blast your arms with a circuit of three movements, known as a triset, each of which targets the mid, lengthened, and shortened ranges. The trisets are marked with the same letters (“A” and “B”). Think of this as a template to guide your sets, reps, and exercise choices. If you want to sub out the movements below for others, that’s fine, but make sure you’re hitting each ROM.

Pay attention to the tempo within each exercise especially the triset sequence as you will notice a pause in the shortened position (contract hard) exercises and a pause in the lengthened position (full stretch), if you take these into consideration your arms will be pumped like you have never seen.

While you most certainly could complete this three-times per week, focus on quality over quantity at first. Whereby you focus on the quality of work given within the workout twice per week for six weeks before taking its progression to the next level by completing it three times per week.

Another aspect of progressing this plan is to change the primary exercises from a lengthened to a shortened focus and the same to be done in the triset exercises. After at least 2-3 rotations of this you can then start to reintroduce the mid-range exercises as a primary focus while the others take a back seat. Here is how it should look:

Nutritional Considerations

To maximize your muscle growth, you need to eat within a caloric surplus then you cannot expect to be building any significant amount of muscle mass. With that being said here some recommendations regarding your nutritional intake:

• Eat 5-10% above your maintenance (Caloric Surplus).
• Eat four to five times per day. This his could be three meals plus two shakes or four meals plus one shake. Make sure it is suited to your lifestyle and daily schedule but keep your protein feeding times frequent.
• For your macros aim to eat 35% protein/35% carbs/and 30% fat. Say you’re eat 3,000 calories per day, that comes out to 262.5 grams of protein, 262.5 grams of carbs, and 100 grams of fat.
• Excessive supplementation isn’t necessary to grow. Your standard multi-vitamin, fish oil and probiotics will provide a great base of support.

References

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8.
2. Youdas JW, Amundson CL, Cicero KS, Hahn JJ, Harezlak DT, Hollman JH. Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise. J strength Cond Res. 2010;24(12):3404-3414. doi:10.1519/ JSC.0b013e3181f1598c.
3. Snarr RL, Esco MR. Comparison of Electromyographic Activity When Performing an Inverted Row With and Without a Suspension Device. J Exerc Physiol. 2013;16(6):12-22. http://faculty.css.edu/tboone2/asep/Russell.pdf.
4. Barnett C, Kippers V, Turner P. Effects of variations of the bench press exercise on the EMG Activity of 5 Shoulder Muscles. 1995:222-227.

Featured Image: Paul Aiken/Shutterstock

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Kettlebells aren’t the easiest tool to grab, and the ballistic nature of many kettlebell movements makes them even harder to hang onto. What’s more, your ability to grip, and grip tightly, actually facilitate stronger and more powerful lifts. And it all starts with your muscle fascia.

The Importance of Grip

The fascial lines of the body are many and varied. This article isn’t intended to be a primer on fascia but on better understanding it to enhance our training. The arm lines are particularly relevant to our grip needs. There are four of these lines, and all play some part in grip and its effect on supercharging our performance.

This experiment uses the principles of irradiation of muscle tension to demonstrate just how vital grip is:

1. Let your arms hang loosely by your side and notice where there is tension. Now make a fist. Notice it’s not just the muscles of the hand that are tight. The tension travels up your forearms.
2. Now grip even harder. Notice the abdominals engage. Observe how the tension is now not just in your shoulders but also the muscles within your shoulders. How you grip grip has the potential to activate every muscle in your body.

Let’s try our experiment again, this time to demonstrate the importance of the arm lines:

1. Grip as hard as you can, but focus on squeezing the thumb and index finger the hardest. You should feel the pec and delt engage forcefully.
2. Now focus on gripping hardest with the little and ring fingers. This time you should feel the muscles in the back — the lats, rhomboids, and rotator cuff muscles — engage.

Applying this knowledge to exercise is common sense, yet few people do it. The conclusion to make from these tests is that if the body is ready for pushing (via the pecs and delts being engaged), your grip needs to have the index finger involved. The opposite applies to pulling motions, where we want to make sure that the pinky and ring finger are in direct contact with the bar or bell.

Hand Position for Smarter Grip

The most common hand position when using kettlebells is a grip that slides the wrist into the corner of the bell where the handle and body of the bell meet. This allows the handle of the bell to run diagonally across the hand and minimizes discomfort on the back of the wrist.

Then, most folks will close their index finger and thumb around the handle. You may mistakenly believe this grip is acceptable. It’s not acceptable. This grip will actually decrease performance while increasing injury risk. 

Here’s why: During pressing, you need to address not only shoulder flexion but also shoulder stability. If the pinky doesn’t grip the bell, the rotator cuff won’t be fully engaged. And when it comes to swinging or pressing a heavy object overhead, you definitely want all the musculature of your shoulder to be engaged.

A better way to grip a kettlebell for pressing (or get-ups or snatching) is with the handle of the bell going directly across the hand, in line with the calluses. This grip allows both for use of the prime movers and for optimal function of the stabilizers.

Stronger Grip for Better Movement

If we extrapolate this for other kettlebell exercises, such as squats or swings, we can see these fascial lines connect the fingers to the muscles around the shoulder and also become muscles of the trunk on both sides. The front and back functional lines create two large Xs, one on the front of the body and one on the back.

The correct use of grip will switch on our postural control muscles and enhance all of our bigger lifts. For kettlebell squats, the flat grip is once again the better option (as opposed to the diagonal grip), since it activates the most support muscle.

Once you’re used to gripping this way, you’ll find your performance improves while your injury risk decreases. Changing your hand placement will perhaps make a difference in how much load you can move, but that shouldn’t be a concern unless you’re a powerlifter. Focus on how well your body can move and function as a unit.

More on Breaking Muscle:

• Get a Grip: 3 Ways to Grip a Deadlift and How to Get Your Grip Stronger
• More Insight Into Developing Grip Strength: Your Hand Digits
• Beyond the 2-Handed Swing: 5 Effective Kettlebell Movements You May Be Neglecting

The post This Kettlebell Grip Cue May Change Your Training for the Better appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

More importantly, a coach’s job is to help reduce injury both on and off the field. New York University Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Assistant Athletic Trainer, Joe Mosher (M.Ed, ATC, CSCS, USAW) feels that:

“We have a duty to our athletes to provide them with a program that not only helps enhance their athleticism but also, and maybe more importantly, provides them with a higher level of injury resilience than they had before. I base everything on the idea that if my athletes are healthy and can compete, then they have at least some chance at winning, regardless of who we play. If they are injured and cannot compete then they have zero chance of winning. Even a one percent chance of winning is still better than a zero percent chance at winning.”

No matter how much stronger, bigger, and faster your athletes are compared to the opposition, if they aren’t healthy, they don’t play. Add these five exercises to your programming to give your athletes the best chance at staving off injuries and staying in the game.

Disclaimer: The content on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. While many of our contributors and experts have respected certifications and degrees, and while some are certified medical professionals, the opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis and/or treatment of health problems.

Eccentric Hamstring Slide

• What: Hamstring eccentric strength and posterior chain engagement.
• Why: Whether you are an athlete, runner, or fitness fanatic, your hamstring health plays a pivotal role in performance. The hamstrings are a critical component of force development for jumping, running, pulling, Olympic weightlifting, and strength training. Additionally, the hamstrings work to decelerate and absorb muscular force throughout the landing phases of the running/gait cycle and help to stabilize the knees and hips during open chained activity. Without proper hamstring health in both the concentric and eccentric phases of muscle actions, you could be leaving your athletes and clients open to nagging injuries, such as muscle pulls and strains and loss of training development.
• How: Perform this exercise either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. The key to doing these is to have controlled lengthening (eccentric) of the muscle, keeping tension and full range of motion (ROM) throughout the movement. Try adding these into your training regimen twice per week, for 2-4 sets of 10-20 controlled (2-3 second eccentric) reps.

90/90 Breathing

• What: This diaphragmatic breathing technique from the Postural Restoration Institute is great for teaching athletes and clients correct breathing and bracing during lifts and in life. Poor breathing techniques can create stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders, pectoral muscles, lumbar, and anterior hip. This stiffness, combined with intense exercise, can lead to serious injury if left unnoticed.
• Why: The ability to brace and breathe through the diaphragm and abdominals is key to more stability and joint function in the hips, shoulders, and spine. By teaching athletes how to breathe under both non-stressful and stressful situations, they can improve performance and decrease the likelihood of injury during running, contact sports, overextended and rotational movements, and life.
• How: Perform this breathing protocol in the warm-up routine prior to resistance training. This exercise is a great way to mentally prepare athletes and clients to become more in tune with their breathing. More importantly, it gives them the core stabilization they need to perform optimally and safely.

X-Band Walk

• What: Glute activation, hip external rotation, and hip/knee/ankle stability.
• Why: Glute development is critical for hip health, which is a key player in deadlifts, squats, Olympic weightlifting, jumping, landing, and running, as well as power production and injury prevention. Additionally, the glutes stabilize the hip and knee joints, which tend to be susceptible to injury without adequate stability.
• How: Perform this movement either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. Depending on the band thickness and the position of the straps, the difficulty can be altered based on the athlete. The farther the bands are from the hip joint, the more resistance. Start with a few sets of 8-10 steps per leg, focusing on strong, controlled steps.

Marches and Skips

• What: Running, jumping, sprinting mechanics and leg drive technique.
• Why: The ability to create force is one thing, but most fitness enthusiasts and even some athletes fall short on the ability to apply maximal force using efficient movement mechanics. The result is decreased running speed, economy, wasting of energy, and an increased risk of potential injury. By understanding and engraining sound marches, skips, and running drills in warm-up sets and pre-competition drills, you can teach athletes to not only run faster, but also safer and more efficiently.
• How: Perform these drills in warm-up sets and/or pre-competition drills. It is imperative to teach the athletes to not allow knee extension as the leg drives upwards, and to maintain proper alignment of the base leg under the torso. Additionally, be sure to have the athlete actively pull the heel to the glutes with the hamstring, and drive his or her foot directly under the center of mass.

Arm Bar

• What: Scapular stabilization, rotator cuff stability, and shoulder awareness.
• Why: Whether you are a throwing athlete (baseball, football, softball, volleyball, tennis), weightlifter (snatches and jerks), or avid fitness enthusiast, scapular and shoulder stabilization are critical for optimal force development and injury prevention. The ability to anchor the posterior shoulder will increase the amount of force than can be controlled, decelerated, and ultimately produced at the shoulder joint. Additionally, Mosher states: “[T]he arm bar is a great shoulder disassociation exercise. It teaches the body to move around a stable shoulder. It also trains the rotator cuff in its first actual role of centering the joint as it moves through a full ROM. Lastly, it allows the athlete to develop thoracic mobility at the same time as teaching the shoulder joint to pack tight but still move independently.”
• How: Perform arm bars either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. The key to doing these is to have controlled stability of the shoulder as you turn your body. Make sure to keep the shoulder blades and abs tight, as you stay “stacked” through the upper/mid back. Try these out for 8-10 repetitions per arm, focusing on a brief pause at the top of each repetition.

The Proactive Approach

Take the time to address your athletes’ needs by including these fundamental exercises in their programming. This proactive approach will bulletproof your athletes from injury and keep them on the field and in the gym for years to come.

Learn more about injury prevention:

Programming for Injury Prevention: How to Keep Your Athletes Healthy

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I’ve been coaching for almost twenty years now, and I am obsessed with hill running. I have Payton to thank for this, and since speed is the ultimate goal in all of my programs, hills (or stairs for those of you who don’t have a suitable hill close by) are an absolute must in any speed or conditioning program. I’ve spent the bulk of my career split between Cal Poly and San Jose State and both places have significant hill/stadium inclines that are perfect for hammering my athletes.

Why Hills?

Strength and power are critical when we are talking speed, especially during the acceleration phase. Forty-yard dashes, great running backs darting through a seam, a batter racing down the first base line trying to beat out a throw, or a forward exploding to the hole, the sudden burst of speed is the most important factor. It’s the first three to five steps that determine the success of the effort.

Watch the NFL combine. When you see the athletes run their 40s, it’s the start that is the greatest determiner of a good time. Inversely, when you see a guy stumble out of the gate or take a sloppy step, you can rest assured that the time will be less than impressive.

Hill running teaches the drive phase of a sprint as nothing else can. Because of the incline, the runner must use the forefoot to climb. One of the most important speed training cues we use is that front of the foot is for speed, the heels are for braking. Even big guys, who by virtue of their size and propensity to heel contact first when they run on flat ground, are forced into an “appropriate” sprinting position. Think of the lean that you see world-class sprinters use in the first 50-70 meters of a 100-meter dash — that is the position we want to teach and the hill automatically does it for us.

The most obvious benefit is the load hill running puts on the legs. I have always thought that parachute pulling, banded running, and partner towing are silly given that all of those devices or routines are targeting the benefits of time on the hills. Next to squatting, Olympic lifting and/or kettlebell training, nothing will address leg strength and explosiveness like sprints up a hill.

Use Hills for Lateral Applications

Because the vast majority of the teams that I train for speed don’t actually get opportunities in their sports to run straight ahead where track workouts would benefit them (think top-end speed), we devote nearly all of our time working change of direction training. Many kids have little or no understanding of how to turn. They have no understanding of where their body is in space, insist on using their toes to slow down, and more often than not, have little control of their momentum when they run.

Because of the incline of your chosen hill, the runner must naturally situate his/her drive foot in a “toe-in” position when they laterally climb. If they don’t, their efficiency goes down the toilet and they will feel, almost instinctively, a need to adjust. When one are on flat ground, one of the major takeaways in footing that I teach is a subtle toe-in on the outside leg of a directional turn. This does two things. First, it allows the runner to access the big toe completely when they drive. Second, it directionally is in sync with where they are trying to go. Believe it or not, this is something that many of these kids do not possess when they show up at first. And, what you get when they don’t own this technique is a slow, power-stripped attempt at redirecting themselves.

Next, gravity is a bully. The natural incline of the hill demands a very forceful push. One that is necessary on flat ground when the athlete is attempting to accelerate.  If I can get a kid to haul ass up the hill, either laterally or straight ahead, they have context and I can get that type of understanding on flat ground. 

The Benefits of Backward Hill Sprints

Hill running backward is the perfect way to hammer your athletes. The hill I use is out behind our sports complex at Cal Poly is about a 35-yard climb at approximately a 14 percent grade. Steep. We have integrated backward running into the final phase of our hill workouts. Part of it is because I want my kids considerably uncomfortable, part of functional speed for my defensive backs and linebackers, and the other part is because I want them to develop a degree of toughness.

When I was in college, we used to have to backpedal around the outside of the Begley Building at EKU. Truthfully, it was a by-design way to make us miserable. The changes in incline outside were constant and there was an intimate relationship with misery because we would be told to do this for 15 minutes or more without stopping. It was a total jerk move but it taught us a lesson — learn how to push through pain. Nothing careless, just a leg burn that would make you nearly gag on your own vomit.

The foot drive that backward hill running produces basically cannot be duplicated anywhere else. It teaches the kids how to push with all they have off of the forefoot. Remember, acceleration happens at the front of the foot and braking happens in the heel. This trains the runner on the appropriate pressures, where to put them, and how to use their feet in an economic way.

Hills Teach Running Efficiency

Again, because of the incline, the runner is put into a position where they have no choice but to give an all-out effort. Because of the distance, they have to travel up a hill, casual jumping or sissified hopping only makes the getting up the hill take 10 times longer. Because they want it to be over as soon as possible, you get a natural full effort.

The bounding has turned out to be the hardest thing for my kids. Other things might hurt more, but the bounding makes them work as hard as they can, coordinate movements to be as efficient as possible, and it completely burns their anaerobic energy systems to the ground. It’s a pleasure to watch.

Featured Image: KieferPix/Shutterstock

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