Post your "secret" exercises

[TyAl]

I foam-roll my forearms.

[Kontour]

Incline dumbbell press with a bench set at a very small angle, like 15 degrees. Feels more natural than flat bench and you can do more weight than a higher degree incline. This exercise is the tits.

[Dieseldru]

I see a lot of people do bar pulldowns but I like it better with a rope. I saw Phil Heath do it on his Olympia prep videos and thought it was the best thing to get that squeeze in the back.

How exactly would you perform these? And how do you position your hands?

I'm just wondering how to grip the rope on pulldowns. Do you feel it a lot in your biceps?

[Thelittleone]

Deadlifts with 50% of your predicted 1rm, then start adding chains, nothing to destroy ur whole body, those chains blow, eventually youll almost work up to your max with 75 ibs of chains on each side, and the further you get up the harder it is, talking about using the strength curve you your advantage

[Thelittleone]

or do deadlifts with 25ib plates that sucks, also tbar rows with 25's so you can get those hands in the gut, to many times do i see people use 45's let it hit their chest, and their only doing half a rep.

[Julienne_Salad]

How exactly would you perform these? And how do you position your hands?

I'm just wondering how to grip the rope on pulldowns. Do you feel it a lot in your biceps?

I watched a Heath vid (might have been the same one) and he used a pulldown with a rope, explaining that it simulates the initial part of the rear lat spread when you draw your elbows into your sides. But he wasn't in the lat pulldown 'station'; he just used the cable with the pulley high, and, while standing, basically pulled the rope with an overhand grip to his waist, keeping his elbows in tight.

I might have that wrong so someone correct me.

[Pulse01]

Oh man, I just did another insane exercise in my shoulder workout today too! It's called the "Rock 'N' Reach" and it is hardcore!

Execution:

Hold two dumbbells like about to do an overhead press, going lighter than usual. Press one DB overhead and as elbow reaches full extension, lean slightly to the opposite side and reach high and over with the working arm. As you return to the start position, begin the same overhead press, lean and reach motion with the opposite arm; don't wait until your first arm is all the the way back down before starting with the other. "Allow your body to rock back and forth under control, you should feel your obliques kick in big time!"

Credit for this exercise and caption on execution goes to M&F Sep 2009

[Samson9903]

I like to do a cable giant set for shoulders. I do side laterals..rear's..and front raises for one giant set. do 4 sets and your delts are smoked..after doing presses of course. Great pump. I only do these every so often. But its a killer.

[Nalbandian1987]

For something different for side laterals. I take heavy dumbells 70-90lbs and do partial laterals to the SIDE (keeping elbows semi locked and no swinging! Very short motion) after a pressing motion. Most people think it wouldnt work, but it really does fry the side delt. A National level BB showed me that. I guess its because its way more than you would normally use with proper form for the same exercise and the constant tension on the delts.

[RandomHero]

reverse bench presses -- its not really a secret exercise but hardly anyone does them, awesome for triceops and improving bench power

description - use reverse grip on normal bench press

Deffinately this

Bench has gone up considerably since i started incorporating these two months ago.

[STEVE REEVES]

My top exercises for results (from my experience and body-type etc)

*upper body- triceps/ant delts/lower pecs= dips with body weight and with dumbell in crossed feet to exhaustion.

*pullover machine for intercostars(spelling?) definition of the abs and lower lats, insertion of tricep into the armpit- I haven't seen many of these machines anymore they had a cable and pulley attached to the arm bar that was over head and behind- you could adjust the seat to get the best stretch and push yourself! I wish my current gym had this!

*blast your delts, traps with upright rows, upright rows, upright rows in a pyramid of ramped up weight and back down -till failure. then do heavy side laterals for your medial delts and punish your traps.

*close grip flat or incline presses with thumb on the fingerside- pumps up my triceps and give my inner pecs definition.

*cable rows sitting with the feet against the braces- stretch forward to the toes and pull with the lats and the elbows strait back - straightening the legts and pulling the body upright- try to keep the elbows pointed down- and close to the body.

*tricep bar hammer curls till failure, then tricep extensions (standing) each till failure then start the other- and back until you go into complete failure- try at least 3 sets.

*my legs respond best to leg presses not squats with barbells- Incline leg press are great and the horizontal ones are ok. lunges with dumbells, barbell behind neck and front of neck w/crossed hand (barbell on delts).

-looking for the ultimate calf workout... if you have one please message me.

[KINic]

*Lats- Hanging row (BB or DB) or hanging pull-over!

*Shoulders- Wide grip upright row (BB) (really hit the medial delt hard). Lying down cable lateral raise.

*Rhomboids/traps- Old school Corner T-Bar row! Powershrug!

*Pectoral- Dips with feet in front. Also a fan of the hybrid between a fly and a press (DB)

*Hamstrings- DB leg curl from various position. Leg curl machine in the push-up position. Glute-ham raise!

*Quads- Front squat (not new but never see anyone doing them heavy). Bulgarian squat, Lying leg extension (best exercice to work the rectus femori of the quadriceps)

*Abs- Hanging crunch. Hanging toe touch. Bar roll-out on the ball of feet or knees (fuck those are hard)

*Calves- Leg press calf raise good old combo of : 5-10-15-10-5 reps with as much rest as reps.

*Biceps- Cable curl with elbow in front of you. Old school concentration curl ala Arnold.

*Triceps- Barbell Kickback!

[abe79]

Bradford Press:

Press a BB to the top of the head only, and then lower it behind the neck,then back to the front, just clearing the top of the head,then back to the back of the neck, and so on.

The constant tension fron not locking out is awesone.

I usually Super-Set laterals with these, doing the laterals first to pre-exhaust the delts.......killer combo.

Standing or seated, Bradford Presses rock!!

I have yet to see anyone with stubborn delts fail to respond to this Super-Set.

What up Timski...I actually have a major problem with my stubborn delts. Can you please explain how to make sure this works safely without having to use heavy weight? Im interested but I sprained my levator scapulae muscle recently doing standing overhead BB presses. Thanks man

[Bignclean]

Ive never been led astray doing Incline dumbbell curls. Greatest peak building exercise ever in my opinion.

[ZachAttack]

skull crushers that go all the way behind your head over the edge on flat bench