Posts by Heather Jacques

The hack squat is a machine-based, compound exercise that adds strength and size to the lower body. While it’s often used as an accessory to the barbell back squat, the hack squat also serves as an alternative because it places greater demand on the quads, is safer to train to failure, and requires less mobility.

Although there are some hack squat variations, this article will cover the muscles the machine hack squat works and some of its primary benefits. 

The hammer curl is a popular biceps exercise performed with the wrist in a neutral position. Unlike a standard bicep curl, this exercise targets more of the bicep peak and forearms. It requires minimal equipment to perform and is rather simple to learn.

The hammer curl is an effective exercise for increasing the size and strength of the upper arms. This article covers the top of hammer curl benefits and muscles worked. 

The glutes are an important muscle group for almost every movement. Strengthening them through resistance training can improve your posture, performance, and aesthetics. Several exercises can be utilized to build your glutes, such as hip thrusts, glute kickbacks, and Romanian deadlifts.

If you’re new to glute training, getting proficient at the glute bridge is a great place to start. This exercise has  good carry-over to more advanced lower-body movements like the squat and deadlift.

Glute bridges are one of the few isolation exercises that can be heavily loaded, making them effective for building a bigger and stronger posterior chain. This exercise is easy to perform, simple to set up, and can be modified according to equipment availability.

The glute bridge primarily works the gluteus maximus in addition to various other leg muscles.

The barbell bench press is a compound movement effective for gaining upper body strength and size. This exercise is extremely popular due to its minimalistic nature, prevalence in strength sports, and ability to train multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

This article will cover all of the muscles a traditional bench press works, and a few frequently asked questions about this exercise. While many multiple bench press variations exist, this article focuses on the flat barbell bench press.

A defined midsection and strong core are common hallmarks of an effective fitness routine. The core is made up of several muscles, including the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and transverse abdominus. In addition to flexing the torso, the core stabilizes and protects the spine.

The plank is one of the best exercises for the oft-neglected transverse abdominis and requires little to no equipment, is simple to learn, and can be scaled according to someone’s fitness level.

The lower body is heavily judged in physique competitions and is rigorously trained in most comprehensive workout programs. Although fitness enthusiasts commonly joke about skipping leg day, training the lower body should be a priority regardless of a person’s goals. A popular exercise for lower-body training is the leg press.

The leg press is a machine-based, compound exercise that’s effective for increasing the size and strength of the lower body. A compound exercise means that multiple muscle groups are working at one time. 

The leg press primarily targets the quadriceps. However, stance can be adjusted to place more tension on the glutes and hamstrings. This exercise can also be performed one leg at a time to correct or prevent muscle imbalances.

Although the quads are the primary muscle worked by the leg press, read below to learn about other muscles involved in the movement.

Few exercises exist for increasing strength, performance, and muscle mass in the shortest possible time. The deadlift is a popular compound exercise that trains multiple muscle groups simultaneously. 

The deadlift is a universal exercise that’s used in several strength sports, including powerlifting, strongman, and CrossFit. Choose from a number of variations based on goals, equipment, body type, and preferences. In addition to strength, the movement is also very effective for building lower and upper body muscle.

Moreover, the deadlift can support various other movements and daily activity. This article will cover the top eight benefits of deadlifts as well as some frequently asked questions.

The back is made up of several different muscles and numerous exercises can target them. The cable row is a popular choice for building a stronger and bigger back. 

This article will detail the muscles worked by the cable row, how to perform the movement with proper form, and a few of its primary benefits.

Adding the overhead press, also known as the military or strict press, to a workout routine increases upper body strength. The overhead press is a compound movement that targets the anterior and lateral delts, upper chest, and triceps. If performed standing, it also helps improve core strength.

The lift has great carry-over to other movements, such as the clean and jerk, snatch, push press, and bench press. Overall, the overhead press is a very functional exercise that can benefit athletics and daily activities.

It’s important to note that performing the military press with proper form requires good shoulder mobility before attempting to press a lot of weight overhead. 

The overhead press is safe when applying proper form. This article will explain how to apply correct technique, including tips and common mistakes to avoid. 

The barbell squat is often considered to be the king of all exercises, and for good reason! The barbell squat trains nearly every muscle in the body simultaneously. Not to mention, it’s equally effective for building muscle and gaining strength. 

The front squat is a popular barbell squat variation. Like a barbell back squat, the front squat trains several muscle groups at once but places more emphasis on the quads.

Olympic weightlifters and CrossFit athletes commonly perform the front squat because it has a greater carry-over to the clean and jerk compared to back squats. With that said, the front squat is also included in powerlifting programs as an accessory lift to the barbell back squat. Bodybuilders often perform the front squat to place more tension on the quads and stimulate hypertrophy.

We will cover the benefits and the major muscle groups that are working during the movement. 

The bench press is key to increasing chest size and upper body strength. The compound movement allows lifting the maximum amount of weight. Adjusting bench angle also helps target specific areas of the chest.

The three most common bench press variations are incline, flat, and decline. An incline bench press targets the upper chest, the flat targets the middle chest, and the decline targets the lower chest. 

The decline bench press, though not the most common variation, has several benefits which will be discussed in this article, along with the major muscle groups recruited for the movement.

A strong core is crucial for nearly every physical movement. Many exercises exist for improving your midsection’s strength, stability, and definition. Most core exercises require minimal to no equipment and can be scaled according to experience or strength level.

The major muscle groups that the plank works include the core, glutes, hamstrings, upper back, and shoulder. Keep reading to discover why the plank is so effective for core strength.

Deadlifts are commonly found in most strength-building programs with several variations to choose from, including the Romanian deadlift.

The Romanian deadlift, more commonly referred to as “RDL,” is a variation of the conventional deadlift that builds and strengthens the posterior chain. The RDL targets more glutes and hamstrings, and less back than the conventional deadlift. 

Furthermore, the movement begins from a standing position, whereas conventional deadlifts start from the floor. Considered to be a compound exercise, working several muscles simultaneously, the Romanian deadlift has numerous benefits.

This article will discuss the top five benefits of the Romanian deadlift, as well as key muscles worked.

Although a well-equipped gym is ideal for building muscle strength and size, several bodyweight exercises are very effective and oftentimes underrated. They also require minimal to no equipment so that you can do them anywhere. One commonly used bodyweight exercise is the pull-up.

Not to be confused with chin-ups, the pull-up exercise involves pulling your chin or chest up to a bar from a dead hang with your palms facing away from you. The pull-up is well-known for increasing upper body strength and size and the only equipment needed is a pull-up bar. 

This article will review all of the muscles worked by the pull-up for determining best practice, form and execution to be included in any workout.

In addition to being a world-renowned actor and politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably the most famous bodybuilder of all time. Like Arnold himself, the Arnold press is a well-known shoulder exercise. The movement takes the conventional dumbbell shoulder press and rotates it in extension to make it even more challenging and effective.

The Arnold press is a great addition to your routine if you want to build bigger and stronger shoulders. This article will cover the benefits of the Arnold press and which muscles it targets to help determine if the exercise is a worthy addition to a weightlifting program.