squats – Never Give Up PT

Spotting Is A Skill

Your session is going well. After a series of successful barbell back squats you decide to go for a PB with a one rep max. You look around the gym to find someone to ask to spot you for your next set.

The person you choose is vital for you to complete the rep successfully, avoid injury and the possibility of death. I’m not kidding here. A recent death of a bodybuilder with over 200k on his neck tells you that I am being extremely serious. Choose your spotter wisely.

So who do you ask? The obvious choice would be to ask a trainer who works in the gym. But be careful here. You need to know what they specialise in. Have you ever seen them perform a barbell squat or instruct their clients? A trainer with an ego might agree without really knowing what to do. And that goes for other gym members too. They want to help but haven’t got the skill (or strength) to if assistance is needed.

The person with the legs like tree trunks who you see hanging around the squat rack every time you’re in there is a good start. Tell them what you’re wanting to do. It is important that they know your expectations for the lift such as time under tension, reps, your weaknesses etc.

Spotting is indeed a skill. So what are the main points to know if you have a spotter or you are the spotter of a barbell back squat?

1. For a heavy lift, the spotter should place their arms under the lifter’s arms.

Holding the waist can be fine for moderate weight and can be more comfortable if it is a male spotter and a female lifter. The spotter should not place their hands on the bar. They’re not supporting the bar, they’re supporting the lifter.

2. The spotter should mimic the lifter’s movement on the way down. This is why a good squatter usually makes a good spotter. They must keep a straight back and use their core to get the lifter to the starting position if needed.

3. The spotter should be stood close. There’s no need to look like you’re dirty dancing though, not if the spotter and lifter are using their hips correctly.

4. If it is a very heavy weight, not only can a spotter be crucial in the lift but a person at either side of the bar should be considered. The body can buckle at any point when under pressure and there’s only so much a spotter can do if they’re having to deal with a collapsing person and a weight falling on top of them.

It’s worth pointing out that the body can give way with any amount of weight and this extra weight can still cause serious injury, so extra help at either side of the bar is something that can be considered at any time.

Lifting heavy can be fun and rewarding, but it is essential that you do it correctly. A part of that is finding a good spotter!

Sissy Squats

There are three things that need explaining when I bring up the conversation of sissy squats. Its name, what they are and why we could benefit from performing them.

As it goes, these points are easily resolved. So here goes…

Why are they called Sissy Squats?!

It actually comes from the name King Sisyphus in Greek Mythology. As a part of his punishment from the Greek Gods he was ordered to push a huge rock up a mountain only for them to push it back down again. He would then have to begin at the bottom again. This forced Sisyphus into a never ending task, but he grew massive quads!

So, I need to push a rock?!

No! The significance here is his quads. And seeing as the sissy squats isolate the quads so efficiently it seemed like a good name to call them. In fact, sissy squats are seen by many trainees as a better alternative to machine leg extensions which can cause knee pain due to the fixed linea movement. Sissy squats are tough, but they can add a little wiggle room if a trainee has had a previous knee injury.

Another benefit is that they work the hip flexors and core strength too. So it’s an exercise not to be overlooked.

How do you perform a sissy squat?

If you have access to a sissy squat machine then you can adjust it as required ensuring that your feet are firmly locked in position. Bend your knees into a squat position and begin to lean slightly backwards. This applies the pressure to the quads but also begins to work the hip flexors and core. Hold for a second or two and then push yourself back to the starting position.

However, there are alternatives if, like my gym, there’s no specific machine. Some leg extension machines can be adapted, but I prefer the Smith machine with the bar at the lowest setting. I place a pad on the bar to protect my calves and I’m able to perform sissy squats.

The small print…

Like all types of squats, if you have a history of knee problems, you need to be careful that you are trained and confident in performing them correctly. As much as squats can be useful in injury rehabilitation, they can also do more damage with poor form.

Attempting any new techniques are often best under the guidance of a professional.

The Smith Machine Donkey Kick

A little introduction to the Smith machine…

The Smith machine is becoming more and more popular due to its versatility. And yet when LA gym owner Jack LaLanne first rigged a sliding bar in his gym back in the 50’s I don’t think that the piece of kit was necessarily designed to be versatile. Even when it was modified by a trainer called Rudi Smith to what we now know as the Smith machine I doubt that it was ever supposed to be anything but a squat and press machine.

As a squat and press machine the jury is still out. Unless you are also performing free weight squats the Smith is a poor alternative according to a recent report stating that free weight squats activated muscle 43% more than with a Smith.

“So why big up the Smith machine if it’s no good, Shay?!”

Well it’s a great bit of kit if you are going to Smith squat as well as free weight squat. But on top of that, for the past 70 years trainers and gym goers have been coming up with some very clever ideas to isolate their muscles to further enhance their hypertrophy and ‘toning’. After all, squats are one of the best compounds that you can perform but without the finishing touches then we might not always get the shape that we desire.

Enter the Smith Donkey Kick!

I would consider the Donkey Kick to be up there with the very best of glute isolation techniques, especially on a Smith. Remember I’ve talked about the need for progression in our workouts? Well eventually you will need a new way to stimulate your gluteals past your usual body weight kicks. If you’re a man reading this you might not think that Smith Donkey kicks apply to you. Wrong! Just because you don’t see other men perform them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. A recent survey by Gentleman’s Journal showed that 62% of females find a good ass attractive. And if you’re like me and you’re already taken and you don’t feel the need to peacock anymore then a good ass can be satisfying for your own self esteem too. We all turn in the mirror to give our own ass a good squeeze right?!….Or is that just me? Ok…. Moving on!

The vast majority of Smith Donkey kickers are female, that’s true. And if you were to ask any of them to give up one aspect of their training they wouldn’t choose the SDK. It has become an essential part of booty isolation because of the results that they get from performing it. But they also do the tough free weight squats and deadlifts too, so don’t think you can kick your way out of doing the heavy stuff too.

The BOTTOM Line

The fact is that our muscles need as much stimulus as possible to produce new lean muscle that can make us look and feel great in a pair of jeans, dress or shirt. But not just that. It enhances performance for our sport, general fitness goals and in every day life. An independent 80 year old who can still walk, stand from a seated position and climb out of a bath tub will more than likely have a history in participating in a sport, performing compound movements and working on muscle development as a younger person.

So seeing as I enjoy a quote from the great philosophers of our time, as Ice Cube once said…”You can do it. Put your back in to it. Put your ass in to it.”

Thank you for reading! Please check out my other articles on gym life, family life and nutrition on my site.

Use Your Toolkit

If you’re a handy person who is good around the house at fixing things and doing a few home improvements then you probably have a tool kit. Your kit will provide you with lots of tools to get a specific job done.

American soldiers in World War 2 had their own little handy tool which became very useful during their time away on duty. The Offiziersmesser, or Swiss Army Knife as they called it, had scissors, saw blade, assortment of screwdrivers, bottle and can openers attached to a spearpoint blade.

When you enter the gym you open your very own handy tool box. Every piece of equipment is a tool to provide you with the ability to reach your goal.

Or at home, if you have invested in equipment for your home workouts, you can have a good selection of tools in which to achieve your fitness objectives.

Even in the outdoors you can use different gradients and an assortment of training methods to meet targets.

And you carry a great tool around with you all day. Body weight exercise is an excellent way to stay active.

And yet in a recent survey (yougov) in the UK it was found that 37% of adults do not even meet at least one hour of physical activity a week. The Department Of Health And Human Services in the US reported that only 22% of adults complete 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Interestingly in Europe, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria are the most physically active with half of their adult population engaging in the recommended amount of exercise according to WHO.

We have all of these tools but not enough people willing to use them. The top 5 reasons that I am given on why they don’t exercise are…

1. “I did but got bored and gave up.”

Solution…An exercise routine should not be boring. If it is then change it immediately. Join a different fitness class, change your goals to more achievable ones, find out more about the variety of equipment and never be aftaid to enter the free weight area of a gym.

2. “It is too expensive.”

Solution…walking, running, bodyweight home workouts are free. My fitness app is free on entry with regular workout ideas. There are budget gyms in most major towns and cities and equipment can be sourced on selling sites.

3. “I don’t have the time.”

Solution…If you work at the right intensity a 20 minute workout can be done daily to good effect. It doesn’t need a journey to and from the gym and an elaborate routine. Just small tweaks in your lifestyle should be able to accommodate some sort of physical activity each day.

4. “I don’t know what to do”.

Solution…Ask a friend who goes to the gym, plays a sport or enjoys running and walking if you could go along too. Also, a good PT will show you what to do and will add accountability.

5. “I’m injured.”

Solution…You can still exercise with an injury. In fact, gentle physical activity can help the healing process. Just find out from a professional what the best activities for your injury would be.

You have a box with lots of different tools to help you improve your physical and mental health. You just need to open it up.

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Understanding Muscle Contractions

Understanding muscle contractions are important if you are on a fitness journey that includes muscle growth, strength, fat loss, mobility and sports specific training. Once you understand the basics of muscle contraction I am convinced that you will speed up your ability to meet your goals. And I say basics because you don’t need to be a fit pro, a scientist or professional athlete to know your own body. Hopefully a little bit of reading of articles that leave out the jargon can help you to understand. So let’s jump straight in!

Your muscles perform three types of contractions when you exercise.

* Concentric

* Eccentric

* Isometric

A concentric movement shortens the muscle to force an object to move. Think of the bicep curl. As you force the weight towards your shoulder your bicep shortens to create a squeeze.

An eccentric movement lengthens the muscle and stretches the muscle fibres. Imagine the lowering of the weight during a bicep curl or the squatting part of a squat or leg press. This phase of the rep is regarded as the part that induces the most muscle growth as the muscle fibres are fully activated in lowering a weight under control. This is where delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) are most like to occure and specific eccentric training is a popular training phase for many athletes.

An isometric movement is a contraction that does not require muscle to lengthen or shorten. Think of a plank or wall sit. There are no reps that use concentric or eccentric movement. These are particularly useful when sparing the joints from discomfort or injury but still strengthening the muscle.

Developing an understanding of these muscle contractions will give you a greater appreciation of time under tension (TUT). Powering through 12 reps in 15 seconds is fairly straightforward. However, this is not the best way to train. Once you imagine the muscle lengthening and shortening through repeated exposure to the load of the weight then you can create a clear ‘mind to muscle’ pathway. You begin to think about each rep rather than just move a weight from A to B and it might need you to cut out the ego lift and go lighter. Just because you’re benching 100k doesn’t mean your muscle has gotten much out of the process. If you aren’t in control of your muscle contractions then your target muscle is unlikely to feel the need to change.

I ask my online trainees what their rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is after each exercise. As I’m not physically stood next to these clients I cannot see how easy or difficult they found the activity. If they are rating their workout at around 5/10 I would ask them to slow the tempo of each rep before adding more load in an attempt to challenge them to a high exertion level.

TUT and muscle hypertrophy

Earlier I mentioned time under tension as a significant factor in muscle development. Longer TUT will create a more challenging experience and much more rewarding for muscle hypertrophy. If I were to learn French for ten minutes a day I would get much less knowledge of the language than if I were to learn French for 30 minutes.

So, if I were to complete a set in ten seconds I would get much less chance to elicit muscle growth than if I were to complete a set in 30 seconds. Every rep and set is an opportunity for muscle growth. Moving a heavy object is easy. Thinking about it requires muscle engagement.

I hope that this article helps. I have tried to remove unnecessary jargon as I believe that resistance training should be enjoyed by everyone and we shouldn’t need a physiology degree to do it. And not just do it, but do it to ensure you get the benefits from it!

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Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

My eldest must think I’m obsessed. At 8 he has certainly got a natural talent for football and he is always keen to have a kick about in the garden in-between matches and team training. He will often just want to take shots at me which is fine as I firmly believe that doing the bits that you enjoy the most is what keeps us interested. But I do try to get him to do the bits that aren’t really coached yet at his age.

Throw ins at under 8’s is a classic example. A throw in is usually a foul throw (which the ref allows due to their age), the length of the throw is week due to poor technique and the decision making in who to throw it to is questionable.

Passing is another example. Instead of trying to ‘Messi’ it past 5 opposing players in his own penalty area (8 year olds don’t like to pass) I want him to make good, confident decisions on when to pass and create openings.

To master these he needs coaching and, although I’m not an FA coach, I do know how to coach.

One piece of advice that I can take into any type of coaching, expert at it or not, is to repeat the process over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. And when you think you’ve mastered it, repeat it again.

We move on too quickly. Either because we think something is accomplished or because we haven’t discovered a purpose for continuing.

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My eldest also brings home words to learn for a spelling test at the end of each week. It’s the same process. Tying his own show laces, eating foods that are nutritious but he doesn’t yet like the taste of, crossing a road, learning French all need repeating to be good at it. Despite some freakish ability by some people to have a natural talent at something, the rest of us have to work bloody hard to be good at it. And even then, don’t think that those with a natural talent don’t practice hard at what they do. They do, but what they do is just their knack. Their ‘thing’. We’ve all got a ‘thing’, we just need to find it. But if we are to persue different interests or to progress in certain areas then the chances are you will need to practice like mad to be any good at it. My son has a tendency to move on too quickly. Perhaps most kids do. Just because he has read his ten words for his spelling test doesn’t mean that he knows them.

I’d love to play guitar. I’ve even bought a couple in the past that look great as ornaments. Actually playing it will require time, patience, practice and repeating. I don’t do that. My excuses are time, my natural abilities aren’t good enough and getting blisters on my fingers. I know that I would be able to play a little if I stopped with the excuses. Maybe I’d never be Ed Sheeran, but I would learn the chords and be able to enjoy playing the guitar and far quicker if I hired a teacher.

My excuses for not playing guitar are exactly the same excuses that I hear on a daily basis in the gym.

Time, not good enough and injuries.

But me playing guitar or not isn’t affecting my health. Learning the chords won’t help my body fat percentage go down. Breaking into the intro to Smells like Teen Spirit won’t make me look and feel better in my clothes and my mental health won’t be any clearer if I can play the theme tune to Coranation Street. So I haven’t found my ‘why’. I haven’t found my purpose to playing guitar, therefore my motivation for doing it, as great as it would be, just isn’t there.

Passing a football through cones isn’t as exciting as smashing a ball into the top bins past his dad, but my son will develop and understand the game much quicker. And if he sees his work pay off on the pitch in a game then he will want to practice even more. He will want to repeat the process that allowed him to make the pass, shot, dribble or throw that won the game. Hopefully he discovers his reason for playing football. It might make him feel good. He might enjoy being part of a team. He might enjoy the buzz and excitement on match day or he might know how important exercise is to his physical and mental health. As long as he knows why he keeps going back for more he will keep progressing.

For best results I can’t help repeating certain movements for my clients to perform. Yet despite the repatition it is important to keep the reason for doing it fresh in their minds and also creating new challenges.

Yes you can squat, now can you squat deeper?

That is a good bench press, now create a slower eccentric movement for time under tension.

You can perform 10 reps, now do 12 reps.

Exactly the same for my eldest at football. You scored with your left foot, now can you kick the ball with you right foot. It is still football. It is still repeating the process, but now we have a new challenge to consider. And it will take time. Practice and time. Lots of it.

Remember your reasons for doing something. If it is so important to you then you will continue the process and you must repeat, repeat, repeat until your body and mind knows exactly what it is that you are wanting from it.

If it’s important enough to you then you will achieve it. You’ll never give up!

Hannibal Lecter

Because I don’t know anyone’s specific goals in the gym I don’t randomly start telling them what to do. Even as a PT in the gym where I train and I suspect poor form or an alternative exercise might be useful I don’t approach a gym member and start telling them what to do.

If I get into conversation with somebody and we talk about training then I might offer advice if they want it. But otherwise I don’t intrude on their workout. Perhaps that’s bad practice for a PT who runs his business by people joining him for PT. My first day as a PT at Pure Gym I remember being told to go around and correct people’s form to get business. That lasted 5 minutes. I’m not a salesman. And anybody who trains in such gyms will probably know what I mean. You’re on the tready, earphones in trying to get a PB and Todd (that’s what his name badge says) tells you to go incline to work your quads. Todd, who needs to move around in the shower to get wet, can do one. When you’ve achieved your PB, go up to him and ask him what the names of the quadriceps are called. See if he knows.

Today, I didn’t have Todd approach me. He wasn’t even a PT. He was an old school weight lifter of about 70 years old. He had obviously lifted for a number of years but his body fat percentage meant that I couldn’t see his hard work. That’s fine. That’s what he does. He does what he does and I do what I do. So why did he want to disrupt my workout?

I had just finished a dumbbell press and he asked me how many reps I had just done.

“Ten” I replied. He laughed and told me that I should do double that amount. I laughed back and explained that I am currently staying in a specific weight and rep range for a few weeks. He then proceeded to lift something very heavy for a few half reps, barking and seething with each one.

His shoulders, wrists, knees and elbows were heavily strapped and he had a very tight lifting belt on. Had he been wheeled in with a muzzle he would’ve reminded me of Hannibal Lecter.

In the hour and half that I trained he hobbled over to at least ten different people and tried to instruct on their form, give advice or make quips on their previous set. Yet, without meaning any offence, Hannibal was pretty crocked. The straps give me the impression that there’s joint issues and wearing a belt during lat raises tells me his lower back must be weak and in pain. He might have lifted for many years and I hope he enjoys his workouts, but he didn’t inspire me to follow in his footsteps.

If I’m strapped up in 20 years time then I’ve not been training correctly for the past 20 years. But the old school training was a ‘lift heavy or go home’ sort of attitude. Rep ranges, splits, time under tension and nutrition isn’t really something associated with old school training.

I hadn’t seen Hannibal before. Perhaps his gym had closed, which isn’t unusual these days. The spit and sawdust gyms are being priced out by cheaper national gyms offering not just a gym, but swimming pools, fitness classes and in some cases squash courts, saunas and steam rooms. And the past two years has seen lots of small businesses suffer. The old school trainers are slowly making their way into the mainstream gyms.

Todd approaches people because he is trying to earn a living and build a career. Hannibal is doing it because he thinks he knows more than you from talking to some bodybuilder in 1970. I’m sure there will be a Todd or a Hannibal in your gym. You might have spotted them already. Todd will give up eventually and as for Hannibal, just throw him some fava beans and a nice Chianti and he’ll be on his way.

The Leg Press

If I were asked (which I am almost daily) what exercises are best for reaching a particular fitness goal my answer almost always involves using free weights. Free weights enables us to move in a non linea way which not only helps in avoiding joint pain/injuries but works the target muscles much more efficiently. Simply put, your muscles need to use more energy when working with free weights.

But that should not mean abandoning the resistance machines altogether. With a well constructed training programme they are still a very useful component in reaching fitness goals.

And one of the most useful of them all, in my opinion, is the leg press. In this article I will attempt to state my case for the leg press machine!

The leg press has one major advantage over the standard squat and that is foot position. Indeed, we can place a bar on the back or on the front side of the shoulders and we can can alter our foot position slightly during squats, but we can’t emphasize these positions quite as easily as with the leg press.

If you are uncomfortable with performing squats then I would suggest keeping them to body weight only or using lighter kettlebells or dumbbells. Squats, after all, are fantastic exercises. But if you want to either add weight or isolate different muscle groups in your legs then the leg press will allow you to do this with confidence.

Just like your arms, shoulders, chest and back your legs need to be worked not only by using compounds but with a variety of isolations. Below is an image to help you understand how your foot positions can help target different muscles in your legs… including your glutes!

Here’s another couple of pointers for performing the leg press…

* To grow Spartan legs you will still need to perform squats and deadlifts with heavy weights. Just like growing every other body part, skipping the free weight compounds for the easier adaptions won’t get the muscle growing for myofibril hypertrophy.

* People often use the leg press because they are suffering from back pain and therefore leave out the squats. But the leg press can cause back issues too if you lower the sled too low with very heavy weights as this can cause your glutes and lower back to lift from the seat, putting your lumbar disks at risk of injury.

* Never lock your knees. Not only will it take the tension from your target muscle but it will put the pressure onto your knees.

* And here is a very contentious one that might have the purists grumbling! But I see no issue with placing your hands on your knees at the lowest point of the sled. Why? Just like when you use a spotter to help you through a sticking point in a rep or when you perform a heavy set, you’re spotting yourself by placing your hands on your knees! It is only cheating if you use your upper body to assist in the push. Cushioning your eccentric rep is similar to your friend guiding your forearms on a chest press.

The bottom line is that the free weights section plays a huge part in our progression within our fitness goals, but resistance machines such as the leg press will complete a well rounded programme. Working your lower body is an essential part of any fitness goals as this is where most of your largest muscles are found, with the gluteals being the largest of them all. So make sure that squats and leg press are a part of your routine!

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The Pareto Principle

Although Vilfredo Pareto didn’t commit his work to the perfect exercise programming he did create a power law which developed the concept of quality control which has some significance in the fitness world. This power law, also known as the 80/20 rule, is explained in a number of ways.

In his work, Cours d’économie politique, Pareto showed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He then discovered this to be true in many countries within the western world. In business management it is an adage that 80% of sales comes from 20% of clients. In taxation it is found that as recent as 2018 (USA) the top 20% of earners pay 80% of Federal income taxes. Microsoft noted that by fixing the top 20% of reported bugs, 80% of errors would be eliminated. Studies also find that 20% of patients use 80% of health care resources. In the USA The Dunedin Study founds that 80% if crimes are committed by 20% of criminals.

Yet perhaps, like with all research, theory and principles there are always exceptions. And in an amusing kind of way, 20% of us might subconsciously be using the Pareto Principle 80% of the time! Indeed, how true is it that you have 50 apps on your phone but only use around 10 of them most of the time? I have ten takeaway menus in my kitchen drawer but I will only use two for about eight out of the ten occasions that I order a takeaway.

The roads in your town that you drive on. The TV channels that you watch. The websites that you visit and the rooms during your waking hours in your home, roughly, will be spent on 80% of your time in just 20% of them.

So what is the significance of the Pareto Principle in our exercise routines? Already I have noticed that 20% of the gym members are spending 80% of their training time doing it correctly. But what is the correct way? How can we optimize our time to produce as much as possible from our exercise routines and hit our goals? Maybe this principle might help.

So we should expect 80% of our results in the gym to come from 20% of the work. Conversely, the remaining 20% of our results to come from the remaining 80% of the work.

This means that we need to learn, adapt and master the 20% of the work and THEN create a structure for your remaining 80%!

I can’t help you with the 80% of your time (unless you ask and then I can develop a kick ass training plan specific to your needs) but I will tell you the core exercises that you should be including whether it be for hypertrophy or fat loss. These should be your 20% to gain 80% of your results…

Walking

Walking shouldn’t be underestimated. In my previous articles I have discussed the importance in getting outdoors and walking. Not only can you burn calories if that is one of your goals, but it helps our cardiovascular system, brings us closer to nature, allows thinking time and, if you are walking with a friend or partner, enables good conversation away from normal life. I’m a treadmill Dodger, I admit, but I do enjoy walking which, not only does it tick the right boxes as above but allows me to crack on with the rest of my 20% in the gym.

Deadlifts

One of the greatest compound exercises you could ever begin to master. It is difficult yet very rewarding. It is so much more than a leg exercise or indeed a back exercise. To execute a perfect deadlift, every muscle needs to work hard. And it isn’t just a cardio machine that gets the heart racing. Give me 10 reps for 5 sets at a medium to heavy weight and tell me that you haven’t worked up a sweat! There are lots of variations to get to grips with too, so you’ll never get bored.

Bench Press

Again, this is a compound that should be incorporated into a complete workout routine. Known for working the chest (pecs) it is doing it a disservice to label it as such. The best bench press form actually comes from the drive from your feet and into your core before your push. Variations can be done by using dumbbells and different bench angles and isn’t just for men wanting impressive pecs! Females should perform them too! Also, depending on your weights and reps this will target your triceps and shoulders effectively.

Squats

With a barbell, with kettlebells, with dumbbells, with a weight plate or body weight, squats could possibly be the greatest exercise to master of them all. You can perform them anywhere! In the gym, at home, in the office or waiting for the bus. Great for your legs, of course, but your core will need to work hard for your perfect form.

Rows

Traditionally performed as a bent over barbell row, but can be adapted to be done with dumbbells and kettlebells with both hands or just single handed. In my experience of teaching these techniques it is possibly the one that is done incorrectly. The back muscles seem to be tough muscle groups to target without good ‘mind to muscle’ technique, therefore the biceps tend to do too much of the work without the proper scapular retraction needed. However, this is part of your 20% for the 80% benefits so I’d start getting used to them!

Isolation exercises are often used too often and too early within a workout. By isolating smaller muscle groups we don’t elicit muscle growth, hypertrophy, fat loss or strength in the way that we intend to, which can create frustration with our goals. The compounds suggested above should be your staple, go-to exercises, but weights, rep ranges and sets will vary depending on individual goals.