Best Exercises By Muscle Group

Feel free to print this out as a simple reminder.

Now let me straight up with you… you won’t see things like “walking on a treadmill” or “riding a stationary bike while watching an episode of ‘Friends’ (the one where Ross and Rachel are having issues).

“Mikey, isn’t that every episode of Friends”?

Sure is. That’s why that joke was hilarious. Don’t think it was hilarious? Try this one…

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it too.

Crickets? OK, that’s cool. Onto the list!

Now listen… exercise is your best remedy against stress and depression. It’s also “all natural” 😉

And when I trained my folks “old school” 1-on-1, I wrote down every single rep and set they did, along with their progress. Once a month, I studied the data. I was a nerd like that.

Anyway, the truth is that some exercises ARE certainly better than others when it comes to losing fat. Let’s do this!

Legs
Squats
Lying Hip Extensions/1-Leg Hip Extensions <= Great for beginners or those with knee issues
Variety of Lunges
Step-ups and *Lateral Step-ups
Romanian Deadlifts
1-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Glute Bridge
Stability Ball Leg Curls
Deadlifts (also great for the back)
*Lateral Step-ups – this is when you stand parallel to next to a bench or box and step up. This will work your hips more.

Back
Deadlifts win here again
Snatch Grip Deadlift <= Even better for the back
DB Rows
DB Chest-Supported Row <= Great for upper back
Chin-ups
Pull-ups
Suspension Rows
Inverted Rows
High Pulls

Upper Back
This muscle group is what gets ignored in most workout programs, yet if you work behind a desk for ANY amount of time, you should NEVER ignore your upper back muscles.
Bent-Over Rear Lateral Raise
Stick-ups
Facepulls
DB Chest-Supported Rows <= Extra credit for overhand grip 😉

Chest
Note – I haven’t bench pressed in years (on purpose). If you’re over 30, your shoulders probably won’t like the Bench Press anymore.
Variety of DB Chest Presses
Cable Chest Press
DB Squeeze Press (keep the dumbbells pressed together with your palms facing each other… good times)
Variety of *Pushups
*If your fat loss program doesn’t have pushups, I feel horrible for you.

Pushups are good for:
– Republicans
– Democrats
– Libertarians
– Teachers
– Moms
– Busy executives
– Chefs
– Bag boys
– Weirdos
– Bald people
… basically EVERYONE.

Abs
TRX Fallout <= My favorite!
Stability Ball Rollouts
Ab Wheel Rollouts
Stability Ball Jackknife
Mountain Climbers
X-Body Mountain Climbers
Spiderman Climb
Bodysaw
Variety of Planks
DB/Cable/Bodyweight Chops
KB Swings <= Say what? You bet… keep your abs braced HARD during this move and you’ll work your abs harder than any crunch
1-Arm DB Incline Chest Press <= Say what again? Yep. Do 6-8 reps per side on this and feel your abs work harder than ever.

Conditioning Exercises <= Mikey likey
KB/DB Swings
Jumping Jacks
Jump Rope
Bench Vault
Skater Hops
Sprints (all varieties)
Bodyweight Squats
Pushups
Lunge Jumps
Switch Lunge
High-Rep Chops (Bodyweight, Cable and Dumbbell)
TRX Squat and Row Combo
Box or Bench Jumps
Jump Squats
Broad Jump
*Total Body Extension <= BEST Non-impact exercise EVER
*I ignored this exercise for years because I thought it was cheesy. Then I did it and fell in love ever since. It’s an awesome way to crank your metabolism, get your heart rate up and work your legs, shoulders and abs without any impact to your joints.

See the video tutorial of the Total Body Extension here:

Later tater,
Mikey Whitfield, Master CTT

PS – I realize that the “harder” exercises are what get you the best results. Don’t let that stop you…

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell