In Part 2 of this series, I discussed methods you can use to help increase the efficiency of your strength training workouts. In this article, I’m going to teach you about exercise selection, which is a key component in your exercise routine.
The exercises that are the most challenging and exhausting are usually the ones that get you 80-90% of the benefits. Don’t waste your time with silly exercises you see in some fitness magazines, and definitely don’t do anything dangerous like the guy to the right. For more general strength training tips, you can check out 8 Weight Training Tips to NEVER Forget.
Here are the exercises you should focus on:
Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are multi-joint exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. Examples include bench press, shoulder press, and bent over row. A biceps curl, lateral raise, or triceps extension is a single-joint exercise (i.e. they only involve one joint).
Arm specific exercises in general are NOT compound movements and are not a great use of your time. If you focus on compound movements, your arms will get enough work. There’s nothing wrong with single joint exercises, which can help round out your physique and prevent strength imbalances, but if you want to get the best results in less time, focus on compound movements.
Full Body, Structural Exercises
Structural exercises are a type of compound exercise that impact your central nervous system by loading the spine (I know that sounds really bad, but it’s a good thing when done correctly). Structural exercises include the squat, lunge, deadlift, and even exercises that combine upper and lower body movements, like a dumbbell squat with shoulder press (aka combination exercises).
Most compound and structural exercises focus on larger muscle groups, but I want to make sure you understand engaging your largest muscle groups burns the most calories and is most efficient. Here’s how I would emphasize your workouts from a body part perspective (from most important to least important):
1) Legs
2) Back
3) Chest
4) Shoulders
5) Arms
If you follow the advice I’ve given you so far, your core (abs/lower back) will be adequately engaged, so you don’t need to do a ton of core specific exercises.
I want to emphasize that your biceps are a very small muscle group that get worked thoroughly when performing compound back exercises. I find it strange that so many guys (and even many women) will do these long arm workouts even though they are carrying way too much body fat. Many of these guys also have disproportionately large arms relative to the rest of their bodies.
In Part 4: How to Structure a Workout, which is the last part of this series, you’ll learn how to structure your efficient workouts so you can leverage all the information you’ve learned so far.
Wow Marc, I have never seen that photo before. Thats insane that his trainer is actually recommending this to him. I am surprised that picture wasn’t plastered all over my college gym on what NOT to do. Thanks for the tips, keep em coming…
That idiot is one Ed Hardy shy of belonging to my gym.
Funny but I see more guys working on their biceps than doing any other weight or exercise training. I see how full body exercises are a much more effective way of training.
Marc: I agree with your structural exercise focus. I have a question. Is it better to focus on 1 or two (if they complement each other) muscle groups per lifting exercise or do a total body workout? My thinking has always been (goal is fitness-related not adding muscle mass) to try and do a total body work coupled with cardio.
Any guidance would be much appreciated.
Hey Julian, that’s a great question and it’s something I’ve asked myself many times the last couple years. I will explore the topic of body part splits vs. full body workouts in much more depth in a future post, but I think as you point out, for fat loss and general fitness, full body workouts are superior. For building muscle, I would have to go with body part splits.
lol at Pats comment, wheres the youtube video of that workout session ending with a blown out yoga ball and a lot of hurt feelings, good post Marc, looking forward to examples of your favorite compound,full body/structural exercises
Just a brief hiya and to say thanks for posting your ideas on this page. I somehow came upon your blog while searching for health and fitness related things in Yahoo… guess I lost track of what precisely I had been doing! Anyway, thanks again and I’ll make an effort to swing in in the future and read some of your future remarks. See you later!