Bret Contreras You have weak glutes if you: •
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Round your low back during deadlifts to make the back conduct the lift rather than the hips and legs. Round your upper back during deadlifts. This can be acceptable, though…many strong powerlifter powerlifterss do this because they they can’t push push their their conventional conventional deadlift deadlift max max up further further if they kept their upper back arched.) Let your hips rise first in the squat thereby turning the lift into a “squat morning”. Suck at locking out your deadlifts. Stop short or hyperextend the low back during the deadlift lockout. Don’t have much power out of the hole when squatting. Let your knees cave inward during squats or sumo deads. Suck at hip thrusts, glute bridges, and pull-throughs and feel them all in the low back and hamstrings. Have minimal glute hypertrophy. Never feel feel your glutes turn turn on or don’t feel feel soreness soreness in them them from squats or lunges. lunges.
You have weak hamstrings if you: • •
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Have trouble sitting back in a squat. Don’t have good starting strength in the deadlift, where the most difficult part is getting it off the floor. Suck at arched back good mornings, RDLs, back extensions, 45-degree hypers, and reverse hypers. Sink like a ship during Russian leg curls and find yourself cheating like crazy during glute ham raises. Try to “squat” the weight up when doing rack pulls rather than “stiff leg deadlifting” the weight up. Are much better at trap bar deadlifts than conventional deadlifts. Can raw squat more than you can conventional deadlift. Can sumo deadlift way more than you can conventional deadlift.
You have weak quads if you: •
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Turn every squat into a “squat morning,” especially as the weight gets heavy (this could also be due to weak glutes and/or weak thoracic extensors). Suck at front squats, Olympic high bar full squats, barbell Bulgarian squats, barbell stepups, and barbell lunges Can stiff leg deadlift pretty much the same weight as you can conventional deadlift. Can conventional deadlift way more than you can squat.
You have weak thoracic extensors if you: • • •
Have trouble keeping the chest up during squats and good mornings. Suck at thoracic extensions. Kick ass at movements that isolate the hips and legs, such as belt squats or hip thrusts, but suck ass when the bar is on your back or in your hands.
You have weak abdominals if you: •
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Round your low back during deadlifts (this could also be weak glutes and poor hamstring flexibility). Experience your abs literally caving in when you deadlift heavy (which can be seen when you deadlift with your shirt off). Suck at ab-wheel rollouts, weighted planks, side planks, straight leg sit-ups, side bends, landmines, and hanging leg raises. Can squat way more when you wear a belt than when you don’t wear one.
You have weak forearms if you: •
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Perform a heavy deadlift with sub-maximal acceleration because you know it will slip out of your hands if you rise too fast. Chalk up for every upper and lower body pulling exercise. Can deadlift much more when you wear wrist straps than when you don’t wear them. Suck at masturbating (ok, I made that one up).
Best Deadlift Assistance Exercises The Glutes
Best Exercises that Work the Glutes in a Stretched Position: 1. 2. 3.
Full Squats Front Squats Zercher Squats
Best Exercises that Work the Glutes at End-Range Contraction: 1. 2. 3.
Barbell Glute Bridges (see video) Barbell Hip Thrusts (see video) Pull-Throughs
Other Great Glute Exercises:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Pendulum Donkey Kicks (see video) Seated Abduction (see video) Band Hip Rotation (see video) Weighted Bird Dogs (see video) Elevated Lunges Bottom Up Single Leg Hip Thrusts (see video)
The Hamstrings
Best Exercises that Work the Hamstrings in a Stretched Position: 1. 2. 3.
Deficit Deadlifts Good Mornings Snatch Grip Deadlifts
Best Exercises that Work the Hamstrings at End-Range Contraction: 1. 2. 3.
Weighted Back Extensions Reverse Hypers (see video) 45-Degree Back Raises (see video)
Other Great Hamstring Exercises: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Dimel Deadlifts (see video) Glute-Ham Raises (see video) Russian Leg Curls Gliding Leg Curls (see video) Standing Single Leg Pendulum Leg Curls (see video) Rack Pulls
The Erector Spinae and Upper Back
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Thoracic Extensions (see video) Front Squats (possibly the best and most overlooked upper back strengthener?) Safety Bar Upper Back Good Mornings Seated Good Mornings Bent Over Rows T-Bar Rows Shrugs One Arm Lever Rows (see video)
The Abs/Obliques
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Ab Wheel Rollouts (see video) Straight Leg Sit Ups Hanging Leg Raises Side Bends Weighted Front Planks (see video) Suitcase Holds (see video) Band Anti-Rotary Hold (see video) The Grappler (see video)
The Quads
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Leg Press (yes, the leg press is great for deadlifting & quad strength off the floor) Full Squat, Parallel Squat, Half Squat Hack Lift Bulgarian Split Squat Forward Front Lunge Low Barbell Step Up Front Squat Harness Squat (see video) Pendulum Donkey Kick
The Forearms
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Deficit Deadlift (longer TUT) Rack Pull (heavier load) Deadlifts against Bands (accommodating resistance) Barbell Shrugs One Arm Lever Rows Mixed Grip Static Holds
