TARGET ANY MUSCLE

A SIMPLE GUIDE ON HOW TO TRAIN ANY MUSCLE IN THE GYM

BY BEN YANES
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 Intro 09 Adductors

02 Lats 10 Hamstrings

03 Pecs 11 Quads

04 Delts 12 Calves

05 Traps 13 Erectors

06 Biceps 14 Abs

07 Triceps 15 Forearms

08 Glutes 16 Conclusions
 01
INTRO
This book is meant to be a “cheat sheet” guide to
lifting weights - something you can quickly pull up
on your phone if you’re in the gym struggling to
train the muscles you want. In my other work, I
spend lots of time diving into the (deeper)
nuances of anatomy and physics. This will not be
the case here.

A unique set of steps guide how to set up and

execute exercises for each muscle group. No two
groups are the same. Use the table of contents to
your advantage and click on the chapters that are
relevant to you - each section functions in
isolation from all others, so do not feel the need
to read everything in order.

Each chapter will cover a different set of muscles.

Within each section, you will learn:

How to stretch the target muscle.

How to shorten the target muscle.
How to directly load the target muscle.
How to stabilize & execute exercises for the
target muscle.
 02

All of the above information will be accessible

through image alone, but I have also filmed short
video lectures for each section that briefly
summarize the section’s content and provides
additional insights. These lectures are not meant
to be as nuanced as a longer course lecture, but
rather a quick summary of the section for you who
prefer to watch a video. Even if you’ve read
through every section and viewed every diagram -
it will benefit your learning to see me describe
everything with motion on my skeleton model
(plus, there are some bonus bits of information
covered in the videos that are not covered in the
text).

I hope this guide helps. If it does, please tell a

friend about it :)
 03
LATS
The lats are a fan-shaped muscle with multiple
different subdivisions. For training application
purposes, we can subdivide the lats into two
sections: upper lats and lower lats. Both of the
lats attach to the same location on the upper arm.

The upper lats are the ones that sit higher

up on the spine. Their fibers run
horizontally and are therefore more
involved in rowing motions.

The lower lats are the ones that run from

the hip, ribs, and lower spine up into
the upper arm. Their fibers run
more vertically compared to
the upper lats and are there-
fore more involved in pull-
down motions. Upper

The upper and lower lats

share similar actions, but
Lo
w

when lifting, it is helpful

er

to divide them into

upper and lower lat
exercises.
 04
UPPER LATS
How to fully stretch the
upper lats

The upper arm is pulled

forward, slightly upward,
and slightly across the
face. Note how the lats
get stretched out and
around the ribs when you
do this.

How to fully shorten

the upper lats

The upper arm is

tucked tight and
downward to the body
and comes in line with
the torso.
 05
How to directly load the upper lats

The upper arm is angled forward and slightly upward

and is being pulled by the resistance in that direction.
 06
How to stabilize motions for the upper lats

If done single arm (pictured above):

Use your non-working hand to push into a pad in
front of you.
Use your same-side leg to push into something in
front of you.
If you are using a chest-supported row machine,
see the image below for a highly stable setup:

The non-working hand pushes away from the body

to resist rotation. The trunk stays glued to the chest
pad. The same-side leg drives the trunk into the
chest pad.
 07

If done 2-arm:
Use a chest support to put in front of your trunk,
such as a bench, or use a chest-supported
machine row (as shown above, but use 2 arms).
 08
If done 2-arm:
Use both legs in front of you if done on a cable
row station without a chest support.

Although the loading angle is purely horizontal to the torso here,

the upper lats are our major mover, given the tight arm path.
 09
How to execute motions for the upper lats

Ensure that your arm is tight to your ribcage

throughout the motion.
Allow your shoulder blade and arm to “reach”
forward in the stretch.
Drive your elbow(s) down toward your pockets
as you pull.

The above image is a view of an “upper lat row”

from behind (the same exercise displayed first in
this section). Note the angle of the upper arm
relative to how close it is to my ribcage.

How close or tight your arm appears will be

specific to your anatomy and size. The larger and
 10
more jacked you are, the wider your arm path will
appear. The narrower you are, the closer to your
body your arm should likely be.
 11
LOWER LATS
How to fully stretch the
lower lats

The arm is brought up and

overhead and the
shoulder is shrugged in
the direction of the arm.
Note how the arm is not
perfectly in line with the
torso but slightly forward
in front of the face.

How to fully shorten the

lower lats

The arm is tight to the

body, brought down
toward the hips, and is in
line with the torso at the
fully contracted position.
 12
How to directly load the lower lats

The upper arm is angled upward/slightly forward

in front of the body and is being pulled by the
resistance in that direction.
 13
How to stabilize motions for the lower lats

If done single arm:

Use your non-working hand to push into
something in front of/above you.
Use your same-side leg to push into something in
front of you OR kneel/sit on the legs to use your
body weight to anchor against the resistance
(like I am kneeling in the above photos).
Push up into a thigh pad (as on a normal lat pull-
down) and ensure the pad is tight to your legs
(pictured below).

If done double arm (pictured below):

Ensure you have a thigh pad to hold you down
and that you are actively calf-raising into it.
 14

How to execute motions for the lower lats

Ensure that your arm is tight to your ribcage

throughout the motion (same concept as upper
lats detailed above).
Allow your shoulder blade and arm to “reach
and shrug” forward/upward in the stretch (see
below).
Think about pulling with your armpits rather
than your hands.
Another version of this: drive your elbow(s)
down toward your pockets as you pull.
15
 16
LAT TRAINING F.A.Q
Should I restrict shoulder blade motion during lat
movements?

No. Allowing your shoulder blades to move is one

of the most important aspects of any good lat
movement.

Is single or double arm better?

Both have upsides and downsides.

With single-arm, you can be more specific loading

each side and can accommodate for strength and
size differences between arms. You can also
individualize paths for each arm in a way that is
more comfortable for both sides and pull more
narrow to your body with implements that are set
too wide for you (like some machines). Single arm
is also generally easier to stabilize at the
trunk/spine.

With double-arm, you’ll save some time, but it’s

generally harder to find a perfect arm path for
either side. You may also not find fixed-grip
pulling as comfortable as pulling with a single arm
 17
and a free-moving D-handle.

Ultimately, just apply these principles, and find

which options feel best for you. Both single and
double-arm can be great - it’s all about the time
and place. I personally prefer single arm most of
the time and take little to no rest between arms.

Are pull-overs good for lats?

Pull-overs definitely train the lats, but they are

not as specific to their function as pull-downs and
rows are.

If you have a great pull-over machine, or you love

doing cable pull-overs for lats, then that’s a
totally fine option. I would personally recommend
narrow pull-downs and rows to be as specific as
possible to the lats, however (assuming no
limitations).

Do wide rows and pull-downs not train the lats?

Both wide rows and pull-downs train the lats to

some degree, but they are not nearly as specific
to the lats as a narrow row or pull-down would be.
 18
LAT TRAINING VIDEO
SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 19
PECS
The pecs are a fan-shaped muscle with multiple
different subdivisions. For training application
purposes, we can broadly subdivide the pecs into
two sections: upper pecs and lower pecs. Both of
the pecs attach to the same location on the upper
arm.

The upper pecs are the ones that are higher up on

the torso. They run from the collarbone and top
of the sternum to the upper arm. Their fibers run
horizontally and are (generally) more
involved in wider pressing/fly motions.

The lower pecs are the ones that run

from the ribcage/mid and lower sternum
upward into the upper arm. They utilize
the ribs for leverage and are
(generally) more involved in
narrower pressing/flye motions.
Upper

The upper and lower pecs

Lower
share similar actions, but
when lifting, it is helpful
to divide them into
upper and lower pec
exercises.
 20
UPPER PECS

How to fully stretch

the upper pecs

The arms should be

brought slightly wider
and backward behind
the trunk.

How to fully shorten the

upper pecs

The arm should be brought

inward and across the body
toward the collarbone and
upper portions of the
sternum.
 21

How to directly load the upper pecs

The arms should be loaded so that they are pulled

behind the body/outward. The arms should be
slightly wider away from the ribs, as pictured
above, and you should press at an angle where
your biceps drive toward the inner collarbone
and/or the top of the sternum.
 22

Example of a path/angle that fits my upper pec

anatomy well:

Note that the DB and cable press pictured are basically

loaded at identical angles.
 23

How to stabilize motions for the upper pecs

Stabilizing for pec motions is simple: make sure

you have a bench (or something similar) behind
you! I wouldn’t recommend single-arm pressing in
a vast majority of cases, so it will not be covered
here.
 24

How to execute motions for the upper pecs

Ensure arm path matches fiber direction

(photo below)- a slightly wider arm path with a
slightly low-high angle is a good starting point.
Do not make the mistake of using super high
inclines or overhead presses.
Deeper isn’t always better. Use the arm path
that’s comfortable for you and that feels best
for the upper pecs.
Press toward the inner collarbone and upper
portions of the sternum (next page). Make sure
the resistance aligns with this.
25
 26
LOWER PECS

How to fully stretch the

lower pecs

The arms are brought

backward and upward,
tighter to the ribcage.

How to fully shorten

the lower pecs

The arms are brought

inward and slightly
downward, toward
the nipple line.
 27

How to directly load the lower pecs

The arms are loaded backward behind the body

and slightly upward. The arms stay relatively
tighter to the ribs. Ensure this matches fiber
direction.

Ensure that you are not restricting shoulder blade

motion when performing presses for the mid-low
pecs - at least not arbitrarily. The mid-lower pecs
are primary movers of the shoulder girdle, so
restricting their motion is restricting their
contraction.
 28

Note how a similar loading angle can be created

on a machine that wasn’t “intended” for training a
decline pressing motion.

Although the angle appears flatter (and even

slightly inclined), adjusting the torso so that the
chest is pulled up makes it so that the resistance
is acting most directly against the fibers of the
lower half of the pecs.
 29

How to stabilize motions for the lower pecs

Stabilizing for pec motions is simple: make sure

you have a bench (or something similar) behind
you (pictured above)! I wouldn’t recommend
single-arm pressing in a vast majority of cases, so
it will not be covered here.

How to execute motions for the lower pecs

Ensure a load direction that pushes the arms

upward/backward behind the body (pictured
below).
Ensure a relatively tighter arm path so that the
mid-low pecs gain more leverage than the
upper pecs.
Do not restrict scapular motion, especially
when performing motions like dips.
If you’re struggling to connect with your lower
pecs, imagine that you’re pressing with your
armpits instead of your hands.
Another cue for this is to press with the
elbows or biceps instead of the hands.
30
 31

A note on pec flyes

Pec flyes can be biased toward any portion of the

pec as long as you adjust the angle of your trunk
to match the goal pec you’re trying to target
(apply the above principles to do this). Keep in
mind that all pec flyes will target all the pecs to
some degree.

In the stretched position of the pec fyle, you

should imagine pushing your arms forward.
 32

In the shortened position of the pec fyle, you

should imagine pushing your arms together.
 33
PEC TRAINING F.A.Q
Should I restrict motion of the shoulder blades
when training the pecs?

No. In general, I do not recommend restricting

scapular motion intentionally, especially for
training the lower half of the pecs, which directly
move the shoulder girdle. The whole “scaps back
and down” thing is a myth that needs busting. The
shoulder blades move backward and UPWARD in
full retraction.

What about pec flyes?

Pec flyes, especially when set up well for an

individual, are a great option for training the pecs.
All of the same principles discussed above apply
to pec fyles, too.

Should you arch your back for every pec motion?

No. Only arch your back when it aligns with the

pec training goal you’re trying to accomplish. In
some cases, it might be necessary, but not in
every case.
 34
PEC TRAINING VIDEO
SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 35
DELTS
The deltoid is a fan-shaped muscle with seven
distinct subdivisions. It attaches from the
collarbone and shoulder blade down to the upper
arm.

In a training setting, the deltoid can be divided

into three major segments: front, middle, and
rear.

While some of these divisions overlap

depending on the exercise and resistance,
we will consider each of these individually
as if that weren’t the case for practical
reasons.

Front raises will train the front delt,

lateral raises will train the side delt,
and reverse flyes will train the
rear delts.

There are many other motions

that involve each of these
muscles (like presses and
rows) which will be
addressed in the
F.A.Q section.
 36
FRONT DELTS
How to fully stretch the
front delts

The arm is brought

slightly wider and behind
the body. Ensure that the
elbow isn’t straight so
that the biceps don’t limit
the stretch.

How to fully shorten the

front delts

The arm is brought

inward/upward toward the
nose/eyes/forehead.
 37
How to directly load the front delts

The arms are pulled back and/or down by the

resistance, as in a higher incline press, raise, or
flye.
 38

How to stabilize motions for the front delt

A bench behind the body will be ideal when

performing press, flye or raising motions.

If you are performing a flye motion, however,

standing and the stability of your body weight
may be perfectly fine in stabilizing the motion - as
long as the resistance isn’t pulling you backward
too much, but rather downward, as illustrated
here:
 39

How to execute motions for the front delt

Pressing is fairly straightforward - ensure

you’re stable on a bench and use an arm
path/angle that feels mostly like front delt,
rather than all pecs.
For raising motions - play around with the
angle that you’re raising at. Some people will
prefer to raise up/out to the sides, while
others prefer to raise directly forward
(example on next page).
Imagine that you’re moving through the elbows
rather than the hands. The arms can
sometimes get overly involved if we’re not
conscious of where we’re moving from
specifically.
 40
Example of “front raise” angle:

Pro tip: if you don’t like how this feels, try looping
the handle you’re using around your upper arm:
 41
Cuing of the “full range” front raise could look
like...

Raising “forward” in the bottom:

 42

Raising “upward” in the middle:

 43

Raising “backward” in the top:

 44
MIDDLE DELTS
How to fully stretch the
middle delts

The arm is at the side.

This is about as stretched
as the middle delt can be,
because your body is in
the way. Slightly in front
of and across the body
may provide more stretch.

How to fully shorten the middle

delts

The arm is brought out/up so that

the fibers of the middle delt are
aligned with the upper arm. The
middle delt is fully shortened well
before the arm goes overhead.
 45
How to directly load the middle delts

The arm needs to be pushed inward toward the

body by the resistance.
 46
2-arm:
 47
How to stabilize motions for the middle delt

If done 2-arm:
Not much (if any) extra stability is needed. If
you are performing raises with cables, DBs, or
a machine, the force going through either hand
should cancel out any stability issues (pictured
above).
Seated on a bench is probably more stable
than standing, however.

If done 1-arm:
Utilize the non-working hand to push against
something so that your torso does not bend
and twist because of the force of the
cable/DB/machine (scroll up 2 pages for
visual).
Utilize your opposite-side leg to push into the
floor so that your body does not get pulled
over (scroll up 2 pages for visual).

How to execute motions for the middle delt

Ensure the direction of resistance is actually

trying to smush your arm into your body. This
is where most people go wrong.
 48
Think about raising “out” and not necessarily
“up“. Trying to raise “upward” usually makes
the motion feel trap-dominant.
Do not assume that raising your arms a greater
distance upward is better. Recall the section
on fully stretching and shortening the middle
delt. You don’t and shouldn’t need to go fully
overhead to train the middle delts sufficiently.
Using cables will feel far smoother than using
DBs during lateral motions.
Plus, with cables, you get the added benefit
of manipulating exactly where you want the
resistance to go.

Pro tip: notice how the handle is looped around the top
of my hand instead of me grabbing it? Try that out.
 49
Cuing of the “full range” side raise could look
like...

Raising “outward” in the bottom:

 50

Raising “upward” in the top:

 51
REAR DELTS
How to fully stretch the
rear delts

The arm is pulled across

the body wherever
comfortable. Aiming for
the chin/nose is not a bad
starting point for finding
this position.

How to fully shorten the

rear delts

The arm is pulled

back/behind the body
between 45-60 degrees
away from the torso.
 52
How to directly load the rear delts

The arm needs to be pulled across the body

and/or forward by the resistance.
 53
How to stabilize motions for the rear delts

If done 1-arm:
Utilize the opposite side arm to hold onto
something so that your spine doesn’t get
twisted/bent (pictured above).
Utilize your legs and body weight to help the
opposite side arm. I personally like to lean into
the side I’m training a little bit (pictured
above).

If done 2-arm:
Ensure that the relationship between your
arms and the cables/machine you’re using
creates symmetry so that one side cancels out
the other side’s twisting (pictured below).

(cables crossing)
 54

(cables crossing)
 55

twisting cancels out

How to execute motions for the rear delts

The emphasis of motion in reverse flyes should

be on the “in” and “outward” direction (when
the arms are in front of the body), rather than
the forward/backward direction.
Much like with middle delts - and how we
discussed moving “out” instead of “up” -
imagine that you’re mostly utilizing “in-out”
as your cue for where to move the arm
rather than something that resembles a
row.
Do not intentionally restrict scapular motion -
it occurs for a reason.
Do not tie yourself to a single arm-path. Play
around with whatever feels best on your
shoulders and rear delts.
 56

Cuing of the “full range” reverse flye could look

like...

Movng “forward” or “outward” in the “bottom”:

 57

Movng “backward” in the “top”:

 58
DELT TRAINING F.A.Q
Why do you prefer cables for training delts?

Cables allow you to easily manipulate loading

angle, which is especially important for muscles
like the delts which all have closely packed
attachment sites. Cables will also feel smoother
than DBs and often times decrease discomfort if
any is present.

Do you really need to train the front delt?

I personally don’t do any specific sets for the

front delt because my pressing volume for pecs is
fairly high - that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. If I
had a front-delt-specific goal, then I would
include some front-delt-specific motions like
front raises and high incline presses.

Are incline presses the only ones that train front

delt?

No. Presses at any angle will train the front delt to

some degree - you can’t “get rid” of it in any
press. But the front delts are proportionately
more involved in incline presses because the pecs
cannot pull the arm overhead as the front delt
can.
 59
Do overhead presses not train the middle delts?

No, at least not directly in the way that lateral

raising motions do.

What’s the difference between a middle delt raise

where the cable is in front vs behind the body?

It depends on how the cable is angled. In general,

if your arm is being pulled behind your back,
you’ll be training your middle and front delt. If
your arm is being pulled in front of your body
toward your chest (like a Y-raise), you’ll be
training the middle and rear delt. Neither is
“better” - they simply do different things.

Should I use a cuff for middle delt training?

I personally recommend using a cuff or looping a

D handle on top of the hand for delt training, yes.
It isn’t necessary, but I recommend it.

Don’t rows and pull-downs target the rear delts,

too? You only showed reverse flyes.

Yes. Rows do target the rear delts to some degree,

 60

but not to the same degree as reverse flye

motions will.

Do you like using the reverse flye machine?

Depends on the machine. Some fit me well, some

don’t. Don’t be tied to using one just because
your gym has it. See if you actually like it once
you’ve played around with it. I personally prefer
using cables as demonstrated a majority of the
time.
 61
DELT TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 62
TRAPS
The trapezius group holds the collarbone and
shoulder blade to the upper extremity - you can
think of the traps as hands that grab onto and
control motion of the shoulder girdle, supporting
the shoulder’s ability to move in a wide variety of
directions.

There are three major portions of the trapezius

muscle: upper, middle, and lower portions. All
portions help control motion of the shoulder in
some way, but they all function uniquely
based on their different attachment sites.

The traps are involved in every upper

body motion you can think of (to some
degree), but to target them most
specifically, we’ll need to be a
bit more specific about how we
load the upper arm and what
motions we choose to target
each portion of the traps.
 63
UPPER TRAPS
How to fully stretch the
upper traps

The arm is down at the

sides and the shoulder
blades are depressed
(downward).

How to fully shorten the

upper traps

The arm is overhead and

the shoulder is maximally
elevated/shrugged up to
the sky.
 64

How to directly load the upper traps

The shoulder girdle needs to be pulled downward

toward the floor.

Any kind of shrugging or raising motion will load

the upper traps to some degree. Vertical shrugs
are likely the most specific upper trap option
there is. Below is a photo of how you might load
the shortest position of the upper traps, at the
top of a lateral raise:
 65

Note how the cable still has some distance away

from my body but how it is close to being parallel
to my upper arm in the top position.

How to stabilize motions for the upper traps

If done 1-arm:
Utilize the opposite side arm to hold onto
something so that your spine doesn’t get
twisted/bent.

If done 2-arm:
Little if any stability needs to be added to 2-
arm shrugging/raising motions, but a bench
could help if you feel off-balance.
 66
How to execute motions for the upper traps

If doing shrugs, imagine the shoulders not just

moving upward, but also inward toward the
ears.
If doing raising motions, imagine shrugging
upward toward the top and moving the upper
arms inward toward the ears.
If you find DB shrugs and BB shrugs
uncomfortable, use cables and try to include
some upper arm motion in the shrugging
action. See the next section on middle trap
training for some recommendations.
 67
MIDDLE TRAPS
How to fully stretch the
middle traps

The arm is positioned

forward and downward and
the shoulder blades are
rolled forward (protracted)
away from the spine.

How to fully shorten the

middle traps

The arm is pulled back, up,

and behind the body and
the shoulder blades are
shrugged upward/backward
toward the neck.
 68
How to directly load the middle traps

The shoulder girdle needs to be pulled downward

and forward by the resistance.

Many people get confused by the above photo

and how I’m describing it. One must keep in mind
that we are not talking about the relationship
between the resistance and the floor, but rather
the relationship between the resistance and the
body’s position.

Turn your head sideways or rotate the screen so

that you’re viewing the image as if it’s upright -
you’ll see how it’s similar to a low-high row in a
standing position.
 69

One could also simply perform a shrug motion

upward/backward without bending the arms if you didn’t
want to recruit other muscles besides the middle traps
primarily. The rear delts and lats are involved in the
above motion (the rear delts a lot, the lats only a little).

How to stabilize motions for the middle traps

In the above photos, the stability is

straightforward - use the legs to ensure the torso
isn’t pulled forward. One can mimic this posture
in any low-high row (or a purely horizontal row,
which would involve more of the upper lats).

If the load is excessively challenging to stabilize

against, then a chest-support is recommended:
 70

How to execute motions for the middle traps

Paying attention to both the upper arm and

shoulder blades is very useful in my
experience. Many people find it clunky to only
do the shrugging portion of the motion. Making
it a combined “shrug row” rather than one or
the other has been very helpful to me and my
clients.
Imagine your shoulder blades are moving back
and up, not one or the other. This should align
with the direction of resistance if you have it
appropriately set up.
 71
LOWER TRAPS
How to fully stretch the
lower traps

The arm is pulled down

and across the body and
the shoulder is pulled
forward/down toward the
lower pecs.

How to fully shorten the

lower traps

The arm is positioned

above the head so that the
shoulder blade is fully
rotated upward. This is
different from the upper
traps because we are not
shrugging in this case.
 72
How to directly load the lower traps

The shoulder girdle needs to be pulled forward

and/or downward across the body by the
resistance. The low traps are also loaded any time
we are performing a traditional raise.

How to stabilize motions for the lower traps

If done 2-arm:
Not much (if any) extra stability is needed. If
you are performing raises with cables, DBs, or
a machine, the force going through either hand
should cancel out any stability issues.
Seated on a bench is probably more stable
than standing, however.
 73
If done 1-arm:
Utilize the non-working hand to push against
something so that your torso does not bend
and twist because of the force of the
cable/DB/machine (see above photos for
visual).
Utilize your opposite-side leg to push into the
floor so that your body does not get pulled
over (if standing).

How to execute motions for the lower traps

Maximize for rotation of the upper arm and

shoulder blade, unlike during middle delt
training. Performing raises overhead is a great
option (shown in the upper trap section).
When performing “y raises” (pictured above),
ensure you’re moving through the entire range,
where your arm ends up in line with or behind
the body.
First, think about raising “outward”, then
think about raising “backward” to account
for the change in your arm’s direction
(pictured below).
 74

“Outward” first.

“Backward” or
“behind” second.
 75
Alternative setup/view:

Note: this setup will heavily bias the middle/part of

the rear delt as well.
 76
TRAP TRAINING F.A.Q
Do I even need to directly train my traps?

If your delts are growing, your traps probably are,

too. They are heavily involved in any raising
motion and many pulling motions. It’s hard to “get
rid of them”. Whether or not you train them
directly is up to you and should align with what
your goals are. If you want to train them directly, I
recommend starting with shrugging/shrug-row
motions for the middle and upper traps, and Y
raises for the low traps.

Are barbell and DB shrugs ok? You didn’t show

any.

Yes, they’re perfectly fine, as long as they’re

comfortable for you. I personally prefer to
integrate my trap training into rowing motions so
that I don’t have to use a TON of load to train
them, but that’s just personal preference.

It doesn’t seem like I can feel my traps stretching

a ton. Why is that?
 77

Your traps are designed not to stretch and

shorten nearly as much as many other muscles (2-
joint muscles especially) are. This is because they
never “shut off” - they’re responsible for holding
your shoulder girdle to your spine. If your traps
somehow went through as large of a length
change as your hamstrings could, we’d be in deep
trouble, because none of the other muscles of the
shoulder girdle would be able to function well if
the traps were always fatigued.

I can’t seem to “get rid” of my traps during any

raising motion. Is there something wrong with
me?

No. Many people have spread the belief that

feeling your traps during any raising motion is
unnatural - this is totally false. ALL of the traps
contribute to rotating the shoulder blade so that
your arms can reach overhead. If you are loading
a press or raise above your head, your traps NEED
to contribute substantially. If you’re constantly
feeling your traps and nothing else, visit the delt
training section and pay close attention to
direction of resistance.
 78

Are the functions of the traps much different? It

seems like there’s a lot of overlap.

All of the traps contribute to rotating the

shoulder blades upward so that we can reach
overhead, however, only the upper and middle
traps can contribute to shrugging.

The lower traps can pull the shoulder blade

downward, but not in the same way that muscles
like the lats and pecs can. The lower traps are our
silent players that contribute mostly to raising
motions.

I noticed you didn’t include horizontal rowing

motions. Why not?

Horizontal rows definitely involve all of the traps

to some degree - most specifically the middle
traps - but the purpose of this guide is to show
you how to most directly load these tissues. If I
covered every possible exercise for every muscle,
this book would be thousands of pages long. I
cover this in more depth in the video below.
 79
TRAP TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 80
BICEPS
The biceps brachii muscles sit on the front side
of the upper arm and primarily function to bend
the elbow (curling motions in the gym).

The biceps have two heads: the

outer (long) and inner (short)
heads. Although these heads
are very similar in their
function at the elbow, their
roles at the shoulder are
different (and thus they will
stretch and shorten most in
different shoulder positions,
which we will only cover
Long
in the video section of this
chapter).

The long head sits on the

Short
outside of the
arm, while the short head sits
on the inside
of the arm.
 81
BICEPS

How to stretch the biceps

The arm is pulled back,

behind the body, and the
elbow is straightened.

See the biceps video summary for

differences in stretching/shortening
the short vs long head.

How to shorten the biceps

The arm is positioned in

front of the body/up closer
to chin-level and the elbow
is bent.
 82

How to directly load the biceps

The elbow must be straightened by the resistance.

How to stabilize motions for the biceps

The bottom of the upper arm must be supported

by an external object, such as a bench or pad. See
the images above for examples of appropriately
stabilized motions for the biceps.
 83
How to execute motions for the biceps

Ensure that your palm is facing your biceps as

you curl, that the bottom of your upper arm is
supported by a pad/bench (or something
similar), and that you do not lose contact with
this pad throughout the entirety of your set.
Understand how the forearm moves through an
arc as you curl:
In the elbow-straightened position, the
hand moves “forward”, so your intent
should match this.
In the 90-degree elbow-bent position, the
hand moves “upward”, so your intent
should match this.
In the fully elbow-bent position (where the
forearm runs into the biceps), the hand
moves “backward” toward the body, so your
intent should match this.
What we call “upward” or “forward” will
depend on position of the upper arm, so
your cuing needs to be specific to the
curling variant you’re doing.
See the images below that provide examples of
the above descriptions in shorter and longer
biceps exercises.
 84
Shorter Length Biceps Variant

“Upward” when
the elbow is
straight.

“Backward” when
the elbow is
bent.
 85
Longer Length Biceps Variant

“Forward” when
the elbow is
straight.

“Upward” when
the elbow is
bent.

Note: I am using
a seatbelt as my
stability here.
 86
BICEPS TRAINING F.A.Q
Do I need to stabilize every curl I do?

No, but I generally recommend doing it. It’ll make

it much easier to target your biceps and nothing
else when you have support behind the bottom of
the upper arm.

What if I want to target the

brachialis/brachioradialis (the other elbow
benders)?

Apply all the same principles we discussed above,

but use a neutral forearm position instead of a
supinated forearm position (like a hammer curl).

Do I need different exercises for the long and

short heads?

Need? No. If you want to be more specific to each

head, you probably can, but whether or not it
makes a hypertrophy difference, I’m unsure.
Watch the biceps summary video below if you are
interested in the differences.
 87
BICEPS TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 88
TRICEPS
The triceps brachii sit on the back side of the
upper arm and all function to straighten the
elbow when they contract. So, regardless of the
triceps extension one performs, if you are
straightening the elbow against resistance, you
are training all three heads to some degree.

The triceps muscles are three-fold: the long head,

the medial head, and the lateral head.

The long head is the only one of the three

that directly crosses and acts on the
shoulder.

In application, this means that

the long head can stretch and
shorten to a larger degree than
the medial and lateral heads
and that we must consider
shoulder position when
training the long head.
Lateral

Medial
(under)
Long
 89
TRICEPS
How to stretch the
triceps

The arm is positioned in

front of the body/up
closer to chin-level and
the elbow is bent.

How to shorten the triceps

The arm is pulled back, in

line the body, and the
elbow is straightened.
 90

How to directly load the triceps

The elbow must be bent by the resistance.

How to stabilize motions for the triceps

The bottom of the upper arm must be supported

by an external object, such as a bench, seatbelt or
pad. See the images below for examples.
 91

As long as there is contact somewhere on the

front or back side of the upper arm (the bottom of
the upper arm), the motion will be relatively more
stable than if you didn’t have any object to
anchor against.

In the right photo, I am using a dip belt and have

attached it to the opposite side of the cable
column. Below is another example, admittedly
taking up some space :)
 92

The stability here is gained from leaning into the

support of the metal lever so that the upper arm
remains fixed as the forearm moves.
 93
How to execute motions for the triceps

Ensure that your forearm/hand is in a comfortable

and stable position before you extend. There is no
“right” or “wrong” here.
Ensure that the bottom of your upper arm is
supported by a pad/bench or belt (or something
similar), and that you do not lose contact with
this anchor throughout the entirety of your set.
This applies unless you are performing a
“triceps press” motion wherein the upper arm
should move.
Understand how the forearm moves through an
arc as you extend:
In the elbow-straightened position, the hand
moves “backward”, so your intent should
match this.
In the 90-degree elbow-bent position, the
hand moves “downward”, so your intent
should match this.
In the fully elbow-bent position (where the
forearm runs into the biceps), the hand moves
“forward” away the body, so your intent
should match this.
What we call “upward” or “forward” will
depend on position of the upper arm, so your
cuing needs to be specific to the curling
variant you’re doing.
See examples below of the above descriptions.
 94
Shorter Length Tricep Variant

“Down/away”
when the elbow
is bent.

“Backward” when
the elbow is
straight.
 95

Longer Length Tricep Variant

“Up/away” when
the elbow is
bent.

“Away/down”
when the elbow
is straighter.
 96
TRICEPS TRAINING F.A.Q
Do I need to stabilize every extension I do?

No, but I generally recommend doing it. It’ll make

it easier to target your triceps and nothing else
when you have a support for the upper arm. There
are some extension motions that it is unnecessary
for, though - like triceps presses and extensions
done close to the body (the first images I used in
the triceps section).

Do I need different exercises for the different

heads?

Need? No. If you want to be more specific to each

head, you probably can, but whether or not it
makes a hypertrophy difference, I’m unsure.
Watch the triceps summary video below if you are
interested in the differences.
 97
TRICEPS TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 98
GLUTES
The glutes are fan-shaped muscles that sit on the
back and sides of the pelvis. The glutes function
to control the relationship between the pelvis and
leg.

For the purposes of this eBook, we will subdivide

the glutes into two major portions: the glute
max and the side glutes.

The glute max primarily pulls the leg

backward, like in a sprint, leg press/
kickback, while the side glutes
primarily pull leg outward
in a variety of subtly
different directions. In the
video summary of this chapter,
I will discuss the differences
between the individual side
glutes (glute minimus and
glute medius).
 99
GLUTE MAX

How to stretch the glute

max

The leg is pulled upward and

slightly across the front of
the body, wrapping the glute
max around in the pelvis.

How to shorten the glute

max

The leg is pushed as far

backward as possible,
ensuring the knee isn’t fully
bent.
 100

How to directly load the glute max

The leg and trunk must be pushed closer toward

one another to load the glute max.

Here, the trunk is being pushed toward stationary

legs:

Note: this is a more short-focussed muscle length.

Here, the legs are being pushed toward the

stationary trunk:
 101

Note: this is a more long-focussed muscle length.

How to stabilize motions for the glute max

Since many of the most specific options for

training glutes involve the use of machine-based
implements like leg presses, smith machines,
kickback machines etc., much of the stability
challenge of each motion is taken care of.

However, there are some great options, such as

split squats, which we should consider using
 102
external stability strategies for:

Note: this is a more long-focussed muscle length.

Note how I am grabbing onto a bench with my

non-working hand. I would highly recommend
doing this for any single leg glute motion, such as
split squats, reverse lunges, single leg RDLs, and
step-ups.

How to execute motions for the glute max

As long as your stance is close to hip width and

you are loading the glute max as described above,
 103
your main focus should simply be on your
external reference points for the exercise.

For example, in a leg press, if you are

appropriately set up, you should ideally just have
to think about keeping pressure through your
foot/heel.

In a hip thrust, you should really just have to think

about pushing directly downward into the floor,
upward into the belt, and backward into the back
pad.

Note: this is a more short-focussed muscle length.

 104
In a kickback machine, ensure you’re pushing into
the handles, downward into the pad, then
backward and upward in terms of leg direction.

Note: this is a more short-focussed muscle length.

 105

Extra cues/tips:
If you’re constantly feeling your quads when
pressing, change your shin angle and try
pushing more through your heels. If you are
already heel-heavy, try pushing through more
of your midfoot and toes.
Hip width is narrower than you think. If you
can’t feel your glutes at all, move your stance
more narrow.
If you can’t feel your glutes without squeezing
the life out of them, you need to better set up
your exercises to load them directly.
 106
SIDE GLUTES

How to stretch the side

glutes

The leg is pulled slightly in

front and across the body.

See the glutes video summary for more

nuance on the differences between
side glutes.

How to shorten the side

glutes

The leg is pulled outward

toward the side.
 107
How to directly load the side glutes

The leg must be pushed inward toward mid line to

load the side glutes. It is possible to load the side
glutes via the trunk, but these motions are
outside the scope of this book.
 108
Note that, in the above images, I am not
substantially leaned forward, but am rather more
upright - my hips and legs are at an “open angle” -
so that the motion loads the side glutes primarily
(the glute min and med).

How to stabilize motions for the side glutes

There is little to no stability challenge when using

a seated abduction machine as pictured above. It
is by far the most stable and reliable option for
training the side glutes.

Kick-out motions can be done, but they are quite

difficult to make stable - in my opinion, the juice
is often not worth the squeeze of setting up a ton
of equipment. This will be covered more in the
summary video below.

How to execute motions for the side glutes

Keep in mind the arcing motion of the leg as you

train the side glutes.

When you are in a more stretched position

(right side image below), you should be
thinking about pushing the legs “out”.
 109

When you are in a more shortened position

(left image below), you should be thinking
about moving the legs “up” or “back” because
the pendulum has swung in a different
direction.
Pro tip: look at where the outside of the
knee is pivoting, and cue yourself to move
your leg in that direction.

“Up/away/back”
“Outward” when
when the leg is
the leg is in
out
 110
GLUTE TRAINING F.A.Q
Do I need to do glute activation drills prior to
training them?

No. The exercises you select should activate your

glutes plenty. Otherwise, why would you be doing
them?

What about the different motions for glute med

and glute min? Aren’t they separate muscles?

Yes, which I cover in the video summary below. In

practice, however, lumping them into a single
category is not a bad idea.

Should I do squeeze-focus or lengthened focused

glute exercises?

If you really want to grow your peach, I

recommend doing both, as long as it fits into the
rest of your program in a way that is
manageable/sustainable. Combining hip
thrusts/kickbacks with leg presses, lunges and
squats is complimentary.
 111
GLUTE TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 112
ADDUCTORS
The adductor group is one of the largest in the
body and contains five or more muscles,
depending on which you count. It is helpful to
simply think about the adductors as the muscles
that sit on the inner thighs.

The adductors control the relationship between

the pelvis and upper leg and function to move the
legs closer to one another as well as pull the
pelvis closer to each leg.

While there are differences between each

adductor muscle, all of them are trained
significantly with simple motions
like the seated adduction machine.
 113
ADDUCTOR GROUP
How to stretch the
adductors

The leg is pulled outward

away from mid line. This
can be done side-side or
inward-outward if you are
in a seated position.

How to shorten the

adductors

The leg is pulled inward

toward mid line.
 114
How to directly load the adductor group

The leg must be pulled away from mid line by the

resistance of the exercise. The most obvious
example of when this occurs is during the seated
adduction:

One can also load the adductor group in other

ways, but many of these alternatives can be
difficult to coordinate especially if you’ve not
done them before. In any case, the same
principles hold true: choose a scenario in which
the legs are being pulled away from the mid line
of the body:
 115

Here, the bench pushes upward against my leg,

attempting to pull it away from mid line.

Here, the pads have the same net effect (arrows

represent the force couple of the pads on me).
 116
How to stabilize motions for the adductor group

The stability aspect of the seated adduction takes

care of itself.

The stability aspect of the single-leg variants can

be a bit tricky to coordinate at first: make sure
you are using your upper body to hold your trunk
in place if you are twisting and bending all over
the place.

How to execute motions for the adductor group

If you are using the seated adduction, keep in

mind the arc of the legs and pads as you move
through the motion:
When the adductors are lengthened (legs
spread), think about pushing the pads
“forward”, away from you.
When the adductors are shortened (legs
together), think about squeezing the pads
and your legs toward one another.
If you are using a single-leg variant, think
about keeping constant pressure of the leg
into whatever implement you are pushing
against. Losing contact with the pads is the
quickest way to disengage the adductors.
 117

Adduction cuing

“Down/in” when
“Together/in”
the leg is out.
when the leg is
in.
 118

ADDUCTOR TRAINING F.A.Q

Aren’t the adductors involved in a lot of motions
that aren’t adduction?

Yes, but if you have a priority in growing them, I

highly recommend doing specific activities like
the ones above.

Don’t squats and leg presses grow the adductors?

Only one of the adductors, the adductor magnus,

crosses the back side of the hip and therefore
contributes to motions like leg presses and
squats. For full adductor development, I
recommend doing some of the motions above.

Do you do adductions on the cable machine?

Not really. Much like the cable abductions/kick-

out motions, they are quite difficult to
coordinate, and there is a load cap on how much
you can progress them because of this. If you like
them, and you’re not finding stability issues with
the load you’re using, go for it! I cover this more
in the video summary below.
 119
ADDUCTOR TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 120
HAMSTRINGS
The hamstrings are a group of four muscles that
reside on the back side of the legs. Three of the
hamstrings have an attachment at and control the
hip and knee joints, while one of them only
controls the knee joint.

So, 3 of the 4 hamstrings function to bend the

knee as well as straighten the hip, while one of
them only bends the knee.

Although there are differences between

hamstrings muscles, we can subdivide hamstrings
training into leg curl motions and hinge motions.

Unlike the pecs, lats, glutes, and

deltoids, the hamstrings are fairly
straightforward and only require
a few simple motions
to train their full contractile length.
 121
HAMSTRINGS GROUP

How to fully stretch the

hamstrings

The leg is pulled upward

away from the body and
the knee is straight.

How to fully shorten the

hamstrings

The leg is pulled backward

in line with the body and
the knee is bent.
 122
How to directly load the hamstrings

The hamstrings can be loaded directly in one of

two ways: via the knee being straightened (as in a
leg curl) or via the legs and trunk being shushed
together (as in a stiff-legged RDL or
hyperextension, pictured below).
 123

How to stabilize motions for the hamstrings

Creating stability in any leg curl variant comes

down to understanding how to utilize the design
of a leg curl machine to your advantage.

In the “top” portion of a leg curl (when the knees

are straight), ensure you emphasize contact with
the thigh pad support. Ideally, the lower part of
your quads should not leave the pads:
 124
Note: this is a more long-focussed muscle length:

Note: this is a more short-focussed muscle length:

 125
In the “bottom” portion of a leg curl, ensure you
emphasize contact with the handles. In either
case, during this part of the motion, I like to
utilize a seatbelt to stabilize (in the lying version
it is not much help, but it makes a big difference
in the seated version):
 126

To perform stiff-legged hinge motions for the

hamstrings, I much prefer to use a hyperextension
machine, because it does all of the stability work
for you. To do this, you just need to ensure you
don’t lose contact of the back of the shin and
upper portions of the quads.

You can perform stiff-legged hinges with barbells,

DBs, smith machines etc, but it takes a bit of work
to figure out how to hold a relatively straighter
knee position as you change the position of your
trunk. Here’s a video I made on a potential
solution to that stability issue.
 127

How to execute motions for the hamstrings

For leg curl variations, the MAJOR key for

execution is paying close attention to where
you’re attempting to drive your legs and what you
need to push into the stabilize against that
particular direction.

When the knee is straight in a SEATED leg curl:

Push the pad DOWN, and ensure your quads

don’t move away from the thigh pad.
 128
When the knee is bent in a SEATED leg curl:

Push the pad backward toward your butt and

ensure you push into the handles and/or the
seatbelt you are using.
 129
When the knee is straight in a LYING leg curl:

Push the pad toward the ceiling and ensure

your quads don’t move away from the thigh
pad.
 130
When the knee is bent in a LYING leg curl:

Push the pad toward your butt and ensure

you're pulling on the handles in front of you
and/or pushing into the seatbelt around your
back if using one.
 131
When performing a stiff-legged hinge:

In the bottom position, when the hamstrings

are stretched, think about keeping your spine
straight and pushing through the floor directly
downward (if doing a standing RDL).
Regardless of the setting you’re in, however,
you can utilize the strategy detailed on the
next page.
Paying attention to motion and change in
position of the pelvis can be KEY for some.
Since the top position won’t load the
hamstrings much, you can use the cuing for the
bottom portion and stop once you feel that
the hamstrings no longer are dealing with a
brunt of the load.
Refer to this video for what execution could
look like.
 132

Lowering phase (applies to all hinges):

As you lower
downward, you can
think about pulling
the back side of the
pelvis upward to
stretch the
hamstrings.
 133

Raising phase (applies to all hinges):

As you raise upward,

you can think about
pulling the back side
of the pelvis
downward the feet to
contract the
hamstrings.
 134

HAMSTRINGS TRAINING F.A.Q

Should I do seated and lying leg curls?

I generally recommend doing both since the

seated trains a more lengthened position and the
lying trains a more shortened position.

Should I round over on the seated leg curl for

extra stretch?

You can if it makes it easier to hold yourself in the

most stretched position.

Should I do stiff-legged RDLs or seated leg curls?

They just do different things, so it depends on

your goals. The seated leg curl will train the
hamstrings, outer calves, and the other knee
flexors (sartorius, TFL, gracilis), while the RDL will
bias the glute max, adductor magnus, and
erectors secondarily (and the stiff-legged hinge
won’t train the one hamstring that doesn’t act on
the hip). Pick whichever more closely aligns with
your goals, or do a blend of both if both do.
 135
HAMSTRINGS TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 136
QUADS
The quads are one of the largest muscles in the
body and reside on the front side of the femur.
The quads control the relationship between the
upper and lower leg and function to straighten
the knee, as in a squat or leg extension.

While there are architectural differences between

the quads, all of them ultimately have the same
function apart from one that has an additional
function, which crosses and controls motion
around the hip joint (the rectus femoris).

Despite this difference in function,

training the quads is very
straightforward and
can be divided into two major
kinds: pressing motions and leg
extension motions.
 137
QUAD GROUP

How to stretch the quads

The leg is pulled

backward behind the
body and the knee is
bent.

How to shorten the quads

The leg is pulled upward

away from the body and
the knee is straight.
 138

How to directly load the quads

The quads are directly loaded when the shins are

being smushed into the legs (calves are being
smushed into the hamstrings). This is easy to
accomplish in a leg extension, but a bit more
complicated to do in a squat.

When performing quad-dominant squat variations,

the same principles apply, but with the knees fully
bent:
 139

As a general rule, it is helpful to utilize heel-

elevation when trying to target the quads with a
squat. There are very few people that can get
away with a truly quad-dominant squat without
any heel lift.

In the image above, I’ve set up a plate so that I

can drive my knees away from my hips (so that I
don’t run out of room to move my shins over my
toes). Below is an image of how one might set this
up on a leg press:
 140

Quad dominant

Note how the calves are being smushed into the

hamstrings, much like in the hack squat (above).
Note how this is distinct from the following image:

Hip dominant

Note how, in the hip-dominant variant, the upper leg is

smushed into the belly, and how in the quad-dominant
variant, the shins are smushed into the leg.
 141
How to stabilize motions for the quads

When using machines to target the quads

(examples shown above), much of the stability
work is done for you. However, during leg
extensions, it is important to emphasize the use of
the handles next to you so that you do not get
pulled up and out of the seat as you push into the
pads.

Note how I am pulling upward on the handles at

my sides and how I have a seatbelt looped
underneath of the machine (which I am driving my
hips upward into). A seatbelt is not necessary but
I encourage the use of it.
 142

If you are performing quad-dominant squats on a

machine (as shown above), the stability is done
for you - however, if you are doing a free-weight
single-leg variant - such as a split squat - I
recommend holding onto something with one or
both of your hands so that you don’t have to
worry about falling over (see the glute max
section for a visual reference).

How to execute motions for the quads

(scroll down)
 143
During leg extensions, when the knee is bent

Think about driving the pad away from you,

toward the wall in front of your body. Ensure
you do not lose contact with the handles
and/or your seatbelt. See the hamstring curl
diagrams for additional reference and think
about the opposite forces occurring.
 144

During leg extensions, when the knee is straight

Think about driving the pad upward toward the

ceiling. Ensure you do not lose contact with
the handles and/or your seatbelt. See the
hamstring curl diagrams for additional
reference and think about the opposite forces
occurring.
 145
During quad-dominant squatting variations

Extra cues/tips:

Ensure you’re able to drive your knees away

from your hips and that your shins are being
smushed into your legs.
Quad dominant presses/squats are
basically just leg extensions with a platform
under your feet.
If you feel mostly glutes/hips, change the angle
of your shin and foot position. Additionally,
drive through the mid and forefoot to bias the
motion to be more knee-dominant.
If you are properly set up, you should ideally
not have to worry about cues other than
driving the floor/platform away from your
body.
 146
QUAD TRAINING F.A.Q
Is lifting your toes on the leg press bad?

It is not inherently more dangerous than any

other version of a leg press, as long as you
progress intelligently.

Should I lean forward or backward on the leg

extension?

If you want to train a more stretched position of

the rectus femoris muscle, you can lean back, but
just ensure you have adequate stability (a
seatbelt, ideally) when doing so.

The “regular” leg extension will train a shorter

length of the rectus femoris. I personally do one
of each if I’m doing 2 sets on a given day.

What about split squats or sissy squats?

These are great exercises too that have a

lengthened resistance challenge. Apply the
principles discussed above to them if you want to
make them quad-dominant (heel elevation,
forward knee travel, knee smashing forces) .
 147
QUAD TRAINING VIDEO
SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 148
CALVES
The calves include two different muscles - the
soleus (inner calf) and gastrocnemius (outer calf)
- both of which reside on the back side of the
shin.

The outer calves control both the ankle and knee

joints, while the inner calves only control the
ankle joint. It is for this reason that the outer calf
has overlap with any leg curl exercise, while the
inner calves do not.

However, regardless of the calf raise motion you

choose, both of the calves will contribute
substantially to the exercise.
 149
CALVES

How to stretch the calves

The knee is straight and

the foot is pulled up
toward the eyes.

How to shorten the calves

The knee is bent and the

foot is pointed downward
away from the eyes.
 150
How to directly load the calves

The calves are directly loaded whenever a force

attempts to push the foot so that the angle
between shin-foot is smaller.

How to stabilize motions for the calves

When performing seated and standing calf raises,

most of the stability work is done for you via the
machines/pad contacts. If you are doing single-leg
 151
calf raises outside of a machine, just ensure
you’re holding onto something with your upper
body so that you don’t have to worry about falling
over.

How to execute motions for the calves

During any calf raise

Ensure that your foot contact is just below the

balls of the feet. Pressing through the toes will
just make it feel like your feet are doing all the
work.
Imagine moving through the heels, as if there’s
a string attached to the back of your heel that
you are pulling upward toward the knee (see
images below).

not here

roughly right here

 152

imagine a
string tugging
down
(stretch)

imagine a
string
tugging up
(shorten)
 153

Imagine a string tugging down on the heel to

lengthen the calves.

Imagine a string tugging up on the heel to shorten

the calves.
 154
Bonus note on straight knee calf raises.

When possible, it is helpful to have something

behind the bottom of the femur (upper leg) to
push into.

You can imagine squeezing your quads downward

into the seat as you perform the calf raise with
the cues above in mind.

Don’t forget to hold yourself down into the seat

by pulling up on the handles, too.
 155
CALF TRAINING F.A.Q
Should I do seated or standing raises?

I recommend doing both, but it depends on your

goals and the constraints of your equipment. The
seated variant will prioritize the inner calf (soleus)
while the standing/straight knee will prioritize the
outer calf (gastrocnemius).

Should I turn my toes inward and outward?

I personally recommend just finding a comfortable

foot position and sticking with it across calf raise
variants. If you like to alter the position, then go
ahead and have at it - there is evidence to suggest
that turning the toes inward biases the outer (lateral)
calves while turning the toes outward biases the
inner (medial) calves.

Why do I feel my calves on leg curls?

You’re not feeling your calves, just your

gastrocnemius (outer calf). This is because it is a
knee-bender, which is why it changes length when
the knee changes position. I recommend doing
hamstrings work before your calf work if you find
that your calves are limiting your hamstring curls.
 156
CALF TRAINING VIDEO
SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 157
ERECTORS
The erectors are long muscles that reside on the
back side of the spine. The erectors function to
keep you upright and to create an arch in the
spine.

Each of the erectors has subtly different

attachment sites and functions, but for our
intents and purposes in training, we can consider
them one large muscle that functions to arch the
spine or to bring it back to a “neutral” position if
the spine is bent.

There are two main categories of

erector exercises in the gym: those that
include lots of motion - such as back
extension exercises - and those that
do not - such as barbell squats
and deadlifts.

Both categories of exercises are

useful for training the erectors.
 158
ERECTORS

How to stretch the

erectors

The spine is rounded over.

How to shorten the

erectors

The spine is arched.

 159
How to directly load the erectors

The erectors are directly loaded whenever a

resistance attempts to round our spine over
forwards. This can occur through direct loading -
as in a barbell squat, where the bar pushes the
spine forward - or indirectly, via loading at the
hands or arms.
 160
How to stabilize motions for the erectors

Erector motions are generally easy to stabilize.

Deadlifts and squats, while they do load the hips
and require some coordination demand, do not
challenge our balance in a way that would be
problematic to output.

Erector exercises that involve intentional spinal

bending and straightening also typically have
built-in stability features, such as hyper
extensions (pictured below) or smith machine
extensions.
 161

How to execute motions for the erectors

Learning how to bend and straighten the spine

under load is far trickier than most believe.
Since there are 70+ moving joints in the spine,
we must think about these motions as
occurring in segments, like a snake slithering.
To bend, we can think about caving the
chest in, driving the chest toward the belly
button.
To straighten, we can think about pulling
our chest and rib up and away from our
belly buttons.
 162

To bend, we can
think about caving
the chest in, driving
the chest toward the
belly button.

To straighten, we
can think about
pulling our chest
and ribs up and
away from our belly
button.
 163

The bottom
position for a spine
bending activity
could look
something like this:

Traditional
deadlifts and
squats done with a
“neutral spine” are
also a great option
for training the
erectors, just at a
shorter muscle
length.
 164
ERECTOR TRAINING F.A.Q
What about squats and deadlifts?

Squats and deadlifts are great for challenging the

erectors.

What about motions where the legs are moving

and the upper spine is more still?

This kind of stimulus is typically covered when we

look at deep squats and leg presses of any kind.

Isn’t rounding my back bad for me?

Whether or not rounding is problematic for you is

a totally individualized thing. Just treat your
spine and erectors like any other muscle group
and load/progress the stimulus intelligently. If
you’re concerned about a back issue, consult a
professional, not this eBook!
 165
ERECTOR TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 166
ABS
The abdominal muscles include the rectus
abdominis, the internal and external obliques,
and the transversus abdominis (TVA).

Each of these abs functions uniquely, but there

are some exercises that provide a stimulus to all
of the abs simultaneously.

Each individual abdominal section will cover the

details of how to train group (rectus abs
vs obliques). However, there will not be
a section on the TVA, because it is not
a muscle that we can intentionally recruit
using the first principles of physics
that we have in every other section.

The TVA functions to help brace

during any loaded activity, and
it is therefore not a muscle
we must concern ourselves with
training specifically in the gym.
 167
RECTUS ABS

How to stretch the rectus

abs

The spine is arched.

How to shorten the rectus

abs

The spine is rounded over.

 168
How to directly load the rectus abs

The rectus abs are directly loaded when there is a

resistance that attempts to pull our spines into an
arched position.
 169
How to stabilize motions for rectus abs

To train the rectus abs, we need something

behind the spine that we can push into to perform
the forward-crunching motion (as pictured
above).

Ideally, the stability pad/bench/object is placed

at the tail bone or base of the spine (lower back)
so that we can push into it as we crunch forwards.
Also ensure that your feet are anchored
downward if they are wiggling around during
crunch variations:
 170

How to execute motions for the rectus abs

Learning how to bend and straighten the spine

under load is far trickier than most believe.
Since there are 70+ moving joints in the spine,
we must think about these motions as
occurring in segments, like a snake slithering.
To bend, we can think about caving the
chest in, driving the chest toward the belly
button.
To straighten, we can think about pulling
our chest and rib up and away from our
belly buttons.
 171

To bend, we can
think about caving
the chest in, driving
the chest toward the
belly button.

To straighten, we
can think about
pulling our chest
and ribs up and
away from our belly
button.
 172
INTERNAL OBLIQUES

How to stretch the

internal obliques

The spine is rotated away

from the stretched side
and arched backward.

How to shorten the

internal obliques

The spine is rotated

toward the shortened side
and rounded over toward
the same hip.
 173
EXTERNAL OBLIQUES

How to stretch the

external obliques

The spine is rotated

toward the stretched side
and arched back from
there.

How to shorten the

external obliques

The spine is rotated away

from the contracted side
and rounded toward the
same hip.
 174
How to directly load the obliques

The obliques are loaded anytime that a resistance

attempts to bend our spine sideways and/or
rotate our spine (see next page).
 175

Obliques loaded in rotation:

 176

How to stabilize motions for the obliques

To train the obliques, we need something next to

the spine or hips (directly or indirectly) that we
can push into to perform a side crunching motion
or a rotation-based motion.
 177
Note: the internal and external obliques (of the
same side) rotate the trunk in opposite
directions.

In the image above, my RIGHT external obliques

and my LEFT internal obliques are contracting to
twist me toward the left. The opposite would be
true turning the other way. Both obliques on the
same side contribute to side bending toward that
side.

How to execute motions for the obliques

Learning how to side-bend and rotate the

spine under load is far trickier than most
believe. Since there are 70+ moving joints in
the spine, we must think about these motions
as occurring in segments, like a snake
slithering side-side or a towel twisting.
To side bend, we can think about caving one
side of the ribcage in, driving the opposite
side ribcage upward and outward (in both
directions).
To rotate, we can imagine our spine as a
towel that we twist/untwist during rotation-
based exercises. It is helpful to imagine
your hips as frozen in ice as your
chest/sternum pivots around your hips.
 178

To side bend, we can

think about caving one
side of the ribcage in and
driving the opposite side
ribcage upward and
outward. The left
obliques would be the
ones to work here if my
right side were being
pulled down.

The right obliques would

be the ones to work here
if my left side were being
pulled down.
 179
Left internal obliques,
right external obliques:

To rotate, we can
imagine our spine as
a towel that we
twist/untwist during
rotation-based
exercises. It is
helpful to imagine
your hips as frozen
in ice as your
chest/sternum
pivots around your
hips.

Right internal obliques,

left external obliques:
 180
AB TRAINING F.A.Q
Is doing crunching motions enough?

Whether it is “enough” depends on you and your

goals. Crunching motions will train all of the abs
to some degree (rectus most, obliques second),
while rotation and side-bending won’t train the
rectus as much but will train the obliques more.

Do you really need to train abs to see your abs?

Abs are grown in the gym - just like any other

muscle - and are displayed through your
diet/bodyfat - just like any other muscle :)

What about those twisting machines where your

hips are pivoting?

Generally, I’m a huge fan of these kinds of

machines (and I wish my gym had one!). Keep in
mind this is still trunk rotation, not hip rotation,
so if you’re confused about what you’re targeting,
just look at what we discussed above and picture
what relative motions at the trunk are occuring.
 181
AB TRAINING VIDEO
SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 182
FOREARMS
The forearms (front and back side) are groups of
many muscles that all function to either bend the
wrist (front) or straighten the wrist (back side).

While there are subtle differences between the

individual muscles that bend and straighten the
wrists, for our intents and purposes in the gym,
we can subdivide the forearms into wrist-bending
and wrist-straightening muscles (which will
cover the training stimulus necessary to
grow your whole forearm if you so choose).

While there are other motions involved

within the forearm, like pronation and
supination, they will not be covered
within the scope of this book,
because all of the muscles
that make your forearms look
massive are trained adequately
with wrist bending and
straightening alone. Training
other forearm motions is
often useful in rehab
contexts.
 183
FOREARMS (FRONT)

How to stretch the

forearms (front)

The wrist is straightened.

How to shorten the

forearms (front)

The wrist is bent.

 184
FOREARMS (BACK)

How to stretch the

forearms (back)

The wrist is bent.

How to shorten the

forearms (back)

The wrist is straightened.

 185

How to directly load the forearms

The back side of the forearm is loaded whenever

something attempts to bend our wrist.

The front side of the forearm is loaded whenever

something attempts to straighten our wrist.

Back of the Front of the

forearm loaded forearm loaded
 186

How to stabilize motions for the forearms

Stabilizing forearm motions is very

straightforward. Ensure that the bottom side of
your forearm (just above the wrist) is anchored on
a bench (or something like a bench):
 187

How to execute motions for the forearms

You should allow your fingers to do whatever

is most natural during curling/straightening
motions.
Imagine that you are moving through the wrist
joint itself rather than through the fingers.

During wrist curls

Think about driving the base of your palm

toward your elbow during the shortening
phase.
 188

Think about driving the base of your palm away

from you, toward a wall in front of you during
the lengthening phase.

During wrist extensions

Think about driving the base of your palm

toward your elbow during the lengthening
phase.
 189

Think about driving the base of your palm away

from you, toward a wall in front of you during
the shortening phase.
 190

Example of a cable exercise to target the front of

the forearms:
 191
Example of a cable exercise to target the back of
the forearms (d handle is looped around my hand,
but you can grab onto the handles like normal if
you want):
 192
FOREARM TRAINING F.A.Q
What about DB or barbell wrist motions?

Wrist motions of any kind are great. Just use the

same principles of execution and stability and see
which you like most. I tend to prefer cable over
DB and barbell.

What about the other forearm motions?

I personally save those for contexts in which

someone is trying to recover from an injury or
pain. Ulnar and radial deviation as well as
supination and pronation are worth considering,
but bending/straightening of the wrists will cover
the bulk of what you need to grow big forearms.

I would also recommend prioritizing hammer curls

for the brachioradialis if forearms are a priority
for you.
 193
FOREARM TRAINING
VIDEO SUMMARY
Click here to view a brief video summary of the
principles discussed in this chapter.
 194

CONCLUSIONS
If you find that you’re having trouble with
applying some of this information into your
weight room experience, I encourage you to do
some exploration on your own with the concepts.
Try to apply them in multiple different scenarios.
As you might’ve noticed, most of this information
is principle-based, which means that it isn’t
specific to one setting but rather a multitude of
potential exercises.

If you want to learn more from me, and if you

want to ask a specific question about any of this
material, you can click here to join the free online
biomechaincs community, where thousands of
other modern meatheads are learning from one
another every day.

I hope this guide has been helpful to you. If it has,

please tell a friend about it :)