I’ve been working out for almost 24 years now and have learned a thing or two. My fitness journey has been cyclical — starting with an obsession, diving deep into every scientific nuance, only to come back to the first principles: the basics. Below you’ll find a ranking of some of my favorite workouts for each.

• Grease The Groove
• Tyson Card Squats

Upper Body Push

Chest: Pectorals (upper, middle, lower)

Incline Bench Press

Push-Ups

Cable Flys

Triceps: Triceps brachii (long, later al, medial heads)

Delts: Shoulders (anterior, lateral, posterior heads)

Facepulls (Cable)

Side Delt Raise

Mace Swing (or club)

Upper Body Pull

Back: Lats, rhomboids, teres major, lower back

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

Use a close-grip attachment on a lat pulldown and pull down as far as the lower part of your pecs. The key here is to have your elbows and arms outward and not tucked away at your sides. Doing so even on setup, you’ll feel the lats naturally expand which gets them ready to fire up. On pulling down, ONLY focus on using your lats — not your arms. If you find your arms being used, then go lighter on weight.

Farmers Carry

Sandbag Carry

Exaggerated Pull-Ups

Biceps: Biceps brachii (short and long heads), brachialis

• Hammer Curl
• Preacher Curls
• Pull-Ups (Palms Facing You)

Traps: Trapezius (upper, middle, lower)

Kelso Shrugs

Forearms: Brachioradialis, flexors, extensors

Neck: Cervical flexors and extensors

Hands & Fingers: Grip strength and intrinsic hand muscles

Lower Body (Quads & Front)

Thighs: Quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis/medialis/intermedius)

• Sissy Squats
• Barbell Squats
• Leg Press
• Hack Squat (w/ Modified Hip Thrust)

Lower Body (Posterior Chain)

Butt: Gluteus maximus, medius, minimus

Hamstrings: Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

• Romanian Deadlifts

Calves: Gastrocnemius, soleus

• Calf Raise (Machine)
• Calf Raise (Barbell)