Building muscle and gaining strength takes hard work, dedication and a lot of patience. You can follow a perfectly designed routine and stick to a strict diet yet still feel as though your progress is too slow. This is when introducing new exercises into your routine can help. Even just adding in one new exercise for each of your main body parts can help you break through strength- and muscle-building plateaus.
Zercher Squats
Squatting is one of the best movements you can do to develop your leg muscles, and Zercher squats are an effective way to provide yourself with a new squatting challenge. Place an Olympic bar at waist height in a power rack, hold your arms in front of you and partially squat down so the bar rests in the crook of your elbow. Stand up, and take a step backward, then squat as you would usually, while supporting the bar on your arms. This exercise was named after its creator -- former strongman Ed Zercher. According to strength coach Lee Boyce on the website TNation, Zercher squats don't place as much pressure on your spine as normal squats, and recruit your hamstrings and gluteals more. Try five sets of five repetitions.
Stability Ball Leg Curl with Band
Loop a resistance band around a power rack or sturdy upright, and attach it to your feet. Lie on your back, and place your heels up on a Swiss ball. Lift your hips off the floor, then squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to bring the ball into your body. Rachel Cassano, author at EliteFTS.com, recommends keeping your hips off the ground for the duration of your set, to keep tension on your leg and core muscles. Do three sets of 15 reps.
Pendlay Rows
Pendlay rows, named after weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay, are a variation on traditional bent-over barbell rows. Set up as you usually would for a barbell row, with a bar on the floor in front of you, your knees slightly bent, hips pushed back, and lower back arched. Your torso should be parallel to the floor. Without changing your position, pull the bar up from the floor, until it lightly touches your chest, then return it to the ground. Start every rep from the floor, keep your core muscles tight, and use your upper back and arms to generate the movement. The strict from used here places a much higher demand on your rhomboids, lats, biceps and abdominals. Do four sets of eight reps.
Guillotine Press
If you want to spark new chest muscle growth, then switch your regular bench presses for guillotine presses. Designed by former champion bodybuilder Vince Gironda, you perform the guillotine press using a wide grip, and lower the bar down to the top of your chest where it meets your collar bone. According to trainer Bret Contreras, studies done using an electromyogram machine show that a guillotine press is much more effective at activating the chest than a bench press. In fact, a guillotine press with 225 lbs. uses your chest muscles more than a regular press with 275 lbs. Aim for three sets of 12 reps.
References
- T Nation; Two Kinds of Squats You're Not Doing; Lee Boyce; January 2010
- Elite FTS; Stability Ball Leg Curl with Band; Rachel Cassano; April 2010
- Weight Lifting Complete; Proper Pendlay Rows Technique Is A MUST If You Want To Build A Strong Back; Joshua Tapp
- T Nation; Inside the Muscles: Best Chest and Triceps Exercises; Bret Contreras; February 2010
