Exercise Selection - Main Lift, Variations, and Accessory Lifts
- Erik Melgaard
- Sep 10
- 26 min read
Updated: Oct 6
These are my recommendations. I have put this list at the top for easy finding and those who aren’t interested in why or how I choose the exercises I do. Keep reading for the reasoning why behind each exercise. Exercises in bold and underlined are what I recommend starting with, the underlined exercises are the exercises I would prioritize next, and the other exercises are what I would prioritize after that. This list is obviously not exhaustive and other exercise may take priority at times. These are what I feel are most beneficial for most people most of the time.
Split Squats or Lunges
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Staggered Stance Single Arm Cable Press
Staggered Stance Single Arm Cable Row
Staggered Stance Cable Rope Chop
Kettlebell Cleans
Alternating Overhead Press
Pull-ups
Hip Thrust
Other exercises that you may decide to choose from:
Knee dominant
Squats, split squats, lunges, step-ups, single leg squats (pistol squats), etc.
Hip dominant
Deadlift, Romanian/Straight leg deadlift, swings/cleans/snatches (landmine/kettlebell/barbell/etc.)
Push
Horizontal Pushes:
Bench press (dumbbell/kettlebell/barbell/etc), Cable press, etc.
Military Press (dumbbell/kettlebell/barbell/etc), Landmine press/jerk, etc.
Dips may be considered vertical push as well
Cable row, bent over row, gorilla row, Kroc row, etc.
Pull ups, Lat pull down
High pulls/Cleans/Snatches may be considered vertical pulls as well
use the increase weight on the first or second set when fresh and warmed up
The increase weight may be used in the middle of the week or at the end
Vertical Pushes:
Military Press (dumbbell/kettlebell/barbell/etc), Landmine press/jerk, etc.
Dips may be considered vertical push as well
Cable row, bent over row, gorilla row, Kroc row, etc.
Pull ups, Lat pull down
High pulls/Cleans/Snatches may be considered vertical pulls as well
use the increase weight on the first or second set when fresh and warmed up
The increase weight may be used in the middle of the week or at the end
Pull
Horizontal Pulls:
Cable row, bent over row, gorilla row, Kroc row, etc.
Pull ups, Lat pull down
High pulls/Cleans/Snatches may be considered vertical pulls as well
use the increase weight on the first or second set when fresh and warmed up
The increase weight may be used in the middle of the week or at the end
Vertical Pulls:
Pull ups, Lat pull down
High pulls/Cleans/Snatches may be considered vertical pulls as well
use the increase weight on the first or second set when fresh and warmed up
The increase weight may be used in the middle of the week or at the end
Twist
Cable Chop (from various angles, with various handles [ex. Single handle, double handle rope, bar])
Machines vs free weights
Many of the machines can be good for very new beginners and for very experienced lifters. Anyone in between should spend the majority of their time with free weights and cable machines (my exception to the machine rule).
Machines that dictate the path of the force limit the amount of stability required to perform the exercise.
This can be good for new lifters because it will allow them to build the larger muscles without much risk of injury, ensure balance between left and right, and develop an understanding of exercise form and producing force. However, beyond a certain point building larger “main” muscles without accompanying “stability” muscles becomes counter productive because that strength will be limited in it’s expression outside of the gym by the “stability” muscles.
These can be good for experienced lifters who may want to target specific muscles in a specific pattern without risk of injury due to fatigue in “stability” muscles.
For instance, after a session of barbell back squats a powerlifter may choose to continue to develop their legs using a leg press, hack squat, leg extension, leg curl, or other machine, based on feedback received from their body during the free weight lifts.
Bilateral vs unilateral
Bilateral lifts generally allow for more total weight to be lifted.
Unilateral lifts generally require more stability to perform.
You will be able to press more weight overhead using both arm with a barbell than a single arm with a dumbbell (obviously), and likely both arms combined with dumbbells in each.
Having a dumbbell in each hand will required more stability in the shoulder than having both hands pressing the same bar.
Unilateral lifts, such as an overhead press, where weight is only lifted on one side of the body at a time will also required more engagement and stability of the muscles of the “core”.
Unilateral lower body exercises
Contralateral vs ipsilateral
Contralateral in this context means that the weight is on the opposite side of the body of the target muscle group/limb. Ipsilateral means the weight is on the same side.
Having the weight held in the contralateral hand (right leg being targeted, left hand holding the weight) will challenge more of the abductor muscles on the outside of the right hip/thigh. Having the weight held in the ipsilateral hand (right leg being targeted, right hand holding the weight) will challenge more of the adductor muscles on the inside of the right hip/thigh.
Kneeling vs standing
Kneeling leg exercise are limited to Nordic Curls, Reverse Nordic Curls, and GOATA exercises (as far as I know). These have their place. Nordics are valuable for isolating the quads and hamstrings without machines. GOATA exercises are valuable for many reasons covered elsewhere.
Kneeling upper body exercises allow for working the upper body when there is a reason for working the upper body in isolation from the lower body. Kneeling will usually provide more stability than standing as you are not reliant on the stability of the feet, legs, and hips and there are more points of contact. This is especially true for cable exercises.
Staggered vs square
A staggered stance will typically provide more stability than a square stance. Especially during cable presses and pulls a square stance will be more challenging for your core.
Contralateral vs ipsilateral
Details will be provided specific to each exercise.
Variations in grip, weight/rack position, angle/zone of movement, eccentric/concentric/isometric, etc.
The varieties in grip are typically underhand, overhand, and neutral grip. This is most noticeable in pulling exercises and will have some effect in presses.
Where you hold the weight will have an effect on the stimuli of leg exercises.
In general holding the weight at your sides with your arms extended to to ground will allow you to use the most weight however the weights can get in the way of movement in this position.
Holding the weights in the rack position (up at your shoulders) will challenge your arms/shoulders more, as well as your core/hips, so you may not be able to use as much weight as in the other position but there will more challenge to stability.
A further challenge to stability would be holding the weights overhead. This is an advanced technique and should not be practiced unless you are sure you have the prerequisite mobility and stability to do so. This is especially necessary for overhead squats. Overhead lunges are more manageable.
You may also choose to combine positions such as having one weight hanging at your side and another in a rack position.
There are also a variety of ways to perform the barbell lifts of squats and deadlifts. Despite how simple they may seem because of the amount of weight using a barbell allows you to lift they are unexpectedly complex and nuanced. I recommend sticking with dumbbell lifts unless you have a reason for using a barbell. My exceptions to this are landmine lifts and zercher squats.
Like grip there are many angles and zones of movement possible in just about any lift. I will cover some of them with the relevant exercises.
Just about any exercise can be done with an emphasis on the eccentric, isometric, or concentric phase of movement. You can also vary and combine them in many ways that are beyond the scope of this document. Elsewhere I have covered some of the value in eccentric exercises when you are unable to perform the full movement (both eccentric and concentric phases) and I have touched on the value of isometrics.
Exercise Patterns
Hip Dominant - Click for Video on Hip Dominant Exercise Technique
These exercise focus the load on the muscles of the posterior side of the hips and include but are not limited to:
Deadlifts: Standard, sumo, straight leg, Romanian
Many of these can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, and other weights
They can also be done bilaterally with both legs, or in a single leg variety
The single leg varieties allow for a variety of loading options and stances
Square and staggered stance
Contralateral loading, ipsilateral loading, weight at sides, weight in rack position
Some may not consider these deadlifts. These people are likely purists who only call barbell deadlifts, deadlifts. Regardless they still fall under the category of hip hinge and hip dominant exercise
Other hip hinge exercises
Cleans, snatches, kettlebell swings, good morning, hip thrust, glute bridge
Many of these can also be done in a variety of stances and loaded with the weight in one hand or the other.
Some of these use varying amounts of knee flexion. This is fine as the primary pattern/focus is the hip hinge.
Knee Dominant - Click for Video on Knee Dominant Exercise Technique
These exercises focus the load on the knee but with most, if not all, of the exercises in this category there will be varying amounts of hip flexion and extension.
These exercises include but are not limited to:
Squats: Barbell back, barbell front, zercher, overhead, kettlebell, dumbbell, goblet, pistol
Some of the different weight positions for the barbell are covered. Any squats done with kettlebells or dumbbells can use the different weight positions listed above. Sandbags can be used in ways similar to both barbells and dumbbells.
Lunges and Split Squats
Both of the variations can be done with any of the weight implements (barbell, dumbbell, etc) and weight positions and variations.
Split squats are done in a staggered stance with the feet staying in place.
Useful varieties of the split squats include:
A step up is very similar to the split squat where the front foot is elevated
You can also elevate the rear foot to various heights, increasing the height of the rear foot will lean your body forward and put greater demands on your posterior chain. This is my preferred variation.
You can also elevated both feet which will allow for a greater range of motion because your knee will be able to travel below the level of your feet
Lunges are more dynamic and can be done with a step forward and or backwards and can also be done over a distance, this is known as walking lunges.
Having a weight hanging and another racked and switching the position of the weights (cleaning the weight, as in the exercise not as in dirty weights) in between walking lunges makes for a challenging full body exercise. This can also be done with alternating overhead presses. Or presses and cleans.
Lunges can also be done through a variety of angles such as to the side which will focus on lateral muscles of the hips more and less on the knees. These are great accessory movement to include with any lower body exercises.
Press or Push - Click for Video on Press Exercise Technique
Pressing exercises can be broken down in to two (or three) broad categories: Vertical (up and down) and Horizontal
Vertical presses can go up (overhead presses) and down (dips)
I include the other angles of pressing in with the horizontal presses. So you would have exercises such as bench press, as well as incline and decline bench press.
Pressing exercises primarily work muscles on the anterior or front side of your body and focus on the shoulders, chest, and arms. The back and other muscles in the arm also play a role in stabilizing. This is especially true of the lats.
Vertical/Overhead and incline presses will favor more muscles in the shoulder.
Horizontal and downward presses will favor more muscles in the chest.
Downward Presses
Because these are limited to dips (as far as I know) there isn’t much to say about them. Try them out. Add load. See how your body responds. As with any exercise form is king. Focus on your form for the sake of your wrists, elbows, and especially shoulders.
Overhead presses
Can be done with a variety of implements (barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and machines being the primary though anything that can be pressed can be used).
Can be done bilaterally, or unilaterally. Seated, kneeling, or standing.
The grip will slightly change muscle recruitment and may be worth spending time to see which suits your body and your goals, though may not make a noticeable difference so go with what is most comfortable.
When I use dumbbells I start the press with my palms facing towards me and turn my in and then away from me as the weight goes up. This is more commonly called an Arnold Press.
The same could be said of stance, having little impact on overhead pressing ability and results (unless combined with something like walking lunges).
Horizontal presses
Can be done bilaterally, or unilaterally. Seated, kneeling, or standing.
Changing the angle of the press will change the muscles involved and work on somewhat of a spectrum between the vertical presses. What angle is best for you will depend on your body and your goals. Over the course of time it’s likely that you should work many different angles. Some as main lifts and some as accessories. When and how often to change (if at all) will depend on your body and your goals.
The grip will slightly change muscle recruitment and may be worth spending time to see which suits your body and your goals, though may not make a noticeable difference so go with what is most comfortable.
I personally use a neutral/vertical grip with my palms facing my ribs when the weight is at the “bottom” of the press and turn my hands over so my palms face the ground as I press the weight away.
Can be done with a variety of implements like the overhead presses however to use any of these implements you must be laying down on or otherwise supported by a bench.
A cable machine allows horizontal presses to be done standing which allows for more variations (for better or worse depending on your goals).
Most cable presses are done unilaterally.
A square stance will challenge your core more and limit the weight you can press unilaterally.
A staggered stance will allow you to use more weight and still challenge your core, though less than using the same weight in a bilateral stance.
With the contralateral/opposite foot forward (weight in right hand left foot forward) you will challenge the anterior oblique sling (the “core”) in a shortened position.
With the ipsilateral/same side foot forward (weight in right hand right foot forward) you will challenge the anterior oblique sling (the “core”) in a lengthened position.
You can also press and step simultaneously which will really challenge your single leg stability and allow you to work your anterior oblique sling from a lengthened to a shortened position while working your pressing muscles. This is more for coordination/integration rather than hypertrophy or maximum strength. You may also decide to include them as part of “fun” and hypertrophy of lifting as they do provide novelty and a change of pace, but don’t lose sight of the main goal: strength.
Cable machines also allow for a large variety of pressing angles between overhead and downward as well as pressing toward adduction (towards the midline of the body, pressing across your chest) and pressing towards abduction (away from the midline of the body, pressing with your arm out to the side).
Pull or Row - Click for Video on Pull Exercise Technique
Pulling exercises can be broken down in to two (or three) broad categories: Vertical (up and down) and Horizontal
Vertical pulls
Vertical pulls can be overhead/pulling down (climbing, lat pull down, pull ups) and down/pulling up (high pulls, cleans, snatches, shrugs)
Cleans and snatches can also be considered hip hinges. I’m not sure where they fit best, as they can be done successfully for both purposes, so I’m including them in both categories. This says something about the value of these exercises.
Pulling up (such as shrugs or cleans) will preferentially work muscles around the shoulders and top of the back, however, there will be involvement from many other muscles as well.
Can be done with a variety of implements (barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and machines being the primary though anything that can be pressed can be used).
Pulling down (such as lat pull downs and pull-ups) will preferentially work the latissimus dorsi muscles, however, there will be involvement from many other muscles as well.
To the best of my knowledge these can only be done with a pull-up bar, a rope or other climbing apparatus, or a lat pull-down cable machine.
Changing your grip between overhand, underhand, neutral, and anywhere in between will provide a significant change in stimuli. Try them all out. Pick one you like and stick with it but don’t neglect the others.
Grip width is another variable to be considered and changed when appropriate.
Horizontal Pulls
I include the all angles of pulling that aren’t vertical in with the horizontal pulls. So you would have exercises such as bent over rows with various angles of hip flexion (the weight still comes straight off the floor but the angle relative to your torso changes), as well as the many various angles that are possible with a cable machine row, by changing both the height of the cable and the angle of your torso.
Changing the angle of the pull will change the muscles involved and work on somewhat of a spectrum between the vertical pulls. What angle is best for you will depend on your body and your goals. Over the course of time it’s likely that you should work many different angles. Some as main lifts and some as accessories. When and how often to change (if at all) will depend on your body and your goals.
Can be done with a variety of implements like the vertical pulls however to use any of these implements you must be hinging at the hips on or otherwise supported by a machine.
A cable machine allows horizontal pulls to be done standing which allows for more variations (for better or worse depending on your goals).
Cable pulls can be done unilaterally or bilaterally.
Bilateral rows will allow for more weight to be used.
Unilateral rows allow for more variations
A square stance will challenge your core more and limit the weight you can pull unilaterally.
A staggered stance will allow you to use more weight and still challenge your core, though less than using the same weight in a bilateral stance.
Cable machines allow for a large variety of pulling angles between overhead and downward as well as pulling toward adduction (towards the midline of the body, pulling across your chest) and pull towards abduction (away from the midline of the body, pulling with your arm out to the side).
With the contralateral/opposite foot forward (weight in right hand left foot forward) you will challenge the posterior oblique sling (the “core”) in a lengthened position.
With the ipsilateral/same side foot forward (weight in right hand right foot forward) you will challenge the posterior oblique sling (the “core”) in a shortened position.
You can also pull and step simultaneously which will really challenge your single leg stability and allow you to work your posterior oblique sling from a lengthened to a shortened position while working your pulling muscles. This is more for coordination/integration rather than hypertrophy or maximum strength. You may also decide to include them as part of “fun” and hypertrophy of lifting as they do provide novelty and a change of pace, but don’t lose sight of the main goal: strength.
Twist/Chop - Click for a Video on Chop Exercise Technique
Twisting/Chopping exercises can be done with a variety of implements. However, this document will focus on the use of the cable machine for these exercises.
Like the other cable machine exercises (pulls and presses) twists can be done from a variety of heights on the cable machine which offers many angles of twisting/chopping.
Twisting from high to low in a downward chop will preferentially work the anterior/front side of your “core”.
Twisting from low to high in an upward shoveling like movement will preferentially work the posterior/back side of your “core”.
Anywhere in between will work the core on a spectrum from one extreme to the other.
Changing the distance between your hands and your body (how bent or straight your arms are) will change the amount of force you feel from the cable in your core. Keeping your hands closer to your body will be easier than further away.
This is useful as you progress in this exercise pattern because there may be a time when one weight is too light but the next weight available on the cable machine is too much. You can then use the next weight up but keep your hands closer to your body. Over time you will progress by moving your hands further away from your body.
You can also change the angle between your body and the machine. Anywhere between facing the machine and facing away may be used. While the exercise and the muscles used will be mostly the same, where you feel the peak force will change depending on the angle between you and the machine. By changing the angle at which you face towards or away from the machine you may feel the peak force at the beginning of the range of motion (ROM), the end ROM, or anywhere in between.
You may decide to vary this within a single training session to really fatigue your obliques and rotational muscles, or focus on one ROM for several sessions, weeks, or months.
If you work a twisting pattern twice a week it may be a good idea to focus on the end ROM one day and the beginning ROM another.
The implements I use for twisting exercises with the cable machine are:
Standard handle - both hands will be on the same handle. This is easy to learn.
Tricep rope or other strap attachment - each hand will be on a different end of the rope. This is slightly more challenging because it forces you to keep the amount of force in each hand relatively equal.
Bar or dowel - held like a shovel or an oar/paddle (a baseball bat or axe grip may be possible as well). This adds a lot of torque in to each hand and becomes very challenging but is also very rewarding and enjoyable.
There are endless ways to vary this pattern between the cable height, angle between the body and machine, and the implement used (not to mention weight, sets, and reps).
Many more implements not listed such as landmine, clubs, maces, ropes, Bulgarian bags, and the list goes on.
The same thing can be said for exercises. There is a nearly an endless variety of exercises that can be done with the cable machine and most other implements as well.
A lot of these can be most easily incorporated as “accessory” exercises. I don’t track accessory exercises as diligently as main lifts. I usually incorporate them at the end of a session, if at all, based on feel and desire. They can be helpful for a variety of reasons including:
For correcting imbalances.
This should be done with care and or professional guidance and ideally done before serious strength training to avoid injury as a result of imbalances and or avoid ingraining bad movement habits.
For hypertrophy of certain muscles.
Pick any muscle and you’ll likely find dozens of exercises for each muscle, bicep curls are a favorite in gyms around the world
For fun.
Maces, clubs, and rope flow are enjoyable ways to get additional exercise, each with their own benefits.
To “fill the gaps” in training.
Group classes such as Pilates, bootcamps, AnimalFlow, and others can be fun ways to exercise your body in ways you likely won’t in the gym, as can other activities such as dance, martial arts, or rock climbing.
Many of these can also become your main form of training. Many people train exclusively with kettlebells. The landmine is another great implement that is gaining popularity because of the benefits available with it’s uniques uses.
Here I will keep a list of accessory lifts that I have useful either in my own training or in the training of others
Face Pulls - These work the muscles in the shoulders and in between the shoulder blades in a unique way. Focus on thoracic extension or a “confident” posture. Endurance is probably a more useful quality in these muscles than single rep strength.
Various forms of “raises” for the shoulders - keeping the arms straight raise the arms forward or to the sides or anywhere in between and any combination. These can also be done in a hinged position for the posterior/rear portion of the deltoid muscles. A cable machine is also a great tool for working the shoulders in this manner. Again large weights are not necessary.
How to choose main and accessory exercises. What exercises to choose (my recommendations). When to change or add additional or accessory exercises.
How to choose
The simplest way to choose is to select exercises that most closely resemble how you will be using the strength you are looking to build.
There are times to focus on one quality of strength at the expense of the specificity of the exercise. For instance, deadlifts and squats have been shown to correlate with sprinting speed. Those lifts allow for the body to handle the most amount of force in the most controlled manner. However, they are both bilateral lifts so some muscles of “stability” will be relatively underutilized in the lifts but will be critical for the transfer of that force in an athletic event. One example of this is the foot. Squats and deadlifts are commonly done on flat feet with a cue being “drive through the heels”, however this leads to a scenario where the legs can produce more force than the feet can transfer into the ground to produce movement. In my mind this is like putting a V8 engine on a car with bicycle wheels. It is also hard to know if the people with the better squat are the faster sprinters because of the squat or if their squat was better because of some other quality that also made them a faster sprinter.
One way to deal with this is periodization. This is another complicated topic. Put simply, you might spend some time developing max strength in a heavy bilateral exercise, then spend some time bringing the rest of your muscles up to speed. For example, spend time developing your bilateral squat or deadlift, then switch to a unilateral exercise such as split squats so you’re body develops the ability to produce and transfer that force through one leg at a time. These concepts are more important for athletes and people otherwise concerned with optimizing performance and who have lots of time to dedicate to training and planning their training.
You will want to do this for each pattern that is a part of your sport or activity. Keep in mind that your core and your upper body have a role to play even in an exercise as seemingly simple as walking.
You will likely also want to go a little beyond the ranges of motion required by your activity to create a bit of a “safety net” of strength and mobility for each joint.
It would also be good to create balance with your training program and seek to correct any imbalances create by your activity or elsewhere in life.
My recommendations
I mostly recommend single leg and single arm exercises because of the way they challenge stability. There are reasons to do bench presses and barbell back squats as well, however I recommend becoming proficient in the exercises below before moving on to more specialized exercises. You will have developed more stability and control through these exercises and should you choose to focus on lifts such as barbell back squats that stability will pay off there. The same can't be said the other way around.
Split Squats or Lunges
These are a single leg variety of the knee dominant pattern. You can get really strong on one leg and you will be building the muscles that keep you balanced and your hips stable at the same time. You won’t produce as much total force as in a bilateral squat however Coach Mike Boyle claims that his athletes will lift more weight in a split squat if you add left and right together than in a bilateral squat. He calls this the “bilateral deficit”. There are still reasons for bilateral squats and it would be good to include them at some point. However, for most people looking for general health and moderate strength split squats and lunges are a great choice.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
This is again a single leg variety. I would go with this one for many of the same reasons at the split squats. One reason why you might want a bilateral deadlift is because the weight is so much greater you will develop grip and back strength to match. There are other ways to develop this strength and bilateral lifts, when done to extremes can come with costs than many don’t want to pay. So include them, but again, I recommend focusing on single leg lifts.
Staggered Stance Single Arm Cable Press
This exercise will challenge you from your feet to your hands. It will not be the best exercise for maximizing the amount of weight that you can press. A bench press would be the exercise for that. However, like the single leg exercises above, for most people most of the time, these are the exercises I would recommend because of how they also teach you how to use the body as an integrated whole.
Staggered Stance Single Arm Cable Row
I recommend the single arm cable row for the same reasons as the press. Other presses and rows should be done, however for most people most of the time these exercises seem like they get the most mileage.
Staggered Stance Cable Rope Chop
The staggered stance is useful for all of the reasons stated above and it’s value for the core is accentuated in the chop, especially the lengthening and shortening of the obliques. I recommend the rope because it encourages equal engagement of both hands and arms which translates to “pulling” and “pushing” through the range of motion. Something that can be avoided with a single handle. The bar really highlights this and is probably my favorite tool for chopping/twisting exercises however they are not universally available in gyms and the added torque from having the weight far away from your hands and center of rotation can be challenging, especially for beginners.
Kettlebell Cleans
A kettlebell is a great tool, especially for a home or portable gym, especially if you get a quality adjustable kettlebell. Kettlebell cleans are probably one of the most accessible exercises that will develop power directly. These are also great for developing grip strength. They should be done with care and a focus on technique because of this power and rate of force development. Proper technique is a must because of the speed at which these are done, and because of this I do not recommend these for beginners. Kettlebell swings and deadlifts, however, are great for beginners and will help to develop the strength and technique required for cleans.
Alternating Overhead Press
These can also be done unilaterally, I like the alternating press because it’s more time efficient than doing presses on one side at a time. The alternating press can also be done incorporating coiling-core mechanics, which will provide a good stimulus for the core.
Pull-ups
These build grip strength and back strength and size like no other single exercise. They are also extremely accessible and open the door for other fun activities like various types of rock climbing.
Side note on rock climbing: as my friends have gotten better at rock climbing (I’m still climbing at a novice level due mostly to lack of access and consistency) they have informed me that there is much more leg involvement than it might seem. Still pull-ups are a great exercise, just don’t expect to be a good rock climber just because you can do a bunch of pull-ups.
Hip Thrust
Not much else works hip extension like a hip thrust. I don’t know that it would be a main focus of mine but it seems like it’s worth mentioning because of how unique it is.
What to Start with
3 exercises if you are brand new. Add more over time
Start with these three
Knee dominant exercise, horizontal push, and horizontal pull
Why start with these
Knee dominant exercises mostly require the use of the hips as well, so the selection of knee dominant exercise such as the squat or the split squat/lunge will exercise more muscles in the lower body than a hip dominant exercise such as the deadlift. Knee dominant movements also show up very often in every day life such as sitting down into and standing up from a chair (looks like a squat), getting up off the ground (often uses a similar pattern as a split squat or lunge), and walking and running (similar to a split squat or lunge).
Horizontal pushes and pulls are very accessible and can be done with resistance bands with an anchor, or using most cable crossover machines and functional trainers available in most gyms. The motion of the arm in the single arm press and pull also closely resembles the motion of the arm during running. Single arm presses and pulls will also develop the muscles of the core (notably the obliques and hips) due to the rotational input from having only one side of the body loaded.
Once those can be done consistently with good form, add these next, introducing them in a progressive manner or simply adding them in to your rotation/super-set
Hip dominant exercise, and twist
I would recommend adding both, though if I had to pick just one I would add a hip dominant exercise such as a Romanian or stiff legged deadlift because you are already getting some twisting of the core in the push and the pull.
I typically recommend single leg varieties of these for the added benefit of challenging stability. There are reasons to select either.
Adding a twisting or chop exercise such as the cable chop with a single handle, tricep rope, or a bar/dowel attachment will further develop your core and accelerate your strength gains in the push and the pull by lessening the limitations of core strength
I would progress through the chop exercises in the order listed mastering first the chop with a single handle and both hands together, before progressing to a tricep rope where the hands are separate, and then to a dowel where the hands are even further apart and the distance between the hands and the length of the dowel between the hands and the attachment point become even more variables to account for.
Then vertical push and vertical pull
I recommend adding these in last because they can be difficult to do (many cannot do pull ups) and can be the riskiest to perform (overhead press is safe until your ego wants to lift more than your shoulders allow) and these exercises are more challenging to perform at home (though many objects could be lifted overhead) but mostly because these patterns don’t show up often in everyday life.
I still recommend adding these patterns in to a workout, perhaps during the accessory work at the end of a session, even if they are not a focus of strength development because it is good and healthy to maintain the overhead capacity of our shoulders (if you don’t use it you lose it).
When to change or add exercises
Really the only time to change exercises is when progress stagnates. There are diminishing returns for any exercise. If you are measuring running speed and improving your squat you would stop squatting when your running speed stops improving.
If you haven’t hit the point of diminishing or negative returns but your progress in a lift is stagnating you may need to change your programming or add assistance exercises. Assistance exercises will develop a particular muscle or range of motion that may be the weak link in progressing your main lift. For instance if you are having trouble locking out your press you may need to spend some time strengthening your triceps or focusing on that partial range of motion.
There are too many “weak links” and exercises to strengthen them to list them all here. The internet has plenty of guidance available. Working with a trainer or coach is another option. You will also develop a sense of what needs work and how to do it over time.
This isn’t something to spend too much time concerned about as it typically doesn’t require attention until later in a lifting career. Many soviet lifter would spend years focusing on just the main lifts and practicing their technique before ever introducing assistance exercises.
There is also the option to change to a variation of the exercise by changing parts of the exercise without changing to a completely new exercise.
You can do this by changing the angle of your press or pull, the style of grip, width/depth of your stance, how/where you hold the weight, or any of the other variables listed above.
You may also decide to include them as part of “fun” and hypertrophy of lifting as they do provide novelty and a change of pace, but don’t lose sight of the main goal: strength.
Example progressions using multiple variations of a lift
Lunge and Single Leg RDL with bilateral, ipsilateral, and contralateral loading.
As you progress up in weight, start each new progression with bilateral loading (if you were lunging with 50 lbs you would have 25 lbs in each hand), after some time with the bilateral loading you could progress to unilateral loading and hold the whole weight in one hand. This will develop grip strength and force the muscles in your hip to adapt to several loading patterns. This could be done by having a bilateral session or training block to adapt to the new load. Then a contralateral session, or block followed by ipsilateral. You could also switch between contralateral and ipsilateral between sets or even reps, there are many options for varying the programming here. This will likely only be possible in the beginning of your journey. As you get stronger it will be difficult to hold the whole weight in a single hand both because of the grip strength required and the fact that many gyms don’t have dumbbells above 100 lbs. Though this would still be a great option for your warm up or lighter days when you reach those levels of strength (and if you have dumbbells heavier than 100 lbs developing the grip strength to hold them would be a great challenge and training opportunity).
Press and pull with ipsilateral and contralateral loading.
Much like the lunge it would be useful to take time at each level of strength to develop multiple loading patterns. Again, you could have a whole session or training block dedicated to one stance or the other, switch between each set, or even switch halfway through each set. Switching between each rep becomes a little impractical especially at higher intensities. Once option I’ve found valuable is working the oblique slings in a lengthened position in the first half of my set and then switching stances so I work them in a shortened position (where they are typically stronger) in the second half of my set. A similar loading scheme/stance progression can be done in chopping/twisting exercises.
Chop with handle, rope, bar, and varied stance.
The chop has many variables and more combinations than are practical to list. Changing handles alters the complexity of the exercise and as mentioned and discussed above different stances will alter what combinations of muscles and even what parts of the muscles feel the force the most. After writing this section I now feel it’s best to slowly work through many combinations of variables and challenge yourself in many different ways instead of racing to increase the weight. Unless you have a very good reason for getting very strong very fast in a particular pattern, getting moderately strong at a moderate pace seems more sustainable and will build a more robust and durable body.
More detail on how to put exercises together and plan a training session is discussed in this blog here.
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