TLDR;
Jeff Nippard shares seven underrated and less common exercises that he incorporates into his weekly routine for various benefits, from shoulder health and core strength to muscle growth and glute activation. He emphasizes that while these exercises are effective, consistent training and effort are more important than the specific movements chosen. The exercises range from dead hangs and modified dumbbell curls to more obscure movements like Kelso shrugs and seated cable deadlifts, each designed to target specific muscle groups and provide unique advantages.
- Dead Hangs: Improve shoulder health, forearm growth, core strength, and spinal decompression.
- Zapman Hammer Curls: Enhance bicep growth by overloading the negative portion of the curl.
- Incline Dumbbell Y Raise: Improve side delt development with a more balanced tension profile.
- Sideways Facing One Arm Rear Delt Fly: Achieve a full range of motion for the rear delts on the pec deck machine.
- Dragon Flags: Strengthen the entire core, with a focus on the lower abs.
- Keelso Shrug: Isolate the mid traps and rhomboids for back thickness without fatiguing the lower back or biceps.
- Seated Cable Deadlift: Activate the glutes and hamstrings with less fatigue compared to barbell deadlifts.
Why I Like These Exercises [0:00]
Jeff Nippard introduces seven underrated exercises that he includes in his weekly routine to prevent workout monotony and target specific muscle groups effectively. He clarifies that these exercises are not gimmicks but rather time-tested movements supported by scientific evidence. He notes that while the exercises vary in familiarity, with some being more common than others, consistent training and effort are more important than the specific exercises chosen.
Exercise 1 [0:37]
The first exercise is the dead hang, which offers multiple benefits such as improved shoulder health, forearm growth, increased core strength, spinal decompression, and enhanced muscular endurance. To perform a dead hang, grip the bar just outside shoulder width, using chalk to improve grip. Brace the core without over-flexing and allow the hips to sink down for spinal decompression, maintaining a consistent breathing rhythm. If unable to dead hang with body weight, use a band for assistance or an assisted pull-up machine.
Exercise 2 [3:02]
The Zapman hammer curl, named after strongman George Zapman, is a modified dumbbell curl designed to overload the negative portion of the movement for enhanced bicep growth. Perform the curl with a hammer grip on the way up and a supinated (palms up) grip on the way down, which forces the biceps to take on more of the load during the negative. Grip the dumbbell in the middle of the handle, curl the weight up, rotate the palms up, and lower the weight back down under control, sweeping the weight out in a wide arc.
Exercise 3 [4:55]
The incline dumbbell Y raise is an exercise for the side deltoids that aims to provide a more balanced tension profile compared to standard dumbbell lateral raises. Set up a bench at a 20 to 30° incline, brace the upper back against the bench, and lift the dumbbells up and out in a Y shape. Focus on squeezing the side delt fibers together to move the weight up and feeling them stretch apart on the way down, stopping the dumbbells at your sides to maintain tension.
Exercise 4 [6:35]
The sideways facing one arm rear delt fly on the pec deck machine allows for a full range of motion for the rear deltoids, which is not achieved with the traditional method. To perform this exercise, turn sideways and sweep your arm out across your body, focusing on using your rear delts to move the weight rather than yanking with your back and biceps. If a pec deck machine is not available, cables or dumbbells can be used, ensuring that the arm reaches across the body for a full rear delt stretch.
Exercise 5 [8:10]
Dragon flags are an uncommon ab exercise that effectively targets the lower abs while engaging the entire core. To perform a dragon flag, grab onto the top of a bench and lift your entire body off the bench with straight hips and knees until your legs are at a 60 to 80° angle, then lower your legs back down under control. For beginners, start with lying leg raises or bent knee dragon flags to build up strength before attempting full dragon flags.
Exercise 6 [11:10]
The Keelso shrug is an exercise for building back thickness by isolating the mid traps and rhomboids without fatiguing the lower back or involving the biceps. Load up a chest-supported T-bar row machine, brace your chest against the pad, and take a wide grip. With locked arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together as hard as you can, pause for a second, and then let your shoulder blades peel apart on the negative.
Exercise 7 [13:11]
The seated cable deadlift is a glute and hamstring exercise that activates these muscles without the same fatigue demand as heavy barbell lifts. Sit on a bench in front of a cable machine, grip the cable just outside shoulder width, and plant your feet on the platform. Squat the weight up and extend your hips to a full body lockout position, keeping your glutes planted throughout the set. Unlock your hips and knees to lower the bar, and then squeeze your glutes to extend your hips back to the starting position.