Movement 1
Quad-Dominant - Any lower-body exercise in which your quadriceps work the hardest. An easy gauge: For any standing exercise, your torso will be bent forward less than 45 degrees as you perform the move.
The Main Move - Squat
How to do it - Hold a barbell with an overhand grip so that it rests comfortably on your upper back. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, and keep your knees slightly bent, back straight, and eyes focused straight ahead. Slowly lower your body as if you were sitting back into a chair, keeping your back in its natural alignment and your lower legs nearly perpendicular to the floor. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause, then return to the starting position.
Perfect it - Arch your lower back and push your knees outward as you lower your body. "This keeps the stress off your knees and lower back, providing you with the safest way to perform the move," says Dave Tate, C.S.C.S., a powerlifting champion from Columbus, Ohio.
Super Substitutions - Lunge, split squat, and overhead squat.
Movement 2
Hip-Dominant - Any lower-body exercise in which your hamstrings and glutes work the hardest. For any standing exercise, your torso will be bent forward more than 45 degrees as you perform the move.
The Main Move - High stepup
How to do it - Use a step or bench that's 18 inches off the ground. Place your left foot on the step so that your knee is bent at 90 degrees. Your knee should not advance past the toes of your left foot. Push off with your left foot, and bring your right foot onto the step, keeping your back straight. Now step down with the left foot, followed by the right. Alternate the leading foot, or do all of the repetitions leading with one foot and then alternating. Once you're comfortable, add dumbbells.
Perfect it - Use a knee-high step or box, and hold a heavy dumbbell in the hand on the same side as your working leg, instead of two lighter dumbbells in each hand. "That ensures that the weight is focused directly on the target leg," says Cameron McGarr, C.S.C.S. Using the combination of a knee-high box and heavy dumbbell will force your torso to bend forward, focusing the stress on your hips, hams, and glutes.
Super Substitutions - Deadlift, Romanian deadlift, and back extension
Movement 3
Horizontal Press - Any upper-body exercise in which you push the weight out and away from your body
The Main Move - Barbell bench press
How to do it - Lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet on the floor. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip, your hands just beyond shoulder-width apart. Lift the barbell, and hold at arm's length over your chest. Slowly lower it to your chest. Pause, then push back to the starting position.
Perfect it - Try it with dumbbells. Start by holding the dumbbells next to your chest so that your palms face each other. As you push the weight up, rotate the dumbbells outward, so that your palms are facing forward. "This works your pectorals the way they're designed to function, giving you better results," says McGarr.
Super Substitutions - Pushup, dip, and close- or wide-grip versions of the barbell bench press
Movement 4
Horizontal Pull - Any upper-body exercise in which you pull the weight in to your torso
The Main Move - Barbell row
How to do it - Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Let the barbell hang at arm's length on top of your thighs, thumbs pointed toward each other. Bending your elbows, lift your upper arms straight out to the sides, and pull the barbell straight up until your upper arms are parallel to the floor and the bar is just below chin level. Pause, then return to the starting position.
Perfect it - Use a grip that's twice shoulder width and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the weight to your chest. "You'll better work the muscles of your rear shoulders and upper back, which when weak, cause men to slump and lead to the rounded-shoulder look," says Mejia.
Super Substitutions - Dumbbell row, inverted row, and seated row
Movement 5
Vertical Press - Any upper-body exercise in which you press the weight upward
The Main Move - Barbell shoulder press
How to do it - Sitting on an exercise bench, hold barbell at shoulder height with your hands shoulder-width apart. Press the weight straight overhead so that your arms are almost fully extended, hold for a count of one, then bring it down to the front of your shoulders. Repeat. Perfect it Hold the barbell with an "offset" grip, so that your thumbs are against the inside heads of the dumbbells. "This creates an imbalance in the distribution of the weight, forcing your shoulder muscles to work twice as hard," says Mejia.
Super Substitutions - Dumbbell shoulder press and pike pushup
Movement 6
Vertical Pull - Any upper-body exercise in which you pull the weight downward
The Main Move - Lat pulldown
How to do it - Grab a lat-pulldown bar with a "false" overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width. A false grip means you place your thumb on top of the bar, alongside your index finger, rather than wrap it around the bar. Pull the bar down to your chest. Pause, and slowly return to the starting position.
Perfect it - Perform the movement while on your knees, instead of sitting on the bench. "It aligns your lats and your glutes, which naturally work together, allowing you to use more weight," says McGarr.
Super Substitutions - Chinup and pullup
The Rules of Repetition
1. Twice a week, perform each movement in the order shown above. In your first workout, do 4 to 6 reps of each movement. In your second workout, perform 10 to 12 reps of each movement. Alternating between these two repetition ranges each session trains your muscles for both strength (the lower reps) and endurance (the higher reps).
2. Do the two lower-body movements as straight sets, performing both sets of Movement 1 (quad-dominant) before moving on to Movement 2 (hip-dominant). Rest 60 seconds between each set of each movement.
3. To save time, do Movement 3 and Movement 4 as a pair, and Movement 5 and Movement 6 as a pair, resting 30 seconds between each set. That is, perform one set of Movement 3, rest 30 seconds, and then perform one set of Movement 4, and rest another 30 seconds. Repeat one time--for a total of two sets of each exercise--and then move on to Movement 5 and Movement 6.
4. Always rest at least a day or two between workouts.
5. Every 4 weeks, choose a new exercise from each movement category.
2. Do the two lower-body movements as straight sets, performing both sets of Movement 1 (quad-dominant) before moving on to Movement 2 (hip-dominant). Rest 60 seconds between each set of each movement.
3. To save time, do Movement 3 and Movement 4 as a pair, and Movement 5 and Movement 6 as a pair, resting 30 seconds between each set. That is, perform one set of Movement 3, rest 30 seconds, and then perform one set of Movement 4, and rest another 30 seconds. Repeat one time--for a total of two sets of each exercise--and then move on to Movement 5 and Movement 6.
4. Always rest at least a day or two between workouts.
5. Every 4 weeks, choose a new exercise from each movement category.
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