Muscle-building is one of the most common reasons for people to hit the gym. Bodybuilding exercises could vary depending on the gender and the ultimate goal of each individual, but Sports Physiology expert Dr. Mike Israetel provided a helpful list. This group of exercises aimed to provide a way to increase muscle mass in men.
In a conversation with host Chris Williamson, Dr. Israetel revealed ten exercises that he thought should be in every man’s arsenal while hitting the gym. These workouts included some lifts, pulldowns, squats, and presses. All of them focused on growth.
The expert began with high-bar squats since they hit the quads, glutes, and adductors effectively. They also resulted in less fatigue compared to other squat variants. His next recommendation was a standing overhead barbell press for an increase in strength.
The third exercise was barbell skull crushers to build triceps. For an efficient back workout, he stressed including overhand pull-ups. While it wasn’t necessary to go overhand all the time, Dr. Israetel preferred the variant since he suffered from a hindrance in the mobility of his wrists.
“I have slowly become more disabled than I became more jacked isn’t that great!”
The next couple of exercises he recommended were barbell-bent rows for the back and stiff-legged deadlifts for the hamstrings. He specifically recommended the bent rows be performed from a deficit for better results.
“It’s isometric only with bent-over rows, you need a dynamic movement for the hamstrings. It also hits a c***load of your spinal directors and glutes and all this other stuff.”
Dr. Israetel then mentioned the cambered bar bench press on an incline, which provides added benefits. A cambered bar allows individuals to make deeper movements and go past the chest, therefore enhancing muscle growth.
The last few exercises that the expert recommended were tricep dips for a generally beneficial routine, super ROM lateral raises for the side deltoids, and seated incline dumbbell curls for the biceps. All of these exercises were enough to add to an intense plan while contributing to muscle growth.
Did Dr. Israetel agree with the OG bodybuilding scientist, Mike Mentzer?
Dr. Israetel often critiques various workout routines from celebrities, public figures, and famous bodybuilders. Most of them are hit-or-miss, where he explains his feelings behind each move. He once analyzed late legend Mike Mentzer’s heavy-duty training plan to see if it was relevant in current times.
Apart from certain outdated practices that modern-day bodybuilding science had debunked, Dr. Israetel had a lot of respect for Mentzer’s dedication and passion for the sport. He complimented his techniques and added how heavy-duty was a part of the journey to enhancing muscle growth.
