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The cable split squat is a way of using more of a

The cable split squat is a way of using more of a horizontal resistance versus the more vertical we get with dumbbells. The reason you would choose to do this is to bias the quadriceps of the front leg more, as well as a cue for the client to get the knee forward.

I used this variation a lot when I was a young trainer. It was a great way to introduce beginner to split squats because the loading is overall less challenging and the cable does provide a small bit of balance assistance.

I have however transition to using the front foot on wedge variation of the split squat more when the goal is quad biased, particularly for hypertrophy goals in stronger people. This tends to make the exercise more available as you can do it anywhere without needing a cable machine, and it also has more of a lengthened bias resistance challenge. Additionally being able to load both arms eliminates the rotational challenge you get with a single arm cable.

I think the cable version can be a great exercise for someone that is weak or just learning this type of motion, or if you were trying to deload the bottom a bit and increase the mid range challenge a bit more.

You can learn more about the technique and application of these exercises with @n1.education courses and the @n1.training exercise library.

#n1education #n1training #splitsquats #legtraining #legworkout #legexercises #lowerbodyworkout #exercisescience #fitnesseducation

The leg press and the deadlift are very similar fr

The leg press and the deadlift are very similar from the hip down. Both exercises can be modified to be more knee or hip dominant, both can be done with a variety of stance widths.

The main difference is what occurs above the hip. The leg press removes the stress and fatigue on the trunk and upper body. The deadlift is therefore a more global or systemic exercise.

We must also consider the “dead” stop at the bottom. Based on our current theories for hypertrophy, the dead stop may not be ideal compared to more loading of the eccentric and long position, however it may be superior for some aspects of strength development.

Because the leg press allows for friction of the foot plate to become another source of resistance, it has a greater potential for quad bias than the deadlift. However when it comes to the hip dominant versions, it’s easier to cheat with the quads in a leg press than a hip dominant deadlift. However proper setup and technique can resolve this.

You can learn more about the technique and application of these exercises with @n1.education courses and the @n1.training exercise library.

#n1education #n1training #exercisescience #fitnesseducation #legtraining #legpress #deadlifting #deadlifts #glutetraining #gluteworkout #glutes

Pressing motions will bias the medial triceps a bi

Pressing motions will bias the medial triceps a bit because of the shoulder motion being someone antagonistic to the longer triceps, especially the long head. However, pressing a fixed vs a free handle can differ quite a bit.

Pressing with a free cable allows you to use the exact arm position and path you want, and allows you to setup to be able to get full elbow flexion with a lengthened resistance challenge.

Once we switch to fixed handles, compromised will have to be made in regards to specificity and range of motion. Ideally we want a motion that lines up with elbow flexion, but a fixed grip width makes that a challenge as our hands would typically come narrower as we lower into elbow flexion. This misalignment also may reduce the amount of flexion you can achieve. This is one of the reasons why people tend to find cable variations more friendly to the elbows, and overall a better stimulus in many cases.

The fixed handle is not without it’s benefits however. A fixed handle means that force can be applied in more directions. For example outward forces can be placed into a bar that can’t be done with free handles. This isn’t necessarily better for hypertrophy, or elbow health for that matter, but does perhaps better transfer to the motor patterns for other fixed bar pressing. So if your goals is stronger triceps and you also wanted more direct carryover to bench press for example, you could argue maybe there is a time and place to choose the fixed option.

Close grip pressing also involves a lot more of the shoulder flexors, so if you need a movement that targets all these tissues at once, then it wouldn’t be the medial biased cable press, but rather a close grip press.

#n1education #n1training #fitnesseducation #exercisescience #triceps #tricepsday #tricepsworkout

Lunges and split squats look similar, but the fact

Lunges and split squats look similar, but the fact that lunges involve dynamic motions limits the technique options, and increases the coordination demand.

Walking lunges will be more quads on the eccentric, and drop lunges are still limited for the glutes on the eccentric because of the balance factor.

This makes split squats a slight favorite for heavier loading and higher effort sets when the focus is pure hypertrophy. The fact that in a lunge you are supporting yourself on one leg for at least part of the motion does bring in more of the lateral hip stabilizers.

This is where the kickback comes in. While unilateral movements like lunges and step-ups do require more participation from he lateral hip muscles like the glute med, they are not loading them directly or taking them through significant range of motion. With kickbacks and press backs we now have the opportunity to move in a hybrid plane of extension and abduction to target the specific divisions of the glutes more directly, with greater direct resistance and ROM.

Kickbacks however can be challenging to coordinate and stabilize as well. This can limit the loading potential and effort before technique breakdown.

These are not rules, but one way I apply these three exercises is that I think for glute hypertrophy, you’re going to have to use a combination of more stable movements that maybe limit some specificity with movements that allow greater specificity like the kickbacks or press backs. This means lunges might get left out many times, but also when you are limited on the number of exercises you can do, or actually want to work directly on balance and coordination as well, then lunges may be a good compromise. Lunges are still a good exercise and if you love them, do them, but principally, I think the split squat kickback combo is a bit better.

Learn more about the technique and application of these exercises with @n1.education courses and the @n1.training exercise library.

#gluteworkout #glutetraining #glutesworkout #n1education #n1training

There are 3 primary differences between these move

There are 3 primary differences between these movements:
- Muscle length
- Resistance challenge
- Stability and coordination demand

The preacher curl involves bracing the back of the arm against a fixed point of contact with shoulders in slight flexion. This puts the biceps in a relatively shorter position. Even though the greatest resistance is when the forearm is horizontal, the exercise is most challenging when the elbow is fully extended (most lengthened position of the exercise). Having the arms braced, will add stability, reducing the total coordination challenge.

Conversely, the incline DB curl finds the arms in slight shoulder extension which places the biceps in a more lengthened position. The greatest challenge is at about mid range of the exercise.

In one recent study they found the preacher curl resulted in greater changes in muscle thickness of the biceps than the incline curl. This could be interpreted that having the challenge in the more lengthened position, or maybe the stability was a factor. It's important not to try to make too many conclusions off of just one study, but if your goal is hypertrophy, you may look at ways to add stability to your incline curls or use cables to add challenge in the more lengthened portion.

There is still much to be investigated when it comes to lengthened-biased training for hypertrophy. Make sure you follow us and we will keep you updated on how we are applying the latest research.

For more in-depth education on biomechanics and program design, dive into the online courses.

#n1education #n1training #bicepworkout #bicepsworkout #bicepsday #bicepcurls #armworkout #exercisescience #exercisephysiology #exercisetips

Pressing motions are going to bias mostly the medi

Pressing motions are going to bias mostly the medial head of the triceps, followed closely by the lateral head, leaving the long head as the least participating head.

The shoulder motion impacts the longer triceps. The long head of the triceps originates on the scapula and similarly to how we see poor hypertrophy outcomes for hamstrings in the leg press, we would expect to see a similar situation with the long head of the triceps in pressing.

The lateral head has some merging with the posterior deltoid and some fascial crossing of the shoulder that seem significant enough to impact it’s activity but to a smaller extent than the long head.

The degree of lateral head may be influenced by pressing angle as I previously mentioned shoulder position does still impact its recruitment relative to the other heads. However when pressing into fixed handles, it can be hard to apply the same expectations as a free motion because you can be extending into a bar or handle in a different direction than it is moving.

The other considerations are going to be the lengths of the long head, and the resistance challenge. It is very hard to challenge the stretched position of elbow extension in extension exercises because the cable or dumbbell would need to be pulling basically though your shoulder. However exercise like the medial tricep press can challenge this position more, making them a great variation to include.

There is triceps work in your chest and shoulder pressing motions, but you won’t be getting the same ROM. Chest and shoulder pressing with fixed handles allows for the triceps to help more than when pressing dumbbells or cables. For cable presses to significantly stimulate the triceps you need to perform them specifically for triceps loading. Therefore you should account for all pressing, but not count it all the same.

You can learn more about the technique and application of these exercises with @n1.education courses and the @n1.training exercise library.

#n1training #n1education #tricepsworkout #tricepworkout #tricepsday #triceps

Both of these exercises are often associated with

Both of these exercises are often associated with glutes, but actually become more glute biased when we decrease the range of motion. When we limit the hip thrust to the top potion like in a Glute Bridge, it becomes less quads, and more of a pure glute biased exercise, and if we don’t go below parallel on a 45° hip extension, the exercise becomes less hamstring and more glute biased.

That doesn’t mean that the larger ROM version of either exercise does not have utility, it just depends on the goal you have and how this exercise fits in your program.

Both exercises are limited to the shorter ROM of the glutes, and also are harder in the short position. Both exercises can be impacted by tempo. Being more aggressive out of the bottom will shift the bias towards the non-glute musculature.

A 45° extension if done with full ROM, is plenty of hamstring stimulus and can cause fatigue and DOMs, however you are very unlikely to get quad DOMs from a thrust if your technique is decent.

Practicality and loading are also major differences. A 45° extension is extremely easy to setup and perform. However loading can be a challenge because holding the weight becomes difficult and the floor can limit your ROM or how you can hold the loads. The hip thrust on the other hand is tedious to setup, but you can easily add more load to the bar.

Finally, the hip thrust exercise is a hip extension exercise. Don’t ruin the exercise by placing bands on the knees and trying to do abduction at the same time. You will feel it, the same way that if you flex both your bicep and your tricep at the some time flexing you arm you will feel it. However that’s not how we achieve stimulus.

If you want to get stimulus in your abductors, do direct abduction work, don’t limit your hip extension work to get a negligible abduction stimulus. So just do hip extension and abduction separately or as hybrid motions like kickbacks.

You can learn more about the technique and application of these exercises with @n1.education courses and the @n1.training exercise library

The main difference between a row and a pull aroun

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