The GREATEST Exercises of All Time (HIT EVERY MUSCLE!)
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Published 2023-01-09
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In this list of 20 great exercises, there are going to be some exercises that you would expect anyone to include in the top 20 as well as a few exercises that you might be surprised to be given such a high honor. You can expect that some of the bigger, compound lifts are surely going to make the list - but you might be shocked to find some smaller, more corrective exercises within the rankings as well.
I believe that some corrective exercises hold more weight in their benefits than you might have considered before watching the video. Just because they are a smaller exercise that targets smaller, more neglected muscle groups does not make them any less important. In fact, I would argue that that is what makes them so much MORE important than people give them credit for.
That being said, let’s take a look at the list and see which exercises fall into the category of greatest of all time…
First up, we have the barbell squat otherwise known as the king of all leg exercises. To make sure you are getting the most out of this leg exercise, it is important to keep a few things in mind. Make sure that you are moving the pelvis and the ribcage together as a single unit. This will prevent the dreaded squat morning and make sure that the exercise remains fluid. Secondly, try to “grip the ground” with your toes to help create a stable base through the foot. Doing so will make sure that you remove any instability from the bottom of the kinetic chain.
Next up is the barbell curl. I like to add a little extra weight to this exercise and utilize the cheat variation because I can get a great overload on the biceps as well as taking advantage of my strength in the eccentric portion of the lift. One thing I like to do with the cheat curl is to keep a staggered stance - this is actually helpful for the cheat portion of the lift because it sets ourselves up to avoid excessive lean when bringing the bar up.
The dumbbell bench press is on this list of the greatest exercises of all time and for good reason. An awesome chest based exercise that is great for overloading the pecs and adds in a slight bit more adduction than it’s barbell-based cousin. Like the barbell bench press, it is important to take advantage of the use of your legs during the press by utilizing leg drive. Some people might argue that they avoid the dumbbell version based on shoulder problems they may have, but I often give the suggestion to play around with the speed or tempo of the reps as slowing them down may actually help solve a stability problem.
No list of greatest exercises could be complete without the inclusion of pullups. My suggestion on this exercise is to stop simply trying to increase the number of reps you can do on the exercise and instead add some weight to overload the movement. The weighted pull-up is a great strength developer and muscle building exercise when included into a routine. One tip that I would give with this exercise is to instead of pulling with your biceps and forearms, use the lats. My cue for this is to put your elbows in your back pockets on each rep.
If the squat is the king of all leg exercises, then the reverse lunge has to be considered the prince. By training through a staggered stance, we are making use of functional, real world movement patterns. Not only that but the exercise maintains an important versatility as well; not only does the lunge allow you to train with either a barbell or dumbbells to match your strength capabilities, you can also alter your torso position to better target different muscle groups.
Of course, there are many more exercises on this list to help you build muscle and get stronger. Be sure to watch the whole video to get the entire list and a breakdown on each exercise.
If you’re looking for a complete workout plan that includes the exercises featured on this list of the greatest of all time, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current goals.
If you’re looking for more videos on the best exercises for building muscle, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
All Comments (21)
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Push 2:20 DB Bench Press 6:10 Cable Lateral Raise 10:25 Lying Triceps Extension 14:30 DB/BB Push Press 16:55 Crossover Pull 1:15 BB Ch*at Curl 3:20 Weighted Pullup 7:00 Single Arm High Cable Row 8:35 DB Waiter Curl 12:25 DB Pullover 13:35 Facepull 15:15 Rotator Cuff External Rotation 16:15 DB High Pull > Upright Row 17:55 BB Dead Row Leg 0:20 Squat 4:00 DB/BB Reverse Lunge 5:20 Deadlift 7:45 BB Hip Thrust 11:40 Reverse Hyper Abs 9:40 Hanging Leg Raise
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“If you don’t believe me, learn more”!!!! That made my day....💪🤙😄😄😄😄
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These exercises are cool and all, but you being able to talk while doing weighted pull ups and hanging legs raises was the most impressive part of the video.
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Hi, I'm almost 74 years old and never been a workout nut. The past twenty years I have had health issues and lost a lot of strength. When covid hit I made up my mind to get in shape. I went from 247 pounds to 213 as of today. Six months ago I joined the YMCA and worked with a trainer, I now spend time on You Tube for better workouts and truly enjoy your channel. My whole upper body is weak. When I started working out I struggled to bench 20 pounds, now I can do 50 a few times ( I know thats not much) my goal is building overall strength but I'm mainly working my arms and shoulders. Thank you so much. Mike.
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I'm 58, and you're the "only" one I trust on the internet. Your exercises work, my shape is changing, and I'm quite happy about that.
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I stumbled across your webcite and really enjoy your succinct descriptions of the exercises. I'm a 71 year-old physical therapist with 43 years of experience. I have been a lifetime exerciser and can still crank out a few pullups. You've inspired me to add a little weight to my pullup routine. You are a great asset to the profession and make us all look good. Keep it up.
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Athletic stance, hinging, placement of hands and feet, stabilizing certain muscles for certain exercises, balancing out exercises with additional correctives... It's all so great to keep hearing this repeated on these videos. Getting the hang of it can completely change the effort and intensity of the workout for the better.
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It’s great seeing Jesse rep out that 225 squat like a warm up.
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I really love watching your videos! Since before I became a Trainer, I taught myself the proper movements determined by following the fibers. And this is hopefully good news to you, but I began doing a lot of the exercise variations that you teach, specifically focused on Time Under Tension. I wasn't really liked by many of the other Trainers because I didn't feed my clients B.S. but all of my clients got the results that they were looking for. I've sent them your videos to reinforce what I've taught them because you are very credible and I appreciate you. 💪🏼😎👍🏼
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The best channel, following since 6 years. Never disappointed 💯💯
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Jeff—from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for all of your content! I am a 25 year old woman and I have been weightlifting since the age of 14. I am also a runner, and have weightlifted on and off throughout the years. It wasn’t until I found your channel that I really started building muscle. I have been following your channel for about 5 years now and feel blessed to walk in a gym with the knowledge of exactly what I want to accomplish each day, and how. I can’t believe how much of what you share is free! Thank you!
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Im surprised the dip didn't make the list, it's a great chest movement that also gives a good stretch. Great video Jeff!
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What I love about your content is the anatomical science you put into your feedback. Learnt a lot from your worst/best vids. Keep it up 💪💪💪, you made me train much more efficient and focused , and my results are honestly incredible. Thanks for your positive influence on people and their mindset. 👊👍💪
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Another top tier video Jeff and Jessy. Really just commenting help the channel, but I just wanted to add that this Athean-X l means a lot to me because of how much a role it played in my own fitness and self confidence. I'm now lucky enough to be in a position where I am quite confident in my physical appearance and have put enough work in where I feel able to pass on what little knowledge I have to my wife. In recent months her lifestyle, confidence, health and happiness have all improved immeasurably. It's easy to think that these are all just fitness videos, but sometimes if you are able to change lives, then that is a gift that can never be re-payed. Thanks guys. Keep up the amazing work . PS: sorry for being gross lol
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Thank you for going back to basics and covering the most important exercises. This is much more valuable than some crazy complicated exercises that most people won’t benefit from
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Face pulls and external rotation movements have helped me work through and correct some agonising shoulder pain. But always gently gently 😁
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Face Pulls with the added movement pattern of abduction (overhead arm extension) is the best exercise contribution from this channel! And the details to execute the pattern correctly are outstanding. Thank you Jeff. And I’ll even say thank you, for even everyone else using it, who hasn’t yet said thank you.
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I hadn't realized how much Jeff has had an influence on my lifting. I'm watching this stuff thinking, yes, that's what I think about while doing...XXX. Thanks Jeff for all of the guidance over the years.
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Ok. This explains a lot of the "most effective" series which I incorporated into my life and absolutely love. Keep up the good work!
