No matter if you’re looking to set a new PR, run a faster 5K time, or to get ready for football season, gaining strength through accessory exercises is a vital component to improving performance.
Hitting the weights, will not only help you gain strength, it also helps both build muscle and shed fat, giving you the potential to blow away any of your fitness goals. But when most of us hit the weightroom, most of us immediately turn most of our focus on the Big 3 moves — the bench press, squat, and deadlift.
Moving heavy weights here will lead to gains in strength and power, one can’t progress on just those three moves alone. At the same time, you also need to incorporate accessory exercises into your regimen to help strengthen your weak points and even improve your strong points.
Accessory exercises are key for improving your strength and weakness to strengthen and improve your performance. These neglected eight exercises deserve a spot in your next training program. Your gains await.
These got their name from the guy who first used them, Kirk Karwoski, who started doing this shrug variation to increase his grip strength. But his coach, Marty Gallagher thought this would improve his deadlift numbers also. And he was right as Karwoski pulled an 800-pound deadlift. But they both discovered Kirk shrugs put slabs of muscle on the upper traps too.
Muscles Trained: forearms and upper traps
How it Helps: Kirk shrugs develop the muscles of the upper back, which are important for performing deadlifts and providing a ‘shelf’ for barbell squats and improves overall shoulder stability.
When to do it: Kirk shrugs make for a great “finisher” at the end of upper body training session. Perform three sets of eight to 12 reps.
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2. JM Press
When JM Blakey trained at Westside Barbell and was crushing bench press records, his training partners noticed he was doing this unusual lift as part of his accessory routine. It was a hybrid move, part close grip bench press and part skull crusher So, they asked him how to do it and when they did it, they loved it. And the JM Press was born.
Muscles trained: Triceps (mainly the long head) chest and anterior deltoid
How It helps: JM presses focuses on the triceps and helps improve lockout strength on the bench and overhead press. And because of its short range of motion, you’ll be able to load up the weights.
When to do it: With heavy partial range of motion exercises like the JM press, these could out strain on your elbows. Try limiting these to four- to-six-week cycles — either three to five sets four to six reps for strength work, or two to three sets eight to 12 reps for hypertrophy.
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3. Side Lunge
Most of the strength exercises work in the sagittal plane (dividing the body into right and left halves) like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Enter the side lunge, which trains the frontal (lateral) plane. The side lunge works both the hip adductors and abductors, the oft-neglected muscles of the inner and outer hip/thigh. Having strong hips in all directions can protect against injury and improve performance in activities which need side-to-side movement.
Muscles trained: Quads, glutes, hip adductors, and hip abductors
How it helps: The adductors are the forgotten muscles when it comes to hip mobility and injury prevention (1) & (2). Side lunges mobilize and strengthen the adductors and play a vital role in your overall hip, knee, and back health. This has a huge carryover to your squat, deadlift, and athletic performance.
When to do it: The loaded variations are go-to exercises for building muscle. A variety of equipment can be used (e.g., dumbbell, kettlebell, barbell), based on your personal preference. Three to four sets working in the eight to 15 rep range will challenge your lateral stability and strength.
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4. Stability Ball Hip Extension Hamstring Curl
The stability ball hip extension hamstring curl strengthens both hip extensor and a knee flexor, giving your hamstrings double duty. And because of the unstable surface, the stabilization demands increase too, making your hamstring and glutes work harder. Plus, improving your core stability too. When you focus on the eccentric (lowering), you’ll go a long way to bullet proofing your hamstrings. (3)
Muscle trained: Glutes and hamstrings
How It helps: Strengthening the hamstrings helps you run faster by improving your neuromuscular coordination, power, and improves your running economy through better movement coordination. Plus, it acts as a great warm-up exercise for your squat and deadlift.
When to do it: Try performing these before your barbell squats for two to three sets for 12 to 15 reps. These will get blood moving through the knee joints for (hopefully) better squat performance.
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5. Snatch Grip Deadlift
The snatch-grip deadlift gets its name from the Olympic lift because you set up like the first part of the barbell snatch. The wider grip of the snatch grip deadlift puts a bigger demand on your upper back muscles which keep the spine in neutral when pulling from the floor. Plus, it taxes your grip strength due to your hands being further away from the shoulders.
Muscles trained: Forearms, upper back, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings
How It helps: The snatch grip deadlift puts your hips in a lower position than a conventional deadlift. More power and strength is needed to pull the weight from the floor, making it a safer option than deficit deadlift for some lifters. This is a great option if you are slow off the floor.
When to do it: Sub these in for conventional deadlifts if you’re slow off the floor, need to improve your grip strength, or you’re looking for a variety. Perform for three to five sets and three to six reps.
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6. Meadows Row
Meadows rows will help reduce joint stress compared to other bent over row variations while maximizing shoulder tension and stabilization because of the gripping required to hold the fat part of the barbell. The landmine setup allows you to load this row heavier than a dumbbell to further strengthen imbalances, add muscles to the upper back while increasing grip strength. It’s an exercise with the lot.
Muscles trained: Forearms, biceps, posterior deltoid, upper back and lats
How it helps: In my book, you can never get enough grip and upper back strength to help pull maximum weight from the floor safely. The greater range of motion and holding the end of the barbell for the Meadows row gives you both.
When to do it: Meadows row is best used to strengthen imbalances and for upper back hypertrophy. Doing three to four sets and between six to 15 reps works well.
The single-leg Romanian deadlift exercise is great for increased performance and injury prevention but it’s difficult to perform well because it turns into a balancing act. Enter the single leg landmine RDL. Due to the angle and long lever this is an easier variation to do and to go heavier with as opposed to dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells.
Muscles trained: Forearms, upper back, glutes, and hamstrings
How It helps: Bilateral deadlifts are great, but they can hide strength imbalances. This exercise will strengthen imbalances between sides and give your lower back a break from the heavy barbell.
When to do it: This is better programmed for hamstring, glute, and balance development. Three to four sets of six to 12 reps works well.
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@Ryan Humiston/Youtube
8. Hyperextensions
The back hyperextension is an uninviting piece of equipment and it’s rarely shiny or displayed prominently in any gym. Plus, the average gymgoer isn’t sure how to use it effectively to target their glutes or hamstrings. But when performed well it will target your glutes and hamstrings through a large ROM without overusing your lower back, building posterior strength and muscle in a joint friendly fashion.
Muscles trained: Hamstrings, glutes, and lower back
How It helps: The back hyperextensions carry over well to the deadlift and squat because it develops lockout strength and muscle mass in the glutes and hamstrings. Plus, it’s a good exercise to teach people how to activate their glutes and hamstrings for hip hinging movements.
When to do it: This is best performed as an accessory exercise after squats and deadlifts. Training in the three to four set range between eight and fifteen reps works well. Start with bodyweight but don’t be afraid to add weight when you’ve gained strength.
