At Geek Strength Labs, I use the following key exercises (each with several variations) to stimulate optimum neuro-muscular development in my clients:
Deadlift
Squat
Press
Bench Press
Overhead Squat
Clean
Snatch
Jerk
Pull-up
Dip
Pushup
Handstand pushup
In this short list, I have given you (no joke) the keys to the kingdom! Don’t wreck it!
These exercises rule my gym because they are total body, compound joint movements. They train the body to operate as a unified whole, rather than a disjointed awkward mess. Because so many muscles are used at once, hormonal release is triggered, which is how the body promotes systemic and cellular adaptation to stress. These exercises are so complete they can serve as the basis (and even entirety) of strength and hypertrophy movements from the weakest to strongest individuals on planet earth. My earnest desire is to train my clients in the safe and correct execution of these exercises, so they can continue to benefit from their use throughout the rest of their lives!
In any effective training program, you will use progressions of movement and progressive resistance to train your nervous system as well as your muscle. You will vary the speed, reps, sets and the implements. You will train bilaterally, and unilaterally. You will use fusions of these key movements to further refine your athleticism. Some examples are:
Muscle-up (pull-up + dip)
Thruster (front squat + push-press)
The Exercise (snatch + overhead squat)
Burpee (squat + pushup)
At Geek Strength Labs (a.k.a. the Geek Forge), we also use complexes (chained series), couplets, and triplets of these movements for total body metabolic (anaerobic and aerobic) conditioning, fat burning, and training the will.
If you know what these 12 key exercises are and know what it feels like to do them, you can literally become stronger by just thinking about them. If you perform these exercises systematically, using progressive resistance, you will get very strong in a very balanced, functional way. You will look strong, and you will be strong, with no weak links. Moreover, you will benefit from improved flexibility and mobility. Use these 12 exercises with correct technique, and the sky is the limit.
If you have not been using the 12 key exercises, or you have been inconsistent, or use them only on occasion, or with poor technique, then I have good news for you: No matter how terrible or terrific your physical condition is at present, you have not even begun to realize your latent physical potential! Without the keys, your potential remains locked away within your genes. Fortunately, I have given you the keys. Now you only need to use them properly to, quite literally, reinvent your physique.
Grip strength
You can’t lift what you can’t hold. In some circumstances, a weak grip could cost you your life. Deadlifts, pull-ups, chin-ups, snatches, and cleans all work the grip to a substantial level. Moreover, the total body strength effect of all 12 key exercises will increase your grip strength indirectly. Owing to its importance, I enhance grip development by regularly using thick-handled barbells and dumbbells, padded grips, revolving grips, thick ropes, sand-bags and other specialized tools. A disproportionately large area of the motor cortex is devoted to the hands, when compared to total body area. Training the hands improves usable strength throughout the body by enhancing the ability to recruit more motor neuron units. Simply stated, grip training improves your ability to hold on to unwieldy objects (or uncooperative adversaries), and develops your ability to channel the entire strength of your body through your hands. And yes, this training is important for both men and women.
Neck strength
Your neck (cervical spine) is a continuation of your lumbar and thoracic spine. As the link between your head and body, it must be strong. By performing the 12 key exercises, it will naturally become stronger as your entire body does. However, since so much rides on your neck, it just makes sense to devote some careful training to it. I safely train the neck using bridging, a head harness, and other tools. Bridging in particular promotes the health of the entire spine, as well as flexibility in the hips and shoulders.
Core strength
Your abdominal muscles and the other muscles of the torso will become highly developed merely by doing the 12 key exercises. However, I favor a few useful exercises to further train the abs, lower back, and hip flexors. I especially like torso training on the Glute Ham Developer, parallel bars, abdominal wheel, and pull-up bar.
I encourage my clients to acquire parallettes (portable parallel bars) and an abdominal wheel to use at home, in addition to a doorway pull-up bar. My aim is to maximize your results for the time spent training with me, and I encourage my clients to acquire a few inexpensive tools to use at home, so more training time with me in the gym can be devoted to the 12 key exercises.
The body is one piece
The body loves to be trained as a whole, rather than in parts. The movement patterns (i.e. engrams) developed by the 12 key exercises are primal, functional, and universally applicable. They are old school, as in prehistoric! At Geek Strength Labs, we use other total body moves favored by old-time strongmen (and possibly cavemen) to keep the body guessing like:
Turkish get-up
Side press
Continental cleans
Two hands anyhow
Farmers walk
Stone shouldering
Waiters walk
Club swings
We also use basic gymnastic movements like:
Hand-balancing progressions
Front lever
Back lever
Planche
Bridges
L-sits, V-sits, Hanging Leg Raises, and more.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
No matter where you are at present, you can always move forward. There is no point wishing you started earlier, or telling yourself it’s too late. There is no point in feeling daunted by the remoteness of a possibility. If you want it, then earn it!
The name of the game is progression. We build gradually using focused movement progressions and progressive resistance. Step-by-step, persistent, focused, and determined application of the 12 key exercises will produce results. In time, the impossible becomes possible, and the possible, easy. The 12 key exercises are the keys to the kingdom, period.
Thomas Edison once said, “Invention is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
I hope I’ve inspired you to reinvent your physique. Now you need to sweat!
If you live near Farmers Branch, Texas, and you want to develop strength fit for a hero, send me an email at coach@geekstrength.com. If you live too far away to consider training with me, send me an email anyway. Either way, I’ll give you some suggestions for learning the 12 key movements. And don't forget to visit my website at www.geekstrength.com.
Best wishes,
Jon Burroughs
coach@geekstrength.com
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