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10 "Underrated" Exercises from a Fitness Coach

Fitness Coach reveals the "Underrated" Exercises

By Ananda SubramanianPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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Eugene Teo, a bodybuilding coach, frequently offers guidance on how to develop strength and muscle safely and without getting hurt. In a recent video on his channel, he breaks down some of the exercises that, in his opinion, are the most "underrated" and that you should try including in your next workout. There are a few distinct variations on more typical activities as well as exercises that individuals either don't prioritize or don't undertake at all.

Underhand grip bench press

Eugene Teo, a bodybuilding coach, suggests incorporating the underhand grip bench press into your workout routine. He explains that this exercise creates a narrower elbow path, which is a better position for your chest muscles to have better leverage over your arm. This results in your chest muscles getting a better stretch and working more effectively.

High cable row

Teo recommends the high cable row for its ability to line up your back muscles in comparison to a traditional cable row. He believes that diagonal pulls are extremely underrated and this exercise is an excellent way to target your back muscles.

Copenhagen plank

The Copenhagen plank is often used as an activation or rehab exercise and targets the adductors, which are an overlooked muscle group in lower-body workouts. However, they are crucial supporting actors in movements like the deadlift. This particular plank variation is Teo's favorite because it can be performed either statically or dynamically.

Leg press

Teo suggests that while leg presses are frequently done, they get pushed aside a lot for free-weight exercises like barbell squats. Leg presses, in his opinion, are one of the best exercises for building significant lower body strength and pushing your legs beyond what you can likely ever do with squats.

Rope pulldown

Teo believes that the rope component in the rope pulldown is a real game-changer. It allows you to customize your grip and find more comfortable positions than a fixed bar may provide, and it allows you to create this outwards force as you pull down. This can facilitate the coordination of the muscles in the upper back and arms.

Split squat

The split squat, according to Teo, is likely already a part of your leg day program, although it's more typically employed as a supplement exercise than as one of the "meat and potato" movements. According to him, the split squat has special advantages like testing your hip rotation and requiring you to train for stability and mobility in addition to strength.

Hyperextension

Teo describes the hyperextension as a stiff-legged deadlift that's been rotated forwards 45 degrees or so. He suggests that it can be categorized with the same priority you might give a deadlift, and it really hammers your posterior chain.

Prone Y raise

Teo suggests using lighter weights for the prone Y raise, as it is an extra challenging exercise. He advises performing them while standing or squatting but laying flat or as close to flat as you can. The fully shortened position of the upper back and shoulder muscles, which are infamously very weak and undertrained, will present a significant obstacle.

Pushup

Since the pushup provides you greater ability to engage the serratus anterior at the shoulder blades, which is essential for shoulder function and mobility, Teo believes it has one advantage over other activities.

Dead hang

In order to incorporate some heavy stretching for the shoulders and back muscles into your workouts, Teo suggests the dead hang. It is quite easy to use and is very accessible. He also suggests working with different amounts of assistance or progression and even adding weight. It can be used for grip strength or flexibility training with the use of straps, and these are simply one of his absolute favorite ways to both start and finish a workout to get him feeling nice and loose.

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