Inverted Rows are a variation of Barbell Rows that remove the above problems. They're also one of the few strength training exercises that justify the existence of Smith Machines. Here's how to do Inverted Rows.

Benefits of Inverted Rows. Inverted Rows – also known as Horizontal Pull-ups or Fatman Pull-ups – are an upper-body exercise. Benefits:

• Back Strength. Inverted Rows work your upper-back, lats & traps. They also work your biceps muscles and several small muscles in your back.
• Barbell Row Substitute. If your lower back keeps rounding, you can do Inverse Rows while improving hip mobility using dynamic stretches.
• Improved Posture. Slouching shoulders are often linked with flaring shoulder-blades. Inverted Rows can help realign your shoulder-blades.

How to Do Inverted Rows. Lie back on the floor inside your Squat Rack with the bar at arms length. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.

• Pronated Grip. Same grip as for Pull-ups: palms facing away from your body. Grip the bar slightly narrower than on the Bench Press.
• Elbows Tucked. Not parallel to your torso. Keep your elbows close to your body, about 45° angle at your armpits.
• Lead with Your Chest. Not with your stomach or head. Keep your chin tucked, chest forward and shoulder-blades back & down.
• Touch Your Lower Chest. Same place the bar touches your chest on the Bench Press: your xyphoid process.
• Squeeze Your Shoulder-blades. Lead with your chest, keep your shoulder-blades back & down, tighten your upper-back at the top.
• Stay Tight. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. Keep your lower back & abs tight from start to finish.

Here's a video of Joe DeFranco doing Feet Elevated Inverted Rows.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Inverted Rows Variations. Put your feet on the floor if you struggle with Feet Elevated Inverted Rows. Switch to bent knees if these are still hard.

• Bent Knees Inverted Rows. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Use your upper-body muscles as much as you can on the way up.
• Inverted Rows. Knees extended, feet on the floor. Elevate your feet on a box once these get easy.
• Feet Elevated Inverted Rows. Moves the center of gravity towards the bar, increasing difficulty. Body parallel with the floor at the bottom.
• Weighted Inverted Rows. Wear a rucksack filled with plates or Xvest or wrap chains around your body while doing Inverted Rows.
• Ring Inverted Rows. Harder to stabilize. Touch the Rings or Blast Straps handles with your chest on each rep. Feet elevated or on the floor.

Common Inverted Rows Mistakes. Make sure your arms are fully extended at the start of each rep and squeeze your shoulder-blades at the top.

• Elbows out. Increases the torque on your shoulder joint. Keep your elbows tucked: 45° angle to your body.
• Leading with Your Head. Increases risks of neck injuries. Lead with your chest while keeping your chin tucked.
• Letting Your Torso Sack. Bad for your lower back. Keep a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Strengthen your core with Prone Bridges.
• Not Touching the Bar. You lack strength. Switch to an easier version of the Inverted Row while you get stronger.
• Slouching Your Shoulders. Increases risks of shoulder injuries. Keep your shoulders back, shoulder-blades back & down, chest up.

If you're a loyal reader, you've noticed I've given you a substitute for Squats, one for Deadlifts, and now one for Barbell Rows. Subscribe to see where I'm going with this (and get a free eBook).

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

The Problem with Sit-ups. First they're no fun. Everybody hates sit-ups. Next most of you shouldn't do sit-ups, especially if you have bad posture.

• Shorten Hip Flexors. Excessive sitting shortens your hip flexors. Sit-ups aggravate the problem. They work your hip flexors more than your abs.
• Slouching Shoulders. Good posture is chest up, shoulder-blades back & down. You get the opposite with sit-ups: round back, head forward.
• Back Pain. Common way to cheat on sit-ups is arching your lower back. Guaranteed way to get back pain in the long term.

The Reverse Crunch. The opposite movement of a Sit-up is a Reverse Crunch. It doesn't cause the same problems. Better it can fix your posture.

• Strengthen Your Abs. More specifically your external obliques. If you never did Reverse Crunches, you'll get sore abs the first time.
• Correct Lordosis. The Reverse Crunch teaches you to tilt your pelvis posteriorly and strengthens your abs. This corrects lordosis.
• Prevent Kyphosis. You don't get any depression of your ribcage like on sit-ups. This prevents upper-back rounding: kyphosis.

Reverse Crunch Video. Pay attention to the technique. Upper-thighs don't go back further than perpendicular to the floor. Lower back goes against the floor at the start of each rep. Movement comes from the abs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Reverse Crunch Technique. Lie back on the floor. Flex your knees. Raise your knees against your head by crunching your abs. Come back. Use a dumbbell or medicine ball as counter weight.

• Tilt Your Pelvis Back. Push your lower back against the floor on each rep. You shouldn't be able to put your hands under your back.
• Keep Your Feet Down. Don't let them come up during the movement. Keep your knees flexed, close to your glutes.
• Keep Your Head Down. Knees move towards your head, head doesn't move towards your knees. Keep your head on the floor.
• Work Your Abs. Avoid working your hip flexors. Don't let your legs come past perpendicular to the floor on the way down.

Common Mistakes. Lack of strength can make your body compensate when doing Reverse Crunches. Some things that can go wrong:

• Arching Your Lower Back. Bad for your spine. Posteriorly tilt your pelvis at the start of each rep. Push your lower back against the floor.
• Extending Your Knees. Makes the movement easier. Put something between your legs, like a foam roller, so you can't cheat.
• Coming Down too Far. Involves your hip flexors. Don't let your thighs come down further than perpendicular to the floor.
• Moving Your Head up. Causes forward head posture and is cheating. Keep your head on the floor. Move your knees toward your head.

Reverse Crunch Progressions. More strength is more muscle. Your abs must get stronger if you want them to be more muscular. Keep the Reverse Crunch challenging.

• Decrease The Weight. Hold to a 45lbs/20kg dumbbell or heavy medicine ball. Lower the weight as your abs get stronger.
• Remove The Weight. Reverse crunches without counter weight. Keep your hands behind your head and crunch your abs.
• Switch to Dragon Flags. Keep your hips & knees straight and Crunch your abs. Check Dragon Door's how to.

You can add the Reverse Crunch to StrongLifts 5x5. Do 3x10 at the end of each workout. But remember it's an accessory exercise. Squat & Deadlift for overall muscle mass. Then lose the fat to get the 6 pack.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Push-ups look easy but like any other exercise they have their technique. Bad Push-up technique is common, and unfortunately it can cause shoulders and/or lower back injuries. Here's how to perform Push-ups correctly.

Benefits of Push-ups. Push-ups are a closed kinetic chain exercise. Unlike the Bench Press, your hands are fixed while your body moves through space.

• Build Muscle. Just like Pull-ups & Dips, Push-ups force you to lift your own body-weight. Push-ups work your chest, shoulders, triceps & core.
• Shoulder Health. Push-ups improve shoulder health by strengthening your serratus anterior. They also teach you to Bench Press correctly.
• Versatile. You can do Push-ups anywhere, anytime. Harder Push-up variations keep things challenging for constant progress (more below).

Push-up Technique. Assume the Push-up starting position with your elbows locked. Lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest almost touches the floor. Come back up by pushing through the floor.

• Hand Position. Don't take your hands out to wide. Put your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hands turned out 45°.
• Tuck Your Elbows. Easier on your shoulders. Keep your elbows at a 45° angle to your body during Push-ups.
• Push Your Abs Out. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. Push your abs out as if someone was going to punch you in the stomach.
• Squeeze Your Glutes. Push your abs out while squeezing your glutes hard. Both will avoid any hyper-extension of your lower back.
• Tuck Your Chin. Lead with your chest, not with your head. Your neck must stay inline with the rest of your spine. Don't look forward.

Push-up Video. Here's a video of Push-ups using a light resistance band. Pay attention to the technique: straight line from ankles to shoulders, chest goes to the floor, elbows tucked. Video by Tony Gentilcore.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Increase Your Push-up Strength. If you lack the strength to do 1 Push-up or if you struggle to do Push-ups with correct technique, start this way.

• Push-ups Holds. Hold the Push-up starting position for time. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. These strengthen your core. Aim for at least 1mins. Switch to Prone Bridges for a bigger challenge.
• Kneeling Push-ups. Perform Push-ups with both knees on the floor. Push yourself up using your chest, shoulders & triceps muscles. Do not push yourself up using hip or back extension.

Push-up Variations. Unless you're looking for strength-endurance, you'll need to add some kind of resistance to keep Push-ups challenging. Some ideas:

• Close Grip Push-ups. Shift the emphasis to your triceps. Perform Push-up with your hands slight narrower than shoulder-width.
• Iso Push-ups. Improve shoulder health & posture. Hold the bottom position for time. Hands elevated for a greater stretch. Example.
• Blast Straps/Ring Push-ups. Harder to stabilize, improve core strength and improve bottom Push-up (and Bench Press) strength by increasing the stretch. Use Blast Straps or Rings.
• Resistance Bands. Add a mini or light resistance band like in the video above. I have Jump Stretch flexbands. Iron Woody works too.
• Chain Push-ups. Another way to add external resistance. Perform Push-ups with chains wrapped around your body. Example.
• Rucksack. Wear a rucksack filled with plates high on your back (not on your neck!). Add weight as you get stronger.
• Xvest Push-ups. Much more expensive than a rucksack or chains, but also more convenient. Perform Push-ups wearing an Xvest.
• Incline Push-ups. Shifts the emphasis to your shoulders. Do Push-ups with your feet elevated. Check the picture at the top.
• 1 Hand and/or 1 Feet Push-ups. Pavel Tsatsouline wrote a whole book about these Push-up variations in the Naked Warrior.
• Explosive Push-ups. Build power. Lower yourself in a controlled way. Hold at the bottom for a split second. Push yourself up as hard as you can, trying to elevate yourself from the floor.
• Depth Push-ups. Plyometric exercise. Hands on 4" blocks. Let yourself fall between the blocks. Push yourself back up on the blocks. The floor is "red hot": think of bouncing back on the blocks before you hit the floor.
• Handclap Push-ups. Also build explosive strength. Clap your hands on the way up. Check Ross Enamait video of triple handclaps push-ups.

Common Push-up Errors. Here are some of the most common Push-up errors you'll see. Avoid them at all costs.

• Looking Forward. Hyper-extending your neck can cause neck injuries. Keep your neck inline with the rest of your spine from start to finish.
• Leading with Your Head. Forward head position from computer work is common. Leading with your head during Push-ups aggravates the problems. Both increase risks of neck injuries. Tuck your chin and lead with your chest.
• Letting Your Torso Sack. Often caused by a weak core. Your body must be in a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Push your abs out and squeeze your glutes. Strengthen your core with Prone Bridges.
• Elbows Out. Increases the torque on your shoulder joint. Avoid on Push-ups & Bench Press. Tuck your elbows: 45° angle to your body.

If you're doing StrongLifts 5x5 and lack the equipment to do Dips or if Dips hurt your shoulders, replace them by Push-ups for 3xF. Add a mini resistance band once you can do 15 Push-ups with good technique on your 1st set.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

It's freezing outside, it's freezing when you exercise. Your home gym isn't isolated. Your gym manager doesn't heat the gym. But that doesn't stop you. You decided to stop making excuses not to exercise because it's too cold.

Here's how to exercise in cold weather. This guide is aimed at strength training & weight lifting, but you can use the tips for other sports too.

Be Confident. Cold weather is easier than hot weather: no headaches from the heat, no sweating. The first 5 mins are the hardest. Once warmed up, you won't feel the cold anymore. Remember this.

Warm Clothes. Wearing a sweater adds inches to the bar, making it harder on exercises like Front Squats to put the bar correctly. I remove my sweater during worksets, and put it back on between sets.

Try also a woollen hat to avoid sinus & ear infections from the cold weather.

Warm-up Routine. You can't injure a warmed up muscle as easily as a cold one. Warm-up sets are a start, but you can do more than that and the 5 min cardio. Some ideas:

• Dynamic Stretches. Leg swings & side leg swings, body-weight Squats, body-weight lunges, lateral lunges, shoulder dislocations, etc
• Barbell Complexes. Empty barbell. 3x Hang Power Clean, 3x Front Squat, 3x Push Press, 3x Overhead Squat. Repeat for 3 to 5 sets.
• Body-weight Exercises. Jumping Jacks or better, Burpees.

Remember: the goal is to raise your body temperature, while warming up joints & muscles. Don't get yourself tired.

Rest Less Between Sets. Load the bar & do your next set. This quickly gets you warmed up. If your workset is 5x5 100kg on the Squat, do this without resting:

• 2x5 20kg
• 5x40kg
• 3x60kg
• 2x80kg

Then move to 5x5 100kg taking 1 min rest between sets. If you struggle to get all reps, take 2-3 min rest & walk between sets to keep warm.

Hand Care. Gloves don't work for weight lifting: they add inches to the bar, making it impossible to grip the bar correctly.

• Warm-up Your Hands. Rub your hands between sets, clap them. Your body temperature will warm-up the cold bar.
• Hand Cream. Cold weather makes your skin dry. Dry skin gets chapped, irritated & red. Use hand cream before going to bed.

Don't Rationalize. Never rationalize that it's too cold, that you're going to get sick or whatever excuse you can find. Make a decision & stick to it.

• Set a time to exercise
• Eat one hour before exercising
• Dress for the gym directly after eating
• Prepare your gym bag
• Review your training journal: last workout, today's workout
• When it's time to exercise: get up & go to the gym

Just do it.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Squat. Any strength training program must include the Squat. Squats work your legs in the first place, but also the rest of your body. Squats are key to getting stronger, building muscle & losing fat. Squat variations:

• Back Squat. Bar low on your back. Bend through your knees until your hips come lower than your knees. Come back up. Back Squats work your whole legs, but especially your glutes & hamstrings.
• Olympic Squat. Bar high on your traps. Torso is more upright which allows more depth. Olympic Squats work your legs more evenly than Back Squats, but don't let you lift as much weight.
• Front Squat. Bar on your front shoulders. Torso is more upright, less forward lean. Switch to Front Squats if you have lower back issues.
• Overhead Squat. Squats holding the bar overhead. Great exercise for shoulder health & strong abdominal muscles.

Front Squat. Image credit: Mike’s Gym

• Conventional Deadlift. Pull the bar from the floor until mid-thigh level. Use a shoulder-width stance for Conventional Deadlifts.
• Sumo Deadlift. Using a sumo stance: feet outside the grip. The sumo style works your legs more & your back less than the conventional style.
• Stiff-legged Deadlift. Knees unlocked, straight legs & high hips. Harder than Deadlifts: you're not using knee extension to get the weight up.
• Romanian Deadlift. Work your hips hard. Start from the top: bend at the hips until the bar is at mid-shin level & come back up. Video.

Press. Presses work your shoulders, chest & triceps muscles. Emphasis on each muscle depends on the Press variation you do.

• Overhead Press. Push a weight from your shoulders overhead until your elbows are locked. The Overhead Press works your shoulders, triceps & trunk. Correct name of this exercise is Press.
• Bench Press. Press a weight from your chest until elbows locked while lying with your back on a Bench. Bench Press works your chest, triceps & shoulders and allows more weight than the Overhead Press.
• Push Press. Overhead Press using leg drive. Dip with your legs, then explosively extend your hips while pushing the weight overhead.
• Close Grip Bench Press. Bench Press using a shoulder-width grip. Works your triceps more, but your chest less.
• Military Press. Overhead Press done heels together. Harder than the Overhead Press, meaning less weight.
• Floor Bench Press. Lie back on the floor. Lower the weight until your triceps hit the floor & come back up.

Rows. Work your back & biceps muscles. Bend over at the hips, pull the barbell from the floor against your chest. Variations:

• Barbell Rows. Pull the barbell from the floor against your chest using hip extension. Barbell Rows start with the bar on the floor on each rep.
• Pendlay Rows. Arch your upper-back while pulling the bar against your chest. Pendlay Rows work your lats & erectors more than Barbell Rows.

Windmills. Image credit: Crossfit LA

• Turkish Get-up. Lie back on the floor while holding a weight overhead. Get up while keeping your arm extended & overhead. Video of the lift.
• Windmills. Keep a weight in one hand overhead while bending at the hips. Switch side. Here's a video of this exercise.
• Waiter Walks. Walk around while holding a weight overhead. The weight can be a dumbbell or barbel. One handed or two handed.

Check out this thread on Sherdog.net for more core exercises.

Olympic Lifts. Olympic lifts build power: the ability to accelerate from a dead stop. Olympic exercises:

• Power Cleans. Clean the barbell from the floor on your front shoulders. The Power Clean works your hips, back & traps.
• Squat Cleans. Dip under the weight while cleaning the barbell from the floor on your shoulders. You can lift more weight using Squat Cleans.
• Snatch. Clean the barbell from the floor above your head, in the Overhead Squat position. More powerful than Power Cleans.
• Jerk. Dip under the weight while pressing the bar from your shoulders above your head. Jerks are the power version of the Overhead Press.

Body-Weight Exercises. You won't need barbells or dumbbells to do the following exercises.

• Push-ups. Lie on the floor with your stomach. Push yourself up using your arms until they're locked. Push-ups work your arms & chest.
• Dips. Superior to push-ups. You have to balance yourself more because your feet are unsupported. Dips work your chest & triceps.
• Pull-ups. Hang on a pull-up bar with straight arms. Pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Pull-ups work back & biceps.
• Chin-ups. Same as pull-ups but with your palms facing you. Chin-ups work your biceps more than Pull-ups.
• Squats. Hands behind your head, bend through your knees until hips come lower than knees. Come back up. You can also do one leg squats.

Exercise Routines.The stronger you become, the more muscles you'll have. The more muscles you have, the more calories you'll burn. You want to build muscle & lose fat: get into strength training.

• StrongLifts 5×5. Beginner Strength Training Program based on weight lifting exercises. You’ll start light, focus on exercise technique during the first weeks & add weight progressively. Click here to download your 52 pages free StrongLifts 5×5 eBook.
• StrongLifts Dumbbell 5×5. Same approach as StrongLifts 5×5, but with dumbbells. Try StrongLifts Dumbbell 5×5, if you don’t have barbells.
• SimpleFit. Has a routine based on body-weight exercises like Squats, Pull-ups & Push-ups. Click here for the strength training program.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Dips are better than Push-ups. Your whole body is moving & you can do them weighted more easily. Like Pull-ups & Chin-ups, Dips force you to lift your own body-weight. Stressing your upper-body & thus building muscle.

All strength training exercises have a technique to master. Dips are no different. Here's how to perform Dips with proper technique.

What are Dips? Raise yourself on 2 supports with elbows locked. Lower your body until your shoulders are lower than your elbows. Push yourself up by straightening your arms. Variations for Dips:

• Parallel Bar Dips. Parallel bars that are 55cm/22" apart. My Squat Rack has 2 removable parallel bars I use for Dips.
• Rings Dips. Dips using rings are harder than parallel bar Dips: you need to stabilize yourself more.
• Chair Dips. Put 2 chairs back to back & dip in between. Make sure the chairs are stable enough so you don't fall.
• Bench Dips. Feet elevated, hands on a bench. Avoid. The torso position is unhealthy for your shoulders, especially when you do them weighted.

Benefits of Dips. Push-ups have your feet planted. Dips move your whole body through space. Dips are harder and thus superior to Push-ups because you have to balance your body. Other benefits of Dips:

• Build Strength. Dips build lockout strength: straightening your elbows. This helps the Bench Press & the Overhead Press.
• Build Muscle. Dips will develop your triceps & chest muscles.
• Rehab. Try Dips if you can't do the Bench Press because of a shoulder injury. Dips work similar muscles, do them if your shoulders can take it.

What If You Can't Do 1 Rep? Stay away from Dip Machines. The strength you build on machines doesn't transfer. Dips are harder: you have to balance yourself. If you can't do 1 rep, try one of these:

• Ask for Help. Ask someone to help you on the way up by grabbing your side with his hands and squatting up & down.
• Partials. Get on the 2 supports with locked elbows. Unlock your elbows, lower yourself slightly & push back up. Gradually increase the range of motion as you get stronger until you can break parallel.

Weighted Dips. Switch to Weighted Dips once you can do 10-15 reps with proper technique to keep the exercise challenging.

• Dumbbell Between Legs. Hold a dumbbell between your feet while doing Dips. Doesn't work well with weights above 10-15kg.
• Rucksack. Wear a rucksack & put plates in it. Make sure you use a strong rucksack so it doesn't break.
• Belt + Chain. Wear a belt. Attach plates to a chain and to your belt. I recommend this method for Weighted Dips.

Weighted Parallel Bar Dips. Image credit: Beast Skills.

Dip Technique. You might not be able to lean forward & go as deep as James on the picture above. If your shoulders or sternum hurts, stay more upright with your chest up. But always apply the following rules on Dips.

• Squeeze The Bar. Put your thumbs around the bar & squeeze it hard. The more force you apply to the bar, the stronger you are.
• Look Forward. Don't look straight forward, don't look the floor. Look to a point slightly in front of you.
• Breathing. Take a big breathe while hanging with locked elbows & hold it. Lower yourself & come back up. Breathe at the top, not during reps.
• Chest Up. Don't let your shoulders roll forward. Keep your chest up & shoulders back. It's easier on your shoulders.
• Bend Your Legs. And cross your feet. Letting your legs hang means less strength in my experience. Squeeze your glutes on the way up.
• Break Parallel. Your shoulders must go lower than your elbows. Deeper stretches your chest more, but your shoulders might not agree with it.
• Lock Elbows. Drive out of the bottom until your elbows are locked. Squeeze your triceps. No partial Dips.

Common Problems. Break parallel on each rep just like with Squats. Use a complete range of motion from start to finish.

• Not Hitting Parallel. Don't cheat by doing partial Dips. Your shoulders must go lower than your elbows on each rep.
• Not Locking the Elbows. Lock your elbows at the top. Squeeze your triceps & keep your chest up.
• Shoulder Issues. Don't go too low. Stop when you break parallel, keep your chest up & torso upright. Try shoulder dislocations.
• Torso Pain. Don't let your shoulders roll forward & don't let your torso shift forward too much. Keep your chest up.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

The result? Lack of strength and muscle gains. Free weight, heavy, compound exercises like Squats and Deadlifts are without hesitation more challenging, but that's EXACTLY why they're more effective. The truth is that the exercises you hate the most, are the exercises you should DO the most.

The real reason why you hate an exercise is usually that you're weak at it. Best example: Barbell Rows. It's not easy to do them correctly and they can be challenging. Almost as challenging as Squats, more than once have I felt dizzy after a heavy set of Rows. Well guess what, get stronger at Barbell Rows and you can expect strength gains on your Bench Press and Overhead Press.

Sometimes you hate an exercise because your technique sucks. Some guys want to give up on Squats because they can't figure out how to do them right. The solution to lack of technique is NEVER to give up on it. The solution is to do the exercise more. Practice makes perfect, and perfect practice makes permanent. Your technique will reflect the effort you've put into it.

More important to you is the discipline that doing an exercise you hate builds. Napoleon Hill, author of one of the biggest bestsellers of all times "Think & Grow Rich" advised to "follow the line of most resistance". The temptation is huge to give up instead of persisting. But it's also a major roadblock to your success.

Think about it - what are you doing when you skip an exercise because you hate it? You're NOT following the path of most resistance. You're following the EASY path, building BAD habits instead of discipline.

I always say the best training program is the one you stick to. Persistence is the REAL secret and it takes discipline. Well you're not born with discipline, you build it. And you don't do that by giving up on things but by doing what you know you need to do, even if you sometimes don't feel like it.

The good news: once you start doing the exercise that you hate, you'll start liking it. Many SL Members told me they used to hate Squats but that it's now their favorite exercise thanks to StrongLifts 5x5. I say your mind actually enjoys getting good at things you don't want to do. And that's how the exercise you hate the most can turn into the ones you like the most.

Try it to believe it.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.