FREE EXERCISE LIBRARY: FORM, CUES & MOVEMENT BREAKDOWNS
Every movement I coach, broken down and organized by body part and equipment. Pick a category, find your lift, and see exactly how it should look and what you should feel.
Filter by body part or equipment, then open any exercise for setup cues, why it works, and how to program it.
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Core
Bird Dog
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Brace your core and set your ribs down so your back stays flat.
Extend one arm and the opposite leg until both are level with your torso.
Hold for a beat, return under control, and switch sides without your hips rotating.
Why It Works
This trains the core to resist rotation and extension, which is what it actually does in real life and under a loaded bar. Keeping the hips square while the limbs move is the exact stability that protects your lower back during deadlifts, carries, and everyday lifting.
Core
Bear Crawl
3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds
How & Why
How To Do It
Start on all fours with knees hovering an inch off the floor.
Keep your back flat and your hips level, no rocking side to side.
Move the opposite hand and foot together in small, controlled steps.
Breathe steadily and keep the core braced the entire time.
Why It Works
This forces the core to stabilize while the arms and legs move independently, which is far more useful than any static plank. It builds shoulder stability, hip control, and the anti-rotation strength that keeps your spine safe when you carry, lift, or change direction.
Core
Glute Bridge
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your back with knees bent and heels close to your glutes.
Press your lower back into the floor and keep your ribs down.
Drive through your heels to lift the hips until your body forms a straight line.
Squeeze the glutes hard at the top, then lower under control without arching.
Why It Works
This teaches you to extend the hips using your glutes instead of your lower back, which is the fix for the most common compensation I see. It is also the safest way to load the glutes for anyone with back sensitivity or new to training, and it carries straight over into hinges and squats.
Core
Plank
3 sets of 20 to 45 seconds
How & Why
How To Do It
Set your elbows under your shoulders with forearms flat on the floor.
Squeeze your glutes and tuck your ribs down so your body forms one straight line.
Push the floor away through your forearms to keep your upper back from sagging.
Breathe normally and stop the set when your hips start to drop, not when the clock says so.
Why It Works
The plank trains the core to resist extension, which is the exact job it has when you stand, walk, and lift. Quality beats duration here every time, so thirty hard seconds with tight glutes and ribs down does far more than three minutes of sagging.
Core
Dead Bug
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your back with arms straight up and knees stacked over hips at 90 degrees.
Press your lower back flat into the floor and hold it there the whole set.
Slowly extend one arm overhead and the opposite leg out until both hover just above the floor.
Return under control and switch sides, stopping the set the moment your back arches.
Why It Works
This trains the deep core to hold the spine still while your arms and legs move, which is exactly what it has to do under a heavy bar. Keeping the lower back pinned to the floor is the whole exercise, so slow down and cut the range before you let that position break.
Mobility
Diaphragmatic Breathing
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 slow breaths
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your back with knees bent, one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
Inhale slowly through your nose so the belly hand rises and the chest hand stays still.
Exhale fully through pursed lips, letting the ribs draw down and in.
Pause for a beat at the bottom before the next breath.
Why It Works
Most people breathe shallow through the chest, which keeps the neck and upper traps tense and leaves the core unable to brace properly. Training the diaphragm restores rib position, improves core stability under load, and shifts you out of a stressed state so you actually recover between sets and sessions.
Mobility
SMR T-Spine Distraction
2 sets of 6 to 8 slow reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Place a foam roller across your mid-back, hands supporting your head.
Lift your hips slightly and find a tender spot in the upper back.
Exhale as you extend back over the roller, letting the ribs settle down.
Move up an inch and repeat, staying above the lower back the whole time.
Why It Works
Sitting all day locks the thoracic spine into flexion, which forces the lower back and shoulders to compensate on every lift. Restoring extension here is what lets you press overhead, rack a front squat, and row without your lower back or shoulders taking the hit.
Mobility
Rock Back Stretch
2 sets of 8 to 10 slow reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Keep a flat back and brace lightly through the core.
Rock your hips back toward your heels as far as you can without the lower back rounding.
Return to the start under control and reset before the next rep.
Why It Works
This teaches you to move through the hips instead of the lower back, which is the exact pattern that squats and deadlifts depend on. It also opens up the hips and ankles, so use it as a warm up before lower body work to find your depth safely.
Mobility
Supine T-Spine Glute Stretch
2 sets of 30 to 45 seconds per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your back and cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
Let the crossed leg drop across your body as you rotate through the mid-back.
Reach the opposite arm out wide and keep both shoulders working toward the floor.
Breathe out slowly and let the hip settle deeper on each exhale.
Why It Works
This hits the glutes and thoracic rotation at the same time, which is where most desk-bound stiffness lives. Loosening both together improves hip position in squats and lets you rotate freely without the lower back picking up the slack.
Mobility
90/90 Flow
2 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Sit with your front leg bent at 90 degrees and your back leg bent at 90 degrees behind you.
Sit tall through the spine, hands lightly on the floor for support.
Rotate your knees over to the other side under control, keeping your chest up.
Pause briefly in each position before switching, moving with your breath.
Why It Works
This trains internal and external hip rotation at the same time, which most people lose from sitting and never get back. Better hip rotation means cleaner squat depth, less knee valgus, and lower back that stops compensating for hips that cannot move.
Mobility
Happy Baby
2 sets of 30 to 45 seconds
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your back and draw both knees toward your armpits.
Grab the outside of each foot, or behind the knee if you cannot reach.
Keep shins vertical and gently pull down, letting the knees travel wide.
Press your lower back into the floor and breathe out slowly to settle deeper.
Why It Works
This opens the inner thighs and hips while decompressing the lower back, which is exactly what most people need after a day of sitting or a heavy lower body session. It also builds the hip position you need to squat deep without your pelvis tucking under.
Mobility
Banded Psoas Activation
2 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Anchor a band low and loop it around one foot, lying on your back.
Press your lower back into the floor and keep your ribs down.
Pull the knee up past 90 degrees against the band's resistance.
Lower slowly without letting your back arch off the floor.
Why It Works
The psoas gets short and weak from sitting, which leaves the lower back doing hip flexion work it was never meant to do. Training it actively above 90 degrees restores real hip flexion strength, which shows up in your running stride, your knee drive, and your ability to hold position under load.
Mobility
Bretzel Stretch
2 sets of 30 to 45 seconds per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on your side with the top knee bent and resting on the floor in front of you.
Hold that knee down with your bottom hand so the hips stay locked.
Reach back with the top hand and grab your bottom foot, pulling the heel toward your glute.
Rotate your chest open toward the ceiling and breathe out slowly to settle deeper.
Why It Works
This opens the hip flexor, quad, and thoracic spine all at once while the pinned knee stops you cheating the rotation through your lower back. It is one of the most efficient stretches there is for undoing a day of sitting, and it directly improves overhead position and squat depth.
Mobility
Dynamic Warm Up
1 round of 5 to 8 reps per movement
How & Why
How To Do It
Move through each position under control, no bouncing or forcing range.
Work from the ground up, hips and ankles first, then spine and shoulders.
Match your breathing to the movement rather than rushing through reps.
Run this before every session, not as a workout on its own.
Why It Works
Static stretching before you lift blunts strength output, while moving through your ranges raises tissue temperature and wakes up the muscles you are about to load. Five minutes here is what lets you hit depth on your first working set instead of your fourth, and it is the cheapest injury insurance in the gym.
Mobility
Monkey Crawl
3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds
How & Why
How To Do It
Start in a deep squat position with both hands planted on the floor beside you.
Shift your weight into your hands and hop both feet across to one side.
Land softly back in the squat, then move the hands over and repeat.
Stay low the whole time and keep the movement smooth rather than rushed.
Why It Works
This loads the hips and ankles at end range while you are actually moving, which builds usable mobility instead of range you only own lying on the floor. It also wakes up the shoulders and core, making it a strong warm up before lower body work.
Mobility
World's Greatest Stretch
2 sets of 5 to 6 reps per side
How & Why
How To Do It
Step into a deep lunge with your front foot outside your hands.
Drop the back knee slightly and let the hips sink to open the hip flexor.
Drive the inside elbow toward the floor, then rotate that arm up toward the ceiling.
Follow your hand with your eyes, then return and repeat before switching sides.
Why It Works
This covers hip flexors, hamstrings, groin, and thoracic rotation in a single movement, which is why it earns its name and why I put it in almost every warm up. It hits the four areas most people are tight in at once, so you get more done in less time before you lift.
Mobility
Inchworm
2 sets of 5 to 8 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand tall, then hinge forward and place your hands on the floor, bending the knees as needed.
Walk your hands out until you reach a strong plank position.
Hold the plank for a beat with your ribs down and glutes squeezed.
Walk your feet back toward your hands and stand up under control.
Why It Works
This combines a hamstring stretch, a shoulder and core plank, and a full body movement pattern into one rep, which makes it one of the most efficient warm up moves there is. Walking the feet in at the end demands real hamstring length while your core holds position, so you find out fast where you are actually tight.
Chest
Neutral Grip Incline Press
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Set the bench to roughly 30 degrees, palms facing each other throughout.
Pull your shoulder blades down and back into the bench before you press.
Lower under control until your elbows reach chest depth, then press up without locking hard.
Keep elbows tucked at about 45 degrees, not flared wide.
Why It Works
The neutral grip keeps the shoulder in a safer, stronger position than a barbell, which is why this is my go-to incline press for anyone with cranky shoulders. The incline shifts load onto the upper chest and front delts, the area most people are underdeveloped in.
Chest
Incline Dumbbell Press
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Bench at 30 to 45 degrees, dumbbells starting at chest level.
Drive your feet into the floor and keep your ribcage down.
Press up and slightly in, stopping short of clanging the dumbbells together.
Control the lowering phase for a full two seconds.
Why It Works
Dumbbells let each side work independently, which exposes and fixes strength imbalances a barbell hides. The longer range of motion at the bottom builds more upper chest than a barbell press allows.
Chest
Cable Chest Fly
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Set pulleys at or slightly above shoulder height, step forward into a split stance.
Keep a soft, fixed bend in your elbows the entire set.
Bring your hands together in front of your chest and squeeze for a beat.
Open slowly until you feel a stretch across the chest, no further.
Why It Works
Cables keep constant tension through the whole range, unlike dumbbells where tension drops off at the top. This is an isolation movement, so use it after your presses to finish the chest, not to start the session.
Back
Pendlay Row
4 sets of 5 to 8 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Hinge until your torso is parallel to the floor, bar over midfoot.
Brace hard, then pull the bar explosively to your lower ribs.
Return the bar all the way to the floor and reset between every rep.
Keep your torso locked in place, no jerking upward to move the weight.
Why It Works
Resetting on the floor each rep kills momentum, so your back does the work instead of your hips. It builds serious mid-back thickness and reinforces the bracing you need for deadlifts and squats.
Back
Kneeling Cable W Pulldown
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Kneel tall facing a high pulley, ribs down and glutes squeezed.
Pull your elbows down and back into a W shape beside your ribs.
Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the bottom for a full second.
Let the arms extend fully overhead without your ribs flaring.
Why It Works
This hits the lower traps and rear delts, the two areas that are almost always weak in people who sit at a desk. Kneeling removes the ability to cheat with your legs and forces the upper back to do the work.
Back
Dumbbell Pullover
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on a bench holding one dumbbell over your chest with both hands.
Keep elbows slightly bent and locked at that angle throughout.
Lower the dumbbell back overhead until you feel a stretch through the lats.
Pull back over your chest without letting your lower back arch off the bench.
Why It Works
Trains the lats through a stretched overhead position that rows and pulldowns never reach. It also opens up thoracic mobility, which is why I program it for people who struggle to press overhead.
Shoulders
Angled Front Raise
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand tall with dumbbells at your sides, palms turned slightly inward.
Raise the weights out at roughly a 30 degree angle from straight ahead.
Stop at shoulder height, no higher, and pause briefly.
Lower slowly and resist the urge to swing into the next rep.
Why It Works
The angled path follows the natural line of the front delt fibres, so you get more work with less strain on the shoulder joint than a straight-ahead raise. Light weight and strict form beats heavy swinging here every time.
Shoulders
Seated Dumbbell Press
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Sit with your back supported, dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows slightly forward.
Brace your core and keep your ribs down so you don't arch your lower back.
Press up and slightly in until the dumbbells nearly meet overhead.
Lower under control to ear level before pressing again.
Why It Works
The seated position removes leg drive, so the shoulders get all the work. Dumbbells let your shoulders find their own path, which most people tolerate far better than a barbell press.
Shoulders
Landmine Push Press
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Hold the barbell end at shoulder height, feet hip width apart.
Dip slightly at the knees, then drive through the legs to start the press.
Finish the movement with your arm, pressing along the bar's arc.
Lower under control back to the shoulder before the next rep.
Why It Works
The landmine's arc keeps the shoulder in a joint-friendly path, making it the overhead press option for people who can't press straight overhead pain-free. The leg drive lets you move real load while still building pressing strength.
Biceps
Seated Hammer Curl
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Sit upright with dumbbells at your sides, palms facing each other.
Keep your elbows pinned to your ribs and still.
Curl up without letting the elbows drift forward.
Lower all the way down under control, no bouncing at the bottom.
Why It Works
The neutral grip loads the brachialis and brachioradialis, which sit under and beside the biceps and add real thickness to the arm. Sitting down eliminates the body english people use to cheat standing curls.
Triceps
Dumbbell Skullcrusher
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Lie on a bench with dumbbells held above your chest, palms facing each other.
Keep your upper arms fixed and vertical the whole time.
Bend at the elbow to lower the dumbbells beside your ears.
Extend back up without letting the elbows flare outward.
Why It Works
Lowering behind the head puts the long head of the triceps under a stretch, which is where most of the growth comes from. Dumbbells are easier on the elbows than a straight bar for most people.
Triceps
Tricep Pressdown
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand close to the cable with a slight forward lean, core braced.
Pin your elbows to your sides and keep them there.
Press down until your arms are fully straight, squeezing at the bottom.
Return to about 90 degrees under control, don't let the weight pull you up.
Why It Works
Constant cable tension makes this one of the safest ways to accumulate tricep volume without loading the elbow joint hard. It's a finisher, so chase the squeeze and the reps, not the heaviest stack.
Quads
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg
How & Why
How To Do It
Set your back foot on a bench, front foot far enough forward that your knee tracks over midfoot.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, chest tall and ribs down.
Lower straight down until your back knee is just above the floor.
Drive through the front heel to stand, keeping your weight on the front leg the whole set.
Why It Works
Single leg work exposes and fixes the strength imbalances a two-legged squat hides, and it loads the quads and glutes hard with far less spinal loading. It also demands real balance and hip stability, which carries over directly to walking, stairs, and injury resilience.
Quads
Dumbbell Split Squat
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg
How & Why
How To Do It
Step into a staggered stance, both feet flat on the floor, dumbbells at your sides.
Keep your torso tall and your weight balanced between both legs.
Lower straight down until the back knee is just above the floor.
Drive through the front heel to stand, keeping the front knee tracking over the toes.
Why It Works
Both feet staying on the floor makes this far more stable than a Bulgarian, so it is the right starting point for anyone new to single leg work or coming back from injury. You still get the quad and glute loading and the balance demand, just with a lower barrier to entry.
Quads
Barbell Front Squat
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Rack the bar across the front delts, elbows high and fingers loosely under the bar.
Brace hard and keep the elbows up throughout the entire rep.
Sit straight down, keeping your torso as upright as possible.
Drive through the whole foot to stand, chest staying tall the whole way up.
Why It Works
The front rack forces an upright torso, which shifts load onto the quads and demands serious core bracing instead of letting your lower back take over. It is also self-limiting, meaning if your position breaks down you drop the bar, which makes it safer to push than a back squat.
Hamstrings
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand tall holding the bar at hip height, feet hip width apart, knees softly bent.
Push your hips straight back and let the bar travel down your thighs, staying close to the body.
Stop when you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, usually just below the knee.
Drive your hips forward to stand, squeezing the glutes at the top without leaning back.
Why It Works
This is the best hamstring and glute builder there is, because it loads the muscle in a stretched position where most of the growth happens. It also teaches the hip hinge, the single most important pattern for protecting your lower back in everyday life and every other lift.
Hamstrings
Single Leg Deadlift
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand on one leg with a soft bend in the knee, weight held in the opposite hand.
Hinge at the hip and let the back leg travel straight behind you as a counterweight.
Keep your hips square to the floor and your back flat throughout.
Stop when you feel a strong hamstring stretch, then drive the hip forward to stand.
Why It Works
This loads the hamstring and glute on one side while demanding real balance and hip stability, which exposes the side to side differences a barbell hides. It carries over directly to walking, running, and stepping, since almost everything you do outside the gym happens on one leg at a time.
Glutes
Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
How & Why
How To Do It
Set your feet wider than shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
Hold the dumbbell between your legs, chest up and back flat.
Sit the hips down and back, keeping the knees tracking over your toes.
Drive through the whole foot to stand, squeezing the glutes hard at the top.
Why It Works
The wide stance shifts more load onto the glutes and inner thighs while keeping your torso more upright, which means less stress on the lower back than a conventional pull. It is a great entry point for anyone learning to hinge or working around back sensitivity.
Glutes
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg
How & Why
How To Do It
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, feet hip width apart.
Step one foot straight back and lower until the back knee is just above the floor.
Keep your torso upright and most of your weight on the front leg.
Drive through the front heel to return to standing, then repeat or alternate.
Why It Works
Stepping backward instead of forward keeps the shin more vertical and takes stress off the knee, which is why I program this over walking lunges for most people. It loads the glutes hard while training the balance and control you need on stairs and uneven ground.
Want these built into a real program?
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