When you have been exercising for a long time it is easy to get distracted by new and exciting exercises and lose sight of the fundamentals. While it is important to regularly change your training program you need to be careful of falling into the trap of looking for the latest thing. Sometimes the simple exercises provide the biggest gains, and allow you to maximise your full potential. A few years ago I wrote an article that rated the 20 most common exercises to see which exercises are the best and worst to use for improving strength and fitness. Previously I only looked at exercises that were commonly known, meaning I left out many great movements that I regularly use for myself and with others. In this article, I wanted to discuss some of these lesser known exercise variations that I have found to be game changers with people of all ages and abilities.

What Makes An Exercise Great?

There are many things to consider if you want to label an exercise great. I understand this is a subjective term and can mean different things to many people. In my mind when I think of a great exercise there is two things to consider. The first thing and arguably the most important point to consider is what effect it has on changing how you move in daily life. The second thing is how many people does this relate to? The bigger the impact on daily life and the more people it is relevant to makes an exercise highly valuable to use.

Some of the exercises I am about to share with you are very skilful, quite complicated, and difficult to learn. Whereas others are extremely simple, highly under-rated, and very easy to learn. The common denominator to all of these exercises is that they possess something unique to their movement that has a huge influence on the body that is hard to find anywhere else. Spending time learning and developing your skill and strength with these exercises provides an incredible foundation for the body to move with great efficiency. Anyone with a great foundation of stability and strength is less likely to suffer injury, pain, or limitation with daily life making these exercises essential.

The following exercises are in no particular order or rating of importance. It is fair to say that I would be trying to teach all of these to every person I meet knowing that if they can master these their movement efficiency will be incredible. They are not the only exercises and many of the more superior exercises I regularly look at like single leg squats or chin-ups I have left out this time so I can focus on these lesser known exercises.

Okay, let’s get started.

Lunge with Single Dumbbell Overhead Press

This is one of those very complicated exercises that is difficult to learn. But if you are patient and spend the time to get it right it pays off in buckets. Apart from the obvious fact that it builds great strength into the legs and shoulders this exercise is so much more than just a simple strength exercise.

This particular exercise is a favourite of mine for many reasons but the most important of them is it activates the deep longitudinal sling of the CORE. This system uses both the lower back region called the thoracolumbar fascia and the spinal system to create kinetic energy above the pelvis, while the large hamstring muscles acts as a relay between the pelvis and leg. What is also important to note is the relationship between the hamstrings and shin muscles. This relationship is both to create stability and help build as well as release kinetic energy to help more efficient movement. This is often where the most complex and coordinated exercises are used.

The other great part about this exercise is how effective it can be in correcting lateral pelvic tilt, shoulder sway, and poor stability in a single leg stance. Lateral pelvic tilt is a massive problem affecting many people with pain to various parts of the body, usually the hips, lower back and shoulder. This movement if performed correctly can help to correct all of these problems at the same time.

The next major benefit to this exercise is its relationship to sporting movements. In particular sports that require jumping off one leg such as basketball and AFL football this movement mimics the movements athletes make in their game and can have a significant impact on improving their strength and stability for this movement.

Last but not least this exercise builds incredible fitness! Most people are completely blown away by how exhausting this exercise can be when they first do it. Due to the fact so many muscles are on the go this exercise forces the heart to pump blood to all parts of the body leaving you breathless and exhausted. A great exercise to use for building strength endurance.

Hip Thrust

As opposed to the last movement which was very complex and hard to learn this exercise is the exact opposite. Having said that it is also easily abused and very misunderstood. Nearly everyone I meet with injury or dysfunction in the lower limbs has some kind of glute weakness or hip dysfunction so finding exercises to target this area is very important.

This exercise is known as a great way to strengthen the glutes but it has several unique elements to this that make it a superior choice to many other exercises. The most important feature to this exercise is that you can easily target the glutes without compression into the spine, hip, or the knee. Many of the best standing exercises can easily aggravate these areas and prevent you from developing strength into the gluteal muscles. Due to the simplicity of the exercise it is easy to add load and create an overload into the muscles with little risk of something going wrong.

The glutes really are the engine room of the body and the powerhouse set of muscles that provide our ability to move with efficiency. They are also very lazy muscles and prone to weakness and inhibition so it is very important to have exercises like this in your toolbox to constantly improve their strength and function.

If you start to feel the exercise moving out of the gluteals into the hamstrings, and maybe even cramping the hamstrings, it’s time to rest, as this is a sign that your butt is fatigued. Do not push the hips up too far as this arches the lower back too much, so always make sure you keep your core braced to prevent this from happening. Lastly ensure that your knees and feet remain steady in alignment, hip width apart!

You can read more about the various glute exercises I might use and gradual progressions you could use to follow on from this in this article – Analysing the 15 best glute strengthening exercises

Squat Press with Side to Side Lateral Step

This is another of those complicated exercises that can be very difficult to learn.

This exercise is one I have loved doing for over 16 years now and I never get sick of it and it is one of the best ways to combine agility training with strength training. At first I used to think it was only relevant to those who played sports for it shared many of the skills and abilities needed for sport, however, over the years I learned that the everyday person and even the older adult would benefit from learning this.

In the video I try to explain the various features and skills required to execute this exercise effectively to give you a better understanding of why I rate it so highly. This so much more than just a simple strength exercise. Sport strength exercises and drills are based on training movement, not muscles, with the goal of firing the muscles in the correct sequence and developing strength and body control within athletic movement.

Multi-joint lifts, cross body actions, contralateral movements and complex exercises are all used to maximize the demands and efficiency of how the body moves efficiently for sports. Correct training of movement patterns produce coordinated full body actions and allow the sportsperson the ability to transfer greater power through the body.

As with the first exercise it can be difficult to master but the pay-off is well worth it.

Cable Squat Row

This is quite a simple exercise but as I explain in the video it is highly effective at improving several important areas of the body that influence your posture. The best part about this exercise is anyone can do it. The skill requirement is quite low making it a great choice for beginners and those who struggle with coordination and understanding of how to move with other functional movements. This is my preferred choice of dual arm pulling exercises for it can produce big strength gains quite quickly.

However, the main reason I like this so much is the fact you learn to use your legs in sync with the upper body and understand that to create force and strength you need your legs. Many people are familiar with the seated cable row, and while it is a good exercise it has one disadvantage in that it removes the ability to coordinate and stabilize the body in a standing position.

An excellent exercise to use at the start of a workout to get your whole body warmed up and ready for the more complex exercises to come.

You can read more about the technique of this exercise and the various progressions in this article –How to correctly execute pulling movements

Single Dumbbell Chest Press

This is another simple type of exercise, yet a great example of something easy delivering a big punch in terms of core strength. This is one exercise that is very similar to the bench press however it has several key components that make it unique, and still a much better choice than lying on a bench.

While it looks like it is more of an arm and chest exercise, it really begins to become more of a glute and abdominal movement! The single arm being loaded up forces instability into the core and the only thing that can stop you from falling to the ground is your glutes, hamstrings and abdominals all working together as a team to keep you still while your upper body does the movement. An excellent exercise for improving glute and pelvic control. For this reason I use it a lot with people suffering with hip pain, back pain, and even knee pain for it forces them to use their hips correctly.

This is also a great choice for someone working on their own looking to lift maximal load safely. Your spare hand acts as a spotter and allows you to lift loads that you could not do with two hands. Apart from the incredible core stabilizing benefits it is perfectly suited the person looking to go real heavy in their training.

Single Cable Pull

Here is another unilateral exercise that is very under-rated in its value for improving strength and movement. In my top 20 exercises I rated the opposing action of the single cable push at number 5 for it is an amazing movement to strengthen very weak areas of the body. I could easily have rated the single cable pull as high for reasons I will explain.

The natural rotational part of this movement allows for incredible freedom of the hips and rib cage encouraging high degrees of hip mobility and thoracic mobility. Two areas commonly known for developing stiffness that creates all types of dysfunction and pain in the body. Using exercises like this helps to mobilize these areas of the body allowing for improved range of motion during movement. As with the cable squat row we discussed earlier I like to use it as a warm-up set with many at the start of the workout for the reason that it helps to mobilize stiff areas.

However, arguably the best part about this exercise is that it focuses very heavily on the use of the posterior sling. This is where the glute max of one hip works with the latissimus dorsi of the opposing side to create tension in the lower back region called the thoracolumbar fascia. The action of these muscles along with the fascial system is to prevent rotation of the pelvis when we walk and enable you to store energy to create more efficient movement.

This is a commonly very weak with many people and one where we spend a lot of time trying to enhance the timing and co-ordination of the movements. Most people are so weak within their glutes that this sling is a real problem along with the next one being the lateral sling. Many SIJ back injuries and leg injuries can be easily avoided with more time spent working on this sling. The timing is crucial for the development of this and this is why this is superior to any form of isolated glute work or abdominal work for that matter.

In the video I show you several variations of this exercise to give you a good idea as to how easily it can be modified to achieve different objectives.

Front Squat

While the body-weight squat or back squat are commonly known exercises, the front squat is something not many people know about. While the look very similar they are very different in their demands of the body. The front squat is a much more technical movement and requires high degree of mobility and strength to execute it correctly. This is definitely not an exercise for a beginner but just like the other complicated exercises we have discussed already, the pay-off for learning it is well worth the trouble.

The front squats require the thoracic spine needs to be able to provide extension but at the same time be strong enough to resist the compressive forces of the bar. Endurance of the core stabilizers must be activated at a high level the entire time which for most people is the most difficult part of this exercise. If you are doing this with a clean grip, you will also need great mobility at the wrists and fingers to properly rest the bar.

Finally, as with all the other squats, exceptional ankle mobility is paramount and allows you to keep your feet flat, and along with perfect core stabilization and breathing to prevent your lower back from rounding you will need a lot of practice to get all these moving parts in sync with each other.

Many will find that they can lift much more with a back squat as the back squat is so much easier. If your form is good with the back squat, I encourage you to try to progress to the front squat and learn the necessary skills. It is well worth the effort and enables you to progress to Olympic Lifting like hang cleans, power cleans and clean and jerk!

 In terms of muscle development all squats will build strength into the entire leg. Front squats will emphasize the quadriceps and the upper back due mainly to the more upright posture. Core stabilization is much greater.

You can read more about the squat in this article – 7 Best squats for strong legs and bulletproof knees

Low to High Cable Wood-chop

This is one of those deceptively hard exercises that leaves you feeling exhausted and out of breath. It is also quite difficult to master as it has a high demand on the legs and core working together at high speed in perfect harmony.

I often like to start teaching people the cable high to low wood-chop with beginners as it is easier to control and they have good leverage over the weight. The low to high version as seen in this video is much more difficult to execute as you need significant more leg strength and power to create the leverage you need to execute it perfectly.

This particular movement relates very well to many “throwing” sports like golf, baseball, and tennis and allows you to build specific strength and power into the movement that can complement your game. It also can cause serious damage to the lower back if performed poorly so great care must be taken to learn good form.

Placing too much weight on the stack will compromise the speed of the movement which takes away from its efficiency and this is a common mistake seen with people who do not understand the movement. In this regard it is very similar to medicine ball training that focuses more on the speed and velocity of the movement instead of the strength gains.

You can read more about the technique and various wood-chop variations in this article – 5 ways to improve core rotational power with the wood-chop

Myofascial Pec Stretch

This is the first time I have labelled a stretch as a “great exercise” and this one is featured for a very good reason.

Of all the muscles that causes trouble to the shoulder and neck Pec Minor would be the worst! When you consider how many people suffer with neck pain you can see how this exercise can be very useful.

Studies show that neck pain has an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% among adults in the US; nearly 50% of individuals will continue to experience some degree of chronic neck pain or frequent occurrences. Among adults, 20% to 70% will experience neck pain that interferes with their daily activities during their lifetime.

Rarely is this muscle group in pain or do people even know they have tightness here as the pain will manifest into other areas. Without releasing this muscle you will struggle to strengthen muscles suffering with weakness such as serratus anterior as they will be greatly inhibited. In the video below I show you how to firstly release a tight Pec Minor with massage, and secondly how to address 3 of his "gang members" who also inhibit other muscles. To understand this concept better I encourage you to read our article on Posture as I give many examples of tonic versus phasic muscles.

When this muscle is tight it pulls your scapula forward and pointing downward, creating anterior tilt of the scapula instead of posterior tilt, therefore causing your shoulder to be slouched forward. Doing this stretch will improve your shoulder blade’s positioning to be more back and facing upward position allowing you to move with more efficiency and no stiffness.

90/90 Hip Stretch

If stiffness in the pecs is a big problem area to the shoulder and neck, then stiffness in the hip and glutes is one of the biggest problems to the lower back and legs. The hips are involved in almost every movement we make, and designed to be very mobile while at the same time being able to withstand both direct loading stresses and large rotational forces with weight-bearing activities.

While there are many stretches and techniques you can use to help this area I have found the 90/90 hip stretch to be one of the easiest and most effective for many people to do. I would say about 90% of the people I see in the gym need to use this exercise for hip stiffness.

This is a great exercise to use for the person lacking a lot of mobility in the posterior muscles of the glutes caused from sitting too much, poor training techniques, or simple inactivity. It is a great choice to begin with for it is much easier to get into position and does not cause as many problems as some of the more aggressive glute stretches like the pigeon stretch can.

This is also very effective to use as an assessment tool and measure your improvement.

You can read more about other variations of hip mobility in this article – 10 ways to improve hip mobility

Horse-stance

This is another highly under-rated exercise yet anyone who works in the rehabilitation field with back pain will know exactly how powerful this exercise can be. World leading back pain researcher Dr Stuart McGill lists this as one of his big 3 exercises for back pain!

This beauty of this exercise is that not only does it target the anterior core but also the hip extensors, which in many cases is the main problem associated with back pain. The lack of hip mobility forces the lumbar spine to sacrifice its stability and move too much with simple movements like bending and squatting.

The spine is saved from high compressive loads in this four point position and allows people to work on creating stability and good extension of the back without risk of aggravating their problem. This is one reason why it is such a great exercise for people with bulging discs. Dr McGill has found from his research that this exercise is a major contributor to desensitizing back pain!

This exercise is far superior to many isolated abdominal exercises as it forces the reflex driven stabilizers to fire to maintain joint alignment and position in perfect sequence and timing while at the same time recruiting muscles of the hip and lumbar erectors.

Another thing that is often overlooked is how useful it can be for shoulder pain and developing more stability with scapula. The prone position allows for great control of the shoulder and the ability to work with the weakened serratus anterior. By adding some of the progressions used with back pain you can simultaneously improve shoulder stability. For these reasons it is one of my “go-to” exercises when working with injury and rehabilitation. And for those who are not injured it is an incredible core exercise in its own right when you add resistance.

You can see an example of this in the video above and you can read more about the horse-stance in the article below.

Is horsestance the best exercise for back pain?

Suitcase Carry

Carrying a heavy load is arguably the most common strength activity we use in in life, and it is also one of the most challenging. Yet, it is highly under-rated and many do not even regard this as an exercise. When you understand just how many muscles and complex interactions are involved to perform this movement efficiently, you gain a better appreciation of how valuable this can be to use in a workout. This is an activity we use every day when we pick up the shopping bags at the supermarket, a suitcase when we go on holidays, lifting a wheelbarrow in the garden, and endless other activities at work and at home.

Even though this looks quite simple, the suitcase carry is a highly complex exercise and stresses areas that are known to be very weak in most people, being the glutes and QL (quadratus lumborum). Anyone suffering with hip pain or back pain will benefit greatly from learning to master this exercise.

This exercise activates what is known as the Lateral sling. This sling connects the glute medius and glute minimus of the stance leg to the adductors and with the contralateral Quadratus Lumborum (QL). This sling plays a critical role in stabilizing the spine and hip joint in everyday activities like walking upstairs which the person with lateral pelvic tilt has all sorts of trouble with. This has obvious weakness with almost all back pain sufferers and a program to develop the integration of the inner unit and outer unit is crucial for long term success in getting rid of their pain.

You can read more about this in the article – Are farmers walks the most under-rated functional exercise?

Additional Resource to Help You

There obviously is a lot of other exercises I could include but to prevent this article from taking up another 5000 words I have a FREE REPORT you can download that has pictures and instructions of the exercises I have left out.

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed this quick look at some of these interesting and unusual exercises, and can see how useful they can be to improving your overall strength and movement efficiency. Sometimes it is the simple exercises that provide the biggest gains, whereas other times it is within the complex multi-joint movements you find that missing ingredient you were looking for.

One thing is for certain we must constantly be trying to move in multiple ways and avoid moving like robots with repetitive actions that do very little to improve our efficiency in daily life. This is why it is good to have a nice mix of complex and simple exercises in your workouts. Our modern daily life deprives our body of these movements so we must use our training program to provide the body with the necessary skills it needs to preserve our ability to move without pain and limitations.

For more ideas and information on specific topics I may not have covered in detail be sure to check out our INDEX PAGE on the website that has over 300 of our best articles. These are all sorted into categories for quick reference so you can find what you are after more easily. You can also subscribe to our FREE fortnightly newsletter by clicking here.

If you do need specific help with your exercise program please feel free to reach out to me for help and we can set you up with your individualised program.

About The Author

Nick Jack is owner of No Regrets Personal Training and has over 15 years’ experience as a qualified Personal Trainer, Level 2 Rehabilitation trainer, CHEK practitioner, and Level 2 Sports conditioning Coach. Based in Melbourne Australia he specialises in providing solutions to injury and health problems for people of all ages using the latest methods of assessing movement and corrective exercise.

References:

• Movement - By Gray Cook
• Corrective Exercise Solutions - by Evan Osar
• Back Pain Mechanic - by Dr Stuart McGill
• Diagnosis & Treatment Of Movement Impairment Syndromes - By Shirley Sahrman
• Low Back Disorders - by Dr Stuart McGill
• Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance - by Dr Stuart McGill
• Core Stability - by Peak Performance
• Athletic Body in Balance - by Gray Cook
• Anatomy Trains - by Thomas Meyers
• Motor Learning and Performance - By Richard A Schmidt and Timothy D Lee
• Assessment & Treatment Of Muscle Imbalance - By Vladimir Janda
• How To Eat, Move & Be Healthy by Paul Chek
• Scientific Core Conditioning Correspondence Course - By Paul Chek
• Advanced Program Design - By Paul Chek
• Twist Conditioning Sports Strength - By Peter Twist
• Twist Conditioning Sports Movement - By Peter Twist
• Functional Training For Sports - By Mike Boyle