Bar on upper traps. Light load — this is a hamstring stretch exercise. Feet hip-width, slight knee bend fixed throughout. Core braced, lats engaged.

Hinge forward from the hip until torso approaches parallel — or until a strong hamstring stretch is felt. Spine stays neutral throughout. Drive hips forward to return to standing, squeezing glutes.

Box height where thigh reaches parallel or slightly above when foot is on the box. Dumbbells at sides. Stand square to the box.

Place working foot flat on the box. Drive through the heel of the elevated foot — do not push off the rear foot. Stand fully upright on the box. Lower rear foot with control. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Stand with slight forward lean — 10–15° — which better aligns the lateral deltoid with the movement. Dumbbells at sides, slight elbow bend that stays fixed. Shoulder blades neutral — not elevated.

Raise arms to the side until parallel with the floor — or slightly above. Lead with the elbows, not the hands. Pinky side slightly higher than thumb at the top (like pouring a jug). Slow controlled descent — the eccentric is where significant growth stimulus occurs. Avoid shrugging.

Seated or standing. Dumbbells at ear height, elbows at 90° and slightly in front of the body — not behind the plane of the torso. Core braced, ribs down.

Press directly overhead. Dumbbells can converge slightly at the top without touching. Full lockout — arms straight overhead. Lower back to ear height with control. Avoid arching the lower back on the press.

One or two dumbbells held overhead with both hands gripping the inner plate. Arms vertical. Upper arms stay vertical throughout — only the forearms move. Core braced.

Lower the dumbbell behind the head by bending elbows — until a full stretch is felt in the triceps. Drive back up to full extension. Upper arms don't flare out excessively. Elbows point forward, not to the ceiling.

Seated, torso hinged forward so chest is nearly on thighs. Dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each other. Slight elbow bend fixed throughout. Or standing with a pronounced hip hinge.

Raise arms out to the sides — leading with the elbows — until arms are parallel with the floor. Squeeze the rear delts and rhomboids at the top. Slow controlled descent. No shrugging or momentum.

Stand or sit. Dumbbells at sides, palms forward. Upper arms pressed against sides and stay there throughout. Shoulders down and neutral.

Curl the dumbbell up by flexing the elbow — upper arm does not move forward. Rotate to a supinated (palm up) position at the top if starting with a neutral grip. Lower with full control — full extension at the bottom. Avoid swinging the body.

Same as standard curl but palms face each other (neutral grip) throughout the full range — no supination. This position places greater emphasis on the brachialis and brachioradialis.

Curl straight up maintaining the neutral grip. Upper arms stay fixed. Full range — from full extension to the peak contraction. Can be performed alternating or simultaneously.

Single cable at ankle height. Stand side-on to the cable, working arm is the far arm crossing in front of the body. Slight forward lean. The cable angle at the bottom loads the lateral delt throughout the range — unlike dumbbells which have zero tension at the bottom.

Raise the arm to the side to parallel. Lead with the elbow. Slow controlled descent — the cable maintains tension throughout, making the eccentric particularly valuable. Do not shrug.

Cable at face height (or slightly above). Rope attachment. Grip the rope with thumbs pointing back. Step back to create slight forward lean against the cable. Arms extended.

Pull the rope toward the face — splitting the rope so hands finish at either side of the head. Elbows stay at shoulder height — not dropping down. At the finish, hands are beside the ears with forearms vertical and thumbs pointing back. External rotation is the key movement — not just a row.

Cable at the lowest position. Straight bar, EZ bar, or rope attachment. Stand close enough that the cable creates tension at full arm extension — the bottom position should not be slack.

Curl from full extension to full flexion. Upper arms stay fixed at the sides. The cable maintains tension at the bottom — unlike dumbbells — making the bottom of the range more productive. Full extension at the bottom on every rep.

Cable at the highest position. Rope or straight bar. Stand close to the cable, slight forward lean. Elbows pinned at sides at approximately 90° to start. Upper arms stay fixed throughout.

Push the attachment down until arms are fully extended. Rope: split the rope at the bottom for greater tricep activation. Squeeze at the bottom. Control the return — elbows come back to 90°, not past. No elbow flare.

Cable at the lowest position. Ankle attachment. Face the cable stack, holding the frame for support. Hinge slightly at the hip. Core braced, pelvis neutral.

Kick the working leg back and up — extending at the hip. Squeeze the glute maximally at the top of the movement. Do not rotate the pelvis or arch the lower back to gain range. The movement comes from the hip, not the lumbar spine. Control the return.

Cable at ankle height. Rope attachment. Stand facing away from the cable, straddle the rope. Take enough steps forward that the cable is taut at the starting position. Hip-width stance, slight knee bend.

Hinge at the hip — push hips back toward the cable stack while maintaining a neutral spine. Allow the rope to travel between the legs. Drive the hips forward to standing, squeezing glutes at the top. An excellent RDL teaching tool.

Forearms on floor, elbows under shoulders. Toes on floor. Body in a straight line from head to heels. Neutral spine — no sagging, no raised hips.

Brace the core as if about to take a punch. Squeeze the glutes. Breathe normally. Hold. The quality of the brace matters far more than the duration — 20 seconds of true tension beats 60 seconds of sagging.

Lie on back. Arms pointed at the ceiling. Hips and knees at 90° (tabletop position). Lower back pressed firmly into the floor — this position must be maintained throughout.

Simultaneously lower the opposite arm and leg toward the floor — without letting the lower back lift. Return and repeat on the other side. The moment the lower back lifts, the range has exceeded current core capacity — reduce it.

Adjust seat height so handles are at mid-chest level. Back fully in contact with the pad. Feet flat on the floor or foot rest. Retract and depress shoulder blades before gripping. Grip handles without excessive wrist extension.

Press directly forward — do not allow elbows to flare. Full lockout at the end of the press. Return with control — allow the chest to fully stretch at the start position without letting shoulder blades come off the pad. The machine provides a fixed arc — work within it, not against it.

Seat position: handles should align with the upper chest / clavicle when seated. Back flat against the angled pad. Shoulder blades retracted and depressed. The inclined press angle specifically targets the upper chest — seat height is critical to maintain this.

Press along the inclined arc. Full range — from a full upper chest stretch to complete lockout. Maintain shoulder blade position throughout — don't let them round forward on the return. Elbows track naturally with the machine arc.

Seat set so handles align with the lower chest. The decline angle shifts emphasis to the lower and outer chest fibres. Back fully against the pad. Shoulder blades retracted — they often want to protract on decline angles, so consciously maintain position.

Press along the decline arc. Elbows track with the machine. Full lockout at the end. Return with control to a full chest stretch. The lower chest will be significantly engaged — if you feel this primarily in the shoulders, seat height likely needs adjusting down.

Seat height: handles at ear height when sitting. Back fully in contact with the pad — do not lean away. Core braced. Elbows should be slightly in front of the body plane — check the position before pressing.

Press directly overhead along the machine arc. Full lockout at the top. Lower with control to the start position — handles return to ear height. The machine takes the stability demand away, allowing greater focus on the deltoid through the range.

Chest pad adjusted so the chest is fully supported against it. Arms extended overhead to grip the handles — the stretched lat position at the top is the start. The high angle mimics an overhead pulldown with a chest-supported stability advantage.

Initiate by depressing the shoulder blades. Pull the handles down and back — elbows drive toward the hips. At the finish, elbows should be behind the body line and shoulder blades fully retracted. Return to the full overhead stretch with control. The chest pad stays in contact throughout.

Chest pad fully supporting the torso — no daylight between chest and pad. Arms extended fully, gripping handles. The leverage design allows heavy loading with the torso stabilised, removing lower back from the equation entirely.

Pull handles toward the lower chest. Lead with the elbows — drive them past the torso. Squeeze shoulder blades at the end of the range. Return to full arm extension — allow the lats to fully stretch on each rep. Chest stays on the pad. No jerking or momentum.

Thighs secured under the pad. Arms extended fully overhead gripping the lever. Slight lean back — 10–15°. The leverage mechanism creates a slightly different strength curve to a cable pulldown — heavier loading is often possible.

Initiate by depressing the shoulder blades. Pull the lever down to the upper chest. Lead with the elbows — they drive down and back. Full range: lever touches upper chest at the bottom, full arm extension at the top. Let the lats stretch fully at the top on every rep.

Adjust seat so upper arms rest fully on the angled pad — armpits at the top of the pad. Grip the handle with a supinated (underhand) grip. Arms fully extended at the start — the preacher pad eliminates all upper arm movement.

Curl from full extension to maximum flexion. Upper arms stay fixed to the pad throughout — this is the defining feature of the preacher position. Squeeze at the top. Lower with control to full extension — do not let the weight snap the arms down. The lower range of the preacher is where bicep stretch is maximised.

Load plates onto the top position. Position the floating yoke across the upper traps/shoulders — the yoke adjusts to your height and limb length automatically. Feet on the non-skid platform, position them to suit your natural squat stance — hip-width or slightly wider, toes out. The floating yoke allows you to find a biomechanically correct position without the constraints of a fixed bar.

Begin with a braced core and a breath. Descend by sitting down and back simultaneously — hips and knees flex together. Aim for full depth — hip crease at or below parallel. At the bottom, drive through the full foot with emphasis on the heels. The hip/glute emphasis in the top-load position is achieved through a slightly more vertical shin angle — allow a greater forward torso lean than a front squat but remain in control.

Load plates onto the bottom position. The lower loading point shifts the centre of gravity and mechanical emphasis toward the quads. Floating yoke position remains the same. Foot placement can be slightly narrower and more forward to further emphasise quad recruitment.

Same squat pattern. The bottom-load position encourages a more upright torso and greater knee travel — this is what shifts the load to the quads. Allow the knees to travel forward over the toes without excessive heel rise. Full range of motion. Drive out of the bottom through the full foot.

Seat height: handles at mid-chest level. Back fully against the pad. Shoulder blades retracted and depressed. The independent arms allow each side to move through its natural arc — do not force them to mirror each other exactly if that creates shoulder discomfort.

Press both arms forward simultaneously. Full lockout. Return to a full chest stretch — independent arms allow a deeper stretch than fixed machines. The unilateral capability means you can also train one side at a time to address imbalances. Keep the torso stable — no rotation.

Seat height: handles at ear level. Back into the pad. Elbows should be slightly in front of the body plane — not behind. Independent arms allow each shoulder to move through its natural arc, reducing impingement risk compared to a fixed bar overhead press.

Press both arms overhead. Full lockout — arms fully extended. Controlled descent to ear height. The independent arms can be used unilaterally for imbalance work. Avoid the lower back arching away from the pad on the press — maintain full back contact.

Thighs secured under the pad. The convergent design means the handles start wide and converge as you pull down — mimicking the natural arc of the lat as it adducts the humerus. Arms fully extended and spread wide at the top — allow maximum lat stretch at the start. Slight lean back 10–15°.

Initiate by depressing the shoulder blades. Pull the handles down and slightly inward — the convergent path is the natural direction, follow it. Elbows drive down toward the hips. At the bottom, handles should meet at the upper chest level and elbows are at the sides. Return to the wide, fully extended overhead stretch — allow the lats to fully open on every rep.

Dual independent pulleys — one per arm. Thighs secured. Arms extended overhead, each gripping an independent handle. The dual pulley design allows each arm to move completely independently — especially useful for addressing lat development asymmetries.

Pull both handles down simultaneously — or one at a time for unilateral focus. Each arm follows its natural path without being constrained by the other. Full extension at the top on every rep. At the bottom, handles reach chest level with elbows at the sides. The independence means any dominant-side compensation is immediately exposed.

Chest pad fully supports the torso — no daylight. Arms extended, gripping the handles in a neutral or overhand position. The Panatta design uses a lever arc that varies resistance through the range — heavier than cable rows are possible with equal or better isolation.

Pull handles toward the lower chest — lead with the elbows driving back past the torso. Squeeze the mid-back and shoulder blades at the finish. Return to full arm extension — allow the lats to fully stretch. Chest stays on the pad throughout. No rocking or momentum.

Seated, chest against the pad. Each arm holds an independent handle. The dual pulley system means each arm is pulled completely independently — any asymmetry in pulling strength or range of motion is immediately visible.

Row both arms simultaneously, or alternate for contrast between sides. Pull each handle toward the hip/lower rib. Elbows drive back past the torso. Full arm extension at the start. Squeeze the back at the finish. The independent arms allow you to feel which side initiates with the lat versus the bicep — address accordingly.

Seat adjusted so the knee joint aligns with the machine's axis of rotation. Shin pad positioned just above the ankle — not at mid-shin. Back fully against the pad. Knee angle at start should be at or just above 90°. Toes can be neutral or slightly dorsiflexed to increase VMO emphasis.

Extend the legs to full lockout. Squeeze the quads at the top — especially the VMO (inner quad). Hold 1 second. Lower with control — do not let the weight snap back. The eccentric phase (lowering) is where significant quad stimulus occurs; a 3-second descent is productive. Do not swing or use momentum.

Same alignment principles as pin-loaded. The plate-loaded version typically allows a greater range of weight progression and a slightly different leverage curve through the range. Knee joint alignment with the pivot is equally critical. Bilateral or unilateral loading available.

Same execution as pin-loaded. The plate version is well-suited to heavier loading for advanced clients and drop sets (stripping plates quickly). The controlled eccentric is particularly important — the plate-loaded cam may have a different resistance curve at the bottom of the range.

Lie face-down. Align the knee joint with the machine's axis of rotation — critical. The pad rests just above the heel on the working leg. Hip stays flat on the pad — any hip flexion reduces hamstring range and comfort. Grip the handles.

Curl the working leg from full extension toward the glutes. Full range: aim to bring the heel as close to the glute as the machine and your hamstring flexibility allow. Squeeze the hamstring at peak contraction. Lower with control — full extension on every rep. The unilateral design allows you to compare sides and address asymmetries. Do not rotate the hip to gain extra range.

Position the working leg so the pad rests against the back of the thigh just above the knee. Hinge forward and grip the handles for support. Core braced. Pelvis neutral — no anterior tilt. The machine's arc takes the leg from a flexed starting position to full hip extension.

Drive the working leg back — extending at the hip. The movement is pure hip extension — not lumbar extension. Squeeze the glute maximally at full hip extension. Hold 1–2 seconds. Return with control to the starting position. The pelvis must stay neutral throughout — any lumbar hyperextension means the load has exceeded the glute's capacity or the setup needs adjusting.

The Panatta Smith operates on a guided vertical track with a dumbbell-press arc — the bar follows a fixed path, removing the need for stabiliser muscles to control lateral movement. Set the bench so the bar at the lowest position touches the lower chest. Shoulder blades retracted and depressed. Grip slightly wider than shoulder width. The guided bar allows heavier safe loading with controlled range.

Unrack by rotating the bar off the hooks. Lower to the lower chest with control — the guided path means the movement is strictly vertical. Touch the chest without bouncing. Press to full lockout. The Smith removes the balance challenge of a free barbell — use this to focus entirely on the pectoral contraction and chest drive through the range.