The Best Exercises For Every Muscle ft. Jeff Nippard

Summary

In this fitness-focused video script, Jeff Nippard collaborates with a host to explore the best exercises for targeting various muscle groups. They discuss criteria for effective exercises, emphasizing high tension, proper feel, and potential for overload. The script covers exercises for the legs, including squat variations and hamstring curls, and addresses misconceptions about incline presses for chest development. It also highlights the importance of range of motion and technique in exercises like cable rows and pull-downs, aiming to maximize muscle activation and growth.

Takeaways

• 💪 The criteria for the best exercises include high tension and stretch, a good feel without pain, and the potential for overload.
• 🏋️‍♂️ For the quads, the Smith machine squats are preferred for pushing towards failure with less risk.
• 🧘‍♂️ Hamstrings require a full stretch to be effectively worked out, which traditional squats may not provide.
• 🔢 The potential for overload is crucial for progression, allowing for increasing weight or reps over time.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Long length partials are a technique for targeting quads specifically by only going halfway up in the squat.
• 🦵 The seated hamstring curl is preferred over the lying hamstring curl due to pre-stretch and potential for more load.
• 📊 A study showed that seated hamstring curls resulted in more significant muscle growth compared to lying leg curls.
• 🤸‍♂️ The incline press is beneficial for the entire pectoral muscle, not just the upper chest.
• 🤲 The cable fly with an elevated cable provides a better stretch for the deltoids.
• 💪 The pull-down is a preferred vertical pull for back training due to consistency in progression.
• 🤲 The rear delt is best stretched and worked by adjusting the position in reverse fly machines for a deeper stretch.

Q & A

What are the three criteria Jeff Nippard uses to determine the best exercises for a muscle group?

The three criteria Jeff Nippard uses are high tension and high stretch, the exercise should feel good without causing pain, and it should have a potential for overload, meaning the ability to add reps or weight over time.

Why does Jeff prefer Smith machine squats for hypertrophy?

Jeff prefers Smith machine squats for hypertrophy because it allows pushing closer to failure without the same sense of risk, providing a more controlled environment.

What is the issue with squats in terms of hamstring activation?

The issue with squats is that the hamstrings do not get a full stretch. They are stretching when going down but shortening when standing up, which does not provide optimal activation.

What is the significance of long length partials in leg exercises?

Long length partials involve doing partial reps in the lengthened aspect of the lift, targeting the quads when they are most stretched, which can be more challenging than full-range movements.

Why does Jeff prefer seated hamstring curls over lying hamstring curls?

Jeff prefers seated hamstring curls because the hamstring is already pre-stretched at the beginning of the range of motion, which can lead to more muscle growth over time compared to lying hamstring curls.

What does Jeff suggest about the effectiveness of incline press for the entire pectoral muscle?

Jeff suggests that the incline press is effective for growing the entire pectoral muscle, not just the upper pecs, as commonly believed, and it does not neglect the mid and lower pecs.

What is the recommended angle for incline bench press according to the script?

The recommended angle for incline bench press is 45°, which provides a good combination for upper chest, pack, and deltoid development.

Why does Jeff recommend doing partial reps on the incline press?

Jeff recommends partial reps on the incline press because it allows for a deeper stretch and better muscle activation, especially when pushing to failure.

What is the importance of a vertical pull and a horizontal pull for back exercises?

A vertical pull and a horizontal pull are important for back exercises because they target different aspects of the back muscles, ensuring comprehensive development.

What is Jeff's preference for grip width during pull-downs and why?

Jeff prefers a closer grip for pull-downs to emphasize the lats more by driving the elbows down, which provides a better stretch and contraction.

What is the recommended range of motion for bicep curls to maximize tension in the bicep muscle?

The recommended range of motion for bicep curls is to have a 90° angle between the forearm and the cable during the stretch position to maximize tension in the bicep muscle.

How does Jeff approach tricep exercises to effectively target the long head of the tricep?

Jeff approaches tricep exercises by using overhead positions for a stretch and kickbacks or a similar motion to achieve peak contraction, as the long head is the only part crossing both the elbow and shoulder joints.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Best Exercises for Muscle Groups

The video begins with a discussion on the best exercises for various muscle groups, focusing on criteria such as high tension, good feel, and potential for overload. The first muscle group addressed is the legs, with a particular emphasis on the quads, glutes, and calves. The conversation highlights the importance of exercises like Smith machine squats for hypertrophy and the role of hamstrings in these movements. The hosts also compare their personal squat records and discuss the benefits of partial reps in the lengthened aspect of the lift, such as long length partials, which target the quads more effectively.

05:00

💪 Upper Body Exercises: Chest and Back

This paragraph delves into exercises for the upper body, starting with the incline press for chest development. The discussion refutes the misconception that incline presses only target the upper pecs, citing a study that shows equal growth across all pec regions. The hosts also address the importance of bar path and the benefits of free weight incline presses over Smith machine variations. Partial reps are again mentioned, highlighting their effectiveness in training. The conversation then shifts to back exercises, emphasizing the need for both vertical and horizontal pulls. Chest-supported rows and pull-downs are discussed, with a focus on proper form and the benefits of going to failure in high-rep sets.

10:02

🤸‍♂️ Deltoid and Bicep Training

The third paragraph focuses on deltoid and bicep exercises. It starts with a discussion on the importance of rear delt exercises and a unique technique for stretching the rear deltoids using a machine. The hosts then move on to bicep training, discussing the optimal angle for peak bicep tension during cable curls. They emphasize the importance of a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the cable for maximum tension. The paragraph also touches on the role of elbow position in targeting different parts of the bicep and the benefits of varying the angle for different bicep head stimulation.

15:03

🤲 Tricep and Abs Workouts

The final paragraph covers tricep exercises, specifically the overhead tricep extension, which is highlighted for its effectiveness in targeting the long head of the tricep. The hosts discuss the biomechanics of this movement and its impact on the appearance of the arms from the back. They also compare the overhead tricep extension to the kickback exercise, explaining how the position of the arm affects the contraction of the tricep. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of abs training, indicating that no specific abs exercises are included in the workout routine discussed in the video.

Keywords

💡Exercises

Exercises refer to physical activities performed to improve health and physical fitness. In the context of the video, exercises are being discussed in terms of their effectiveness for targeting specific muscle groups, with a focus on those that create high tension and allow for potential overload to promote muscle growth.

💡Muscle Activation

Muscle activation is the process by which muscles contract and generate force during an exercise. The video emphasizes the importance of exercises that ensure high tension and stretch for optimal muscle activation, which is crucial for muscle growth and development.

💡Quads

Quads, short for quadriceps, are the four large muscles at the front of the thigh. The script mentions that the quads are the biggest muscle in the body, highlighting the importance of exercises like squats for overall muscle development.

💡Glutes

Glutes refer to the gluteal muscles, which include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. They play a key role in hip movement and are often targeted in exercises for a strong and aesthetically pleasing physique, as alluded to in the video.

💡Calves

Calves are the muscles at the back of the lower leg, consisting of the gastrocnemius and soleus. The script notes that the calves are a large muscle group, emphasizing the importance of exercises like Smith machine squats for their development.

💡Hamstrings

Hamstrings are the muscles at the back of the thigh, responsible for leg movement. The video discusses the importance of exercises that provide a full stretch and contraction of the hamstrings, such as seated hamstring curls, for effective muscle engagement.

💡Partial Reps

Partial reps involve performing only a part of the full range of motion in an exercise. The script uses the example of long length partials to illustrate how targeting specific parts of the range of motion can increase the intensity and effectiveness of an exercise.

💡Leg Curl

A leg curl is an exercise that targets the hamstrings by using a machine or a free weight. The video script mentions seated hamstring curls as a preferred method for effectively stretching and contracting the hamstring muscles.

💡Incline Press

The incline press is a variation of the bench press where the bench is angled to target different areas of the chest muscles. The video dispels the myth that the incline press only targets the upper chest, stating that it can effectively grow the entire pectoral muscle.

💡Cable Fly

Cable fly is an exercise that targets the chest muscles, using a cable machine to perform the movement. The script discusses the importance of controlling the range of motion and the speed of the eccentric phase to maximize muscle engagement.

💡Pull Down

Pull down is an exercise that targets the back muscles, particularly the latissimus dorsi. The video emphasizes the effectiveness of pull downs for back development and discusses techniques for optimizing the stretch and contraction of the muscles.

💡Kickback

Kickbacks are an exercise that targets the triceps, especially the long head, by extending the arm behind the torso. The script explains how changing the arm position can affect the stretch and contraction of the triceps during the exercise.

Highlights

Jeff Nippard discusses the best exercises for every muscle group based on three criteria: high tension and stretch, good feel, and potential for overload.

The biggest muscle in the body is the quads, followed by the calves and glutes.

Smith machine squats are preferred for hypertrophy due to the ability to push closer to failure with less risk.

Long length partials target the quads by performing partial reps in the stretched position of the lift.

Seated hamstring curls are preferred over lying hamstring curls due to the pre-stretched position of the hamstring at the beginning of the range of motion.

A study showed that seated hamstring curls resulted in more muscle growth compared to lying leg curls over 12 weeks.

Incline press is effective for growing the entire pectoral muscle, not just the upper pecs.

Freeway incline offers better strength carryover than the Smith machine for incline presses.

Partial reps on incline press can be beneficial for strength and muscle growth.

Chest-supported row is an effective exercise for targeting the back muscles with reduced instability.

Rounded back during rowing helps to engage the back muscles more effectively.

Pull-downs are preferred over pull-ups for consistent progression and better feel of the back muscles.

Cable fly with a higher cable position can increase resistance on the side deltoids.

Lateral raises benefit from tracking weights diligently over time to ensure progression.

Macro Factor app, co-developed by Jeff, offers personalized nutrition coaching with automatic adjustments based on scientific recommendations.

Reverse fly with a pre-stretch on the rear deltoids can provide a deeper stretch and better muscle engagement.

Biceps experience peak tension when there's a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the cable during cable curls.

Overhead tricep exercises are effective for targeting the long head of the triceps, which contributes to a fuller back and front bicep pose.

Kickbacks provide peak contraction for the long head of the triceps when the arm is behind the torso.

Transcripts

today I'm going to be going over the

best exercises for every muscle group

and I'm not going to be doing it alone

joining me as the science explain man

himself Jeff

nippard let's do it the first muscle

group we're starting with legs we have

to for everybody half the people are

gone now yeah how does an exercise make

it into the top exercise is it all based

off activation or is there other

criteria not quite so I have three

criteria the first is high tension and

high high stretch high stretch so the

muscle needs to have something to work

against in the stretch position the

second thing is it needs to feel good so

that means it doesn't give you pain uh

it has like a smooth nice feel to it

like you feel it in the muscle more than

you do in the joints and then the third

thing is want to

guess

so potential for overload that's it

that's actually it my man here potential

for overload so you want to be able to

add reps or add weight over time the

biggest muscle in the body is the quads

mhm

and then the second is close between

glutes and calves actually the calves

yeah the calves are huge okay there's

two big muscles in the calves right

lately I've been doing a lot of Smith

machine squats and I like that because

from a hypertrophy standpoint you can

push it a little closer to failure

without feeling that same sense of

[Applause]

[Music]

risk

[Applause]

we're going to have quads and glutes

taken care of with this one okay but

hamstrings will not be taken care of at

all so when you go down into the hole

the hamstrings are stretching here but

they're shortening here so you're not

actually getting like a full stretch on

the hamstrings and when you go

up now they're shortening here MH but

they're lengthening down here

oh yeah what's your what's what is your

max squat now 507 nice yeah you beat me

really not all time is 501 really no way

congratulations damn I'm that's that's

legit I'm not ready for this right now

you're what I'm not ready for aing 315

squat yes you

are with no belt no KN yeah also I don't

know if I I don't know if I'm rocking

with the vapor Maxes on squats bro yours

are going to

pop nice that's a good squat right

there yes sir

bro your quads have gotten bigger too

man so long length partials is when you

do partial reps in the lengthened aspect

of the lift so when the quads are most

stretched so you basically only go about

halfway up and then you go back

down stop there nope see see you have

this the tendency that every serious

lifter has which is to go too high stop

go back down go back down that's it

you're doing half rest

beautiful that's way harder than long

range full range it is it cuz you can't

rest at the top exactly yeah yeah so

like Bend forward those three heads get

stretched here and then they contract as

you come up as you would in an RDL M but

there's one head that doesn't cross the

hip joint so how could it possibly get

worked from my RDL they you can't but

all foreheads cross the knee joint so if

you do a leg curl you will hit all four

heads of the hamstrings why do you think

that I Jeff nippard prefer the seated

hamstring curl over the lying hamstring

curl because you can load it more no no

second guess three in your out collab

over does that something to do with the

height no no two and three when we sit

down the hamstring is already

pre-stretched at the beginning of the

range of motion right whereas when you

lie down the hamstring is not stretched

at all compared over 12 weeks of

training seated hamstring curls to line

leg curls which one do you think

resulted in more muscle seated every

time seated almost I think around like

1.5 times the growth over 12 weeks which

is significant yeah the most interesting

part of that is that the one head that

doesn't cross the hip joint didn't see a

difference so that tells us that it is

in fact most likely

the stretch right because that head

since it doesn't cross the hip wouldn't

actually be stretched on this would it

wow yeah you see yeah I don't make

entire training decisions based off of

one study but if I have the option I'm

going to pick this

one so will this is great do you feel

your hamstring stretched here yeah come

forward a bit more do you feel them more

stretched oh yeah and do you still feel

secure yeah yeah so it's better to lean

forward it is as long as you don't find

it feels awkward and you can't overload

it as well ready this is going to be

[Applause]

award-winning a lot of people think of

the incline press as just an upper Peck

exercise and it's like oh no what's

going to happen to my mid and lower pecs

that is completely blown out of

proportion there was a recent study that

compared flat bench to incline bench

for the lower pecs same growth for the

mid pecs same growth for the upper pecs

better growth with incline again that's

only one study but it does tell us that

the incline press doesn't just Target

the upper pecs it will grow your entire

peack okay I'm just going to check your

bar path here that's good you fixed it

as soon as I said I was going to check

it yeah cuz you were pressing out in

front of you and now you're going up I'm

afraid of the j- hooks man yeah I know

in terms of incline on on the bench is

it like

45° yeah I think I think the 45 gives

you a pretty good combination of like

upper chickp pack and deltoid do you see

that there's a benefit to using the

freeway incline over I do think it has

better strength carry over than the

Smith machine it's

great do you ever do the uh the partial

reps on this I do do you I've done them

on almost everything holy I I would

100% put safeties on here I think we

should set a good example you

know

as you can tell we always use

the oh wait it's

backwards okay this going to work

now

hey bro that's really

good yeah yeah that's a strong time

press I'm actually don't think I'm going

to do this bro I did chest like two days

ago and um sure sure yeah

[Music]

no with these I actually do like to do

higher reps three sets for your PCS a

week is actually enough to make gains

for most people off three sets yeah yeah

yeah for sure you probably get about

maybe around 60% of your maximum growth

potential off of just three sets that's

holy week the reason this is so far

ahead is like I try to get like really

deep on the stretch here see it popped

up yeah holy you'll find that the

cable is always trying to pull you back

so you're always having to play this

balance act a little bit and so it

disperses a little bit of the tension so

you can direct all the tension into your

pecs oh that feels good yeah and if

you're doing High Reps it's all that

more important to make sure I think you

take at least one set to failure because

you might find like oh I did 15 reps

like I'm so tired I'm obviously done but

then you push it to failure and you get

like four or five

more for back I think it's one of the

rare muscles where you really do want

two EXC two types of exercises one is a

vertical pull and one is a horizontal

pull so for the vertical pull that can

be a pull down or a pull up the

horizontal pull can be basically any

type of row I like a chest supported row

I I do too because you're very stable

everything is locked in and so you can

direct all that tension directly to your

back you want to think about like

rounding this out so like allowing your

shoulder blades to pull apart and then

squeeze them together as you come up and

if it helps you get a better contraction

it's totally okay if you allow your

chest to in my opinion so so but just

let it be consistent let's say on week

one you're always fully attached to the

pad and then on by week six you're doing

this like yeah that might be a bit of

that like fake

overload

nice those are really

[Music]

good oh my God I'm already cramping from

that set yeah it it it really does light

up your your whole back which is why we

could do pull down or pull up what do

you prefer I'll let you run this one I

think I prefer a pull down down why is

that I feel like for me like to be able

to progress consistently on pull-ups is

so difficult especially because you have

to weigh yourself every time I feel like

in order for an accurate overload right

fair I respect pull-ups more I do oh

absolutely 100% yeah I think pull Downs

are smoother I find more people can like

feel their back working better

but

you I think going to failure on a pull

down is more fun oh absolutely yeah yeah

let's do that let's do that all right so

you have you have all the grips in the

world at the gym yes which one you

so if I do a wider grip overhand grip

like we did on the row I'll do a neutral

closer grip for the pull

Downs freaking Ying ass slap pull down

oh yeah and so for these mhm I like to

emphasize the lats more with the closer

grip by really just driving my elbows

down if I was trying to Target more mid

traps I would kind of lean a little bit

more and drive my elbows back like this

whereas if I want to emphasize lats I'm

going to exaggerate this just for the

demon ation but you're almost pulling it

down out in front of you now I'm not

going to do it to that extreme yeah do

you do you see how right and you like

can't go as heavy obviously now that's

an extreme version so just drive your

elbow basically straight down now so

that's still going to engage l so much

more it sounds like you're trying to get

your elbows into your pockets in a way

that works too

yeah gotten so much bigger bro it's

freaking insane are you bulking or

cutting right now cutting you natural or

enhanced right

now some

Turk so is this kind of like um the

cable fly where you're going to go

higher reps um I go more moderate here I

would probably go like 8 to 12 okay so

stretch and then Ecentric uh from a

technique standpoint I would actually go

range of motion which encompasses

stretch than probably Ecentric control I

was actually part of a study we found

that reps between 2 seconds and 8

seconds were basically equal so if you

do those super freaking fast reps that

are just like bouncy reps those are

suboptimal if you do super super super

slow reps that are like each rep takes

like 10 or 20 seconds those are

suboptimal but anything between 2 to 8

Seconds of total rep length is optimal

as long as you're controlling the

Ecentric you're probably

fine

one thing I've been doing lately is

actually raising the height of the cable

the cable will apply most resistance to

your side delt when there's a 90° angle

between the cable and your arm that's a

pretty shortened position my shoulder

isn't stretched okay now watch what

happens when I raise it up tell me when

I get to a 90° angle yep there yeah and

uh and now you get a get a much bigger

stretch here yeah that's nice really

good

will I feel like lateral raises is one

of those exercises that's extremely hard

to constantly progress you always see

the same people like this the 30s or 35s

and there's no really going up from

there so like what do you do you'd be

surprised if you I think if most people

actually were to diligently track their

weights over time they would find that

they are able to add at least one rep to

a set so if you think about it like even

adding one rep to your third set it's

progression right while just doing a set

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[Music]

macroaxis but I think rear ads are

really important for a physique and

they're a muscle that a lot of new

lifters tend to neglect reverse pack the

standard way you do this you sit face

the machine and you sweep the weight out

yeah but I think there's a better way to

do it if you were going to stretch your

rear delt would you hold your arm here

or would you hold it here here here

right yeah but on this machine you

actually don't get past this position

unless you do this and turn the side on

oh so now you get a pre-stretch on your

rear delt and you sweep the weight out

like this you actually get that deep

stretch aspect of the range of motion

I've never seen someone do like that

before yeah I haven't either actually is

this one that you would do like the 15

to

20 uh like 12 to 15 12 15 so so okay so

no so really turn side like like like

really turn side on oh and then

really stretch it across so you feel a

deep stretch here in like like even no

no no

like like turn your to point your

chest

okay yeah yeah yeah yeah that's it yeah

okay and then reach across dude my chest

is cramping from that oh wow

dude there you go yeah so you should

feel like a big stretch there there you

go that's

great that looks

good I call these beion cable curls same

as the lateral raises my bicep will

experience Peak tension when there's a

90 angle between my forearm and the

cable so the bicep is pretty short here

yeah

whereas if I raise it up to hand

height tell me where the 90° angle

happens yeah it's way earlier so you get

more tension in the stretch position

okay

[Music]

nice right last one uh yes so

Tri I feel like you're going to pick an

overhead for the long head you felt

right yeah yeah why why why uh why do

you think it's the biggest head of the

tricep but why would going overhead be

better for the the long

head I don't know I don't know that's no

that's fine so the long head is the only

head that crosses both the elbow joint

and the shoulder joint so it's the only

one that's really impacted by shoulder

position it's the part of the tricep

that will make you look a lot bigger

from the back because it pops out like

this and in a front double bicep pose uh

it's the one that drops down one that

drops down yeah the long head is not

contracted at all but if you bring your

arm down you'll feel it get way harder

yeah even though you didn't do anything

different at your elbow so if we want a

stretch we're going to achieve that by

putting the arm up overhead okay if

we're trying to achieve a contraction

we're not going to get Peak contraction

with the arm up overhead because you

just saw that as you moved your arm back

behind your torso it got so that's where

the kickback would come

[Music]

in I do Kickbacks this way I'll show you

I just kind of lean back yeah so that I

can get my arm behind my torso cuz if

you think about it this

is biomechanically exactly the same

thing as this oh really you do

this yes oh yeah right oh yeah

wow a lot more so you can also you can

do it that way that's totally fine in

like a two-step thing or or more fluid

you could just do it all in one smooth

motion yeah that looks great though

will oh I love this yeah good good

good

[Music]

that sick is that it yeah no CS no ABS

no CS no ABS that's it that's

[Music]

it