“No No No, bicep curls are literally the best exercise ever!! I mean, without bicep curls how do you think I could’ve gained these massive guns??”
Well unfortunately bicep curls are not "the best" overall exercise you can equip to your workout regimen. There are some fundamental exercises that can actually “hit” your bicep muscles while targeting other muscles at the same time, which are called compound movements. Even though compound movements are amazing for total muscle recruitment and caloric expenditure, something like a basic bicep curl is not bad to isolate and strengthen a specific muscle (hence the second type of lift being isolation movement). However, what could the best overall exercise for your body be? Scientifically speaking, there are actually a few exercises which have been studied and labeled as “must haves” in your work outs.
1. Dead Lift
2. Squats
3. HIIT
Coming in at third place is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), which I whole heartedly endorse and believe that it can make you a better overall athlete. HIIT is essentially a short and or timed spurt of maximal energy output followed by low intensity recovery. For example: You will go into a full on dead sprint for 30 seconds on the treadmill, then for 60 seconds you walk at a calm pace. The reason why this exercise has beat out many others that could have been chosen, is because studies have shown that this form of training produces something called EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption). Defined as after your session of HIIT has concluded your body is still working to recover the lost oxygen. This raises your resting metabolic rate which allows you to continuously burn calories. Nevertheless, one of the main reasons why it has a place on this list is because it is a cardiovascular workout which actually improves muscle tone due to you operating at your bodies maximal physical limits for short periods of time. Not only will this help you lose weight, it will also assist you in your overall endurance/ stamina and weight lifting. I give this exercise an 8.9/10 for effectiveness. The reason why it lost points is due to how taxing it is on your physiology, it is recommended that you do not partake in this exercise every day.
The next 2 exercises have been debated for a very long time in regards to which one is better than the next, but with the research that was conducted squats has taken the second place. Squats are considered one of the best lower body compound movements available. The muscles that are recruited when doing a squat are the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves and lower back. Now the magic of compound movements of this variety is that it burns a large number of calories, and the strengthening of many stabilizer muscles in your feet, legs, thighs and even your core are unparalleled. In spite of this, the main reason why these next two exercises have made it onto this list is because of the anabolic effect it has on your whole body. Due to this exercise recruiting so many muscles while being able to bear substantial weight, it not only benefits those muscles listed above, but also promotes body- wide muscle/ mass building. This is done by heightening the overall testosterone and human growth hormone within the body by stimulating the largest muscles in the human body. I give squats a 9.4/10 for effectiveness, and only lost a few points due to it being a much more advanced movement. The form in this workout is imperative not only for maximal gains, but also to evade injury.
Lastly, we have the potentially best exercise that can be done, the deadlift. Similar to the squat, the deadlift is an amazing compound movement which utilizes basically 60% of your body in order to complete the lift. When this lift is done accurately, everything from your glutes, hamstrings, traps, lower back, forearms and core are all engaged. The level of fat burning that is promoted within this movement rivals that of running itself, and strengthening of stabilizer muscles inherently assist you with other exercises around the gym. Once again going over one of the most important factors of this exercise, which is the production of a neuroendocrine response after a heavy deadlifting session. This anabolic response is a result of the nervous and hormone systems within your body. After a heavy session the hormones naturally spike and assist with muscle building all over the body. You can also format this exercise to replicate HIIT training with patterned break times and weight which is in and around 65%-75% of your 1 Rep Max. Overall I give this exercise a 9.7/10 mainly because of the form being a more advanced technique. However, the deadlift can be done with things that make the movement much easier like the Hex bar and or kettle bells which can then be added to a beginners program.
If you want the most efficient use of your time in the gym, and the most results; you should incorporate these 3 forms of exercise within your regimen in order to hit that level that you have always wanted to reach. By equipping these workouts, you will be able to take advantage of the numerous benefits these physical activities have to offer, and will contribute to your ongoing improvement and performance. If you have hit a plateau in your weight training or just beginning your journey, follow me on Instagram @spartan_alliance25 and shoot me a DM for more fitness information!
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