We’ve been training a long time, and we’ve trained hundreds of people over the last 13 years.

From all of that experience, we’ve developed the Digital BarbellⓇ Training Method. We believe our combination of strength training, body building, and conditioning is the most sustainable way to train for strength, body composition, and overall health.

Every week we do exercises like squats, deadlifts, and presses for full-body strength, but a lot of our training is made up of “accessory” style body building movements. On this week’s podcast episode, Blakley and I each talked about the 5 favorite accessories we’re doing right now, and why we love them so much.

You can watch the full episode by clicking the picture below.

Blakley’s Top 5 Accessory Exercises:

1: Step Back (Reverse) Lunges - She loves these for overall glute strength and size development. Unlike traditional “step forward” lunges, reverse lunges shift most of the work onto your glutes instead of your quads and knees. You can do these holding weight at your chest, at your sides, or on a barbell. Click the video below for a demo.

#2 - Push-Ups & Pull-Ups (bodyweight) - Blakley loves push-ups and pull-ups because they’re super functional and a great way to stay fit on the road, when you’re busy, or when you’re short on time. Click the videos below for the points of performance on both movements.

#3 - Rows - Want a strong back and good posture? Include more rows in your life! Choose weights that are challenging in the 8-15 rep range, and work close to failure. Try to add weight and reps over the weeks. Click the picture below to see the correct technique.

#4 - Reverse Flys & Face Pulls - Speaking of a strong back and good posture… These two pack a punch when it comes to developing the muscles of your upper back and shoulders. Aim for hard sets in the 8-15 rep range, or give the face pulls a try with a band.

#5 - Overhead Tricep Extensions - Who doesn’t want better looking arms? With your triceps making up the majority of your arm, you’d be well served to give them some love if you want to look like you work out! Click the video below for a demo.

Ok, those are Blakley’s current favorite accessory exercises, let’s move on to mine!

Jonathan’s Top 5 Accessory Exercises

1: - Barbell Curls (heavy) - If you want better-looking, more muscular and defined arms, barbell curls should be showing up in your program every week. The straight barbell puts your wrist in a position to recruit the most muscle mass, but EZ Bar curls are great too. I like to use a weight that is challenging in the 8-12 rep range, and I like to come within 1 rep of failure.

#2 - Heavy Pullovers (dumbbell or barbell) - This is an underrated accessory exercise! Since the goal is to keep your elbows relative straight during each rep, not only are you working your lats, but your triceps are under a strong isometric load. The results? GAINS! Be sure to get a big stretch at the bottom of each rep, and choose a weight that’s tough in the 8-12 rep range. Click the photo below for a demo video.

#3 - Lengthened Position Curls - Any curl variation that puts your arm behind your body puts the bicep into massive stretch. You can do these curls by attaching a band (or cable) to a wall, or you can lie face up on an incline bench and let your arm hang down. These are brutal! You might need to lower the weight compared to what you use for regular dumbbell curls.

#4 - Lengthened Position Triceps (LTE’s & Cable Overhead Tricep Extensions) - Doing tricep exercises with your arm up / behind your head is called the “lengthened” position. Basically, the long head (the big one) of your tricep is getting a massive stretch and recuriting maximum fibers. My two favorites are the Lying Tricep Extension with dumbbells or an EZ Curl bar, or Overhead Tricep Extensions done on the cable machine. Check out the demos below.

#5 - Upright Rows - This exercise gets a bad wrap, but it’s a killer way to smash your shoulders and biceps at the same time. I like a narrow grip so you can keep your wrists mostly straight to keep your forearms out of the mix. You can do them with a pair of dumbbells or with an EZ Curl bar.