7. Inverted Row
What it works:
You may get funny looks for camping out at the squat rack and blasting these out, but consider inverted rows the safer counterpart to the typical barbell row. Because it’s just your bodyweight, and you’re facing the sky (hence the keyword “inverted”) you take all the strain off your back, and your core gets a decent workout, too. “This is a great upper body ripper that’ll build you a great back and toned arms,” Langowski says.
How to do it:
Go to a Smith machine or squat rack and place the bar at waist level. Sit on the floor and position your hands as if you were going to do a bench press (your palms should face the ceiling). Now, straighten your body so you’re hanging from the bar with your, feet shoulder-width apart and your heels pressing into the floor. Pull yourself up so your chest touches the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down, keeping your body straight and rigid. Note: To make this more difficult, put your feet on a bench and raise the bar so it’s at waist level.
Complete 3 sets of 6-10 reps. Superset this with exercise #8: Single-leg bench getup.
8. Single-Leg Bench Getup
What it works:
This is a multi-joint movement that improves lower-body balance and strength. It also improves core strength and stability. Only downside is you look like Frankenstein, but you’ll get over that.
How to do it:
Sit on a bench with one foot planted at a 90-degree angle, and the other leg straight out, parallel to the floor. Extend your arms so they, too, are parallel to the floor, and engage your abs. Leaning forward slightly, stand up on your planted leg. “Hold your balance at the top of the motion, and slowly lower yourself back down to the bench without dropping hard or fast,” Langowski says. Pause for one second so you don’t use momentum going into the next rep.
Complete 3 sets of 6-10 reps. Superset this with exercise #7: Inverted row.
