What are the most productive exercises?

8/15/2013

Picture is my Olympic dumbbell.

Today’s training:

Warm-up: 1000 meters rowing, Bands and Indian Clubs

Fat bar standing press:

Kettlebell snatch:

Dumbbell snatch;

GHD sit-ups.

What are the most productive exercises?

            Before I answer that, I must add that any exercise can be productive as long as it done correctly, under good tension, and performed progressively. I can be using just the body or any number of exercise equipment and ever environmental elements like logs and stone lying around.

            I have a spreadsheet with over 300 exercises listed that I have used frequently or as an experiment. However I have a smaller list that I use more frequently as it seems to work better for me. My all time favorite is the dumbbell clean and press or snatch using and Olympic dumbbell bar. Although I am basically a Kettlebell whore, the Kettlebell movement of the snatch and clean is somewhat less ballistic than the dumbbell, especially with the  rotating handles.

            The Olympic dumbbell handles even with the knurls will not tear up your hands like the solid handles will do, especially doing the snatch movement. Transferring the Olympic dumbbell from the floor to the overhead lockout is a straight liner movement unlike the Kettlebell making a somewhat faster movement. Also the  Olympic dumbbell handles allows the use of my Olympic plates from the 1.5lbs to the 45 or even 100lb plates. ( I have used 2-100 lbs. plates on the bar for a suitcase deadlift a couple of times but its not a favorite.)

Dumbbell snatching from the floor in high reps, changing hands it a real killer and always leave me smoked! Try it, you will see what I mean.

Ken

“The mission is sacred”