Last week, we stressed the importance of emphasizing compound exercises. By doing so, not only are you working two muscle groups at the same time, but you are also increasing the amount of testosterone that is being stimulated in the body.
As important as it is to perform compound lifts, it is just as essential to incorporate accessory (aka: secondary) exercises in a program as well.
I believe accessory exercises are important for two key reasons: 1. These types of movements typically allow you to isolate a specific muscle group, and 2. Performing these exercises can help you improve on weak points on compound exercises, thus creating more opportunity for growth.
Secondary exercises should always be performed for a moderate to high amount of repetitions (eight plus). I recommended that you include at least TWO secondary lifts (in addition to a compound lift) when training any body part, as hypertrophy (muscle growth) best occurs when you perform at least three exercises per muscle group per session.
Here are some of my favorite accessory lifts for the most common muscle groups
Chest: Dumbbell/Machine/Cable Flys, Dips (Chest slightly forward)
Back: Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows, Seated Cable Rows, Lying Bench Rows
Shoulders: Lateral Dumbbell Raises, Front Dumbbell Raises, Seated Incline Rear Delt Raises, Barbell/Dumbbell Shrugs
Legs: Seated Leg Raises, Seated Leg Curls, Dumbbell Calf Raises, Calf Raises on Leg Press
Biceps: Every bicep exercise is typically considered to be an accessory exercise. My favorites include: Barbell/EZ Bar Curls, Seated Incline Curls, Concentration Curls
Triceps: Every triceps exercise (except for close grip bench) is typically considered to be an accessory exercise. My favorites include: Triceps Rope-Pulldown, Dumbbell Triceps Extensions, EZ Bar Skull-Crushers
Make sure to perform at least two accessory lifts in each of your weekly training sessions. By adding these to your compound lifts, growth will be on the horizon!
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