#20 - The Best Exercises for Physical Robustness Part 1

Today we are going to continue talking about exercise selection.

Last week we covered my favourite exercises for hypertrophy.

In this post, I will cover my favourite exercises for building physical robustness.

Now, physical robustness is not a scientific concept as it can be difficult to define.

To me, physical robustness involves being in a state where you have a lower risk of injury. Also, you can do a wide range of physical tasks with some level of competence without the fear of getting hurt.

These things usually come about by being strong through many ranges of motion.

To train for this, the exercises we select need to meet some criteria:

• Allow us to get stronger across a large range of motion

• Put the muscle into a deep stretched position under load

Now, this will be the first of two posts on this topic.

In this edition, we are going to focus on movements that need no equipment.

Next week we will cover exercises that are more advanced and require equipment.

With that out of the way, let’s get into the list.

Ankle

Tibialis Raise: Great for developing foundational strength in a muscle that is very often overlooked. Helps to look after the knees too.

Calf Raise: Looks after the lower leg from the other side. Can prevent injuries in the Achilles tendon. Perform with both straight legs and a bent knee.

Knee

Standing Good Morning: Develops the hip hinge motion very well. Will increase range in the hamstrings. Perform with a slightly wider stance to also hit the inner thigh.

ATG Split Squat: An exercise that strengthens and stretches at the same time. Ankle mobility, knee integrity, quad strength, hip internal rotation, hip flexor range of motion. This exercise does a lot. Don’t skip it.

Hip

Pigeon Good Morning: The most foundational way to work on the mobility of the outer hips. Move the torso down at various angles to hit deeper areas of the hip musculature.

Cossack Squat: Superb for developing mobility through the inner thighs, as well as ankle mobility. Tough, but worth it.

Hip Abduction: The best way to strengthen the outer hips directly. Can be done with bodyweight or a band. Helps to keep the knees healthy.

Spine

Pike Pulse: One of the best moves to develop core compression strength. Quite challenging. Start with one leg at a time if necessary. Hits the abs and hip flexors hard.

Side Plank: Great for building stability around the torso. Obliques and QL given some love here. One of back expert Dr Stuart McGill’s Big 3 exercises.

Lying Y Raise: Done to strengthen the often neglected lower trapezius. Hold briefly at the top. Just the weight of the arms could be humbling.

Bird Dog: Another one of Dr McGill’s Big 3. Hits the hips and the abs at once. Great for overall stability.

Neck Flexion / Extension: Don’t skip your neck! It’s just another part of the spine. A weak neck is not a good idea. Simple flexion and extension off the side of a bed or sofa can work.

Shoulder

Overhead Wall Push: Have your torso facing downwards and push with straight arms into a wall. Great for opening up overhead shoulder mobility.

Wall German Hang: Face away from a wall. Move your arms back behind you so your hands are on the wall with fingers facing up. Keep your hands there and squat down and come back up. Helps to loosen up the chest, shoulders and biceps, which are often tight.

Lying External Rotation: Strengthens the important rotator cuff muscles. From a lying position, lift your wrists off the ground so your arms form a W. Challenging.

Lying T Raise: A third way to humble yourself with just the weight of your arms! From a lying position, have your arms straight out to the side and lift them up. Looks after the rear delts.

That’s it for today!

I hope you enjoyed this list. Keep a look out for the more advanced version next week.

Until then!

• Adam