Most bodybuilders frequently vary their exercises when training for hypertrophy and balanced growth, depending on their specific goals, the time allotted to reach those goals, and their current training split. As a result, bodybuilders have hundreds of movements in their exercise arsenal. Nonetheless, each lifter has unique biomechanics, which makes them biased toward certain exercises.
If you only have 10 exercises for the rest of time to stay as muscular as possible, give me the list.
In a podcast published on July 5, 2023, the four-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead revealed his 10 staple exercises for building muscle mass to Chris Williamson on the Muscle Wisdom podcast. Check out the video below, courtesy of Williamson’s YouTube channel:
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Chris Bumstead’s Go-To 10 Exercises To Build Muscle
In response to Williamson’s request, Bumstead obliged with the following list:
- Barbell Back Squat
- Barbell Deadlift
- Neutral-Grip Pull-Ups
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
- Dumbbell Biceps Curl
- Bent-Over Row
- Hanging Leg Raise
- Lateral Raise or Overhead Triceps Extension
Barbell Back Squat
The squats are on the top of Bumstead’s list of 10 best exercises to build muscle mass. It was the first exercise he named in response to the question with nearly no hesitation. The four-time Classic Physique Olympia champ favors the squats for their overall lower body-building potential.
“If it’s my whole life, I might actually do Smith machine squats,” said Bumstead. The Smith machine squats complement Bumstead’s mechanics — they are easier on his knees. The fixed track for the barbell provides better stability than a free-weight barbell, which helps Bumstead bias on his glutes and quads.
I love squatting in the Smith machine, and I get a lot of shi* for that.
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Barbell Deadlift
Bumstead chose deadlifts as the second exercise, which targets the hamstrings, glutes, and back. He doesn’t have to include dedicated exercises for these muscle groups, as this compound lift builds the posterior chain. This left Bumstead some extra room to vary the remaining eight lifts on the list.
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According to a 2020 systemic review in PLoS One, “erector spinae and quadriceps muscles are more activated than gluteus maximus and biceps femoris muscles within Deadlift exercises.” However, that is swapped when performing a Romanian deadlift, which can also be done with a barbell and weight plates. Bumstead may have landed a two-for-one special by choosing an exercise that requires only versatile pieces of equipment. (1)
Neutral-Grip Pull-Ups
The Classic Physique Olympia champs next picked pull-ups to target his back and biceps in a single exercise. “Overhand or underhand,” asked Williamson. “Neutral,” answered Bumstead, as it allows him to better focus on his lats and biceps. High-volume pull-up training has been shown to improve lat pull performance compared to lower-volume pull-up training, so it’s a solid second pick by Bumstead for hypertrophy. (2)
Dumbbells — Incline Press, Seated Shoulder Press, & Biceps Curls
Bumstead favors the incline dumbbell press as it is less taxing on his shoulders than the flat bench dumbbell press. Bumstead opined that using dumbbells instead of a barbell could improve physique symmetry.
The Classic Physique champ chose the seated dumbbell shoulder press to target his shoulders and triceps. It’s a current staple in his training, typically performed during heavy lifting sessions.
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Bumstead picked alternating dumbbell curls to train his biceps. It was also the first isometric lift on his list. The Olympia champ uses a supinated grip and typically performs biceps curls standing.
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press & Bent-Over Row
After a long ponder, Bumstead picked the close-grip barbell bench press as the sixth exercise to train triceps and chest through a different range of motion than the incline dumbbell press. The narrow grip provides more elbow flexion, thereby biasing the triceps for meatier arms.
Bent-over rows found a spot on Bumstead’s list as they train the upper and lower back and improve stability and core strength. Depending on the angle of the pull, bent-over rows can also train the upper back musculature, including the traps and rear delts.
Hanging Leg Raise
Bumstead favors the hanging leg raise for his ab training, as his lower abs are a focal point of improvement for him. “When you do a hanging leg raise or a lying leg raise, it hits that part more,” Bumstead said. “Hanging from a bar is really good for your shoulders and spine. So you hit two birds with one stone.”
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The benefits of a strong core carry over to compound exercises, such as the squat and deadlift. Per Sports Health, a strong core can improve performance while reducing the risk of injury. (3)
Shoulder Lateral Raise or Overhead Triceps Extension
While Bumstead struggled to pick the final exercise for the list, he settled on a medial delt movement as he did not have any other movement that trained shoulders through that plane. However, overhead triceps extensions have been shown to be better for hypertrophy than triceps pushdowns, even at lower loads. Bumstead seemed content having either as his final movement, but leaned toward lateral raises as he aspires to display “some meaty delts.”
References
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Martín-Fuentes, I., Oliva-Lozano, J. M., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PloS one, 15(2), e0229507. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229507
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Sanchez-Moreno, M., Pareja-Blanco, F., Diaz-Cueli, D., & González-Badillo, J. J. (2016). Determinant factors of pull-up performance in trained athletes. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 56(7-8), 825–833.
- Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):514-22. doi: 10.1177/1941738113481200. PMID: 24427426; PMCID: PMC3806175.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
