Tip: Find YOUR Most Effective Exercises

Grab a pen and a piece of paper and do this. It'll help you trim the fluff off your workout plan and get focused on the movements that matter.

Find Your Top Ten

If you carefully analyze your training, you'll find that the majority of your results are due to a relatively small number of effective exercises. The rest of your exercises add a bit, but not as much as you might think.

To identify your best exercises, start by asking yourself:

"If I could only do one exercise, based on my needs and goals, what would it be?"

Write it down. I know as a serious lifter, you'd never do just one exercise, but stay with me. Then ask:

"If I could only do two exercises, what would they be?"

Continue this process until you have your top ten exercises.

Now this doesn't mean that you only do these exercises. You can also add anything else you want, as time permits. You can also switch out any exercise for a similar variation if your results dry up or your joints get cranky. However, when you're short of time, you cut the other stuff, but you guard your top ten exercises.

If things ever got so crazy that you couldn't do even these ten exercises, you can reduce the list as needed, starting at number ten and working down.

Andrew Heming is a strength coach, professor, and former Canadian University U-Sport head strength coach. Andrew helps athletes and skinny hardgainers get bigger, faster, and stronger. Follow Andrew Heming on Facebook