The 7 best exercises you've never heard of think you've seen it all? Revamp your training with these challenging moves

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Brenda Hartley

SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED A LITTLE EXCITEMENT. We tend to appreciate familiarity and remain loyal to what works for us, but we're not above venturing out into the world and drumming up new experiences that we feel offer the benefits we need at the time. Same goes for our relationships, work situations and our workouts. Well, we can't tell you how to heat up your love life, but if you've been training for at least a couple of years and your workouts are starting to go stale, we can add some zing back into your training. M & F HERS asked seven fitness experts from across the country to share their favorite exercises that were both incredibly effective yet so unusual that you've probably never heard of them. Until today. Give 'em a try and see if they don't add some spice to your gym life.

ROTATIONAL DECLINE PULL-UP

CONTRIBUTING TRAINER: Sherri Basta, personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness in Glendale, California

TARGETS: Primary muscles--lats, teres major, rhomboids, rear delts. Secondary muscles--biceps, core muscles.

BENEFITS: "It's great for everyone, from beginners to those who are highly advanced," Basta says. "This exercise has several levels of progression and can be easily adapted to every workout. For an incredible challenge, it can be done unilaterally--as explained below--or beginners can start by doing this as a straight two-arm decline pull-up and work their way up from there."

STARTING POSITION: Set an Olympic bar in a squat rack at about hip height. "The higher the bar, the more challenging the exercise," Basta explains. "Dip underneath the bar so you're inside the rack facing the bar. Take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar and walk your feet out in front of you and under the bar while slowly lowering yourself. You should be up on your heels with your legs fully extended. Move your right hand to the point on the bar directly above your chest, the other arm across your abdomen."

EXECUTION: Keeping your midsection tight, squeeze your lats and pull your body up toward the bar. As you pull, slowly turn your right shoulder in and up toward the bar. Hold for a moment at the top, then reverse the motion back down. Do 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps per arm.

TRAINING TIP

"Make sure you keep your torso completely straight and your neck aligned with the rest of your spine," Basta instructs. "Start to rotate from the time you start pulling up, turning that same-side shoulder toward the bar. Also, once your hips start to droop, stop the exercise and take a break."

LOWER-BODY DRAG

CONTRIBUTING TRAINER: Joe Dowdell, CSCS, owner of Peak Performance gym in New York City

TARGETS: Primary muscles--front delts, pectoralis major. Secondary muscles--rectus and transverse abdominis.

BENEFITS: "This exercise is excellent for developing the muscular endurance of the upper extremities as well as the core," Dowdell says. Challenging but simple, this move works more than just the upper body; your core muscles receive the biggest challenge as they fight to maintain proper body alignment.

STARTING POSITION: Perform on wood flooring for best results. Place small hand towels under your feet or remove your shoes and support yourself in a push-up position.

EXECUTION: Maintaining a tight body position, with your abs pulled in and your hips lifted, slowly begin to "walk" across the room using your arms only, dragging your legs behind you. Take 20 steps (10 with each hand) to complete one set.

TRAINING TIP

"If you have trouble doing this one, start with the towels underneath your knees, as in a modified push-up position. Always stop as soon as you're either unable to maintain proper spinal alignment or you begin to lose the ability to hand-walk steadily." Dowdell advises.

PRONE BODYWEICHT TRICEPS EXTENSION

CONTRIBUTING TRAINER: Michelle Boubion, NSCA-CPT, ACE-certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor

TARGETS: Primary muscle--triceps. Secondary muscles--rectus and transverse abdominis, intercostals, front deltoids, pectoralis major.

BENEFTTS: "This is one of the most challenging triceps exercises I've ever come across," Boubion states. "It places your body in a position unlike any other triceps movement I've seen, prestretching the long head a bit while putting most of the load on the shorter heads. The location of your body makes this move particularly challenging since the core muscles must remain activated throughout the exercise."

STARTING POSITION: Set an Olympic bar at waist height inside a squat rack. Facing the inside of the rack, take a shoulder-width, over-hand grip on the bar and walk your legs out behind you so that your body is in a straight line, from your hands on the bar to your toes on the floor, arms extended. Your head should be down and chin tucked into your chest.

EXECUTION: Bend your elbows and lower your body, dropping the top of your head about even with the bar while keeping your body completely straight. With elbows in line with your shoulders, flex your triceps and press your body back up the start position. Start with 1-2 sets of as many reps as you can do using correct form.