WRITTEN BY

EXERCISE
SELECTION
HANDBOOK
FOR BODYBUILDERS
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Exercise selection recommendations
Chest exercises
Tricep exercises
Front delt exercises
Upper back exercises
Bicep exercises
Lat exercises
Lateral delt exercises
Rear delt exercises
Calf exercises
Ab exercises
Quad exercises
Spinal erector exercises
Hamstring exercises
Glute exercises
Hip adductor exercises
How to choose the right exercises
What are motor units?
Which fiber type can grow the most
What is motor unit recruitment and why should we care?
Exercise selection guide
Pick machines over free weights
Pick isolations over compound exercises
Pick unilateral exercises over bilateral exercises
Pick exercises based on leverage
Final remarks
 INTRODUCTION

Exercise selection is an important aspect of bodybuilding training. While beginners can

grow from virtually any exercise, intermediate and advanced lifters will need to refine their
exercise selection more and more as they progress. Poor exercise selection is often the
cause of plateaus.

This guide is divided into two main sections. The first section provides an extensive list of
exercises which have been rated to help you make informed decisions about your exercise
selection. The second part of this handbook will teach you how to evaluate exercises to
determine which ones are most effective and which might be holding you back.

Our approach at AZ Fitness Coaching is unique; we have a priority to

provide our athletes with the necessary physiology knowledge to
ensure that they are intelligent and adaptable in their training. In
other words, our athletes are so smart they could be coaches
themselves!

EXERCISE SELECTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
The rating system functions as follows:

🟢 - Best exercises. This rating was awarded to exercises that meet all or most of the four
criteria mentioned earlier in this handbook. If these exercises are available, they are always
the best option

🟡 - Good exercises. This rating was awarded to exercises that meet enough of the four
criteria mentioned earlier in this handbook to be considered an effective and worth-while
exercise. However, these exercises are not the best options, and should only be done if your
gym does not have the equipment required to perform the green-rated exercises.

🔴 - Avoid. This rating was awarded to exercises that failed to meet all or most of the four
criteria mentioned earlier in this handbook There is no good reason to perform these
exercises, and they should be avoided at all costs.
Chest exercises Tricep exercises
🟢 Machine chest press 🟢 Single arm cable tricep pushdown
🟢 Incline smith machine press 🟢 Single arm neutral grip tricep ext.
🟢 Chest flys 🟢 Single arm tricep extension machine
🟢 Smith machine press 🟢 Dumbell tricep extension
🟢 Dips 🟢 Cross body cable tricep extensions
🟡 Dumbbell bench press 🟢 Smith machine JM press
🟡 Incline dumbbell bench press 🟢 Tricep cable pushdowns (V handle)
🟡 Bench press 🟢 Skull crushers
🟡 Dumbbell chest flys 🟢 Tricep dual rope extensions
🟡 Cable chest press 🟢 PJR pullovers
🟡 Weighted backpack push-ups 🟡 Tricep extension machine
🟡 Dips
Front delt exercises 🟡 Press movements
🟢 Machine shoulder press
🟡 Seated dumbbell shoulder press Upper back exercises
🟡 Seated barbell overhead press 🟢 Machine chest-supported rows
🟡 Flat pressing movements 🟢 Chest supported barbell row
🟡 Standing barbell overhead press 🟢 T-bar rows
🔴 Dumbbell front raises 🟢 Seal rows
🟢 Chest supported dumbbell row
Bicep exercises 🟢 Chest-supported kelso shrugs
🟢 Machine preacher curls 🟡 Horizontal wide-grip cable rows
🟢 Single arm machine preacher curls 🟡 Incline bench dumbbell rows
🟢 EZ bar preacher curls 🟡 Neutral grip cable rows
🟢 Machine preacher hammer curls 🟡 Single arm dumbbell row
🟢 Dumbbell hammer curls 🟡 Meadow rows
🟢 Cable rope bicep curls 🟡 Barbell row
🟢 Dumbbell preacher hammer curls
🟡 Cable bicep curls (facing away) Lat exercises
🟡 EZ-bar bicep curls 🟢 Single arm lat focused machine row
🟡 Dumbbell bicep curls 🟢 Single-arm cable lat row
🟡 Barbell bicep curls 🟢 Lat pulldown
🔴 Chin ups 🟢 Pull up
🔴 Incline dumbbell curls 🟢 Single arm dumbbell row
🔴 Pulling/rowing movements 🟡 Neutral grip rows
🔴 Spider curls 🟡 Narrow grip lat pulldown
🔴 Chin ups
Lateral delt exercises Rear delt exercises
🟢 Standing machine lateral raise 🟢 Single arm rear delt cable fly
🟢 Single arm cable lateral raise 🟢 Cable rear delt flys
🟢 Machine lateral raise 🟡 Reverse pec deck
🟡 Leaning lateral raise 🟡 Pulling/rowing movements
🟡 Dumbbell lateral raise 🔴 Dumbbell reverse flys
🔴 Cable rope face pulls
Calf exercises
🟢 Standing calf extension Ab exercises
🟢 Machine calf press 🟢 GHR Ab crunches
🟢 Single leg standing calf raise 🟡 Reverse back extension ab crunches
🔴 Seated calf extension 🟡 Machine crunches
🟡 Decline ab crunches
Quad exercises 🟡 Cable crunches
🟢 Pendulum squats 🔴 Hanging Leg Raises
🟢 Hack squat
🟢 Leg extensions Spinal erector exercises
🟢 Leg press 🟡 Weighted back extension
🟡 Single leg leg extension
🟡 Heel-elevated smith machine squat Hamstring exercises
🟡 FFE split squat 🟢 Seated hamstring curl
🟡 Heel-elevated barbell back squat (HB) 🟢 Single leg seated hamstring curl
🟡 Bulgarian split squats 🟡 Lying hamstring curl
🟡 Front squat 🟡 Weighted back extension
🟡 Machine sissy squat 🟡 Nordic hamstring curl machine
🟡 High bar barbell squat 🔴 Barbell Romanian deadlift
🔴 Goblet squat 🔴 Stiff-leg deadlifts
🔴 Reverse lunge 🔴 Good mornings
🔴 Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Glute exercises 🔴 Deadlifts
🟢 Machine hip thrusts
🟢 Weighted back extension Hip adductor exercises
🟢 Barbell hip thrusts 🟢 Single leg leg press
🟡 Machine donkey kicks 🟢 Hip adduction machine
🔴 Unilateral leg press 🟢 Smith machine split squat
🔴 Bulgarian split squats 🟡 Bulgarian split squats
🔴 Leg press 🟡 Leg press
🔴 Dumbbell Romanian deadlift 🟡 High bar barbell squat
🔴 Deadlifts 🔴 Heel-elevated barbell back squat (HB)
🔴 Barbell Romanian deadlift
 HOW TO CHOOSE THE
RIGHT EXERCISES
In order to fully understand why some exercises are better than others, we need to
understand the concept of motor unit recruitment. Physiology can be complex and
overwhelming, but rest assured, we will break it down into simple, easy-to-understand
explanations. Important terms have been highlighted in bold. Try to re-explain them to
yourself after reading, it’s a great way to understand and learn!

What are motor units?

Muscle fibers are organized into groups known as motor units. Each motor unit is
controlled by a single neuron from the central motor command unit of the brain, which is
the part of the brain that sends signals to your muscles to facilitate movement. Motor units
vary in size and fiber composition. Smaller motor units primarily consist of type 1 fibers,
which are more oxidative and suited for endurance, while larger motor units are mainly
composed of type 2 fibers, which are specialized for strength and power.

Which fiber type can grow the most?

All of your motor units have a maximum possible amount they can grow. This limit is
determined by a particular fiber’s oxidative capacity. To put it simply, if a muscle fiber
grows too large, the body can’t supply enough oxygen to the fiber to keep it alive. This is
known as the size principle of striated muscle

Type 1 and type 2 fibers have different oxidative capacities; type 1 fibers (which are more
oxidative) will max out at relatively small sizes. Type 2 fibers on the other hand, (which are
more glycolytic) have a much larger maximum growth potential. Therefore, the majority if
your growth potential comes from your larger motor units, which are primarily comprised of
type 2 fibers.
What is motor unit recruitment and why should we care?
To control the amount of force your muscles are outputting, your body recruits a certain
amount of motor units. Lifting heavy weights will require larger amounts of motor unit
recruitment, whereas lifting lighter weights will require few motor units.

Motor units are recruited in a specific order; from smallest to largest. In exercise science
this is called the SIZE principle of motor unit recruitment. (not to be confused with the size
principle of striated muscle, which we talked about above). The graph below illustrates
what this looks like.

Motor units recruited from small to large

Motor units Larger, stronger fibers
recruited
from small
to large

Smaller, weaker
fibers
Force generated

Effort

Motor unit recruitment can be thought of as directly linked to "effort." The greater the effort
needed for a task, the more motor units are recruited to perform it.

In a set of taken to failure, muscle activation progressively increases with each repetition,
ultimately reaching maximum voluntary activation when we reach failure in a set.
It is very important to understand that muscle growth occurs on a recruited
Motor units fiber-level. In other
from
words, a muscle fiber must be activated in order to experience mechanical tension and
small to large
grow.

A muscle fiber will not grow if it is not activated.

Since beginners have not maxed out any of their

motor units, they are able to grow from virtually any
exercise. This is visually illustrated below.

Un-maxed motor units capable of growth

The green area represents the level of

activation the exercise achieves.

Motor units in the green area will be Motor units in the red area will NOT be
stimulated to grow stimulated to grow

If the beginner lifter in the illustration above continues to perform this exercise, they will
eventually reach a point where all the motor units in the green zone will reach their growth
limit. When this happens, they will find themselves in a plateau. This is visually illustrated
on the next page
 Maxed out motor units incapable of
growing further

Un-maxed motor units capable of growth

The green area represents the level of

activation the exercise achieves.

Motor units in the green area will be Motor units in the red area will NOT be
stimulated to grow as long as they stimulated to grow
aren’t maxed out.

As previously mentioned, the lifter has already maximized the growth of their lower-level
motor units. However, the exercise they are performing does not effectively target the
higher-level motor units, which are the only ones left with growth potential. If the lifter
continues to perform the same exercise, these untapped motor units will remain
unstimulated, and no further growth will occur. In order to break through the plateau and
resume progression, the lifter must choose an exercise that achieves a higher degree of
motor unit recruitment. This is visually illustrated below

Un-maxed motor units capable of growth

Now that we’ve gotten the physiology With optimized exercise selection, this
out of the way, we can get into the main lifter is now able to stimulate their
content of this handbook; exercise previously un-tapped motor units,
selection! allowing for progression to resume.
 EXERCISE SELECTION GUIDE

Pick machines over free-weights

Earlier, we discussed how the brain's central motor command controls muscle
activation to execute movement. For every signal sent to activate your
muscles, an equal signal is sent back to the central motor command, which the
brain perceives as a sensation of effort.

The central motor command has a finite capacity for perceiving effort. Once
this limit is reached, it cannot send additional activation signals to the
muscles. In simpler terms, the more effort an exercise demands overall, the
less activation can be directed toward the target muscle. This principle is
known as supra-spinal fatigue.

Unstable exercises require the recruitment of additional muscles to assist with

balance, stabilization, and coordination. As a result, unstable exercises reduce
the activation that can be allocated to the target muscle

In order to actually determine which exercises are considered stable or not,

refer to the following criteria:

Exercises performed in a seated or lying position (e.g., bench press) are

generally considered stable, while those requiring standing or dynamic
movements (e.g., lunges) are generally considered unstable.

Exercises that utilize machines or fixed equipment (e.g., leg press) are
generally considered stable, whereas free-weight exercises (e.g., Bulgarian
split squats) are generally considered unstable.

Exercises that require minimal balance (e.g., leg press) are generally
considered stable, while those that necessitate balance (e.g., single-leg
Romanian deadlifts) are generally considered unstable.

Exercises that demand minimal core engagement (e.g., machine exercises)

are generally considered stable, while those that require significant core
activation for balance (e.g., barbell squats) are generally considered
unstable.

lastly, the more points of contact an exercise has, the more stable it is.
Many people argue that free-weight or unstable movements are superior
because they "train your stabilizers," but this is a myth. There are no specific
"stabilizer muscles." Every muscle in the body acts on one or more joints, and
they can either contract or relax. Coordination, balance, and stabilization are
controlled by the nervous system, not by separate stabilizer muscles. In fact,
all muscles, including the primary movers of an exercise, contribute to
stabilization during movement.

Pick isolations over compound exercises

we want to choose exercises that involve as few muscles as possible beyond
the target muscle. In other words, isolation exercises are superior to
compound exercises because they achieve higher motor unit recruitment in the
target muscle.

Pick unilateral exercises over bilateral exercises*

Unilateral exercises involve using one limb at a time, like single-arm Bicep
curls or Bulgarian split squats. In contrast, bilateral exercises use both limbs
simultaneously, like the bench press or barbell row. Interestingly, unilateral
exercises often result in higher motor unit recruitment in the target muscle
compared to their bilateral counterparts. This phenomenon, known as the
bilateral force deficit, is one of the most fascinating principles in exercise
physiology—and you can even test it yourself in the gym!

Try performing a set of bilateral dumbbell Bicep curls to failure, then switch to
unilateral curls. You may find you can eke out a couple more reps.
Alternatively, compare the total weight used in a unilateral exercise (adding the
weights for both limbs) to the weight you lift in the bilateral version—you’ll
likely notice you can lift more or perform more reps with the unilateral
approach.

Why does this happen? Its once again the exact same mechanism as the
previous two points! Since bilateral exercises engage more total muscle mass,
the effort is spread across more muscles, reducing motor unit recruitment in
each individual muscle.
*After hearing this, you might wonder why we don’t just do unilateral exercises
exclusively. There are actually a few reasons for this:

Time Efficiency: Unilateral exercises essentially double the time it takes to

train the same muscle group, as you have to perform the exercise
separately for each limb. This not only makes your workouts less efficient
but also leads to greater overall fatigue as the session progresses,
reducing the benefits of doing unilateral exercises in the first place.

Increased Fatigue: Unilateral exercises tend to be more fatiguing. Think of

the Bulgarian split squat—a universally dreaded movement. As we
mentioned earlier when discussing lower rep ranges, fatigue accumulates
on a rep-by-rep basis, and this principle applies here as well. The extra reps
and effort required for unilateral work can cause significantly more fatigue

Stability Issues: Some unilateral variations are inherently less stable than
their bilateral counterparts. For example, if you’ve tried unilateral leg
extensions and have significant strength, you may have noticed the
instability introduces uneven and asymmetrical strain on your core and
body. This instability often forces you to lift less weight compared to the
bilateral version.

Limited feasibility for certain movements: Sometimes, unilateral variations

simply aren’t feasible. For example, attempting a single-arm barbell bench
press would likely result in a face full of metal, and trying a single-leg
barbell back squat would leave you tipping over like a cow!

For these reasons, unilateral work should be implemented sparingly, saving it

for priority or weak muscles.

Pick exercises based on leverage

As mentioned multiple times, there is a limited amount of muscle activation
that can be allocated by the central motor command in the brain. In order to be
as efficient as possible, the brain has evolved the ability to preferentially
activate the muscle(s) with the greatest mechanical leverage over muscles
with poor mechanical leverage. This is called the principle of neuromechanical
matching.
Mechanical leverage is determined the by internal moment arm of a given
muscle, which is the distance between the insertion of the muscle (i.e. the
point at which it inserts into the bone) and the joint it controls. This is visually
illustrated below:

As you perform the concentric (lifting) or eccentric (lowering) phase of an

exercise, the internal moment arms of the muscles around the working joints
will change. Because of the way our muscles are structured, different muscles
will have their largest internal moment arm at different regions in the range of
motion

When choosing exercises, it's important to consider their resistance curves

(how the resistance changes throughout the range of motion). This is
influenced by the exercise’s external moment arm, which refers to the distance
between the joint and the point where the resistance is applied during the
exercise at a specific point in the range of motion. The diagram on the next
page provides a example visual representation of how the resistance profile
during a Bicep curl changes throughout the range of motion, as a result of the
external moment arm length.

Mechanical leverage is determined the by internal moment arm of a given

muscle, which is the distance between the insertion of the muscle (i.e. the
point at which it inserts into the bone) and the joint it controls. This is visually
illustrated on the next page:
When selecting exercises, we always want to be choosing exercises that load
the target muscle most heavily when it has the greatest leverage. In other
words, we want to pick exercises which have a resistance profile that more or
less matches the internal moment arm length profile of the target muscle. If
we do not do this, the target muscle will experience drastically reduced levels
of motor unit recruitment.

A good example of this principle in action involves the overhead tricep

extension and the triceps long head. Many people incorrectly believe the
overhead Tricep extension biases the long head of the Triceps brachii, but this
isn’t actually the case.

The Tricep long head crosses both the elbow and shoulder joint, meaning its
length and internal moment arm is influenced by the position of the shoulder.
In simple terms, when your arm is overhead the Tricep is stretched, but when
your arm is by your side, your Tricep long head is contracted. The Tricep long
head actually has the greatest leverage to extend the elbow when your arms
are by your side, not overhead. Thus, we would achieve greater degrees of
motor unit recruitment in the triceps long head if we do a tricep extension with
our arms by our side instead of an overhead extension. This is a good example
of how mainstream exercises can actually be limiting your growth!
 FINAL REMARKS

Thank you for taking the time to read this handbook!

Thank you for taking the time to read through this

handbook. You've now equipped yourself with the
knowledge to make more informed and effective
exercise selections for your training.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to break

through plateaus, understanding how to choose the
right exercises is key to optimizing muscle growth
and achieving your goals.

Stay consistent, be patient, and don’t be afraid to

experiment and adjust as you progress. With the
right approach, your potential for growth is
limitless!

— Attal Z (Head coach)