# The Most UNDERRATED Exercises For Every Body Part Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J65vqrtPp8w Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/J65vqrtPp8w Generated: 2025-12-22T17:12:48.596+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Dr. Mike presents 14 underrated exercises across the entire body, emphasizing that foundational movements like the cambered bar bench press, deficit push-ups, and weighted pull-ups yield significant gains when executed with a focus on deep stretch and proper biomechanics, contrary to current trends favoring flashy, easier exercises. **Key Points:** - The cambered bar bench press is highly underrated because it forces a massive stretch, which is a "massive stimulus for growth," recommending sets of 10 to 15 reps. - Deficit push-ups are an accessible alternative to the camber bar, requiring a super deep stretch, and Dr. Mike asserts, "Push-ups work. And deficit push-ups work even better." - Pull-ups are called "goated" and limitless due to progression potential in both repetitions and added weight, leading Dr. Mike to incorporate them on both weekly back days. - The bicep exercise favorite is the free motion dual cable cross machine curl, which generates the most tension in the stretch when the cable angle is higher, advising sets until failure with short breaks. - For triceps, the behind the neck standing or seated easy bar extension is recommended for sets of 10 to 15 reps to stretch the long head, despite being posturally difficult. - Belt squats are underrated for quads, provided platforms are used to achieve a full range of motion, focusing on slow descent and pauses at the bottom to maximize growth stimulus. - Good mornings are crucial for hamstrings as they provide the identical stretch to stiff-legged deadlifts but with the bar on the back, recommended for sets of 5 to 12 reps before lower back becomes limiting. **Context:** Dr. Mike from RP Strength presents a list of 14 exercises he considers underrated in the current lifting environment, arguing that these foundational movements, often overlooked for more modern or impressive exercises, deliver superior hypertrophy results when performed correctly with an emphasis on range of motion and muscle stretch. The presentation covers chest, back, biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and abs, often linking current trends to avoiding difficult but effective movements. ## Detailed Analysis Dr. Mike advocates for 14 specific exercises starting with the chest, highlighting the cambered bar bench press for its deep stretch and the deficit push-up as an effective bodyweight option, noting that people avoid them because they are difficult or not impressive. For the back, he champions the traditional pull-up as limitless in progression and praises the cable flexion row (which he renames the 'Israel row') for hitting biceps, lats, and spinal erectors with a deep stretch and peak contraction. Bicep work should include the free motion dual cable cross machine curl for maximum stretch tension and the obscure 'clown curl' (a decline/incline curl variation) focusing on slow negatives. Triceps benefit from the behind the neck easy bar extension to target the long head and dips performed by focusing on driving the elbows backward for a deep stretch. For quads, he stresses the importance of belt squats allowing a full range of motion with pauses at the bottom, and the brutal sissy squat for hitting the front part of the quad through hip flexion. Hamstrings are best targeted with good mornings, emphasizing proper hip hinge technique identical to stiff-legged deadlifts, progressing load over high reps. Glutes are addressed with the barbell walking lunge, despite its ubiquity and space requirements, as it hits multiple lower body muscles, and shoulders are targeted with crossbody rear/side lateral raises for simultaneous rear and side delt stimulation. Finally, the decline reaching sit-up remains a bedrock ab exercise, encouraging full curling and uncurling motion. ### Chest Underrated Exercises - Cambered bar bench press for massive stretch and stimulus - Deficit push-ups done low with a 1-second pause for deep chest pull-apart ### Back & Bicep Recommendations - Pull-ups are limitless due to load/rep progression - Cable flexion row (Israel row) hits biceps, lats, and erectors with stretch and peak contraction ### Bicep Techniques - Free motion dual cable cross machine curl maximizes tension in the stretch - Clown curl (decline curl) requires slow reverse motion, arching chest up for pre-stretch ### Tricep Focus - Behind the neck standing/seated easy bar extension stretches the long head in sets of 10-15 reps - Dips must emphasize elbow travel backward for deep stretch, not shoulder travel forward ### Quad Development - Belt squats require platforms for full range of motion with pauses at the bottom - Sissy squats are brutal finishers that stretch the quad through hip flexion, superior to leg extensions ### Hamstrings & Glutes - Good mornings are identical to stiff-legged deadlifts but bar on back, focus on sets of 5-12 reps - Barbell walking lunges are underrated due to crowding/preference for hip thrusts, progress reps 15-25 ### Shoulders & Abs - Crossbody rear/side lateral raises provide a 'one-shot aesthetic treatment' for both delts - Decline reaching situp is a foundational ab exercise requiring mindful curling and uncurling.