Jeff Nippard‘s science-based approach to exercise has turned him into one of the most powerful voices in fitness. In a recent collaboration with Will Tennyson, Jeff Nippard explained the top exercises for each body part, offering insight and tips on each movement.
From achieving the perfect squat or bench press with his detail-packed checklists, Jeff Nippard never shies away from conversations about training. He is a credentialed natural bodybuilder and powerlifter, who constantly tested himself at the highest level in sports.
He boasts a massively popular YouTube channel, regularly offering tips and tricks for those interested in advancing their fitness level. He has even broken down and analyzed the workouts of popular influencers in bodybuilding such as star Sam Sulek. Now, the coaching mastermind is back breaking down the best workouts for each body part.
Jeff Nippard Breaks Down Best Exercises For Each Muscle Group W/ Will Tennyson
Find a quick list and breakdown of the exercises below, including rep ranges.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
- Smith Machine Squats (6-8 reps)
- Seated hamstring curls (6-10 reps)
- Incline press (6-10 reps)
- Seated super stretch cable flies (12-15 reps)
- Chest-supported row (10-12 reps)
- Pulldowns (8-12 reps)
- Cable lateral raise (10-12 reps per side)
- Reverse Pec Deck (12-15 reps per side)
- Basian cable curls (10-12 reps per side)
- Overhead cable triceps extension (10-12 reps)
- Cable kickbacks (10-12 reps per side)
Main Criteria Points
Nippard curates scientific studies and provides on-the-ground lifting experience to support his most favored movements. He uses a three-tiered system for critiquing each exercise, which you can find below:
- High Tension and Stretch
- Needs to Feel Good (No pain, smooth feel to it, feel in muscle more than joint)
- Potential for Overload (add reps or weight over time)
Smith Machine Squats (Suggested Rep range 6-8 reps)
First, Nippard explained why Smith machine squats are an ideal exercise for both the quads and hamstrings.
“Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of Smith machine squats and I like that because from a hypertrophy standpoint, you can push a little closer to failure without the same sets of risk,” explains Nippard.
Seated Hamstring Curls (Suggested Rep range 6-10 reps)
According to Nippard, studies indicated that seated hamstring curls were more likely to increase muscle mass significantly than their standing counterpart.
“Compared over 12 weeks of hamstring curls to lying leg curls, which one resulted in more muscle every time? Seated. I think about 1.5 times the growth in 12 weeks which is significant.”
Incline Press (Suggested Rep range 6-10 reps)
Nippard backed incline presses as one of his go-to for chest development because they manage to stimulate his lower, mid, and upper pecs.
“A lot of people think of the incline press as an upper pec exercise, and it’s like what’s going to happen to my mid and lower pecs. That’s completely blown out of proportion. There’s a recent study that compared flat bench to incline bench, for the lower pecs, same growth. For the mid pecks same growth, for the upper pecs, better growth with incline.”
Seated Super Stretch Cable Flies (Suggested Rep range 12-15 reps)
As for seated super stretch cable flies, Nippard mentioned that only three sets for your pecs a week can net someone 60% of your maximum growth potential.
“Three sets for your pecs a week is actually enough to make gains for most people, yeah, for sure. You probably get around 60% of your maximum growth potential just off of three sets, per week,” said Jeff Nippard.
Chest-supported row (Suggested Rep range 10-12 reps)
Given the stability and tension needed for chest-supported rows, Nippard found these to be most effective for building a well-rounded back.
“I like a chest-supported row because you’re very stable and you can direct that tension, directly to your back. You want to round this out and allow your shoulder blades to pull apart and squeeze them together when going up. If it helps you get a better contraction, it’s totally okay if you allow your chest to lift up, in my opinion.”
Pulldowns (Suggested Rep Range 8-12 reps)
He favors pulldown variations as a must for back training and mentions that it’s more ‘fun’ to go to failure on this exercise.
“For these, I like to emphasize the lats more with the closer grip as you’re really just driving my elbows down. If I was trying to target mid-traps I would lean more and drive my elbows back.”
“I find more people can feel their back working better but you… I think going to failure on a pulldown is more fun,” says Nippard.
Cable Lateral Raise (Suggested Rep range 10-12 per side)
For shoulder growth, Nippard explained to Will Tennyson why he prefers the movement most:
“One thing I’ve been doing lately is actually raising the height of the cable. The cable will apply most resistance to your side delt when there is a 90-degree angle between the cable and your arm. That’s a pretty shortened position.”
Reverse Pec Deck (Suggested Rep range 12-15 per side)
To properly tax the rear delts, which often get ignored by new lifters, Nippard advocated for the reverse Pec Deck.
“Rear delts are important for a physique and it’s a movement a lot of new lifters tend to neglect,” shares Nippard.
Bayesian Cable Curls (Suggested Rep range 10-12 per side)
Nippard blasts his biceps with peak tension using Bayesian cable curls.
“My bicep will experience peak tension when there is a 90-degree angle between my forearm and the cable. The bicep is pretty short here,” said Nippard. “You get more tension in the stretched position.”
Overhead Cable Tricep Extension (Suggested Rep range 10-12 reps)
Once again emphasizing a deep stretch, Nippard shares why he prefers overhead cable triceps extensions.
“You will feel it get way harder even though you didn’t do anything different at your elbow. If we want a stretch, we’re going to achieve that by putting the up overhead. If we’re trying to achieve a contraction, we’re not going to get a peak contraction with arm up overhead,” said Jeff Nippard.
Cable Kickbacks (Suggested Rep range 10-12 per side)
Lastly, Nippard and Tennyson performed kickbacks though they put a twist on it by moving his arm behind his torso.
“I do kickbacks this way. I just kind of lean back so that I can get my arm behind my torso, because if you think about it, this is biomechanically exactly the same thing as this [bending over].”
Nippard prides himself on breaking down various exercises and judging the effectiveness of each movement. He recently assessed the best and worst back workouts. Having examined over 20 different exercises designed to spur back growth, he offered fans useful tips and techniques along the way.
Nippard’s ability to relay scientifically backed fitness routines makes him one-of-a-kind in a community full of fad diets and training programs. Feel free to try out his top movements for each body part and see if they work for you!
RELATED: Jeff Nippard Ranks Best And Worst Exercises For Chest Development
Watch the full video from Will Tennyson’s YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
