Fitness coach Jeff Nippard doesn’t care how an exercise looks as long as it yields results. On Sept. 27, 2025, he detailed seven effective exercises that no one does, providing insights into setup and execution.
Nippard’s science-based approach to fitness has become a movement. He has more than 7.67 million YouTube subscribers who use his content to craft their own carefully-tailored workout routines. As a natural bodybuilder and powerlifter, Nippard offers the best of both worlds, helping athletes from different backgrounds make the gains they’re after.
Jeff Nippard’s 7 Amazing Exercises That No One Does
Find his selections from the video below:
- Deadhang
- Zottman Hammer Curl
- Incline Dumbbell Y-Raise
- Side-Facing Rear Delt Flyes
- Dragon Flags
- Kelso Shrug
- Seated Cable Deadlift
Exercise #1 – Deadhang
The deadhang is a simple way to improve shoulder health, core strength, and muscular endurance, explained Nippard.
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“It’s a simple way to improve your shoulder health, grow your forearms, increase core strength, decompress your spine, and improve muscular endurance.”
“The scientific evidence on this is a bit more mixed, but I personally get a lot of relief from it, especially on days following heavy squats or deadlifts.”
Exercise #2 – Zottman Hammer Curl
Unlike a traditional dumbbell curl, Nippard can overload the negative on the Zottman hammer curl, allowing for extra resistance to stimulate muscle growth.
“I think it makes a lot of sense to overload [the negative] it to its full potential. One way to do that is to curl the weight up on your own and have a partner apply extra resistance on the negative, but that feels awkward. Instead, use simple biomechanics to make the weight effectively heavier on the negative. Curl the weight up with a hammer grip, then lower the weight down with a palms-up supinated grip.”
Exercise #3 – Incline Dumbbell Y-Raise
Next, he broke down the incline dumbbell Y-raise, which he credited as a safe and effective delt-builder.
“Set up a bench at a roughly 20-30-degree incline. It should feel like you’re leaning pretty far back. Brace your upper back against the bench, and lift your chest up. With the dumbbells at your sides, lift them up and out in a Y. Think about squeezing your side delt fibers together to move the weight up, and then feel them stretch apart on the way down.”
Exercise #4 – Side-Facing Rear Delt Flyes
During side-facing rear delt flyes, Nippard said to pretend like you’re trying to pick up dollar bills on the ground with your wingspan to help you get the most out of the exercise.
“The technique is pretty simple, too. Instead of sitting down and facing the pad as normal, you turn sideways and sweep your arm out across your body.
A cue I picked up from Dr. Mike is to think about there being a big pile of money on the ground, and however much area you can cover is how much money you get to keep.”
Exercise #5 – Dragon Flags
Dragon flags were the next exercise on his must-have list, a movement he said is great for building core strength.
“It is a classic, though; it was Bruce Lee’s go-to move for building up his incredible core strength. They will hit your lower abs the hardest since you’re lifting your legs up, but your entire six-pack has to contract asymmetrically to keep your spine extended,” Jeff Nippard said.
Exercise #6 – Kelso Shrug
He favored the Kelso shrug as an unorthodox movement to build back thickness.
“It’s amazing for back thickness because it completely isolates your mid-traps and rhomboids without fatiguing your lower back or involving your biceps. Despite the name, it really is more like a row than a shrug.”
Exercise #7 – Seated Cable Deadlift
In his last entry, Nippard explained why seated cable deadlifts are worth including in your routine:
“This is an awesome glute and hamstring exercise. I have no idea why more people don’t do it. It looks gimmicky, but hear me out,” he said. “Sometimes you need an exercise that activates your glutes and hams without the same fatigue demand that comes with a heavy barbell lift. That’s where the seated cable deadlift comes in.”
Nippard has made it his mission to shed light on as many different exercises as possible. He recently ranked the best and worst exercises for growing bigger biceps, as well as a tiered ranking of movements for improving shoulder growth.
Although his selections are different from the norm, Nippard believes they all have substantial merit. They also cover the entire body, so together, they make a well-rounded routine.
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