Bodybuilding legend Lee Andrew McCutcheon AKA Lee Priest recently collaborated with Sam’s Fitness – Gym Equipment YouTube channel to demonstrate how an EZ bar and weight plates can be used for a full-body workout. Throughout the video, Lee Priest gave some valuable insights into how the surroundings can be used to get a workout rather than relying on equipment alone.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle and achieving fitness goals is often hailed as a costly affair with membership to state-of-the-art gyms, personal trainers, equipment, and everything that comes with it. Fitness is not even among the top priorities of many due to the perceived costs associated with it.
However, Lee Priest laid out a simple yet effective method to meet fitness goals without incurring heavy costs.
Throughout the 17-minute long video, Lee Priest demonstrated and explained different exercises to work all the muscle groups using the EZ bar and weight plates.
1. Biceps
- Ez Bar curl
- Wide-grip Ez bar curls
- Close-grip Ez bar curls
- Bent-over Ez bar curls
- Kneeling preacher curls
Explaining the reason behind the variations in curls, Lee Priest stated that every variation employs a different range of motion and hence works all the muscles in the arms.
“All put different strains on the muscle,” Lee Priest said.
2. Forearms
Lee priest reiterated that every variation employed for bicep curls can be adopted for reverse grip barbell curls to work the forearms for the same reason of employing a different range of motion to work the muscles more effectively.
3. Shoulders
- Barbell shoulder raises
- Close-grip barbell upright rows – For traps
- Wide-grip barbell upright rows – for outer delts
- Standing side raises using weight plates – for side delts
- Bent-over side raises using weight plates – for rear delts
Elaborating further on the benefits of working with plates, Lee Priest added that it might not help build massive muscle mass but they can be an extremely effective way to tone the muscles and improve the cardio. Priest went on to demonstrate that each one of the workouts he showed before can be performed with weight plates.
“You don’t have to do (both hand raises) together. You can just lean on something. Hold your clothesline, hold anything at home if you want to do them just one arm at a time as well,” Lee Priest added.
4. Triceps
- Single-arm triceps extensions with weight plate
- Double arm triceps extensions with a heavier weight plate
- Triceps kickback with weight plate
- Bench dips
- Inclined diamond push-ups
- Lying triceps extensions with a barbell or weight plate
- Close grip bench press
5. Chest
- Flat/inclined/declined bench press
- Flat/inclined/declined Flys with weight plate
6. Back
- Wide grip and close grip Barbell Row
- Single-arm row with weight plate
- Double arm row with weight plate
- Barbell squats
- Barbell lunges
- Stiff leg deadlifts
- Chin-ups
Lee Priest advised exploring our creative side when trying to get a few chin-ups. Instead of relying solely on a chin-up bar, Lee Priest stated that many objects in our surroundings can be used to do chin-ups and shared one of his old methods of doing the exercise:
“When I used to go camping, I’d find a tree. If the tree had like two sorts of (parallel) branches even, I’d put my bar up in the tree and just do my chin-ups off the bar across the tree. So, it can be done,” Lee Priest said.
7. Legs
- Leg extensions (With EZ Bar wrapped in a towel resting on the feet)
- Leg curls holding a weight plate or dumbbell between the feet
“With barbell and plates, and if you have dumbbells, you can pretty much work your whole body. Just comes down to thinking. You have to go back. What did we use to do,” Lee Priest stated.
Following the full-body workout demonstration, Lee Priest reiterated the importance of using the surroundings to create an efficient set-up rather than relying on equipment alone. The 49-year-old then went on to demonstrate different exercises and shared some tips about making slow and steady progress towards fitness goals.
“We just do as many (reps) as we can. That’s the challenge. One day, say it was push-ups and you only got to 12, next day try for 13. You don’t need to go, okay I got 12 one day, next day you’re off for 20. Each day, just increase by one a day. Just slowly build-up,” Lee Priest said.
Courtesy of Sam’s Fitness – Gym Equipment YouTube channel, you can watch the full video here:
Lee Preist is one of a kind. Thanks for making working out simple and doable for the average guy.
I Love and Respect Lee very much