Shadowing Practice: The Only 25 Exercises You Ever Need - Learn English Speaking with Video
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If I could pick 25 exercises to build a complete physique, these are the ones.
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Out of the hundreds, if not thousands of exercises that I've done in my life, these are the best of the best.
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And here's the crazy part.
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To keep things interesting, I'm going to try to set a new personal record on all 25 exercises.
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That was actually harder than I expected.
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Usually when I film exercise demos, I use light weights so I can focus on proper technique.
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In this video, I'm going to load up some real weight and push myself as hard as humanly possible, good technique.
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If I don't hit any new PRs, maybe I'm past my peak.
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If I hit PRs on all 25, that means I'm still making gains.
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Wish me luck.
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Okay, in the number 25 spot, I've got the machine lat pullover.
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I actually just got this vintage Nautilus lat pullover machine from the 90s for the muscle lab, and I've been using it every week.
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I absolutely love it.
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I had to include it as an iconic bodybuilding exercise for the lats, popularized by six -time Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates.
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It's one of the very few back exercises where you can isolate the lats while still overloading it with some serious weight.
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I wish I could put it higher, but since most gyms don't have it, it's just squeaking in at the 25th spot.
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And that's PR number one.
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Since this is still a new exercise for me, that was a pretty easy one.
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Oh wow.
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Number 24, dumbbell shrugs.
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These are making the top 25 because the upper traps have such a big impact on how muscular you look, yet they are often overlooked.
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And I really like the dumbbells here because they're so simple.
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You don't need to load up a barbell or a machine.
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Just grab a pair of dumbbells and start shrugging.
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- One, two, three.
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Okay, we'll call it there.
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And I'm two for two on PRs.
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I got a little cheaty there at the end, but I'm still going to count it because I control the negative well enough.
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Number 23, I'm going with the standing calf raise.
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The calves are the only muscle of the legs that you'll always see in shorts.
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People respect a set of well -developed calves.
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Research shows that standing, straight leg calf raises are significantly more effective than seated bent leg calf raises.
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So, Another new PR, super happy about that.
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Number 22, dumbbell wrist curls and extensions.
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The forearms are kind of like the calves of the upper body.
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If you're wearing a t -shirt, your forearms will always be visible and make it immediately obvious that you're a serious lifter.
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And dumbbells are my go -to here since there's nothing to overthink.
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You just grab a pair of dumbbells, brace your arm against a bench, and flex your wrist back and forth.
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Fourteen, one more.
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- - 15.
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Wow.
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Hey, let's go!
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I'm actually kind of excited about that one.
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I superset wrist curls with wrist extensions, and knock out three sets of each in about five minutes.
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Man, it's crazy how like I actually just barely get the PR.
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All right, number 21, sticking with the theme of commonly neglected muscles that actually make a big difference, I've got neck curls and neck extensions.
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Just like your calves and forearms, your neck will be visible in clothes, and a bigger, thicker neck not only makes you look more jacked, it can also reduce headaches,
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prevent neck pain, and help you take a punch better.
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If you're new to it, do plate weighted neck curls supersetted with head harness neck extensions twice a week, for 10 to 15 reps, and your neck will grow.
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Heavy deadlifts and shrugs don't grow your neck.
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You need to train it directly.
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And since most people don't, it usually grows very fast once you actually start hitting it.
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Okay, I'm gonna stop there.
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There's no evidence that neck training causes sleep apnea, at least not in natural lifters.
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And more recent evidence suggests it's actually tongue fat that's the main issue.
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Okay.
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I'm gonna leave it there.
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I have not been training my neck.
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I don't just want to go for a PR.
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Okay, now we're into my top 20 exercises of all time.
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To get into the top 20 is tough.
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These are all elite.
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Just making it in at number 20 is the cable crunch.
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Cable crunches are one of the very few ab exercises
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that you can easily progressively overload by adding a little weight each week.
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And just like any other muscle, your abs will get more developed the more you train them
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leading to a more prominent six pack once you're lean enough for it to pop through.
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Okay.
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Ah, 25 reps.
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I think the most I've ever done with the max stack on this machine is 20.
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This is a five rep PR.
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That's not bad.
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Let's go.
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Okay.
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Number 19, the machine pec deck.
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For pec isolation, this one's tough to beat.
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You're locked in against this seat.
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So you know that all the tension coming from this weight stack is going straight to your pecs.
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And since your arms are externally rotated, your front delts are positioned up toward the ceiling out of the line of pull while your pecs
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blind with the line of pull.
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Bye.
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Yeah, no shot.
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That was nine though.
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So that's three reps over my three reps over my previous PR, which is kind of insane, but I truly do think it's because I would normally go for that as my last set.
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But still, to get three reps, that's actually crazy.
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Number 18, reverse pec deck for the rear delts.
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I do these to the side, but I think a standard reverse pec deck is totally fine.
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And this way you'll get about twice the range of motion and all that extra ROM is coming in the Okay.
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Hey, I got it.
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One thing to keep in mind when setting a PR, your technique has to be the same.
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Otherwise it doesn't count.
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Hopefully you noticed that I was going just as slow on the negative as I normally would.
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It doesn't need to be super slow, but it has to be controlled.
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If technique isn't consistent, PR doesn't count.
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Okay.
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Number 17, weighted dips.
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Dips are an incredible mass builder for the pecs, front delts, and triceps.
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They're amazing for progressive presses.
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Once you can do 5 or 10 clean reps with body weight, gradually add a little weight each week using a belt.
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The only reason they aren't ranked higher is that some people get cranky shoulders if they do them too often.
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If you ever feel some pinching though, just try leaning forward a bit more and only go as deep as feels comfortable on your shoulders.
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No! So close!
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- Dan!
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Number 16, the Nautilus glute drive.
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If you don't have this machine, a barbell hip thrust still does the trick, but I find the machine a lot more comfortable on my hips.
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This is one of the only ways to get a huge overloading stimulus for the gluteus maximus without taxing the quads.
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And there's a large pile of research demonstrating that the hip thrust is very effective for muscle growth.
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The only reason that it isn't ranked higher is that a lot of gyms don't have this machine, and many people do find the barbell less comfortable.
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Thank you.
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Another one.
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Okay.
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In the number 15 spot, I've got the Bayesian cable curl.
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I'll admit, I do have a soft spot for this exercise.
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I've been doing it for about 10 years now, and despite it being a lot more popular now than it was a decade ago, I still think it's underrated.
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It's the only exercise I'm aware of where you get to train the biceps in such a long muscle length
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while keeping high tension throughout the range of motion.
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Let's go.
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Another PR.
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Let's go.
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All right, let's check in with the PR counter over here.
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I'm honestly super surprised that I've got this many PRs so far.
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It goes to show that if you just really lock in and motivate yourself, you might surprise yourself with what you can do.
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Okay, In the number 14 spot, This will probably be a controversial one.
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I've got the deadlift.
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This is one of the most fundamental strength training exercises.
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and I really think it deserves to be in the top 20.
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It's a time -tested, basic movement pattern that anyone with a barbell can do.
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It's as raw as it gets.
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You just pick some weight up off the ground.
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And I truly think every beginner should learn how to do it.
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You can deadlift with a conventional stance or a sumo stance.
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Both activate similar muscle patterns, and both are fantastic for building strength and power.
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Yes, deadlifts cause a lot of fatigue.
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And yes, deadlifts probably aren't the most optimal exercise for pure muscle growth.
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But even if the deadlift doesn't need to be in every bodybuilding program, I still think it's a lift that everyone should learn and get strong on at least once in their life.
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I'm going to end it there.
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My all time deadlift PR is 545 pounds from back when I was competing powerlifting.
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I'm not focused on powerlifting right now.
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So I'm not even going to pretend like I'm going full throttle on that one.
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No PR on this one.
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At number 13, I've got the OHP, also known as the overhead press.
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And similar to the deadlift, even if it isn't the most optimal exercise for hypertrophy on paper,
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it's just such an important movement pattern that everyone should learn and get strong at at some point in their life.
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If you've never picked up a barbell and pressed it over your head, I don't think you're the best lifter that you can be.
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In fact, if there's any one lift that I'm most impressed by as a coach and as a lifter myself, It's the OHP because I know firsthand just how hard it is to progress on
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and how impressive it is when someone can nail it.
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No PR here either.
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Okay, number 12, the walking lunge.
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There isn't a lot of research on lunges, but from my personal and my coaching experience, there's no exercise that crushes the glutes like lunges do.
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I can do one hard set of walking lunges and be sore for days.
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And if you haven't done them in a while, do one hard set on your next leg day and you'll see what I mean.
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You can hit these Ronnie Coleman style with a barbell on your back, but I personally like dumbbells or if you don't want to take up the whole gym, you can do them stationary on a Smith machine.
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As long as you're lunging under some decent weight, your glutes will grow.
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a little more glutes, do a wide lunge with a big step.
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If you want a little more quads, do shorter steps with more forward knee travel.
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30. Man, it's crazy.
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24 was my best PR.
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The last time I did dumbbell lunges.
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I just did 30.
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That's crazy.
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All right, number 11.
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Here we go.
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Probably another hot take just outside the top 10 in the number 11 spot.
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I've got the bench press.
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I love the bench press.
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I actually do attribute most of my own pet development to
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just gradually building my way up to a 365 pound bench press at 165 pounds body weight
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and a 390 pound bench press at 180 pounds body weight.
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There's also plenty of research showing a strong relationship between bench press and pec growth.
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Yeah, it may not be the most optimal for hypertrophy for everyone, but this is another one of those basic exercises
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that everyone should try to get strong at at some point in their lifting career.
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I'm cooked.
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No PR on that one.
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At least once you need to feel the satisfaction of loading some weight up on the bench press
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that you've never tried before and pressing it up and off your chest for a new PR.
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I think it's one of the most gratifying experiences in the gym.
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Of course, most people just spin their wheels on the bench press.
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month and do it for their three sets of 10 or whatever.
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But to get a big bench, you need to be intentional about it.
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That means tracking your lifts from week to week.
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And officially, as of today, the best way to do that is using the new Macrofactor Workouts app.
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Yes, you can see a big difference by taking a slightly wider grip, getting nice and secure on the bench,
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tucking your shoulder blades down and pressing the bar up and slightly back rather than just pressing it forward.
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But Nothing that you do will make as big of a difference as simply tracking your lifts
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and making sure that you're adding a little weight or a rep from week to week.
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You can do tracking the old school way with a notepad or you can use a notes app, but nothing will guarantee progress like macro factor workouts.
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It makes the logging process not only clean, simple and organized, but also super motivated.
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Like let's say you benched 225 last week, and this week you want to do 230.
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The app will show you exactly which plates you need to add without needing to think about it at all beforehand.
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And then vlogging it after your set, is super fast.
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Most men should be able to bench press one time their body weight in their first year or two.
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Most women should be able to bench press half their body weight in year one.
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And this is the best part about the app: it isn't just a tracker.
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It'll actually coach you to your specific goal using science -based algorithms.
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All you need to do is fill out your starting information and your goals, and the app will generate a program specifically for you.
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Then it'll update that program every week based on your progress, just like a coach would, but for a tiny fraction of the cost.
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Every exercise comes with a video demo from me.
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We actually filmed over 500 exercise demos specifically for the app.
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And it's the only app where you can log partial reps, drop sets, supersets, and check your volume analytics and your progress over time with super helpful visuals, charts, and graphics.
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If you're a Macrofactor Nutrition app user, the two apps will sync together seamlessly.
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And if you're one of the users of my programs, you can load those into the app.
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So you can download a free two week trial of the
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new macro factor workouts app at the first link in the description box below.
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or by scanning this QR code over here next to my head.
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Just use code "Jeff" when you download, and that'll get you two weeks for free.
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Okay, now we're into my top 10 exercises of all time.
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So up to here, the list was kind of a mix of some personal hypertrophy favorites and some basic fundamentals.
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my top 10 exercises, are the 10 exercises I think you should do If you can only do 10.
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So if someone says, I can only do 10 exercises, which 10 should I do?
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These are the 10.
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All right, coming in at the number 10 spot, I've got the seated leg curl.
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The hamstrings make up about 40 % of your thigh mass, and they're a lot more important for reducing knee pain and promoting knee joint health than many realize.
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Training them directly is huge.
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Also, this 12 -week training study found about 50 % more hamstrings growth with seated leg curls than lying leg curls.
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Now, if you don't have a seated leg curl machine, lying leg curls definitely 10.
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The leg extension.
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This one is ranked so highly because it really is the easiest, most accessible way to isolate your quads.
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And contrary to popular belief, some recent anatomy research suggests that the quads are the biggest muscle in the human body, bigger than the glutes or the lats.
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They deserve some special attention.
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Now, sure, you could do reverse Nordics or sissy squats, And I think they're both great options, but a lot of trainees do find them awkward,
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less stable and trickier to overload than the tried and true leg extension, which most gyms are going to have.
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If you set the seat back, you can smash the big, long rectus femoris head of the quads better than any compound exercise, including squats.
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And I've been doing leg extensions twice a week for more than a decade.
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Plus, research shows they're perfectly safe for your knees.
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Just make sure you warm up and don't use weights that you can't move with good form.
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Woo!
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Nine.
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That's a two rep PR.
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Nice.
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In number eight spot, I've got the overhead cable triceps extension.
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This may seem like a high ranking for a triceps isolation exercise, but I have good reason for it.
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First of all, unlike dips or the bench press, you can get a huge tricep stimulus here without taxing your chest, delts, or core.
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And research from Mayo and colleagues showed that when compared to press downs, overhead extensions caused about 40 % more overall triceps growth
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has something to do with the fact that the long head of the triceps will be more lengthened in that overhead position.
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Okay.
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Number seven is the preacher curl.
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Most guys want bigger biceps.
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They're a legit show muscle.
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And if I had to pick just one biceps exercise these days, this would be it.
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They're easier to do and harder to mess up than the Bayesian curl.
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And even though there isn't as much of a stretch on the biceps at the beginning, because of the angle of the bench,
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you get super high tension from the very start where the biceps will still be quite lengthened.
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And then because you're braced stronger in the 6 -12 rep range on the preacher curl over time,
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your biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis are getting bigger.
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No question.
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Close. So close.
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Number 6.
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Here we go.
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The lateral raise.
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The side delts might be the single most important muscle from a bodybuilding aesthetic standpoint, because from the front and from the rear, they create that broad shouldered X frame appearance.
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And while they will get worked on presses, they can take a backseat to the front delts.
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So I think isolating them is crucial.
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You can do that with dumbbells, machines or cables.
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Research suggests that they all seem to work similarly well.
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I personally prefer cables, though, specifically with a high handle position because it'll provide more tension on the delts out while they're in a more lengthened position.
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Also, with cables, you get this nice, even, smooth tension throughout the range of motion, which I find helps me connect with my side delts better than dumbbells.
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Either way, as long as you're pushing them hard, you're going to get a lot of bang for your buck out of lateral raises.
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Hey, let's go.
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Okay, let's get into the top five.
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Again, if you can only do five exercises across your entire lifting career, These are the five I'm picking and I've hit this many PRs in the video so far.
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Only got five exercises left.
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Hopefully I'll hit at least one more.
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Alright, coming in at the number 5 spot, I've got the chest supported T -bar row.
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I think any horizontal row could be inserted here, but this is my personal favorite for the mid -back because your chest is braced, so your lower back won't be a limiting factor.
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The chest support also prevents cheating, so if you're adding a little weight over time for the same reps with the same form, rest assured your back is growing.
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Doing these as Kelso shrugs are also great, especially as you get more advanced, but I think when you're starting out, get strong on some good old T -bar rows first, then you can start playing around with Kelsos.
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If you don't have a T -bar, any chest supported row machine will work fine, or you can use dumbbells against an incline bench.
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Row with your elbows at a roughly 45 degree angle, and you'll get a nice mix of mid traps, rhomboids, lats, and rear delts.
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I think that was nine!
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Let's go!
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Okay, in the number four spot, I'm going with...
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Romanian deadlift.
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where you basically bend forward on the negative and then extend your hips on the positive.
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That can be a conventional deadlift, 45 degree back extension, good morning, and so on.
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But I really like the Romanian deadlift the best.
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I prefer it over the conventional deadlift
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because it's much less fatiguing for the same or perhaps even greater stimulus on your glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors.
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I prefer it over the 45 degree back extension because it's a lot easier to overload.
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And I prefer it over the good morning because it's easier to learn and feels smoother.
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hinge movement in your program that you're gradually getting stronger on, you're definitely leaving some gains on the table.
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Okay, I'm gonna go there.
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That's eight.
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Whoo!
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Okay, in third place, my number three exercise of all time, I'm going with the incline bench press.
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This is my go -to pressing movement
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because it gives you the best of a vertical press and a horizontal press with just one exercise.
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You get the delt activation of a shoulder press with the pec activation of a flat bench press.
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In fact, some research shows
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that you get more upper pec growth with the incline press without sacrificing any gains in the mid or lower pecs.
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All you need is an adjustable bench, a rack, and a barbell.
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I've been doing these on the Smith machine lately
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and just adding a little weight each week in the six to eight rep range.
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Most incline, but anything in the 20 to 45 degree incline zone will work great.
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Just find an angle that feels good for you.
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stick to it and get gradually stronger at that incline before switching it up.
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You can do a swap for dumbbells or a machine, As long as you're pushing hard, you'll see similar gains.
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Okay, let's rack it.
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Uh...
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Yeah.
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Not today.
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After doing dips and like other presses, I just don't have it in me right now.
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In second place, my number two exercise of all time.
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I'm going with the pull up.
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Over the last year, I've built my way up to body weight plus 75 pounds for six clean reps on pull ups, and I truly believe my back is looking the best it ever has.
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That's obviously just my n equals one anecdote, so it isn't worth a whole lot, but I do think that if I was doing pull downs instead of pull ups,
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I'd be a lot less diligent and motivated to actually progressively overload.
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I actually get super motivated when I hit a new pull -up PR, but I'm not going to lie, I really couldn't care less about a PR on a lat pull -down.
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That said, as long as you are progressively overloading, I think pulldowns or pullups are both great options here.
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I personally do both.
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But I will say, pullups have a few upsides.
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You can't really fake a pullup.
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You can either do it or you can't.
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You can fake a lot pulldown, though.
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Pullups also are more accessible than pulldowns.
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All you need is a bar to hang from and your own body weight.
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And if you can't do a full body weight pull -up yet, there's absolutely no shame in starting with assistance.
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Most people will need to.
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And then, once you can hit 8 to 10 clean body weight pull -ups, Use a belt to start adding some weight.
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It's pretty ugly, but...
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And in case you missed it, last year, I updated my back tier list to put pull -ups in S tier alongside pull -downs.
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I think they're both amazing.
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Okay, and here is my number one exercise.
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This means if you said to me, "I only have time to do one exercise, which one should I do?" What I would tell you is that you should do a squat.
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MRI research shows
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that more than half of your body's muscle mass is in your legs roughly 55 % in men
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and 58 % in women.
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So simply based on muscle mass distribution, I think the number one exercise should be a lower body one.
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That said, squats will build up back strength and total body power too.
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There's a reason why powerlifters always notice that if they get stronger on the squat, their deadlift goes up too, even if they aren't deadlifting.
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But the same doesn't work in reverse.
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As I see it, the squat is the king of all exercises.
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I don't think there's one best way to squat, though, at least not for muscle growth.
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I like the pendulum squat the best at the moment, but Smith machine squats, hack squats, Bulgarian split squats, they're all so good.
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You get high tension in that deep squat position where the quads
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and the glutes are both stretched and need to fire the hardest.
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They're super conducive to progressive overload, as long as you're tracking.
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They get you massive gym cred.
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No, it's not a perfect exercise.
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I don't think any exercise is on its own.
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It doesn't hit the hamstrings well, for example, and it doesn't hit the rectus femoris head of the quads as well as the leg extensions do.
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But those gaps are really easy to fill.
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And I don't know, even if all you did was squat week in and week out, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that you would build a very impressive set of wheels.
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Okay.
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You know what?
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My all time PR.
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on the squat is 500 pounds.
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And I did that at Canadian Nationals when I was powerlifting.
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And I know my limits on this exercise, so I think I'm going to leave it there.
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No PR on this one either.
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That was a lot of fun though.
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If you want to take your training to the next level this year, download Macrofactor.
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The nutrition app and the training app sync together seamlessly, and current users of the nutrition app can upgrade to get the training app, for just $1 .50 a month.
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You can not get any other training app on the market for that cheap, and it's absolutely amazing.
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So make sure you go over to the App Store or Google Play, download a two week free trial.
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Just make sure you use code Jeff when you download, that'll get you two weeks for free.
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Alright, that's it for this one guys.
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Thank you so much for watching.
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Don't forget to leave me a thumbs up if you enjoyed the video.
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Subscribe if you haven't already and I'll see you all here in the next one.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
If you're looking to improve your English speaking skills, engaging with this video is an excellent choice. The speaker aims to demonstrate a variety of exercises, pushing personal limits while using clear and structured language. By practicing speaking with this video, you can benefit from the shadowing technique, which involves mimicking the speaker's phrases, intonation, and rhythm. This method enhances your fluency and helps to internalize pronunciation and vocabulary in context. As you attempt to speak along, you'll not only grasp the meaning of the terms but also gain confidence in your speaking abilities.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The speaker employs several key grammatical structures and expressions that are valuable for learners. Here are a few:
- Present continuous tense: "I'm going to try to set a new personal record." This tense highlights actions ongoing in the present, perfect for discussing current activities.
- Conditionals: "If I don't hit any new PRs, maybe I'm past my peak." This sentence demonstrates the use of the zero conditional, which is useful for discussing hypothetical situations.
- Imperatives: "Wish me luck." This command is direct and encourages interaction from the audience, making it a practical expression for engaging dialogue.
- First conditional: "If you’re new to it, do plate weighted neck curls." This structure can be used to give advice or recommendations, thus enhancing conversational skills.
- Descriptive phrases: "a bigger, thicker neck not only makes you look more jacked..." This showcases how adjectives can vividly convey ideas, making your speaking more colorful.
Common Pronunciation Traps
In this video, learners may encounter a few tricky words and phrases that are important to notice:
- “PR” – This abbreviation for personal record could be difficult for beginners. Practice the pronunciation by repeating after the speaker.
- “dumbbell” – The combination of sounds may lead to mispronunciation. Focus on the stress in the syllables to master this word.
- “lats” – The short form for latissimus dorsi can be challenging. Pay attention to how it blends with surrounding words for clearer articulation.
- “isolate” – This term appears frequently in fitness contexts; ensure you practice the vowel sounds to enhance clarity.
Using the shadow speak method, try repeating these expressions and words directly after the speaker to improve your speaking prowess. This shadowing site can be a valuable resource as you engage in English speaking practice while strengthening your pronunciation skills.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been using · have not been training · I've been doing |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you haven't already and I'll see |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've done · I've ever done · you've never picked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are often overlooked · are positioned · be controlled |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.