Sam Sulek - The Only 10 Exercises Men Need To Build Muscle

Quadriceps Focus: Leg Extensions [00:13]

• Leg extensions are preferred over heavy squats or leg presses for quad building.
• Volume on leg extensions can increase during dieting phases for enhanced squeezing and activation.
• The speaker would choose leg extensions as their sole quad movement to maximize pump.

For me, like if I had to pick a quad movement, I would just kill it on the leg extensions cuz you can really pump them up, go a little heavier. - The speaker favors leg extensions for their ability to isolate and "pump up" the quads, particularly when dieted down, over heavier compound movements like squats or leg presses. This allows for controlled, high-volume work.

Hamstring Emphasis: Lying Hamstring Curl [00:49]

• The choice for hamstrings is between seated or lying curls, with a slight preference for the lying variation.
• The speaker discusses the stretch in hamstrings, noting that a seated position with torso flexion might offer more stretch than a lying position, depending on how one positions themselves.
• Currently, the speaker is favoring the lying curl.

Like you feel your hamstring stretch when you bend your torso to touch your toes, not when you're laying down. - The selection of a lying hamstring curl is debated, with the speaker questioning the common notion of greater stretch in this position compared to a seated curl with torso flexion. Ultimately, a personal preference for the lying curl is stated.

Back Development: Lat Pulldowns [01:53]

• Regular pulldowns are chosen for back development, with the potential to cheat into a row by leaning back.
• The speaker aims for lat width to create an illusion of a more aesthetic physique.
• Hand position on the lat pulldown can drastically change the movement: wider grips target upper lats and shoulder rotation, while closer grips engage more forearm and bicep, resembling a row.

Like I want them to extend out. Like that's what really gives that sort of look illusion. - Lat pulldowns are selected as the primary back exercise to achieve lat width, with an emphasis on adjusting hand position to target different areas of the lats and create specific visual effects.

Chest Training: Seated Cable Press [04:03]

• The speaker would choose a seated cable press for chest training.
• This movement offers a neutral path, avoiding the potential shoulder strain of inclined barbell presses.
• It allows for heavy pressing and lighter, squeeze-emphasized sets, covering both stimulus bases.

But what I think I'd have to pick now would actually be a uh a seated cable press. - The seated cable press is identified as the preferred chest exercise due to its versatility, allowing for both heavy loading and a focus on contraction, while minimizing potential shoulder discomfort.

Arm Training: Triceps and Biceps [05:44]

• For triceps, an easy bar pushdown with a slightly cambered bar (around 120 degrees) is selected.
• This grip reduces wrist strain compared to a straight or V-bar.
• For biceps, standing supinated dumbbell curls are chosen as a classic and effective movement.

So a little camber more like a 120. That's about right because I can also do that light and squeezing or you can really like get into it and have some heft. - Both triceps and biceps are addressed with specific machine and free weight exercises that allow for variation in intensity and focus, from heavy lifting to emphasizing muscle contraction.

Forearm and Calf Development [07:21]

• A cable forearm curl is selected for forearm development, involving pulling down on a 1D handle.
• This exercise is noted for thickening the forearm area.
• Seated calf raises are chosen over standing for calf development, based on personal anecdotal evidence of effectiveness.

But it's like enough where you actually kind of thicken this up. And I used to do a ton of that and then my forearms got big enough and then I never did it again. - The speaker highlights the effectiveness of cable forearm curls for building forearm size and selects seated calf raises for calf development, prioritizing exercises that yield noticeable results.

Cardio and Endurance: Cardio Bike [08:35]

• A cardio bike, specifically a reclined one, is chosen for cardiovascular training.
• This machine allows for sustained pedaling without significant torso movement, enabling multitasking like phone use.
• The focus is on achieving a desired feeling of "hard but not too hard" effort rather than precise calorie metrics, acknowledging machine variability.

Like you can do it and also make it easy. Have you got a preferred machine for that? Like to precore make a particularly good. - The reclined cardio bike is chosen as a sustainable and accessible form of cardio that can be performed at a personally calibrated intensity level for effective energy expenditure.

Incline Treadmill Walking for Zone Two [10:02]

• Incline treadmill walking is discussed as a method to achieve Zone 2 cardio.
• Hitting Zone 2 can be challenging and requires a pace faster than a normal walk but slower than a jog.
• The speaker notes that treadmill metrics can be inconsistent, emphasizing the importance of feeling the exertion level.

Zone two for me is really hard to hit. It's like way faster than a normal walk on the road and it's way slower than a jog. - The speaker uses incline treadmill walking to target Zone 2 heart rate, a specific intensity level for cardiovascular training that can be difficult to achieve with standard walking or jogging. They highlight the need to rely on perceived exertion due to machine variability.

Adductor Machine for Leg Aesthetics [12:03]

• The adductor machine is selected as the final exercise for overall physique development.
• It contributes to thickening the inner thigh area, creating a more complete leg look.
• The machine is referred to by older, less favorable nicknames related to leg adduction and abduction.

Makes your legs a little thicker in the middle because that's it's this whole kind of like system of uh like kind of it tie in it ties in kind of below your knee more hamstring, but it's this sort of just piece right in the center where if your adductors were completely undeveloped and you just stood up straight with your knee straight, you'd have a really big gap between your legs. - The adductor machine is included for its role in enhancing the aesthetic fullness of the legs by developing the inner thigh muscles, contributing to a more balanced and complete lower body appearance.