What is your favorite strength training exercise and why?

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WhaddoWino
WhaddoWino Posts: 146 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just finished a session of shoulders and back (I am new at this) and found that I really like dead lifts. I love the work involved with the motion. Conversely, I really don't like doing a bench press as I don't like holding a heavy object up above me!

I'm just curious to know... what's your favorite weight training exercise? Which exercise do you like the least? Why?
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Replies

  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    I feel that I'm doing the most for my body with squats, which makes them my favorite, and there's so much involved in a high-quality heavy squat set form-wise that it really feels like an excellent accomplishment when you nail it. Deadlifts are a close second, and in terms of the feeling of the movement itself, are perhaps my actual fave.

    My Deadlift days always are my longest workouts because I enjoy back training so much I tend to pummel my back into the ground.
  • drefaw
    drefaw Posts: 739
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    SQUATS .......

    I like the feeling of working all those muscles together. And the bar looks awesome with all that weight hanging on it ......

    My second is Lat pull downs... don't really know why, just do ...
  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
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    Squats and Deadlifts - there's something about moving a lot of weight off of the earth that just fires me up.
    Conversely, I really don't like doing a bench press as I don't like holding a heavy object up above me!
    You may want to try bench press with dumbbells. It's still weight above you, but it's not as ominous since you can drop the dumbbells away from you. I actually prefer DB bench press over BB bench press.
  • fitandgeeky
    fitandgeeky Posts: 232 Member
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    I love squats, always have, but since I've gotten stronger, OHP has become my favorite lift. Makes me feel strong and I love working my shoulders.

    The least? I can't say I really have one I dislike.
  • WhaddoWino
    WhaddoWino Posts: 146 Member
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    Squats and Deadlifts - there's something about moving a lot of weight off of the earth that just fires me up.
    Conversely, I really don't like doing a bench press as I don't like holding a heavy object up above me!
    You may want to try bench press with dumbbells. It's still weight above you, but it's not as ominous since you can drop the dumbbells away from you. I actually prefer DB bench press over BB bench press.

    Thanks for this tip! I will definitely plan on using dumbbells for my next bench press and see how it feels.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Deadlifts. Nothing beats that rush of pulling x-number-of-pounds off the floor.

    Squats are a pretty close second.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    right now barbell rows. When my knees are not being beaches, squats.
  • ScottysSpeedShop
    ScottysSpeedShop Posts: 47 Member
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    Squats! Feels good the next day.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I have grip strength issues so the deadlifts are frustrating for me...but man oh man do I love the feeling of squatting my full body weight (and the plan to increase it even higher)!
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    Deadlifts. Nothing beats that rush of pulling x-number-of-pounds off the floor.

    This.

    I love bench press, but dislike Overhead Press for the same reason you mentioned: not liking the weight above me, but in my case I think it's more than I'm not 100% solid on my form.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    squats, nothing gets the blood pumping for me than a nice bar bending set. I've been digging hang cleans lately too.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    Clean & Jerk
    Snatch
    Overhead Squats
    Back Squats
    Clean Pulls
    Snatch Pulls
    Snatch Balance

    (Not necessarily in that order)
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
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    Squats, because booty. ;)

    Second is the overhead press, because I mostly hate it, but then feel extra awesome when I'm able to bump up the weight.
  • TheApocalypse
    TheApocalypse Posts: 319 Member
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    Clean & Jerk
    Snatch
    Overhead Squats
    Back Squats
    Clean Pulls
    Snatch Pulls
    Snatch Balance

    (Not necessarily in that order)

    Forgot the Deadlift..... but so freaking ^^^THIS
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Natural hamstring curls aka ghetto glute ham raises aka russian leg curls

    Why? I toiled away for a long time (over a year) on these things working consistently doing assisted variations with no means of measuring progress but "feel". They kick the crap out of your hams and butt. Now I can do fully unassisted reps, something that very, very, very, very few people can do, especially people flirting with 200+ lbs on the scale.

    And because they strongly transfer to sprinting speed, being an actual horizontal leg movement (dealifts, straight leg or not are mostly vertical movements).

    Regular GHR's in the GHR bench are not the same exercise and are pathetically easy compared to ghetto GHR's.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Deads.

    If they hurt my neck/shoulders less: Squats.
  • RiesigJay
    RiesigJay Posts: 151 Member
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    Below parallel squats, not the quarter squats most folks do.

    Bodyweight-only? Chin ups. Although I do like loading up a 45 pound plate when doing chins.
  • dubist
    dubist Posts: 279 Member
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    box squats
  • fit_grrrl
    fit_grrrl Posts: 32
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    Right now

    Upper Exercise
    DB Shoulder Press

    Lower Exercise
    SLDL

    Overall
    Deadlift - Makes me feel all Grrrrrrl
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
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    Upper: Shoulder Press

    Lower: Squats & Leg press

    Overall: straight leg deadlifts

    Back: seated row and pull ups

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