Which assistance lift do you most enjoy doing, why and what do you credit it with?

I guess I'll start-

Romanian deadlifts, because I hate good mornings. Also they happen to be awesome for your grip whilst benefiting both your squat and deadlift.

They are helping me make my squat less gay, one set at a time.

Right now it's the Hammer Strength Incline Press

Front Squat

i'd say front squat, but it eventually replaced the back squat as a main lift.


so bulgarian split squats becuase that's all i can do right now and my ass has never been better. it'll kill your hammies too.

so bulgarian split squats becuase that's all i can do right now and my ass has never been better. it'll kill your hammies too.

cool, I've been thinking of throwing them into my squat day after my deload from squats and milk finishes on Monday. Do you recommend them as an alternative to romanian deadlifts?

cool, I've been thinking of throwing them into my squat day after my deload from squats and milk finishes on Monday. Do you recommend them as an alternative to romanian deadlifts?

I wouldn't do unilateral exercises in place of bilateral exercises unless I had to, but that's just me.

What does your current workout schedule look like?

I wouldn't do unilateral exercises in place of bilateral exercises unless I had to, but that's just me.

What does your current workout schedule look like?

nothing, I'm deloading :) I just did a month of squats and milk.

Prior to that-

3 day split, pull press squat over an eight month period, interupted by 2 severe illnesses.

i tended to stick to bors, timed holds and romanian dls as assistance on my pull day.

overhead, dips and tate for press assistance.

front squats, romanian deadlifts went with every squat session and I did oh squats if I could put the work in (ie not be a bitch)

Going back to that monday after taking a week off.

I wouldn't do unilateral exercises in place of bilateral exercises unless I had to, but that's just me.

cool. Not in place of bilateral movements, but would you not recommend cycling them in occassionaly to experiment a little, or to do them in addition to other bilateral assistance should you find some extra gas in the tank? I'm learning this shit on the fly, so I'm always interested in the whys and wherefores of peoples training methodology. Can't learn if I don't ask.

Well I willl assume you are training for strength.

I see it as you should do two antagonistic compound lifts. For instance bench and rows or squat and deadlift. I would do those for low reps then after that I would include some higher rep work with a unilateral movement. Something like 6 to 10 reps. Or if you had a dynamic effort day you could increase the weight and lower the reps for your unilateral lifts(which I would still recommend coming after your main lifts).

yea, i wouldn't replace squats with them if i had a choice. but if you do these with enough intensity, it's feels like doing 5x5 squats with 80% of your max.

i really like doing unilateral movements because i think that they are better for athletic movements, help correct muscular imbalances, and if you're holding something overhead, your core gets killed as well.

thanks guys I'll take on board your advice.