The 5 Most Effective Strength Accessory Exercises

If you’re sick of hearing acronyms like SBD, OHP, and BB Row, you’re probably also somewhat tired of reading about the exercises that they stand for. Anyone that has a brain cell and access to the internet either knows, or is at very least capable of eventually discovering that the back squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and bent-over barbell row are staple exercises that should, either in their entirety or at least in a limited combination, be included in any decent athlete’s training program.

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General gym-bro awareness is somewhat split on accessory movements, however. “But bro” I hear you utter in a testosterone-drenched accent, “I get enough core work from heavy deadlifts”. This thinking is somewhat part of the problem, and the reason why your entire core isn’t being worked thoroughly enough for you to be seeing those “real gainz”. Therefore, you’re about to read what are in my and the opinion of many others, some of the best accessory movements that will tag-team your main lifts all the way to the top. Or at least just above middle, anyway.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

While the barbell bent-over row is a layer in the club sandwich that is the main set of compound movements, the single-arm dumbbell row is one of the many sauces on the side that brings a Tripadvisor rating from 4 to 5 stars.
The dumbbell bent-over row needs to be done with a fair amount of weight to have enough carryover for strength, but this exercise targets the upper back. Be sure to keep the rep range between 4 and 6 instead of doing these slower and with lighter weight. This is for strength, not bodybuilding.

Glute-Ham Raise

Never neglect the GHD. This movement is often the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to hamstring development. So many people spend years doing hip-hinge movements and getting very strong, but not realising that the glute-ham developer will allow you to target your hamstrings from attachments at both ends of the muscle group.

Ensure you pay attention to proper form as it is displayed in the above video, otherwise you’re taking the hamstrings out of the equation

Pull Ups/Dips

You’ll be surprised how many strong lifters that are otherwise capable of squatting and deadlifting hundreds of kilos, can struggle when it comes to doing simple bodyweight dips and pull-ups.
Dips are a monstrous exercise for building the chest and triceps and they can be progressively overloaded by adding weight. This also applies to pull-ups, which should be done with all variations/grips to vary the load and muscles targeted.

Lunges/Bulgarian Split Squats

If you’re not training with single-leg accessories, then you’re arguably not training properly. Like, at all. Unilateral legwork is an absolute must for anyone wishing to develop and maintain strength over time.
Bulgarian split squats can be loaded up with decent weight and are great at targeting the front leg, while throwing in lunges makes both legs do a lot of work. As a bonus, unilateral work will allow you to identify and eliminate any imbalances between your limbs.

Planks

Planks are often over-prescribed by every Tom, Dick, Judy, and PT from the UK to Azerbaijan. However, executed with proper form as in the video below, these will develop excellent all-over core strength that “heavy deadifts, bro” won’t achieve on their own.

Planks technique also doesn’t come in a better-explained package than in the video above, either. Listen to this video. Your core will thank you endlessly.